「浯島吾鄉」水墨創作論述

Abstract

以「浯島吾鄉」創作一系列作品，並作為論文主題，動機在探測故鄉對個人生命的意義，而此一嘗試最終目的，仍在將藝術與人生結合，尋求立足原鄉、胸懷藝術、放眼人生。「存在永遠是生命的奇蹟」(That I exist is a perpetual surprise which is life.)，泰戈爾(Rabindranath Tagore)在〈飛鳥集(Stray Bird)〉詩中如是讚嘆人生，可為個人藝術追求之目的。 本論文研究架構共分5章：第一章緒論，包括研究動機、研究目的、研究內容、研究範圍、研究與創作的關係、名詞解釋；第二章創作發軔，為創作理念肇建，創作理論依據與面向的探討；第三章創作主題，提出創作內容表現與實踐，闡述創作題材：後浦舊閭巷、古寧頭聚落、飄泊出外人；第四章創作作品說明與解析，對「浯島吾鄉」系列創作一一縷述；第五章結論，為個人創作省思、心得與展望。 研究發現，故鄉在個人身上所烙下專屬的文化圖騰，不管環境如何變遷，它留在個人身上的刺青依舊鮮明；就像那些把當燈放在背後的人，影子始終在前(They throw their shadows before them who carry their lantern on their back.)，這個燈的名字對我而言，即是「浯島吾鄉」。 我曾對自己生長的土地和傳統文化產生疑惑，嚮往臺灣都市生活、外國物質文明，成長後迫不及待遷移都市、遊學美國首府與西岸，在各方文化的衝擊和洗禮下，讓自己險些失去倚恃。本研究即在省思過往、關懷成長的人文與土地，並以此為創作主題及焦點，透過在藝術上的摸索與嘗試，將主題內化為形式，回歸藝術造型、色彩、材質、表現等探討，並與觀賞者一同凝視及關心，處在兩岸夾縫之間，前途不可知的浯島。This research consists of a dissertation and a series of ink paintings by the author entitled “My Homeland Kinmen.” The goals of the research are to understand the significance of, and the search for, a “homeland” through the example of the author’s own life, and to examine how the creation of art can be an integral part of the human experience.

The dissertation comprises five chapters. Chapter One introduces the objectives, content and scope of the research, and provides an explanation of the terms used in the dissertation. Chapter Two begins by describing how the idea for the series of paintings developed, and goes on to discuss the artworks from theoretical standpoints. Chapter Three explores the creative process and the themes and subjects of the works, which include an old alley in Houpu, the village Guningtou and a man who has traveled far away from his homeland. Chapter Four then gives a detailed description and analysis of each artwork in the series. Finally, Chapter Five provides a conclusion of the research and provides personal reflections by the artist on his works and the future.

This research finds that the unique cultural influence of a person’s hometown or homeland does not diminish, remaining, rather, deeply ingrained in the subject as he or she matures. In this case the homeland is Kinmen (or Wu Island), one of Taiwan’s offshore islands located just off the southeastern coast of mainland China. Politically, the island faces an uncertain future. In his younger years, the artist felt stifled on rural Kinmen and struggled with the limitations of its traditional culture. He longed to experience urban life on the main island of Taiwan and to travel the world. As soon as he was old enough, he therefore made a rush for the city, later pursuing further studies in Washington and the west coast of the United States. His desire to absorb foreign cultures, however, was so intense that with time he began to question his identity.

Alongside the technical discussions of style, color choice, and subjects, among others, the artist has reflected widely on his past and given creative expression to his feelings for the land he grew up in and the people there, thus deepening his own understanding of Kinmen and sharing his experience of the island with the world.