記憶，以及人的尺度 ——席時斌個展「在我們的馬車上製作一座星盤」
文／張晴文
Memories, and the Scale of People
Hsi Shih-Pin’s Solo Exhibition - “A Horoscope Built Out of Our Chariots”
By: Chang Ching-wen
《馬#3阿多羅西與達芬奇》（2012）是一幅從大學時代就開始發展的繪畫作品。這幅以馬為主要描繪對象的紙本創作，類比了真實馬匹的尺幅。歷經數年不斷修補的畫面，紙張都快被來回的操作痕跡給磨得破了。數度往復琢磨的畫面，不斷地增補、遮蓋，最終展現了一匹背向觀眾的馬，牠以骨骼與肌肉的結構示人，背後還有一隻垂掛的天鵝。這件作品的命名即來自阿多羅西（Aldo Rossi）以及達芬奇（Da Vinci），他們是席時斌欣賞的建築師與藝術家、科學家。其實，他對於藝術最基本的興趣，還是從科學開始的。這個小時候只想當科學家的創作者，走的是一條從數學到建築再到藝術的道路，這些經驗扣合著席時斌對於自我的認識和追求。站在《馬#3阿多羅西與達芬奇》前，假使我們還有一點對於壯美的驚懼，我想是藝術家有意識地迫使我們回到一個觀看世界的原點，那便是做為一個人的尺度。
1. Structure/Anatomy/Scale of People
Aldo Rossi & Da Vinci (2012) is a painting that he started working on during his college years. With a horse as the main object depicted, this paper work matches the scale and proportions of a real horse. After numerous years of continuous repair, the paper is nearly beginning to show signs of wear and tear. A continuous process of pondering, supplementing, and covering forms the image of a horse whose backside faces viewers and reveals a structure of bone and muscle. Additionally, a swan hangs in the background. The name of this work comes from Aldo Rossi and Da Vinci - architects, artists, and scientists that Hsi greatly admired. In fact, his most basic interest in art had originated from science. As a child, the artist had dreamed of becoming a scientist. He journeyed a path that began from mathematics and architecture before finally arriving at art. These experiences eventually became inexorably bound with Hsi’s sense of self-recognition and his pursuits. Standing before Aldo Rossi & Da Vinci, we cannot help but feel a bit frightened at its magnificence. I believe that the artist consciously forces us to return to an origin for observing the world, which acts as a scale for people.
15世紀的文藝復興精神是切入席時斌創作一個重要的線索。那個熱愛自由且相信自己眼睛的時代，人們透過觀看和思考重新燃起對世界的興趣，他們不僅見聞、揣度，更身體力行。而席時斌過去在建築系時期所受到的訓練，如今在創作上展現的最大意義，就在於確立了某種對於古典的熱中，在一個傾向電腦繪圖的建築訓練過程，他卻執意自習古典的透視法。他參考文藝復興時期的古建築史料，以手繪的方式追隨這項傳統，就像那個時代裡的修士一樣，將人類理智與情感的運作化為線條，支撐起一個可以信任的結構。這結構不只是建築或任何量體，甚至可以是整個世界。
The spirit of the Renaissance in the fifteenth century is an important clue for understanding Hsi’s works. During that era, a love of freedom and a belief in seeing with one’s own eyes were prevalent. Through observation and thought, interest in the world had been re-ignited. The people of that time not only gathered knowledge through observation and conjecture, but also implemented physical actions. The greatest significance of Hsi’s architectural training in his artworks today lies in establishing a type of enthusiasm for a classical style. Although his training in architecture had tended to rely on computer graphics, he doggedly undertook a self-study in classical perspectives. He referenced ancient architectural history from the Renaissance and pursued its traditions through hand-drawn methods. Much like the monks from that era, he converted the sense and sensibility of humankind into lines to prop up a trustworthy structure. This structure can be a building, any physical object, even the entire world.
席時斌, 《聖杯手繪》, 2012,鉛筆、色鉛筆、紙, 85x177cm
在這次的個展中，幾件平面繪畫創作展現了席時斌在這方面的創作系統。從《聖杯手繪》（2012）到《馬#3阿多羅西與達芬奇》，他為我們開展一個可以用理性度量的世界，《馬#2：人馬》（2012）、《馬#5：女王》（2012）更明確地表達了在技術上對解剖學的迷戀，以及更深一層的對於結構的信仰。而《愛滋長》（2010）、《獅子少女》（2012）、《窗中小動物》（2012）等畫作，在表層覆蓋了一面有色壓克力板。透過色彩的障蔽，繪畫的筆觸部分被遮隱，在捕捉萬物形態背後，這個掩蓋的動作是宣示回到創造的手勢。
這是認識世界的取徑，讓人感覺踏實的追尋。他曾經在談論作品時提到：「我對解剖學很有興趣。但不知道是仰慕那個系統，還是對那個技巧有興趣？如果是對系統感興趣，那又會是什麼？或者，這是一種製造幻覺的方法，好像是你看到了幻覺，也想告訴別人那是什麼樣的感覺。」[1]
In this solo exhibition, a few planar paintings exhibit Hsi’s creative system in this regard. From Sketch: The Holy Grail (2012) to Aldo Rossi & Da Vinci, he opens a world for us that can be rationally measured. Horse ＃2: Sagittarius (2012) and Horse # 5: Queen (2012) even more clearly express a fascination with anatomical techniques, as well as a deeper faith in structure. Works such as Let Love Grow (2010), Sketch: The Lion (2012), and Sketch: The Window (2012) are painted across a colored acrylic sheet. Through an obstruction of color, brush strokes are hidden in the paintings. Behind the capturing of all types of forms, this covering up is a gesture that declares a return to creation.
This is an approach to understanding the world which allows people to sense a practical pursuit. While discussing his works, Hsi once stated that, “I am very interested in anatomy. However, I do not know whether it is the system or technique that I admire. If I am actually interested in the system, then what? Perhaps this is a method for manufacturing illusions. It is similar to seeing an illusion and wanting to tell someone what it feels like.” [1]
2. 記憶之宮
2. Memory Palace
The two large-scale installations, Scale Model: Ashvins (2012) and Scale Model: Olympus from the Hometown (2012), are composed of many parts. These complex composites convey that, whether it be the form of a building or the skeleton of an animal, they can be regarded as the conceptual cores presented by Hsi’ works. A surreal carriage within a daily life setting and Gothic architecture floating in mid-air are made of metal and wood, respectively. The sensation of volume implied by their precise stacking produces a gray area between reality and fantasy. This type of composition can also be seen in Hsi’s sculpture works. For example, Actaeon-The Moonlight Deer (2012) and Uhugu II - The Little Phoenix (2012) both utilize a metal frame to construct images that interweave animal mythologies with real species. .jpg)
席時斌,《烏忽古 II—小鳳凰 》, 2012, 不銹鋼、鈦金鍍膜, 86x63x28cm
幻覺並不全然是造假。人類自古希臘時代開始，便知道如何利用關於具體事物來抵抗遺忘。在印刷術尚未普及之前，心像記憶法是西方文明賴以維繫的重要技術，這種記憶的技術利用建築為記憶的場所，將意識鍛鍊為牢固永恆的存在。席時斌提到史景遷（Jonathan D. Spence）的《利瑪竇的記憶之宮》，以及葉茲（Frances Yates）的《記憶之術》對於創作上的啟發。所謂的記憶之術，就是在心中建造一個記憶宮殿的形象，做為儲存記憶的位置。建築物的形象要盡可能地華麗、明顯，裝飾清楚，各個依存在裡面的人物、事件細節一旦描寫得愈清晰，對記憶就愈有效。這項「利用把『場所』和『影像』印入腦海的方法來達成記憶」的技術，一如葉茲所說，在記憶中操作處理影像，必然多少要牽涉到心靈整體。而席時斌透過作品來探討內在識想和外在結構之間的關係，也可以將此視為一套重新將自身存在具體化的方法，將個人的家庭和身體經驗透過系統轉化，保存、顯現為造形的語言。
他在大學時代的作品《自動劇場》是一件大型的動態雕塑，可以視為此後這一系列空間裝置的先聲。這件作品受到建築師丹尼爾．利貝斯金德（Daniel Libeskind）提出的「閱讀機器」、「記憶機器」及「寫作機器」所啟發，而作品主要是以立體化的手法來呈現文藝復興製圖中看似合理但不確實存在的空間透視。與此相關的意象，還有文藝復興時期的記憶劇場，它是一座裝飾生動、無奇不有，以至於演員一登台就可以在整個空間的樣態之中自然地念出戲劇的舞台。《自動劇場》雖然因為結構的脆弱很快地失去了動態，但是複雜堆疊的形式手法，以及記憶的系統與建築之間的關係，卻在席時斌日後的創作裡一再成為焦點。
Illusions aren’t necessarily always false. Since the times of ancient Greece, humankind has understood how to use figurative objects to resist forgetting. Before printing had become universally available, a method for memorizing images had become important techniques for the maintenance of Western civilization. This type of memory technique utilized buildings as sites for memory where one’s consciousness was trained into a solid and eternal form of existence. Hsi mentions the inspiration he drew from Jonathan D. Spence’s The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci and Frances Yates’ The Art of Memory for his art. The so-called Art of Memory is the image of a memory palace he constructs within his mind to store memories. The image of the building is as gorgeously, obviously, and clearly decorated as possible. The more detailed and clearly described the stored characters and events are, the more effective the memory becomes. This “method of imprinting ‘site’ and ‘image’ into memory” reflects Yate’s notion that the memory’s processing of images inevitably involves them with the soul. And, through his works, Hsi explores the relationship between internal thoughts and external structures. This can also be viewed as a way of re-embodying one’s own existence so that their familial and physical experiences are able to be saved and materialized into a language of forms through a systematic conversion.
他在大學時代的作品《自動劇場》是一件大型的動態雕塑，可以視為此後這一系列空間裝置的先聲。這件作品受到建築師丹尼爾．利貝斯金德（Daniel Libeskind）提出的「閱讀機器」、「記憶機器」及「寫作機器」所啟發，而作品主要是以立體化的手法來呈現文藝復興製圖中看似合理但不確實存在的空間透視。與此相關的意象，還有文藝復興時期的記憶劇場，它是一座裝飾生動、無奇不有，以至於演員一登台就可以在整個空間的樣態之中自然地念出戲劇的舞台。《自動劇場》雖然因為結構的脆弱很快地失去了動態，但是複雜堆疊的形式手法，以及記憶的系統與建築之間的關係，卻在席時斌日後的創作裡一再成為焦點。
Illusions aren’t necessarily always false. Since the times of ancient Greece, humankind has understood how to use figurative objects to resist forgetting. Before printing had become universally available, a method for memorizing images had become important techniques for the maintenance of Western civilization. This type of memory technique utilized buildings as sites for memory where one’s consciousness was trained into a solid and eternal form of existence. Hsi mentions the inspiration he drew from Jonathan D. Spence’s The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci and Frances Yates’ The Art of Memory for his art. The so-called Art of Memory is the image of a memory palace he constructs within his mind to store memories. The image of the building is as gorgeously, obviously, and clearly decorated as possible. The more detailed and clearly described the stored characters and events are, the more effective the memory becomes. This “method of imprinting ‘site’ and ‘image’ into memory” reflects Yate’s notion that the memory’s processing of images inevitably involves them with the soul. And, through his works, Hsi explores the relationship between internal thoughts and external structures. This can also be viewed as a way of re-embodying one’s own existence so that their familial and physical experiences are able to be saved and materialized into a language of forms through a systematic conversion.
Created during his college years, his work, Automatic Theater, is a large-scale, dynamic sculpture that can be regarded as a precursor for this series of installations. This particular work was inspired by Reading Machine, Memory Machine, and Writing Machine, which were proposed by the architect, Daniel Libeskind. It mainly utilizes three-dimensional methods to render seemingly reasonable, yet actually non-existing spatial perspectives within Renaissance-era cartography. Related imagery also include Renaissance-era memory sites that are decorated so vividly and filled with wonders that an actor can perform naturally within the patterns of the entire space as soon as they got on stage. Even though Automatic Theater quickly lost its dynamism due to structural weaknesses, the method of complex stacking it utilized as well as the relationship between the memory system and architecture became points of focus in Hsi’s later creations.
3. 記憶／動物與身體
家庭生活是席時斌創作情感的內在依據。許多表面上沒有理由的偏好，也被他歸納為某種生活經驗的投射。「我覺得，某這些脈絡你之所以喜歡，都跟你這個人是怎麼構成是有關的。像我很喜歡看破破碎碎的東西，我很確定這件事和媽媽是裁縫這件事是相關的。也有很多人說，我做了很多尖銳的造形，給人危險的想像，其實對我來說，那和小時候媽媽裁縫用的大大小小剪刀一樣，我不覺得它危險，我的作品也總是有很多稜角，甚至覺得這樣是好看的。」這樣的視覺習慣已經內化成為某種美學上的喜好。而席時斌作品經常以動物肉體、骨骼，或某些生物做為題材，也暗示了某種身體脈絡的對應關係。身體不只是具有感覺的軀體，還包括意識以及血緣等生物和文化上的意義，也就是葉茲所說的，心靈整體。
近年來，席時斌的創作從馬擴展至其他神話常見的動物題材，包括鳳凰、龍、飛馬等。這些在現實之中不曾存在，卻往往是庶民生活或信仰裡尊貴、稀有的象徵物，從虛構的文本裡脫出，成為席時斌重新結構的對象。「馬很重要沒錯，但是牠也可以被投射為另一件事。實際上，只要還是能夠寄託那個系統就可以。所以我無法論述太多關於馬的什麼——除了牠很性感——老實說牠是可以被取代的。」
柏拉圖（Plato）的《斐多篇》記載蘇格拉底（Socrates）關於修辭的談話。蘇格拉底提到，埃及的一個古神圖提發明了文字，但國王穆塔斯卻不認同這項發明的意義。國王說：「你這個發明結果會使學會文字的人們善忘，因為他們就不再努力記憶了。他們就信任書文，只憑外在的符號再認，並非憑內在的腦力回憶。所以你發明的這劑藥，只能醫再認，不能醫記憶。」[2]抵抗失憶成為人類建構文明的基本要務，不僅如此，還是養成真正具有知覺、意識、責任之人的基本功。或許正是對於失憶與失根的懼怖，人們努力記憶，並且以可信的方式保存它們。席時斌的種種創作，以造形的語言構築屬於他的記憶宮殿，除了確認、指出自我以及其所依存的脈絡系統，更指向文藝復興式的人的精神——關於科學的創造，以及美好的可能。
3. Memory/Animal and Body
Geometry and memory are almost keywords to Hsi’s works. Many considerations regarding form are based on geometry as well as memory. The association between flowers and animals, as well as everything he observed as a child at his grandma’s house in Ping Shi are made concrete within the details of his works. Perhaps, the complicated and gorgeous works, Scale Model: Ashvins and Scale Model: Olympus from the Hometown, are actually manifestations of Hsi’s memory palace. “If I have selected a principle to my forms, it would be stories drawn from my experiences. For me, this gives me more drive and incentive especially since I have to spend so much energy. And, even when the work is completed, I would still continue to have many more imaginations regarding this object. During the process of creation, I can continue to figure out what happened, even remembering that such a thing happened.”
In recent years, Hsi’s works have extended from horses to other animal themes commonly found in myths, such as phoenixes, dragons, and unicorns. These animals do not exist in reality, yet they are often revered in daily life and religion. Rare symbols emerge from fictional texts to be re-composed by Hsi. “Yes, the horse is indeed very important. However, it can also be projected into something else. In fact, as long as it is still able to repose in that system, then it is fine. As a result, I am unable to discuss too much about the horse - except that it is very sexy. To tell you the truth, it can be replaced.”
Plato’s Phaedo records Socrates’ discussions regarding rhetoric. Socrates mentioned that figures of ancient Egyptian gods were the precursor to the invention of words. However, King Al-Mu’tasim did not recognize the significance of this invention. The king said, “Your invention will make people who learn words to become forgetful because they will no longer strive to remember. They will place their faith in books and texts, and rely on external symbols for recognition instead of their minds to remember. So, this medicine that you invented can only aid recognition, not memory.” [2] Resisting memory loss has always been a basic task in the process of constructing human civilization. Additionally, it is also a basic human function for developing perception, consciousness, and a sense of responsibility. Perhaps, this is fear over a loss of memory and roots. People memorizing with effort use a credible and reliable method for retaining them. The various works by Hsi utilize a language of form to construct a memory palace that belongs uniquely to him. In addition to recognizing a sense of self and a dependence on a contextual system, it also points to the spirit of the Renaissance - regarding scientific creations and wonderful possibilities.
[1] 筆者與席時斌的訪談。2012年6月26日於席時斌工作室，台北。以下引言皆出於此。
[1] 筆者與席時斌的訪談。2012年6月26日於席時斌工作室，台北。以下引言皆出於此。
[2] 柏拉圖（Plato），《柏拉圖文藝對話錄》，朱光潛 譯。台北：網路與書股份有限公司，2005，頁231。
[1] From an interview between the author and Hsi Shih-Pin conducted on June 26, 2012 in Hsi Shih-Pin’s studio in Taipei.
[2] Plato, The Collected Dialogues of Plato, Translated by Zhu Guangqian. Taipei: Net and Books Co., Ltd., 2005, Page 231.
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