蔣友柏 個展 – 類宇宙 Haah Universe, Human Animal, Animal Human
2021/12/31(五) – 2022/01/29 (六)
白石畫廊｜台北市內湖區基湖路1號1樓
WHITESTONE Gallery｜1F, No.1, Jihu Rd., Neihu Dist., Taipei City
人獸之間 文 / 王玉齡 策展人
蔣友柏家學淵源與青少年時期受西方教育之故，使得他的設計與藝術創作展現東西方文化融合的當代新文人藝術風格。國學大師陳寅恪說：「文人畫有四個要素：人品、學問、才情和思想，具此四者，乃能完善。」蔣友柏積極進取的君子品德、學貫中西、才華洋溢、思想敏捷，使得他30歲時即在商業設計獲得傑出成就；近年來，其藝術天賦與涵養更在平面繪畫、裝置雕塑、多媒體藝術與潮鞋等多方面發揮創造力。
此次蔣友柏個展標題為【類宇宙HAAH universe, Human Animal, Animal Human】，其作品以擬人化的動物表達對世間的觀察和關懷，同時，也是藝術家自我內心情感的紀錄與抒發。在中國歷代名家中，許多擅畫動物者，如張大千畫虎、齊白石畫蝦、徐悲鴻畫馬、李可染畫牛和李苦禪畫鷹等，皆以捕捉禽獸神韻，栩栩如生著稱。然，蔣友柏所繪獅熊虎豹和其他動物，即便是兇猛動物也是充滿溫柔神情與悲喜，讓觀者閱讀到他內心敏銳善感的特質，萬物皆平等之心，以及對應人生百態他真誠執著的態度。在藝術家創作自述中提到：「我喜歡動物。因為他們簡單、誠實。與他們相處是直接的，不需要猜忌的。尤其是動物的眼睛，不論看不看得到東西，不論年紀，不論品種，都是誠實的。」這也印證孟子曰：「人之所以異於禽獸者幾希；庶民去之，君子存之。」《孟子·離婁下》。
蔣友柏的藝術創作中，藉由詮釋人獸共有最深層情感和靈性，提供了一種生命的療癒力，特別是每幅作品上的英文題詩，充滿真情流露與哲理省思。藝術形式延續中國文人的書畫傳統，是他在中西文化交融下成長的素養，細讀內容，又是他與人獸之間豐富情感的依戀；繪畫技巧則採用油水分離、顏料潑淋、畫刀刮抺等西方技法，產生層次多變的肌理，創造豐富的景深，並帶出一種筆觸的速度感和畫面的流暢性。至於《豹變系列》雕塑，則出自《易經》，以「君子豹變」形容智者的蛻變。2021年, 蔣友柏開始以豹為主題, 不斷變化，不斷深入探究各種媒材表現，也以真空為概念，探討蛻變的時間與瞬間。
不拘於繪畫或雕塑，蔣友柏一直以自我特有的動物主題與藝術語彙，把心中真實感受寄情於他的理想人獸，這讓人聯想到法國後印象派畫家亨利・盧梭 (Henri Rousseau, 1844~ 1910)，他的繪畫帶著一種天真樸質的氣質，在《叢林系列》作品中，所有猛獸都是以溫柔而真誠的眼神與觀者對望，盧梭認為當心靈自由真誠時，人獸無界，才能達到美善的境界。
如果藝術創作對蔣友柏是自我生命歷程的紀錄，那麼，對觀者而言，則是深刻感受到一種動物或是人獸共有的生命能量。
Between Man and Beast Curator: Yuling Wang
The family roots and the Western education during youth have led Demos Chiang to develop a new contemporary literati art style that fuses Eastern and Western cultures in his designs and artworks. Tschen YinKo, the master of Chinese studies, said, “There are four elements in literati painting: character, learning, talent, and thought; with these four elements, one can be perfect.” Demos Chiang’s aggressive gentlemanly character, his learning of the East and the West, his talent, and his quick thinking made him an outstanding success in commercial design at the age of 30; in recent years, his artistic talent and connotation have brought his creativity to the forefront in painting, sculpture installation, multi-media art, and art sneakers.
The title of this solo exhibition is《HAAH universe, Human Animal, Animal Human》. His works express his observation and care for the world through anthropomorphic animals, and at the same time, they are also a record and expression of the artist’s inner feelings. Among the famous Chinese artists of the past, many of them are good at painting animals, such as Zhang Daqian’s tiger, Qi Baishi’s shrimp, Xu Beihong’s horse, Li Keran’s bull, and Li Ku Chan’s eagle, all of which are known for capturing the spirit of animals and their vividness. However, Demos Chiang’s paintings of lions, bears, tigers, leopards, and other animals, even the fierce ones, are full of tenderness, sadness, and joy, allowing the viewer to read his sensitive and sensitive nature, his heart that all things are equal, and his sincere and persistent attitude towards all forms of life. In the artist’s creation statement, he said, “I like animals. Because they are simple and honest. It is straightforward to get along with them and there is no need for suspicion. Especially the eyes of animals, whether they can see or not, regardless of age or species, are honest.” This also confirms what Mencius said: “That whereby man differs from the lower animals is but small. The mass of people cast it away, while superior men preserve it.” – Mencius. Li Lou II.
In his artworks, Chiang provides a healing power of life by interpreting the deepest emotions and spirituality shared by man and beast, especially the poems in English on each work, which are full of true feelings and philosophical reflections. The art form is a continuation of the Chinese literati tradition of painting and calligraphy, which is the result of his cultivation through the blending of Chinese and Western cultures. In 2021, Chiang began to use the leopard as the theme, constantly changing and exploring the expression of various media, and using the concept of vacuum to explore the time and transience of metamorphosis.
This reminds us of the French Post-Impressionist painter Henri Rousseau (1844~ 1910), whose paintings carry an innocent and simple quality. In the Jungle Series, all the beasts look at the viewer with gentle and sincere eyes.
If the art creation is a record of his life history, then for the viewer, it is a profound feeling of the life energy shared by animals or human beings.
類宇宙 文 / 蔣友柏
宇是四方上下、宙是古今未來
宇宙就是一個有規矩卻無限開放的可能
無限制的使用所有累積肌理就成為了HAAH universe
開始藝術之路近千個日子，還在學步車的階段。每天在想的、在畫的都是動物。不管心情好壞、心頭悲喜，畫的，還是動物。不經問自己，為什麼？
我知道我喜歡動物。因為他們簡單、誠實。與他們相處是直接的，不需要猜忌的。尤其是動物的眼睛，不論看不看的到東西，不論年紀，不論品種，都是誠實的。
但是為什麼畫不完？畫不膩？
開始思考，是否動物對我來說，已經不是動物，而是人的理想體。相對的，人對我來說，比較類似動物的複雜體。每天與人相處的百態，被我下意識的理想化成為了動物的百態？而藉由畫出理想的動物，讓我能繼續面對人的百態⋯⋯
短短千日，創作就經過了幾個階段⋯從尋找自己、固化自己、推翻自己、認識自己、到現在的接受自己⋯短短千日，又把人生前半段走了一回。可以這樣，我想，是因為藝術非常的誠實。就如的動物一樣。藏不了一絲的虛假。每天都誠實的看到自己，生活的濃度就不太一樣。
接受自己後，畫中唯一會固定出現的是動物，尤其是動物的眼神⋯其他，隨性隨意⋯在畫的是擬物化的人，也是擬人化的動物。
HAAH universe Artist: Demos Chiang
It was only one thousand days ago, perhaps a bit more, I decided to formally identify myself as an artist. From the beginning, till today, I painted animals. Regardless of my moods, I only painted animals.
I painted animals because I love animals. They are simple and honest. A relationship with animals will be direct. One does not need to guess. This honestly and directness shows in their eyes. Regardless of the species, or their ages, their eyes are always honest.
But why I only paint animals?
Perhaps it’s because to me, animals is no longer animals. Animals are now the ideal portrait of human beings. Perhaps it’s because for me, being with humans are a lot more tiresome….hence I painted animals to idealize my daily human interactions, and heal myself from these complications so I can face another day.
During this exploration, I had already went through many stages of self denial, self restructure, self acknowledgement, self acceptance…..during this period of artist creation, I lived through my first 40 years of life once more. Maybe, because art is also very direct and honest, and that is why I got the chance to lived again through dialogues with my animal portraits.
Animals are my ideal humans. And human should be the ideal animals.
