展覽：莊普——幻覺的宇宙
展期：2019年10月19日—11月17日
地點：誠品畫廊 ∣ 台灣台北市松高路11號5樓
開放時間：週二～週日11:00-19:00（週一休館）

誠品畫廊將於二〇一九年十月十九日至十一月十七日舉辦莊普個展「幻覺的宇宙」，推出藝術家二〇一七至二〇一九年所創作的畫布、水彩、裝置，以及二〇〇五年紙上炭筆等作品，呈現其近年來對如何在後抽象道路上繼續發展極簡藝術的思考，以及對於宇宙、自然與藝術、人之間關係的想像。此為誠品畫廊與莊普三度合作個展。
在一九七〇年代末，莊普開始以一公分見方的印章代替畫筆蓋印出光譜的色彩和內容，開闢出一條他所說「像是幾何形態的後抽象道路」。莊普的作品是沒有對象物的描繪，他在展覽的創作自述中寫道：「我在一九八〇年代以來的幾何繪畫，便具有自身的解釋性，也具有與冷僻純粹的現代主義沒有的溫度，它可以是歷史的、情緒的或是不同於中心性的其它視角形態。」於此，莊普違逆了「形式就是一切」的古典低限主義，他的新幾何藝術以《白露收殘月》、《和光同塵》等詩意的詞語而非「無題」為作品起名，使用帶有功能性、指涉性的現成物例如樹枝、石頭、角鐵或工業材料豐富繪畫內涵，更製作立體的空間裝置刻意牽引出現實生活的真實感。

以「幻覺的宇宙」作為展覽題目，是因為莊普近年體察到自己在創作時所關注光的折射與分析等均為物理現象，好像在無形之中遵守著近似古代哲學的宇宙秩序，即以機械式的想像去概約無限的宇宙整體，建構出某種宇宙幻覺。同時他的作品富含人為的情緒和敘事性，則在這宇宙幻覺之外延伸出一個微觀的世界。換句話說，他追求規律與均值的表現形式，然而穿過表層深探之時，便能發現每一件作品實則各有風情，闡釋獨一無二的情感和意識，並且蘊藏東方人文的詩性。對此，莊普認為他的創作是「以低限幾何作為中介，去表現人對於宇宙的幻覺，正如同繪畫也是一種幻覺」。

Exhibition: TSONG Pu—Illusions of the Universe
Date: October 19—November 17, 2019
Venue: ESLITE GALLERY ∣ 5F, No.11, Songgao Rd., Taipei 11073, Taiwan
Hours: 11:00-19:00, Tuesday—Sunday (closed on Monday)

ESLITE GALLERY is pleased to present “TSONG Pu—Illusions of the Universe” from October 19 to November 17, 2019, featuring canvas, watercolor and installation works made between 2017 and 2019 by the artist. Charcoal on paper works from 2005 will also be on view. These works reveal TSONG Pu’s thoughts on minimalist painting in a post-abstract art era, as well as his imagination of the relationship between art, man, nature and the universe. This marks his third solo project with ESLITE GALLERY.
Since the end of the 1970s, TSONG Pu is known for his unique take on producing paintings in a geometric style using 1 cm-by-1 cm chops and an array of colors over the spectrum. His works are not projections of any particular object. He explains in his exhibition statement, “The geometric paintings I have made since the 1980s are self-explanatory. They contain a sense of warmth unfound in modernism, which is usually stripped of emotions. My work is about history, sentiments or perspectives that are outside of the mainstream.” As such, it is clear that TSONG Pu takes a rebellious stance against the extreme simplification of form proposed by classic minimalism. His new geometric paintings assume poetic names such as White dew eliminates old moon and A space, where the same dust is seen in the light instead of being “untitled.” He uses objects of functions and insinuations such as branches, rocks, metals or industrial materials to allow more interpretations of his paintings. He also makes three dimensional installations to purposefully connect his art to reality.

This exhibition is entitled “Illusions of the Universe,” because TSONG Pu has realized that many of his considerations when making works actually pertain to physical phenomena, such as reflections and analysis of light. It is as though he is unconsciously following the order of the universe, and attempting to encapsulate the universe through a methodical, or even mechanical manner. In doing so, he is essentially creating illusions of the universe. At the same time, his works are also microcosmoses of rich sentiments and narratives. TSONG Pu’s art, in other words, assumes an orderly and structured appearance, but passing through the surface and digging deeper, one will discover that each painting is unique in its own right, infused by the artist’s lyrical emotions and thoughts as well as embodying Eastern poetics. “Minimal geometric art is a medium for me to portray man’s illusions of the universe, just as painting is a kind of illusion,” reflected TSONG.