本我的引發‧污穢的昇華 — 徐睿甫素描繪畫中的內在探尋
文〡李思賢/靜宜大學 資訊傳播學系 助理教授 ( 轉載自 2009MIT 台灣製造-新人推薦特區,頁82~84,台北,台灣)
超現實主義是主張表現人的內部真實的。
—— 超現實主義宣言 (The Surrealist Manifesto, 1924)
這是由法國達達派詩人、藝評家布荷東(André Breton, 1896-1966)所揭櫫的《超現實主義宣言》中極具定義性的一句話；明白凸顯了超現實主義將藝術拓離開視覺層次的特質，同時也確認了西方藝術形上思維的新時代來臨。超現實主義挖掘人們一般認知下無意識的原我狀態，以許多前所未有的直覺性的新技法，筆隨意走地將內心身處的意念浮顯在作品上；這條路徑在過去八、九十年來，成為全世界許多藝術家尋幽探訪、進入思維底層認清自我的管道。而這個閱讀的途徑，對台灣青年藝術家徐睿甫近期的素描新作，同樣具有開門邀訪的鎖鑰意義。
以嘔噁腐物為主詞
乍見徐睿甫畫作的立即感覺，多半湧上的是一種對成人世界來說「語不驚人死不休」的驚駭、噁心和嫌惡感。他的畫面全都以為數眾多的「異形」造型作為構成，伴隨著群組之間嘔扭、撕裂與拉扯所形成的一種讓人渾身不自在的、令人作嘔的不舒服。那種難受，宛若知名童話《青蛙王子》(The Frog Prince)中，那青蛙為求取償賞而跳上餐桌與小公主共餐時，小公主因厭惡青蛙黏稠的身體和那噁心的骯髒模樣而憤離回房一樣。顯然，徐睿甫的作品是不具「美感」的。儘管在一般視覺慣性下，人們很難進入或立即接受徐睿甫這類圖像的創作，然而我們卻必須回身理解的另一個事實是，徐睿甫作品中那無可否認的力度與真誠；換言之，也就是在其作品有高度的完成度之下，才會迸發如此猛烈的力道，也才得使觀者的感受如此深刻而強烈。
不過有趣的是，縱使觀者對徐睿甫畫作有著欲拒還迎的心理糾結、對他畫中的可怕形像感到異常難忍，似乎都無礙於徐睿甫對這種「腐物」造型的高度興趣。對徐睿甫來說，腐爛物是一種「有魔力的物件」；他說：這種腐物「有一個背後精神存在的，這種精神潛在於我個人的潛意識，是一個我害怕卻又想深刻感受的悲劇情境。」[1]在他的畫面中，通常都是以一、兩個似人非人的肖像造型作為主體，而那「肖像」卻是用眾多大小不一的人頭、蝸牛、樹蛙、枯枝…以量化的方式所組成；而那一個個的小頭顱，代表的是徐睿甫自己，所組織起來的大肖像，也是徐睿甫自己的化身。一如〈嘔吐穢物與黴菌花〉(2009)、一系列以「癲瘋狀態」為題的作品，以及「我與XX」系列畫作中的那些宛如鬼魅臉孔的小人頭般，讓人看了不寒而慄。以自己重塑自己、以自己撕裂自己，徐睿甫無疑是試圖在他的畫作中析辯自己，深掘自我靈魂深處那不可知的「我」。
徐睿甫藉由不同物件所重組出來的視覺形象，讓人聯想到16世紀文藝復興時期義大利畫家阿爾欽博托(Giuseppe Arcimboldo, 1527-1593)用蔬菜、水果、花卉所組成的各式「肖像」(Portrait)；他最知名的《四季》系列，便是通過多種蔬果的堆疊拼合而完成一幅幅可辨認的側面肖像。阿爾欽博托這種「雙重意象」的手法，對後來超現實主義大師達利(Salvador Dalí, 1904-89)的隱喻式造形影響頗深。有研究者認為：「這些藝術家所表現的手法大都以非現實性的具象表現來作為視訊上的溝通，以解放現實世界中客體物象的既定原則，並藉由藝術家內心的想法，透過變形、誇張、錯視等手法，製造出矛盾、震驚、詭譎、幻想、新奇、怪誕的視覺效果，以呈現出一種藝術與生活的解放，進而抓住觀賞者的目光，引發觀賞者進一步對圖像內容的思索。」[2]而這個創作思路及其引涉恰恰與徐睿甫不謀而合，但在這個基礎上，徐睿甫卻又顯得更加深刻。
以素描直覺為動詞
在自我的書寫中，徐睿甫說道：「我透過了綿密至極的筆觸與層次來作為表現形式，在創作過程中，技巧、顏料、筆觸、思緒一一的融入，腐爛物蕈體滋長的樣貌已經由被凝視的對象，漸漸被內化成我心靈陰影下暴力、燥動與激情的部分。」（創作理念）徐睿甫藉由他筆下蕈體腐物的有機生長，放任（或勾動）他心理底層思緒的蔓生，是一種引動潛意識昇華的方法。佛洛依德(Sigmund Freud, 1856-1939)在「精神分析論」(Theory of Psychoanalysis)對人類潛在的心靈活動做出了分析，而他畢生的名作《夢的解析》(The Interpretation of Dream, 1900)所闡發的「潛意識」觀點，成為了超現實主義的重要學理依據，在此卻也為徐睿甫直觀地以圖像介入心靈活動做出了合理的解釋。雖然只是單純的繪畫，徐睿甫其實已在無意間踏入了精神病理的自我診療層次了。
徐睿甫的創作媒材很是特殊，他選擇了一般認定為「準備科目」的素描來作為他創作的主要媒介。素描的粗糙質地，帶有一種近乎人心的素樸質感；素描的黑白分色，相對來得冷靜與單純；而素描手法上的直觀性，與超現實主義的「自動性技法」(Automatism)有著內在的聯繫與共通。「素描」這個畫科從內到外，似乎都符合了徐睿甫在創作上的基本需求。美國藝術史學者大衛‧羅桑德為素描做出這般解釋：「素描繪畫時的姿態從本質上說是身體的投射，尤其是在觀賞人物形象的素描時，[…]這種對表現形象的信念來自於對感覺到的能量的某種轉換。我們可以用更傳統的『想像力』，甚至是『頭腦』這樣的語匯，[…]我們的反應能夠證明所謂的素描『模仿』，即投射本身。」[3] 我們因此得見，無論畫面中出現的是慘烈嘶吼的頭顱、是樹蛙、蝸牛或其他，畫的都是徐睿甫自己；而這一切都在素描媒材的直覺性表現特徵中，娓娓地鋪陳開來。
傳統的超現實主義為意識和無意識之間做出了折衷，兼顧了人類意識的思考和下意識的範疇；而徐睿甫其實也深知自己的心靈狀態和創作上思緒的轉折。一如他自剖時所說的：「榮格的心理學說中，『陰影』(shadow)被暗示成潛意識，是處在身體裡面暗處的，只有在夜深人靜中自我獨處時、或休息時，潛在的人格才會悄悄的顯露了出來，此種顯露的模式有如意識流，在曖昧與真實間交替，一個人往往就生活在這既真實又夢幻的中間地帶，而創作就是要尋找此根源，才會更貼近自我。」（創作理念）如此看來，在創作狀態上，徐睿甫雖已訴諸了感官的直覺，然而實際上卻有著更多的學問驗證意味。他不僅是繪畫高手，還是個思辯的能手；這種文武兼備的才情毋寧是台灣學院主義的基本典型。
以重塑價值為受詞
除了前述系列作品之外，徐睿甫另一種以密密麻麻的泡泡所組成的《暗面風景》系列(2009)，提供了更具超現實意象的視覺感。不同於以頭顱為主體的創作，《暗面風景》的圖像呈現有著相對更高的抽象性：那些數以萬計的「小隆起」，既像從高空俯瞰的積雲、像宇宙無垠的黑洞，也很類似人體裡的肺泡、大腦，甚至像腫瘤。由於失去了具體形象的依靠，因而讓徐睿甫的《暗面風景》因轉為意象的詮釋而提供了更多想像空間，也因此激發出藝術本質裡更多的原型。
「原被眼睛所凝視的對象物被悄悄轉變，它再也不是肉眼與心靈認知中的污穢所在，它被內化成創作者深沈的心靈及作品具詩意的部分。」（創作理念）徐睿甫將視覺圖像回歸到靈魂深處的原始境地，牽動作者生命歷程中的某種熟悉，而這時那些觀者眼中令人作嘔的污穢腐物，卻一個個幻化、昇華為心底的悸動。徐睿甫作品中引發的對意象、原型與理念的探求，恰恰正與他論述中所提及的榮格(Carl Gustav Jung,1875-1961)精神理論中的幾個相關的概念相涉，我們相信這絕非巧合，而是徐睿甫已然對上藝術的精到和準頭的結果。
通過素描立即性的思維捕捉，徐睿甫以一種嶄新的視覺構成，達到探觀自我內心的終極目的，顯然徐睿甫的創作是有所意味的。「不論繪畫者如何仔細地觀察模特，搜尋輪廓和表面，我們可以說素描本身的紀錄活動更大程度上是一種表達，而不是表現，是一種內在的理解，而不是外部形象的匹配。」[4] 作為觀眾，我們可以從素描筆觸的運作中，搜尋作者創作當下心靈的抽波和身體的律動，進而去理解藝術家所欲以訴說的理由。儘管徐睿甫的畫作尺幅極小，且素描的運筆也因較接近古典而沒有過多的線條，但我們卻依然得以從徐睿甫的創作觀念中，看到他藉由剖析自我、進而重塑他與這個世界相對關係的意圖。
認知本我的思考、追求存在的意義，徐睿甫毋寧是在做某種近乎本體論(ontology)的知識表達；通過「我是誰？」、「我是否該是如此之我？」的回歸本體的質問中，追尋自我的本質，並在這基礎上去重探他對這個世界的價值認定、重構一種對世界的新的看待。這是許多年輕藝術學子踏入藝術領域的第一步，他們會在一段不算短的時間裡，不斷地追索著「『藝術』是什麼？」、「『藝術』的目的是什麼？」…，進而挖掘、探勘自己內心深處的認知來源，思考著「生命的意義是什麼？」、「生命的本質為何？」，而往往超現實主義、佛洛依德、榮格…等和心理學相關的藝術、哲學家們便在此時扮演了心靈導師的重要角色。因而，年輕人經常感到生命寂寥、痛苦，時時想著靈魂的撕裂、死亡；他們有「少年不識愁滋味，為賦新詞強說愁」的書生浪漫，也會有「引刀成一快，不負少年頭」的武將豪情。而這，就是年輕人，也是年輕藝術家徐睿甫最根本的創作來源。
[1] 見徐睿甫《創作理念》文，嗣後引文皆同。
[2] 蘇麗琴：《非邏輯性具象圖像在西洋繪畫上之視覺創意表現—以具超現實意象作品為探討》頁2，屏東教育大學視覺藝術教育研究所碩士論文，2002.6。
[3] David Rosand（徐彬、無林、王軍 譯）：《素描精義—圖形的表現與表達》(Drawing Acts: Studies Graphic Expression and Representation, 2002)頁16，濟南：山東畫報出版社，2007。
[4] 前揭註，頁15。
"Surrealism advocates the expression of the inner reality of humans.
The Surrealist Manifesto (1924)
This is a defining sentence from the Surrealist Manifesto, proclaimed by the French Dadaist poet and art critic André Breton (1896-1966). It vividly highlights Surrealism's departure from the visual aspects of art, confirming the arrival of a new era in Western metaphysical thinking. Surrealism delves into the unconscious states beneath people's general cognition, using unprecedented intuitive techniques. Brushstrokes follow freely, bringing to the surface the thoughts residing in the inner self. Over the past eight or nine decades, this path has become a channel for many artists worldwide to explore and understand themselves at a deeper level. This path holds significant meaning for Taiwanese young artist Hsu Jui-fu in his recent charcoal drawings.
Subjecting the viewer to nauseating and putrid elements Upon initial observation of Hsu Jui-fu's artworks, one is likely to experience a sense of shock, disgust, and repulsion, particularly for adults. His images are predominantly composed of numerous grotesque forms, accompanied by a discomfort created through the contortions, tearing, and pulling among the groups. This discomfort is akin to the famous fairy tale "The Frog Prince," where the princess, repulsed by the frog's sticky body and repulsive appearance, leaves the table in anger. Clearly, Hsu Jui-fu's works lack "beauty." Despite the difficulty for people to enter or immediately accept the visual language of Hsu Jui-fu's creations, there is an undeniable intensity and sincerity in his works. In other words, it is the high degree of completion in his works that unleashes such a powerful force, making the viewer's experience profound and intense.
Interestingly, despite viewers experiencing a psychological conflict of attraction and repulsion to Hsu Jui-fu's artworks and finding the terrifying images difficult to endure, this does not hinder Hsu Jui-fu's deep interest in these "putrid" forms. For Hsu Jui-fu, decayed objects are "magical objects"; he states, "There is a spiritual presence behind these decayed objects, a spirit latent in my personal subconscious, a tragic situation that I fear but also want to profoundly experience." In his images, usually centered around one or two humanoid forms, these "portraits" are composed quantitatively of numerous heads, snails, tree frogs, dry branches, and more. Each small head represents Hsu Jui-fu himself, and the assembled large portrait is also the embodiment of Hsu Jui-fu. Works such as "Vomiting Filth and Mold Flowers" (2009), a series on the theme of "frenzied states," and the ghostly faces in the "Me and XX" series evoke a chilling feeling. By reshaping himself and tearing himself apart, Hsu Jui-fu undoubtedly attempts to analyze himself in his artworks, delving into the unknowable "self" in the depths of his soul.
Visual images reassembled from different objects bring to mind the 16th-century Italian Renaissance painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527-1593) and his portraits composed of various vegetables, fruits, and flowers. His most famous "Four Seasons" series created recognizable side portraits through the stacking and assembling of various fruits and vegetables. Arcimboldo's use of "double imagery" had a profound influence on the metaphorical forms of later Surrealist master Salvador Dalí (1904-1989). Researchers argue that these artists' methods of representation mostly involve non-realistic concrete expressions as a means of communication in visual arts. They liberate established principles of objective objects in the real world, create contradictions, shocks, mysteries, fantasies, novelties, and grotesque visual effects through deformation, exaggeration, and illusion. This presentation signifies the liberation of art and life, capturing the viewer's attention and prompting further reflection on the content of the image. In this context, Hsu Jui-fu's work aligns with this creative approach but appears even more profound.
Using intuition in charcoal sketching In his self-explanation, Hsu Jui-fu states, "I use extremely dense brushstrokes and layers as a form of expression. In the creative process, techniques, pigments, brushstrokes, and thoughts are all integrated. The appearance of the mushroom-like growth of decayed matter has gradually internalized from the observed object, becoming a violent, restless, and passionate part of my psyche under the shadow." Hsu Jui-fu, through the organic growth of fungal decay in his drawings, allows the proliferation of his subconscious thoughts, serving as a method to evoke the sublimation of the subconscious. Sigmund Freud's analysis of the latent mental activities in the "Theory of Psychoanalysis" and the concept of the "unconscious" in his lifelong work "The Interpretation of Dreams" provide a basis for Surrealism. In Hsu Jui-fu's case, these concepts offer a reasonable explanation for his intuitive intervention in mental activities through visual imagery. Although merely drawing, Hsu Jui-fu unintentionally enters the realm of self-psychotherapy in psychopathology.
Hsu Jui-fu's choice of artistic medium is unique, opting for charcoal sketching, generally considered a "preparatory subject," as his primary mode of creation. The rough texture of charcoal brings an almost human simplicity, and its black-and-white color scheme is relatively calm and straightforward. The intuitive nature of charcoal drawing techniques is inherently connected to Surrealism's "automatic technique." From the inside out, "charcoal sketching" seems to fulfill Hsu Jui-fu's basic creative needs. David Rosand, an American art historian, explains charcoal sketching as follows: "The attitude when sketching is essentially a projection of the body, especially when sketching human figures. [...] This belief in representing forms comes from some kind of transformation of the sensed energy. We can use more traditional vocabulary like 'imagination' or even 'mind.' Our reactions can prove the so-called imitation of sketching, that is, the projection itself." Therefore, regardless of whether the image in the drawing is a screaming skull, a tree frog, a snail, or something else, it is all Hsu Jui-fu himself. This is vividly presented in the intuitive expressive features of charcoal sketching.
Traditional Surrealism compromises between consciousness and unconsciousness, encompassing human conscious thinking and the realm of the subconscious. Hsu Jui-fu is also aware of the shifts in his mental state and the turning points in his creative thoughts. As he self-analyzes: "In Jung's psychological theory, the 'shadow' is suggested as the subconscious, lurking in the dark corners of the body. It only reveals itself quietly when one is alone in the quiet night or at rest. The latent personality then quietly emerges, and this mode of manifestation is like a stream of consciousness, alternating between ambiguity and reality. A person often lives in this space between reality and fantasy. Creation is about finding this source to be closer to oneself." Thus, in terms of the creative state, Hsu Jui-fu, although resorting to sensory intuition, also has a significant meaning in terms of intellectual verification. He is not only a master of painting but also a skillful debater, and this combination is undoubtedly a basic characteristic of Taiwanese academism
"Surrealism advocates the expression of the inner reality of humans.
— The Surrealist Manifesto (1924)
This is a defining sentence from the Surrealist Manifesto, proclaimed by the French Dadaist poet and art critic André Breton (1896-1966). It vividly highlights Surrealism's departure from the visual aspects of art, confirming the arrival of a new era in Western metaphysical thinking. Surrealism delves into the unconscious states beneath people's general cognition, using unprecedented intuitive techniques. Brushstrokes follow freely, bringing to the surface the thoughts residing in the inner self. Over the past eight or nine decades, this path has become a channel for many artists worldwide to explore and understand themselves at a deeper level. This path holds significant meaning for Taiwanese young artist Hsu Jui-fu in his recent charcoal drawings.
Subjecting the viewer to nauseating and putrid elements Upon initial observation of Hsu Jui-fu's artworks, one is likely to experience a sense of shock, disgust, and repulsion, particularly for adults. His images are predominantly composed of numerous grotesque forms, accompanied by a discomfort created through the contortions, tearing, and pulling among the groups. This discomfort is akin to the famous fairy tale "The Frog Prince," where the princess, repulsed by the frog's sticky body and repulsive appearance, leaves the table in anger. Clearly, Hsu Jui-fu's works lack "beauty." Despite the difficulty for people to enter or immediately accept the visual language of Hsu Jui-fu's creations, there is an undeniable intensity and sincerity in his works. In other words, it is the high degree of completion in his works that unleashes such a powerful force, making the viewer's experience profound and intense.
Interestingly, despite viewers experiencing a psychological conflict of attraction and repulsion to Hsu Jui-fu's artworks and finding the terrifying images difficult to endure, this does not hinder Hsu Jui-fu's deep interest in these "putrid" forms. For Hsu Jui-fu, decayed objects are "magical objects"; he states, "There is a spiritual presence behind these decayed objects, a spirit latent in my personal subconscious, a tragic situation that I fear but also want to profoundly experience." In his images, usually centered around one or two humanoid forms, these "portraits" are composed quantitatively of numerous heads, snails, tree frogs, dry branches, and more. Each small head represents Hsu Jui-fu himself, and the assembled large portrait is also the embodiment of Hsu Jui-fu. Works such as "Vomiting Filth and Mold Flowers" (2009), a series on the theme of "frenzied states," and the ghostly faces in the "Me and XX" series evoke a chilling feeling. By reshaping himself and tearing himself apart, Hsu Jui-fu undoubtedly attempts to analyze himself in his artworks, delving into the unknowable "self" in the depths of his soul.
Visual images reassembled from different objects bring to mind the 16th-century Italian Renaissance painter Giuseppe Arcimboldo (1527-1593) and his portraits composed of various vegetables, fruits, and flowers. His most famous "Four Seasons" series created recognizable side portraits through the stacking and assembling of various fruits and vegetables. Arcimboldo's use of "double imagery" had a profound influence on the metaphorical forms of later Surrealist master Salvador Dalí (1904-1989). Researchers argue that these artists' methods of representation mostly involve non-realistic concrete expressions as a means of communication in visual arts. They liberate established principles of objective objects in the real world, create contradictions, shocks, mysteries, fantasies, novelties, and grotesque visual effects through deformation, exaggeration, and illusion. This presentation signifies the liberation of art and life, capturing the viewer's attention and prompting further reflection on the content of the image. In this context, Hsu Jui-fu's work aligns with this creative approach but appears even more profound.
Using intuition in charcoal sketching In his self-explanation, Hsu Jui-fu states, "I use extremely dense brushstrokes and layers as a form of expression. In the creative process, techniques, pigments, brushstrokes, and thoughts are all integrated. The appearance of the mushroom-like growth of decayed matter has gradually internalized from the observed object, becoming a violent, restless, and passionate part of my psyche under the shadow." Hsu Jui-fu, through the organic growth of fungal decay in his drawings, allows the proliferation of his subconscious thoughts, serving as a method to evoke the sublimation of the subconscious. Sigmund Freud's analysis of the latent mental activities in the "Theory of Psychoanalysis" and the concept of the "unconscious" in his lifelong work "The Interpretation of Dreams" provide a basis for Surrealism. In Hsu Jui-fu's case, these concepts offer a reasonable explanation for his intuitive intervention in mental activities through visual imagery. Although merely drawing, Hsu Jui-fu unintentionally enters the realm of self-psychotherapy in psychopathology.
Hsu Jui-fu's choice of artistic medium is unique, opting for charcoal sketching, generally considered a "preparatory subject," as his primary mode of creation. The rough texture of charcoal brings an almost human simplicity, and its black-and-white color scheme is relatively calm and straightforward. The intuitive nature of charcoal drawing techniques is inherently connected to Surrealism's "automatic technique." From the inside out, "charcoal sketching" seems to fulfill Hsu Jui-fu's basic creative needs. David Rosand, an American art historian, explains charcoal sketching as follows: "The attitude when sketching is essentially a projection of the body, especially when sketching human figures. [...] This belief in representing forms comes from some kind of transformation of the sensed energy. We can use more traditional vocabulary like 'imagination' or even 'mind.' Our reactions can prove the so-called imitation of sketching, that is, the projection itself." Therefore, regardless of whether the image in the drawing is a screaming skull, a tree frog, a snail, or something else, it is all Hsu Jui-fu himself. This is vividly presented in the intuitive expressive features of charcoal sketching.
Traditional Surrealism compromises between consciousness and unconsciousness, encompassing human conscious thinking and the realm of the subconscious. Hsu Jui-fu is also aware of the shifts in his mental state and the turning points in his creative thoughts. As he self-analyzes: "In Jung's psychological theory, the 'shadow' is suggested as the subconscious, lurking in the dark corners of the body. It only reveals itself quietly when one is alone in the quiet night or at rest. The latent personality then quietly emerges, and this mode of manifestation is like a stream of consciousness, alternating between ambiguity and reality. A person often lives in this space between reality and fantasy. Creation is about finding this source to be closer to oneself." Thus, in terms of the creative state, Hsu Jui-fu, although resorting to sensory intuition, also has a significant meaning in terms of intellectual verification. He is not only a master of painting but also a skillful debater, and this combination is undoubtedly a basic characteristic of Taiwanese academism.