Art Central 2018 | 首都藝術中心

Art Center 2018 | Capital Art Center 首都藝術中心

Booth D04
生命的詩篇

劉其偉 劉國松 蕭耀 Max Liu / Liu Guo Song / York Hsiao

生命的歷程，最動人之處或許是能夠留下令人無法忘懷的情感，像是優美的詩篇般，持續傳誦吟唱。對藝術家而言，創作如同他的呼吸、他的生命，而藝術品就如同藝術家的生命歷程中，每一個創作階段中譜出的動人篇章，帶給任何觀賞者在不同時空背景中，卻能獲得相同的巨大感動。此次，首都藝術中心將於Art Central 2018中，呈現劉其偉、劉國松與蕭耀的經典鉅作，期盼能夠與藝術家攜手，將他們曾譜出最絕妙的詩歌，最真實的感動，毫無保留地呈現給您。

充滿傳奇色彩的劉其偉(Max Liu)，祖籍廣東，人稱「劉老」，不僅精通國、粵、日、英語，在台灣更身具藝術家、工程師、人類學家、保育學者等的多重身份。劉其偉的藝術家之路充滿戲劇與曲折，因戰事顛沛而學習的工程背景，轉而契機前往滇緬，開啟了對人類學研究之路後，也將心靈的寄託，繪畫，更精進研究至現代繪畫與原始藝術之關聯性，所留下的篇章不僅是藝術上的成就，學識淵博的他更撰文了多本著作。明年，將首次於Art Central展出他的經典作品『婆憂鳥』，以及「致敬系列」，包括『向米羅致敬』、『向三毛致敬』、『向畢卡索致敬』、『向克利致敬』與『布朗庫西之吻』等，多位文學、繪畫與雕塑大師們虛心學習的謙卑情懷，讓一生致力各種挑戰的傳奇象徵，再次於國際展會中頌出他的章節。

 Max Liu 劉其偉_Tribute to Klee 向克利致敬 48×35cm 2000

被譽為『現代水墨畫之父』的劉國松(Liu Guo Song)，早已在世界各地享譽盛名，他將傳統水墨跳脫傳統文人畫的天地觀，以『狂草抽象系列』與『太空系列』，開啟了屬於現代水墨的嶄新篇章。此外，最為人所敬佩的，更是他對現代水墨傳承之精神孜孜不倦的動人毅力。Art Central 2018，將展出劉國松的數件經典作品，包括2007年的『西藏組曲系列之八十九』，受石恪的《二祖調心圖》影響所創作出的狂草抽象與「國松紙」，其作品中的勁度、力道，揮灑出藝術家當年的狂放不羈、捨我其誰的氣勢絕句，顛覆傳統水墨畫的藝術視界，如此傳奇的詩篇期盼能夠再次於國際藝壇中鋒芒畢露。

第三度申請參展的蕭耀(York Hsiao)，不同於過往的藝廊經營者與台灣畫廊行政工作者的背景，已逐漸淡出經營事務的他，正全力以嶄新身份「藝術家」之名，向國際藝壇努力衝刺發聲。蕭耀的創作可概略命題為『意象三部曲』，源自藝術家人生經驗的累積，書寫出初試啼聲的『文字系列』與觀察社會現象所抒發的『臉書系列』後，以生命起源為創作初衷的近年重心『好色之圖系列』中，三部藝術篇章更持續譜曲出藝術家對藝術、對生命、對心之所向的無悔傳誦。

繼2015、2016年Art Central展出『好色之圖系列』中，依創作主題認知屬於抽象圖案的『真』；與近似童話風格般，諷諭凡人情事之人間繪本的『性』之後，Art Central 2018將預計展出全新的『情』風格，將自然情懷透過藝術家之眼，轉換不同的觀看思維，如作品『搖曳生姿』中些微透露出男性性器與女性婀娜身形的隱喻，帶給觀者莞爾卻不失幽默的詼諧語彙；『別有洞天』中雖看似海蝕洞卻隱喻著自然即為萬物之母，好似性器的山石、海濤雖來自藝術家的無垠想像，卻又充滿生命靈動；『聳立雲端』為藝術家於神木山林中抬頭仰望奇景壯闊後，流露出對培育生命萬物的母儀大地，與轉化象徵女性圖像結合的豐沛情感。

期盼首都藝術中心能夠於Art Central 2018，以三位藝術家的精彩生命詩篇，帶給每一位參觀者透過藝術療癒身、心、靈的溫暖曲調。

Art Central 2018 | Capital Art Center

Booth D04 | A Psalm of Life

Max Liu / Liu Guo Song / York Hsiao

The greatest wonder of life may be the moments when unforgettable feelings are delivered and maintained like everlasting poems. To an artist, creating is like breathing, and each of his/her artworks is an amazing chapter of his/her life that are able to touches beholders from different times and places. In Art Central 2018, the Capital Art Center will exhibit the classic works of Max Liu, Liu Guo Song and York Hsiao, presenting to you without reservation the most fascinating and touching moments of their lives.

Also known as the legendary “Chyi-lau”, Max Liu from Guangdong was fluent in multiple languages, including Mandarin, Cantonese, Japanese and English. He was an artist, engineer, anthropologist and ecologist in Taiwan. Liu’s story of becoming an artist was a dramatic one. During the wartimes in China, he first studied engineering but later found himself working on the border of Yunnan and Burma, where not only was his interest in anthropology developed but also he further elevated his passion about drawing to another level. The impact brought by his studies of the relationship between modern and primitive art has gone beyond the field of art, and his books well demonstrated his knowledgeability. Next year, his classic work “Po Yu Bird” and the “Tribute Series”, including “Tribute to Miro”, “Tribute to Echo”, “Tribute to Picasso”, “Tribute to Klee” and “The Kiss of Brancusi”, will be on display in Art Central 2018 for the very first time. A group of artists in literature, painting and sculpture humbly gather together for this international festivity to present the works of the legendary artist.

Liu Guo Song, known as the Father of Modern Ink Wash Painting, has long been enjoying a global reputation. He broke out of the traditional world view of literati painting and brought this type of art to a new chapter of modern ink wash painting with his “Abstract Wild Cursive Series” and “Outer Space Series” works. His perseverance in promoting and passing on the art of modern ink wash painting has earned him much respect worldwide. In Art Central 2018, a number of Liu’s classic works will be exhibited, including “Tibet series No.89” from 2007. Influenced by Shi Ke’s “Meditation of Two Zen Masters”, the piece was created with Liu’s invention of the abstract wild cursive style on the “Guo Song paper”. The strength and power shown in this piece display the artist’s personal character of wildness and egoism. This piece changed the traditional world view of the wash ink painting and became a legendary artwork that will shine once again at this international festivity of art.

Having participated in the exhibition in 2015 and 2016, next year York Hsiao will present himself as an artist instead of a gallery owner and Taiwanese gallery administrative worker that he used to be. Hsiao’s artistic creations, which may be titled “The Trilogy of Image” by some, were inspired by his own life experience. His earlier works “Text Series” and the later “Facebook Series” based on his social observation are followed by the recent “Amorous Paintings Series” that reflect upon the origins of life. The trilogy demonstrates the artist’s fervent expression about art, life and his own heart.

The “Amorous Paintings Series” were displayed in 2015 with the theme of “Truthfulness” which focused on abstract symbols and in 2016 with the theme of “Sexuality” which focused on the mockery of human affections. In Art Central 2018, the brand new works with the theme of “Feelings” will take us to observe the nature through an artistic eye. For example, the work “Swaying in Grace” implicitly depicts the male genitals and female bodies in a humorous fashion. Through the imagination of genital-shaped rocks and waves, the “Concealed Surprise” presents a sea cave that implies the Mother Nature. After he beheld the spectaculars in the forest, the “Standing Erect” was composed through the symbolism of female to express the artist’s feelings towards the Mother Earth that gives birth to lives.

Through the amazing artworks of the three artists displayed in Art Central 2018, Capital Art Center expects to bring warmth in the form of art to the body, heart and soul of the beholders.