What is abstract expressionism? - Sarah Rosenthal

譯者: Pin-hsien Kuo 審譯者: Max Chern

If you visit a museum with a collection of modern and contemporary art,

若你參觀一間收藏現代藝術的博物館，

you're likely to see works that sometimes elicit the response,

你大概會看見一些作品 讓你有這樣反應：

"My cat could make that, so how is it art?"

「我的貓也會做，這怎麼叫藝術？」

A movement called Abstract Expressionism, also known as the New York School,

一種運動名為「抽象表現主義」 也叫「紐約畫派」，

gets this reaction particularly often.

特別常引發這種反應。

Abstract Expressionism started in 1943

抽象表現主義始於 1943 年，

and developed after the end of World War II.

在二戰結束後開始發展，

It's characterized by large, primarily abstract paintings,

特色是大型且主要為抽象的畫作，

all-over compositions without clear focal points,

沒有清晰主題的整體構圖，

and sweeping swaths of paint embodying and eliciting emotions.

和表現並誘發情緒 用塗料畫長而寬的彎曲線。

The group of artists who are considered Abstract Expressionists

被視為抽象表現主義的藝術家群，

includes Barnett Newman with his existential zips,

包括巴尼特·紐曼 和他的「存在的拉鏈」、

Willem de Kooning, famous for his travestied women,

以滑稽化女人而聞名的 威廉·德·庫寧、

Helen Frankenthaler, who created soak-stains,

創造滲透染色法的 海倫·弗蘭肯沙勒

and others.

等等。

But perhaps the most famous, influential, and head-scratching one

不過也許最有名、最具影響力 且最令人困惑的

was Jackson Pollock.

還是傑克遜·波洛克。

Most of his paintings are immediately recognizable.

他大部份的作品都可一眼認出。

They feature tangled messes of lines of paint

特徵在於其緃橫交錯的線條

bouncing around in every direction on the canvas.

在畫布上向各個方向躍動。

And sure, these fields of chaos are big and impressive,

沒錯，這樣的混亂既大又令人印象深刻，

but what's so great about them?

但到底有什麼特別呢？

Didn't he just drip the paint at random?

他不就是隨意滴濺作畫嘛？

Can't anyone do that?

誰不會？

Well, the answer to these questions is both yes and no.

答案是對，也是不對。

While Pollock implemented a technique anyone is technically capable of

波洛克使用的技巧的確誰都會，

regardless of artistic training,

有沒有受過美術訓練都一樣，

only he could have made his paintings.

但只有他才做得出他的畫。

This paradox relates to his work's roots

這種矛盾關係到他作品的根源，

in the Surrealist automatic drawings of André Masson and others.

即安德烈·馬松與其他人 超現實主義的無意識繪畫。

These Surrealists supposedly drew directly from the unconscious

一般認為這些超現實派畫家 是利用下意識作畫

to reveal truths hidden within their minds.

以揭露潛藏在心智中的真實面。

Occasionally, instead of picturing something and then drawing it,

有時，他們並沒有預先設想某物 才開始作畫，

they let their hands move automatically

而是讓手自然而然地移動，

and would later tease out familiar figures that appeared in the scribbles.

之後再從塗鴉中梳理出熟悉圖形。

And after Pollock moved away from representation,

波洛克脫離了象徵藝術，

he made drip, or action, paintings following a similar premise,

順著類似前述方式 發展了「滴畫」或稱「行動畫」，

though he developed a signature technique

但研發了自己的招牌技法

and never looked for images or messages hidden in the works.

且從不在他的作品中 尋找隱藏的圖像或訊息。

First, he took the canvas off of the easel and laid it on the floor,

他先從畫架上取下畫布 平鋪在地面上，

a subversive act in itself.

這動作本身即具顛覆性。

Then, in a controlled dance, he stepped all around the canvas,

接著他以有節制的舞步 在畫布各處踩踏，

dripping industrial paint onto it from stirrers and other tools,

邊用攪棒和其他工具滴灑工業漆，

changing speed and direction

同時變換速度與方向

to control how the paint made contact with the surface.

來控制顏料與畫布表面接觸的方式。

These movements, like the Surrealist scribbles,

這些動作就像超現實派的塗鴉

were supposedly born out of Pollock's subconscious.

據稱出於波洛克的潛意識。

But unlike the Surrealists,

但不同於超現實派的是

whose pictures represented the mind's hidden contents,

超現實派畫作 代表心中隱藏的真意，

Pollock's supposedly made physical manifestations of his psyche.

而波洛克的畫則被視為 其心靈的身體表現形式。

His paintings are themselves signatures of his mind.

他的畫作本身 即為他心智的簽名方式。

In theory, anyone could make a painting that is an imprint of their mind.

理論上人人都可以創出 具個人心智印記的畫作。

So why is Pollock so special?

何以波洛克的就與眾不同？

Well, it's important to remember that while anyone could have done what he did,

重要的是，雖然他做的事誰都可以做，

he and the rest of the New York School were the ones who actually did it.

但他與紐約畫派的其他人 是付諸行動的人。

They destroyed conventions of painting that had stood for centuries,

他們打破了好幾世紀以來 屹立不搖的繪畫傳統，

forcing the art world to rethink them entirely.

迫使美術界徹底地重新反思。

But one last reason why Jackson Pollock's work has stayed prominent

再說最後一個波洛克的作品 能維持其突顯地位的原因，

stems from the specific objects he made, which embody fascinating contradictions.

是由於他創作的具體作品 體現了迷人的矛盾感。

For instance, while Pollock's process

比如，雖然波洛克用的技法

resulted in radically flat painted surfaces,

最後完成的是全平面的畫，

the web of painted lines can create the illusion of an infinite layered depth

但當近距離審視時 可體驗到其畫線交織的網

when examined up close.

創造了無限層次的錯覺。

And the chaos of this tangled mess seems to defy all control,

而這緃橫交錯的混亂 似乎完全無法控制，

but it's actually the product of a deliberate,

其實作品是經過深思熟慮的步驟 ─

though not pre-planned, process.

雖未經事先規劃。

These characteristics made Pollock into a celebrity,

這些特色讓波洛克搖身成了名人，

and within art history,

而在美術史中，

they also elevated him to the mythified status

人們也將他的地位提高至神話級，

of the genius artist as hero.

視他為英雄般的天才藝術家。

So rather than evening the playing field for all creative minds,

所以，他的作品並沒有 讓所有創造心智受到同等重視，

his work unfortunately reinforced a long-standing elitist aspect of art.

反而不巧地強化了 存在已久的美術菁英主義。

Elitist,

菁英主義、

innovative,

創新、

whatever you choose to call it,

什麼叫法都可以，

the history embedded in Abstract Expressionism

但深植於抽象表現主義的歷史，

is one that no cat, however talented, can claim.

即便是再有才華的貓 也取代不得。

翻譯：Pin-hsien Kuo