從角色符號轉變至記憶的多重召喚 -《異遊記事》
文/亞洲藝術中心 朱以夫
「異遊記事，是從幻想進入現實世界的遊歷，於後續的回憶中再現，如夢境一般再次置身其中 LUPA。」由不同時段之異地旅行帶來的記憶反芻，融合每日闔眼後浮現的奇影幻像，是這次展覽《異遊記事》的要素，更是LUPA在創作上的轉折；以撒哈拉之旅作為起點，由向外探索內化為對自我及人性情感的共鳴，亦是對內在世界的隱晦並真實的複寫；從這次展出的作品，可將藝術家的創作以畫面及思維框架這二個層面，歸納梳理出與過去作品的差異。
通過LUPA最初的創作軌跡，可以知曉藝術家擅長利用圖像建構故事及場域 人魚、少年、女體、鱷魚、鳥獸等角色符號，輔以湖水瀑布、綠洲沙漠、岩層荒野等場景設定，並用漸層多變的天際及石礦堆疊的地貌來暗示時空的不明，像一幕幕魔幻寫實文體中的寓言，並在抽離「LUPA」這個真實身份後，以旁觀視角製造幻想場景；或藉角色投射，或用筆觸抒發當下情緒，進而帶出個人情感，這些源自潛意識的感受，是她一直以來的創作源泉，也是LUPA不斷處理的內在議題。然這些繪畫語彙都較為封閉且私密，像是與內在小孩的一種呢喃對話，而本次展覽可看到藝術家在內容呈現上有著與過往較為不同之轉變，部分作品是由還原真實場景的繪畫手法，使景物以記憶分解的編碼概念體現，LUPA將記憶揉和自身情感，並藉由繪畫手法編碼成圖像、筆觸和色彩等符號，然而其目的並非完美再現真實，而是利用類似影像過曝的留白、模糊甚至局部改寫的方式將記憶編碼延伸，像是完形填空般地引導觀眾將藝術家預留的空缺，填上眾人各異的感覺經驗。就如〈曬季〉的牆面或是〈遊牧〉中路邊布堆的大面積底色留白，早已成為藝術家意圖誘使觀者步入這些編碼的符號缺口（留白），產生一種召喚記憶的狀態，進而將自身的情感投射而完形。同時，以分鏡腳本描繪的8件〈鏡生〉平面作品和其製作的動畫短片相應展示，是LUPA實驗性地將這種留白形式進行變形延伸，藝術家以這系列圖像製作一部具象敘事卻帶有抽象概念意義的動畫短片；影像在空間中投射於垂掛的布幔，帶有矇朧光暈，觀者像是被邀請走入創作者的腦海中，凝視她潛意識中所浮現的情節；相鄰展示的8件平面作品在牆面序列排開，形似藝術家的記憶片段，作品與作品間的牆面猶如空白影格般，在一旁動畫短片的暗示下，等候觀者將其填補，形成內在的連續畫面。
「再次召喚」是藝術家這次最-ب得細讀的轉變之處，也是畫面內容疊加後的視覺深度；LUPA取材於摩洛哥及撒哈拉沙漠等旅行拍攝的照片進行創作，以場景之一的〈不眠廣場德吉瑪〉為例，雖畫面再現程度可讓觀者在第一眼快速將其與照片連結，但再次端看時，表面筆刷的痕跡及光暈柔化所產生的模糊氛圍，讓圖像介於一種真實和幻想的交界，促使觀者對作品背後隱含之事物產生更多想像，彷如被吸入藝術家刻意編織的奇異夢境空間；然在LUPA創作脈絡中，筆觸刷痕的線條在畫面運用並非橫空出現，早在過去創作就有跡可循，可見她用彷如髮絲般的刷痕線條表現人物頭髮、岩石肌理等，通過這些線條展現出個人情感的堆疊；只是在近期這些筆觸刷痕卻漸變發展出類似德國藝術家Gerhard Richter的模糊視覺感，與之不同的是LUPA並非藉模糊關係來探討影像客觀性，而是試圖利用模糊筆觸的刷痕所產生的物理空隙來製造更多時間性，又如「冬季樂園」中出現的溜冰者因筆觸所產生的動態及速度感，意圖讓觀者內在建立既視空間；與此同時，藝術家利用模糊物件原本的形體邊界，迫使觀者填補信息的空缺，讓他們參與到作品的詮釋，引發觀者對真實經驗和潛意識的思考。除了呼應先前所述之「留白」，這更是藝術家利用模糊所製造「探索真實與虛無之間」的再次召喚，讓觀者內在意識由外對內的連結，成為藝術家符號的延伸。
在作品〈古海〉、〈午夜作曲家〉又或是〈花絨〉等非典型布框的造型，不難看出LUPA企圖從過去的創作框架跳脫，雖然僅在形式樣態改變，卻可以視為藝術家在個人創作思維的突破；這些非典型畫框可假想為一個立體物件去觀看，甚至可理解成與空間連結的橋樑，以及畫面敘事內容的外顯和延伸；另外有二件繪製在全麻畫布上的三折屏風—〈野天鵝〉及〈百年孤寂〉亦是如此，屏風本是用於分隔空間的傢俱，而LUPA卻以此賦予平面繪畫與空間對應的意涵，讓觀者彷彿被故事包覆並進入畫面中，引導出展間、作品和觀者之間的相互關係。不論是屏風或是非典型布框的作品，與單純立體作品不同之處為其所延伸的「空間」並非局限在實體的物理性，而是觀者在凝視作品時的空間、感官之經驗召喚，從輪廓或形式背後引導的「時、空、物」聯想，這種聯想最終與「留白」、「模糊」、「動態」甚至是展場中的物件裝置，形成疊加的觀看感受，並產生思想上實際且真切的賞析領域。除此，陶質雕塑也是她擅長用以延伸平面繪畫的創作形態，她以多種陶、瓷土為基礎，結合不同媒材如毛線、玻璃、金箔等，以質地體現所刻畫的角色和場景，或以刺繡於穿孔陶片上，或以礦石鑲嵌；各種多元材質和細節都有其對應的意涵。雖然這種觀看意涵不免建立在群體的框架內，但LUPA卻堅持每件雕塑都必須是手捏孤品，意圖藉由手感來陶塑不甚完美的形（個）體，並以破除形體邊界來打破材質的所指框架。
LUPA一如既往地勇於開展新形式的創作，「發散、嘗試、聚焦」是藝術家在創作成長不斷循環的過程，《異遊記事》就可以看到她在創作中不斷保持流動及對藝術的包容性，進而產生本次展覽的推進，從過往由內至外的情感抒發到現今由外而內的真實探索，從內心獨語到集體意識的反思，可以觀察LUPA更多將社會記憶、集體意識的元素，加諸在個人經驗與情感的呼應，進而呈現出豐富且多層次的創作連結。通過作品，觀眾亦可以感受到藝術家對自我、社會和群體關係的深度覺察。
Multi-Evocation to Transform Semiotic Characters into Memory - EXOTICA
by Chu Yi Fu / ASIA ART CENTER
“EXOTICA resembles a journey entering the reality from fantasies and visions, which are later represented through memories and allow the reliving of the experiences like being in dreams once again. — LUPA”
The core elements of LUPA’s latest exhibition are comprised of reliving memories from visits to exotic locales at various points in time, coupled with the daily emergence of spectacles and illusions upon closing her eyes. This marks a pivotal juncture in her artistic journey. Commencing with a trip to the Sahara Desert, the artist internalizes her external explorations, intertwining them with her empathetic resonance with human sentiments. This fusion serves as the foundation for her enigmatic yet authentic portrayal of the inner realm. The artworks showcased in this exhibition offer a pathway to understanding LUPA’s oeuvre, inviting viewers to delve into the imagery and underlying framework of thought. Through this exploration, one can discern and unravel the distinctions between her earlier and recent works.
When one examines the initial trajectory of LUPA's artistic career, it becomes apparent that the artist specializes in utilizing images to construct narratives and settings. Semiotic characters such as mermaids, youths, female bodies, crocodiles, birds, and animals are placed within various backdrop environments, including lakes, waterfalls, deserts, oases, rock formations or wilderness landscapes, etc. Additionally, she employs a changing, gradient sky and layered, rugged terrain to evoke an ambiguous sense of space-time, portraying fables of magical realism. Detaching herself from the persona of "LUPA," she fabricates these imaginative scenes from the perspective of an observer. Using her brush, she projects her emotions onto her characters to further express personal feelings. These emotions, originating from the depths of the subconscious, have consistently been the wellspring of her art, focusing on themes concerning the inner world, which Lupa continuously explores through her artistic endeavors. Such painting language tends to be more intimate and personal, akin to whispering to and engaging in dialogue with the inner child. In this exhibition, however, we can observe a notable shift in content compared to LUPA’s previous works: Some of the pieces on display are recreated from real scenes and visualized through codes derived from deconstructed memories. LUPA intertwines memories with her innermost sentiments, employing painting techniques to encode images, brushstrokes, and colors. Her objective transcends mere replication of reality; instead, she extends these mnemonic codes through elements akin to overexposed photographs, blurriness, and even partial revisions of the original imagery. Consequently, akin to completing a cloze exercise, LUPA deliberately leaves blank spaces, prompting her audience to project their own sentiments and experiences onto these intentional voids.
Moreover, the large area of blank walls in Tanning or the roadside pile of cloth in Nomadic also lures spectators into the semiotic lack (blankness) intended by the artist as a way to evoke memory, engaging spectators to complete the works by projecting their feelings and emotions.
Meanwhile, the eight pieces of two-dimensional paintings collectively titled Fragments of Memory, which embody the idea of a storyboard, are juxtaposed with an animated short film made of the eight works. This represents LUPA's experimentation expanded and transformed from the realm of emptiness. Through this sequence of images, she crafts an animated piece intertwining visual narratives of concrete imagery with abstract meanings. The moving images, enveloped in a soft, ethereal glow, are projected onto fabrics of varying textures suspended from the ceiling, offering the audience a glimpse into the artist's psyche and the unfolding scenarios and plots emerging from her subconscious. Adjacent to the animated installation, the eight pieces of two-dimensional paintings mounted on the wall serve as fragments of the artist's memory. The voids between each piece on the wall resemble blank film frames, while the animated short film suggests that viewers can mentally fill in these gaps to create a continuous visual narrative.
The works in EXOTICA exhibit a noteworthy transformation, characterized by a re-evocation that merits careful examination. It unveils a visual depth resulting from layered images.
LUPA utilizes photographs captured during her journey to Morocco and the Sahara as her primary materials. Consider, for instance, The Sleepless Square Djemaa El Fna: the image initially appears strikingly reminiscent of the photograph, inviting immediate connection for the spectator. However, upon closer inspection, the brushwork and the enigmatic ambiance evoked by the hazy glow subtly position the image on a spectrum between reality and fantasy. This effect prompts spectators to delve deeper into their imagination, pondering the underlying narratives within the works. It is as if the audience is being transported into the mesmerizing dreamscape intricately woven by the artist. In the context of LUPA’s art, the use of brushstroke lines within her images can be traced back to her earlier works. Here, she employed hair-like brushing strokes to depict the strands of figures' hair and rocky textures, unveiling layers of personal feelings and emotions. However, a recent evolution is evident as these brushstrokes gradually transition into a sense of blurriness, reminiscent of the techniques employed by the German artist, Gerhard Richter.
Nevertheless, what sets LUPA’s work apart from Richter's is her departure from exploring image objectivity through such blurriness. Instead, she seeks to create temporal dimensions within the physical interstices of these blurred brushstrokes.
In Winter Wonderland, for instance, the sensation of movement and velocity embodied by the ice skaters is precisely rendered through these brushstrokes. This deliberate choice aims to evoke a sense of lived space within the minds of the spectators. Simultaneously, by blurring the physical boundaries of objects, viewers are compelled to fill in the information gaps, engaging in interpretation and reflection upon authentic experiences and the subconscious. In addition to echoing the "blankness" discussed earlier in this discourse, this also signifies the artist’s pursuit of re-evoking the "exploration of truth and emptiness" through the element of blurriness. This facilitates a connection between spectators' inner awareness and the external world, transforming their consciousness into an extension of the artist’s semiotic language.
From the atypical canvas shapes of Once Upon an Ocean, The Midnight Composer, and Floral Velvet, it is evident that LUPA is attempting to break away from her previous creative framework. Although this attempt is confined to a change in form, it can still be regarded as a breakthrough in her creative thought process. These uniquely shaped canvases can be perceived as three-dimensional objects, even serving as portals that connect various spaces, extending the narrative of the images into physical form. Furthermore, The Wild Swan and One Hundred Years of Solitude, both painted on linen canvases and fashioned as three-fold screens, serve as similar examples. Traditionally, a screen is a piece of partition furniture utilized to divide spaces. However, LUPA repurposes screens to establish corresponding meanings between two-dimensional painting and physical space, immersing spectators within the images. Through this approach, she elucidates the interplay between the exhibition space, the artworks, and the audience. What sets these screens and uniquely shaped canvases apart from typical three-dimensional works is that the "space" they extend is not confined solely to the physical realm. Instead, they evoke spatial and sensory experiences for the viewer, guiding associations of "time, space, and objects" beyond mere contours or forms. These associations eventually intertwine with concepts such as "blankness," "blurriness," "movement," and even the installations of objects within the exhibition, constructing a space for appreciation that is intellectually profound and sincere.
Ceramic sculpture is another creative form LUPA adeptly explores to expand her two-dimensional paintings. Utilizing various types of pottery and ceramic clay as a foundation, she combines these sculptures with other media such as yarn, glass, and gold foil, employing different textures to delineate characters and settings. Sometimes, she embroiders on perforated pottery shards or inlays them with stones. Each material and detail carries its own meaning. Despite falling within a collective framework, LUPA insists on handcrafting every single sculpture, aiming to remove the significance of materials by shaping each imperfect ceramic form individually and breaking their formal boundaries.
As usual, LUPA has persistently and courageously explored new forms of artistic creation. "Diffusing, experimenting, and focusing" constitute an endlessly cyclical process that drives the artistic growth of her work. In the exhibition EXOTICA, it is evident that she has remained fluid and artistically encompassing, both of which have contributed to the progress demonstrated by this exhibition. In the past, LUPA concentrated on expressing feelings and emotions from within to without; at the current stage, she focuses on a truthful exploration that moves from external reality to the internal world. From inner monologues to reflecting on the collective consciousness, it can be observed that LUPA has integrated more elements related to social memory and collective consciousness with her personal experiences and sentiments, displaying creative connections that are rich and multilayered. Through her works, the audience can also perceive a deep awareness of the self, society, and group relationships.