破˙立
Tear Down˙Build Up
首都藝術中心 | Capital Art Center
劉國松 & 蕭耀 | Liu Guo Song & York Hsiao
藝術登陸新加坡 Art Stage Singapore 2016 | Booth F17

2016年春季，首都藝術中心將於Art Stage Singapore 2016 藝術登陸新加坡，以及Art Central HK 2016，展出兩位於台灣具指標性的現代與當代藝術家：劉國松、蕭耀。

華人地區的現代與當代藝術，多現於政治、經濟、社會、人權的不平等與現實困境概況中，藝術家透過各種媒材與形式，突破困境，打破既定固有的傳統或不合理，在表達創作理念的同時，提出借鏡反思，也替生命尋找更多不同的出口。成立於1984年的首都藝術中心，將以中國字「破」與「立」，象徵參展的兩位藝術家：劉國松與蕭耀，和他們的創作與思想，尋找華人現代與當代藝術更多的可能性。

譽為「現代水墨畫之父」的劉國松，去年以「香江歲月」打破個人拍賣紀錄，早已在華人現代藝術中，立下了不可撼動的地位。劉氏所象徵的不僅是藝術史料中一頁偉大的紀錄，已屆仗朝之年的身體卻仍舊孜孜不倦的日以繼夜持續作畫，樹立藝術家最佳的學習範本。他一路走來艱辛，成立「五月畫會」兩年後，有感於中國文人畫限於窠臼的傳統，為了將此從桎梏中解放，提出「革中鋒的命」、「革筆的命」，以皴法與肌理解放傳統對筆墨的依賴，更從題材中藉由超越山水的宇宙觀，立下了現代水墨的藝術基石，不斷茁壯。雖曾背負數典忘祖、背棄傳統的嚴厲指控，但仍舊堅持、傳承且不斷超越、創新，正是「破」與「立」的完美典範。

曾經多次參展國際藝術博覽會的台灣藝術家，蕭耀，設計師出身的背景，讓他對畫的色彩、佈局與結構特別精準、敏銳，並附有高度想像力和創造力，只可意會不可言傳的畫因(Motif)。雖創作風格犀利，內心卻有著細膩感性的一面。此次展出的作品「好色之圖」系列，已經過數年時間的淬鍊雕琢，以意象、符號和強而有力之構圖與簡潔的塊狀形色，在畫布中以壓克力顏料為主，並利用不同的媒材對象，不斷挑戰視覺上的衝擊，具體而微地傳達出男女愛戀情慾纏綿的人之本性，和人類對「性崇拜」之渴求與意義。

轉換觀看角度，符號卻又似意象的人體身形，更深一層的意義傳達出如何反思社會與藝術間的矛盾情感。從古典到現代，裸露的人體形象之美，早已是藝術不可或缺的元素，但在華人社會中，裸體仍舊與暴露、猥褻畫上等號，那是極度的歧視與不平等。透過蕭耀的藝術符號，喚醒觀者，探索自我內心最深層的聲音，以「破」打破藝術與世俗間的深渠，以「立」佇立於人類本能之上，尋求華人當代藝術中，最純粹的美、最新的視覺饗宴。

The modern and contemporary arts in Chinese communities chiefly show topics of politics, economy, social issues, unfairness of human rights, and problems in life. The artists, through different forms and media, attempt to break through the existing traditions or injustice. In the same time of presenting their ideas, they bring out the reflections and the many possibilities for life. Capital Art Center, established in 1984, will use the theme represented by the Chinese characters of “Tear Down” and “Set Up” to present the two artists in this show: Liu Gwo Song and York Hsiao, with their artworks and ideas to define some of the possibilities of the Chinese modern and contemporary art.

Master Liu Gwo Song, known as the “Father of Modern Chinese Ink Paintings”, broken his own auction record with his painting “Time in Hong Kong” in last year, has established an unshakable position in current art community. Master Liu is not only representing an important chapter in Chinese Art History. At the age of over 80 years, he still insists on creating new ideas tirelessly each and every day. He establishes the best role model for the people interested in art. His road through fine arts was rocky and tough. Two years after he founded the “Fifth Month Art Association”, he believed the traditional Chinese ink painting has been putting too much constrains on the expressions of artists, so he proposed to “Rebel against the tip of the brush” and “Rebel against the paint brush”. He used alternate ways to create the rocky surfaces in his painting and also by employing paper texture to break out from the use of paint brushes. Also by incorporating the views of the universe in his paintings to completely break free from traditional Chinese ink painting restrictions to establish and develop the basics of the modern Chinese ink painting. Even gathering many harsh critics from many people for “neglecting the honored traditions” and “neglecting the foundation of forefathers”, he perseveres, preaches, surpasses, and renovates. He is the perfect model for “Tear Down” and “Set Up”.

York Hsiao, a renowned Taiwan artist, has been participated in many international exhibitions. His background of professional designer brings him absolute accuracy of colors, composition, and structure in his works which are also highly imaginative and creative to present the underlining motif. His treatment of the subjects may seem harsh and sharp, but there is a delicate and sensitive side in the underlining ideas. The new series of works of “Paintings of Good Colors” showing in this exhibition, which had been in preparation for several years, employed abstract images, strong and forceful composition, and simple color blocks. Through the use of mainly Acrylic colors on canvas and mixing in multimedia to create the visual impacts, these works present the conflicts of love and lust between the male and female, in addition to the thirst and true meanings of “Erotic Worship” in the human nature.

Changing the angle of view, the symbols seem to show the abstract image of human bodies and reflect on the conflicts between the mainstream society and the art community. Ever since the classical period, the nude form of human body had been an unavoidable part of the art element. But, in the Chinese community, nudity is still being equated to vulgarity and sordidness, which is an extreme bias and injustice. Through York’s symbolism, the viewers are reminded to explore their own deepest thoughts in their own minds to “tear down” the deep gulch between the artworks and the ordinary society, and “build up” the search for the absolute beauty and the latest visual feast for the current contemporary art based on the basic human needs.