林葆靈 / LIN Bao Ling
在疫情肆虐的日子裡，常可聽到的一種抱怨是不能出國，覺得很悶，不自由。引發了我許多關於自由的聯想與思考。自由究竟是什麼？「創作自由」又是什麼？
One of the most common complaints during the raging of the pandemic is boredom and captivity due to overseas travel bans. This led me to ponder what “freedom” really means? What exactly is the “freedom of creation?”
獨居創作的生活，有時幾天沒出門，行動範圍往往只在工作室附近，很少離開台北市。沉浸在文學、動漫、影劇等，穿梭在他人與自己的創作世界裡，將自身帶入其中的各種角色，於是他人的創作世界與自身的創作世界產生某種程度的交融。長時間呆在工作室，對於不能出國或是單純的生活，並不感到不自由或無聊。每日畫著畫，也用陶土捏出自創角色「沒有名字的小傢伙」，有時也為他搭建場景，像是工作室裡的神，進行著造人與創世。神說要有光，我也在畫裡描繪了光，為了描繪光自然也得描繪影； 在部分立體作品中則直接運用了led燈。新的點子不斷湧現，忙於嘗試。經歷想法上的拉扯，摸索不熟悉的工法、材料與工具，解決創作上遇到的種種困難，彷彿是與「小傢伙」一起挑戰了種種難題。我想，尋找新奇事物未必一定要到遠方，那些不曾真正了解的周遭環境、人事物與自身的內心，也是值得探索的陌生領域，當感知敏銳時，所謂的尋常風景都不尋常；不管是生活或是創作，不被習慣與過多的執著所局限，願意嘗試新的東西，或許都可以視為一種對「牆外」的探索，對自由的追尋。
As a creator, I live a solitary life where I sometimes stay indoors for days. Normally I do not travel anywhere too far from my studio. I hardly ever leave Taipei City. Instead, I immerse myself in literature, animation, and drama, shifting between different creative realms, projecting myself into various characters while integrating my creative world with that of others’. I do not feel confined or bored from spending long hours at the studio and living a simple local life. Everyday, I draw paintings. I even created an original clay character called “The Nameless Little Guy,” continuously trying out new ideas in my mind. Through concept innovation and the exploration of new techniques, materials, and tools, I went on an adventure with “The Little Guy” as we took on many challenges together during the creative process. I believe novelty does not have to be found afar because we are surrounded by environments, people, events, objects, and internal states that are worthy of being explored. Nothing is ordinary to a sensitive eye. Perhaps the attempts to try new things in life and creation without being bound by habits or obsessions can be perceived as a quest outside the wall in pursuit of freedom.
雖然人在工作室裡，但可以通過想像去到許多地方，並試著把想像化為實體作品，現今的網路更延伸了人的視聽範圍，便於累積建構想像世界所需要的素材。然而想像也有其界限。創作者畫下的每一筆似乎都是受了學過，或看過的表現方式影響，思考的每件事亦同，沒法「無中生有」，只能用已知去想像未知，拼湊組裝見過的事物，延續著前人的足跡，試著努力再走的更遠一點點，或是在途中另闢蹊徑，又或將前人視為敵人，讓所謂的「反派」來成就所謂的「英雄」。世界上或許沒有什麼百分之百原創的作品，如同作家強納森‧ 列瑟（Jonathan Lethem）所說，「被稱為「原創」的東西，十之八九是因為人們不知其參考或原始資料來源。」認清自己想像與思考的局限性或許使人沮喪，但也使人謙卑。
Despite being physically in the studio, I can visit different places through imaginations and transform them into artworks. The Internet has expanded our visual-aural range and made it easier to imagine the world. However, imaginations are bound by creators’ previous learning, visual, and thinking experiences. Imaginations cannot be created from thin air as they are built on existing sensory experiences either by following predecessors’ footsteps to a further place, going down a different path, or taking an opposite direction that makes an “antagonist” the “hero.” Maybe there is nothing fully original in this world, like writer Jonathan Lethem said, “When people call something “original,” nine out of ten times they just don't know the references or the original sources involved.” While it may be upsetting to realize the limitation of imaginations and thoughts, it is also a humbling experience.
一些創作者常希望能有所革新。就像阿根廷/義大利藝術家盧齊歐·封塔納（Lucio Fontana，1899 -1968）認為，他藉由刺穿畫布與割開畫布「創造了無限的一維」。而「打破了畫布的空間好像在說：自此我們可以自由地做我們喜歡的事了。」他也意圖擺脫舊的繪畫形式與傳統的藝術觀念：「我似乎象徵性的逃離了畫布，但實際上，我永遠擺脫了畫面的枷鎖。」「刺」與「割」這種像是暴力破壞的動作，讓我想起畢卡索說過：「對於破壞的嚮往，同時也是一種對創造的嚮往。」也讓我聯想到《進擊的巨人》裡試圖通過暴力得到自由的艾蓮，以及《浪客劍心》裡為了創造新時代而參與維新革命，斬人無數的劍心。他們的行為似乎也可視為在打破框架，掙脫枷鎖。然而，通過同類相殘，他們最終讓自己或別人真正自由了嗎？攻擊別人也被人攻擊，揮出的拳與刀傷了別人的同時也可能傷了自己，存活下來的人似乎也難免身心都傷痕累累，會不會死去的人才是真的解脫？藝評家約翰柏格（John Berger）曾說：「所有的現代藝術家都認為創新才是接近真實的路徑⋯⋯只有在這一點上，現代藝術家與革命是肩並肩的：他們都起源於扯下陳腔濫調的渴望。」而作家高行健在〈作家的位置〉曾寫道：「... 20世紀藝術的革命家們一再宣告繪畫已死，或是反藝術，或是零藝術的來臨，而現今許許多多的畫家卻依然默默在畫。」若說藝術革命是為了追求藝術創作的自由，那現今的畫家是否就是處在不自由的創作環境中？
Some creators hope to achieve a revolution. For example, the Argentine/Italian artist Lucio Fontana believed he “created an infinite dimension” by cutting the canvas. The cut canvas seems to be a symbol of our freedom to do whatever we like from now on. Fontana also intended to break free from old-fashioned painting styles and traditional art concepts: “I escape symbolically from the painting and the traditional view of art, but also materially from the prison of the flat surface.” Such violent destruction of “slashing” and “cutting” reminds me of Picasso’s quote: “Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.” Furthermore, I also formed an association with Eren in Attack on Titan, who tries to earn freedom through violence, and the dauntless Kenshin in Rurouni Kenshin, who participates in Meiji Restoration to create a new era. These characters also demonstrate an act of breaking frameworks and escaping imprisonment. However, was freedom ever achieved by killing each other? The fist fights and knives in an attack may hurt others as well as oneself, leaving survivors injured and frustrated. Could death be the ultimate relief in such cases? As art critic John Berger once said, “All contemporary artists believe innovation is the only path to truth. This is a common belief held by contemporary artists and revolutionaries who aspire to get rid of old cliches.” On the other hand, writer Gao Xingjian wrote in The Position of the Writer, “The revolutionaries of 20th century art have repeatedly declared an end to paintings. Despite their claims for anti-art or zero art, many artists still quietly continue to paint.” If the art revolution is about pursuing the freedom of art creation, does it mean contemporary painters are currently working in confined creative environments?
都說「創作是自由的」，但絕對的自由，沒有任何限制有時反而令人不知所措。 演員/作家北野武在《北野武的小酒館》寫過：「自由這種東西，只有在一定程度的框架下才能成立。想幹啥就幹啥是一個没有框架的概念，在這個概念裡是没有自由的，有的只是混沌。」他以足球為例，有不能用手，球門框架等限制，如此不自由的運動還大受最不願被束縛的年輕人歡迎。他認為：「就像光與影，正因為是在不自由的框架中交戰所以才閃耀出自由的光芒。正因為重力把人拉向地面，所以人類才會有了那個永恆的飛天夢想。」這令我想到《海上鋼琴師》裡的主角1900，沒有人禁止他下船，但他決定一生都在船上生活，死也不願離開。他覺得他可以在88個琴鍵裡創造無限； 但陸地太大，選擇過多，令他無措。球員們和1900，似乎都出於自由意志，選擇了局限自己，並在局限中找到自由。
Although “creation is boundless,” sometimes it may be overwhelming to experience unrestrained, absolute freedom. As an actor/writer, Kitano Takeshi wrote in Kitano Takeshi’s Tavern: “Freedom needs to be built on some framework. There is no framework in the concept of doing whatever we want, hence this path leads to limbo rather than freedom.” Taking soccer as an example, Kitano explained that the sport is popular because it is bound by soccer goals and the rules of not using hands. Kitano believed “the competition between light and shadow in a framework of restraint is what creates the glimmer of freedom. This is analogous to how humans aspire to explore space because gravity keeps us on the ground.” I am reminded of The Legend of 1900, in which the protagonist, 1900, chooses to live his life on a ship despite any external forces preventing him from leaving. He believed he could create infinite possibilities with the 88 piano keys while the unknown life on land offers too many choices that are overwhelming to him. It seems like the soccer players and 1900 all choose to put on a limit out of free will, as they try to find freedom under such limits.
那麼，若說創作是沒有限制的，那創作不就反而不自由了？似乎，遵循著那自己常也難以釐清的內心真實想法，給自己設限制仍是需要的，但有時，或許也只是在把來自外界的各種想法主張，在覺察或未察覺間硬套在自身？然後誤以為那是自己內心的真實想法？，於是制約我們自己的共犯或主謀，常就是自己。能夠時常推翻自己想法，進行內在革命的人是否就更自由？但會不會根本就沒有自由意志？每個人都是如漫畫家筆下角色般的存在？所思所想，所作所為都是被決定的？
Does this mean it is not free to create without limitations? It seems like some restraints are still needed to clarify vague internal thoughts. Sometimes it is possible to unconsciously adopt external thoughts and mistaken them as our own thoughts. This is how we become the accomplice in misinterpreting our own internal ideas. In such cases, can people break free by overthrowing their internal ideas? Or free will is non-existent as everyone lives like comic characters with predetermined fates?
框架無所不在，而「執著」或許便是不自由的一大源頭，在執著於必須自由的同時便掉進了名為自由的框架，當不刻意追求自由時或許反而會得到自由，如同不會游泳的人在水中掙扎反而會沉，身體放鬆的狀態反能漂浮。這樣想的話，似乎只有對一切都不執著的人才能真正的自由吧？然而凡夫俗子如何能做的到？最終，我們只能在不自由的框架裡奮力追尋、戰鬥與掙扎，又或順其自然不抵抗，欣賞那虛幻的，偶爾閃耀出的自由光芒。
Under ubiquitous frameworks, perhaps “obsession” is the main source of limitations. People fall under the framework of freedom when they become obsessed with it. Freedom is something that cannot be achieved intentionally. For example, swimmers often sink when they struggle in water, but they can float when their bodies are relaxed. Maybe we can only truly be free when we let go of our obsessions. This is not easy for ordinary people. In the end, we can only choose between striving, fighting, and struggling under restrained frameworks or following the flow and admiring that illusive, occasional glimmer of freedom.
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#自由的光芒 – 林葆靈個展丨The Light of Freedom – A Solo Exhibition by LIN Bao Ling
▎展 期 Date丨2022/09/03 (Sat.) - 2022/10/29 (Sat.)
▎開放時間 Opening Hours丨週二至週六 10:00-19:00
▎地 點 Location丨#索卡藝術．台北丨台北市中山區堤頂大道二段350號丨Soka Art Taipei丨No.350, Sec.2, Tiding Blvd., Zhongshan Dist., Taipei City
▎聯 繫 Contact丨02-2533-9658
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【 #非池中 獨家專訪影片】
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2022/10/1 #畫冊發表座談 ｜Catalogue Release and Artist Talk
與談人：張瑋特 （金車文藝中心總監）
藝術家：林葆靈
直播存檔：
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