A brief history of religion in art - TED-Ed

宗教藝術簡史 – TED-Ed

譯者: Ya Hui Hung 審譯者: Becky Ma

It's only been the last few hundreds years or so

西方文明在博物館展現藝術品

that Western civilization has been putting art in museums,

是近幾百年才有的，

at least museums resembling

起碼是在

the public institutions we know today.

類似如今所熟悉的博物館中

Before this, for most, art served other purposes.

在這之前，大致上，藝術有其他用途

What we call fine art today

如今所謂的美術

was, in fact, primarily how people experienced

其實主要來至

an aesthetic dimension of religion.

人們對宗教審美的體驗

Paintings, sculpture, textiles and illuminations

繪畫、雕塑、紡織品、(手繪本) 彩飾

were the media of their time,

是當時的媒體

supplying vivid imagery

以生動的圖像

to accompany the stories of the day.

搭配當時的故事

In this sense, Western art

如此，西方藝術

shared a utilitarian purpose

和其他世界文化

with other cultures around the world,

有共同的功利宗旨

some of whose languages incidentally have no word for art.

還有，某些語言沒表達「藝術」的字詞

So how do we define what we call art?

那麼所謂的藝術要如何定義?

Generally speaking, what we're talking about here

一般來說，

is work that visually communicates

所說的是以視覺作品

meaning beyond language,

傳達超語言的意義

either through representation

通過畫像

or the arrangement of visual elements in space.

或視覺元素的空間排列

Evidence of this power of iconography,

意象力量的證據

or ability of images to convey meaning,

或圖像傳達意思的能力

can be found in abundance

很豐富

if we look at art from

可在

the histories of our major world religions.

世界主要宗教的歷史中找尋

Almost all have, at one time or another in their history,

幾乎所有宗教的歷史中

gone through some sort of aniconic phase.

都曾經過某種反聖像的階段

Aniconism prohibits any visual depiction of the divine.

反聖像論禁止任何神聖的視覺描繪

This is done in order to avoid idolatry,

為了避免偶像崇拜

or confusion between the representation of divinity and divinity itself.

或避免神和其畫像之間的混淆

Keeping it real, so to speak,

可以說

in the relationship between the individual and the divine.

保持人跟神之間的關係真實性

However, this can be a challenge to maintain,

但維持它會是一項挑戰

given that the urge to visually represent and interpret

特別是要以視覺顯示和解釋

the world around us

周遭世界的驅動

is a compulsion difficult to suppress.

很難抑制

For example, even today,

例如，即使在今日

where the depiction of Allah or the Prophet Muhammad is prohibited,

雖然禁止真主或先知穆罕默德的描繪

an abstract celebration of the divine

抽象的神聖表揚

can still be found in arabesque patterns of Islamic textile design,

仍存在伊斯蘭紡織品設計的 蔓藤花紋圖中

with masterful flourishes of brushwork

以高超的筆觸

and Arabic calligraphy,

及阿拉伯文書法

where the words of the prophet

將先知的文字

assume a dual role as both literature and visual art.

以文學和視覺藝術雙重呈現

Likewise, in art from the early periods

同樣的，基督教和佛教

of Christianity and Buddhism,

早期藝術中

the divine presence of the Christ and the Buddha

基督和佛陀神聖的存在

do not appear in human form

不是以人體呈現

but are represented by symbols.

而是以符號代表

In each case,

在這情況下

iconographic reference is employed

圖像的引用

as a form of reverence.

是一種崇敬

Anthropomorphic representation,

在這些宗教，擬人化

or depiction in human form,

或人形描繪

eventually became widespread in these religions

要在幾世紀後

only centuries later,

受了周遭文化傳統的影響

under the influence of the cultural traditions surrounding them.

才變得普遍

Historically speaking,

從歷史上看

the public appreciation of visual art

大眾的視覺藝術欣賞

in terms other than traditional, religious or social function

相對其他傳統、宗教或社交活動

is a relatively new concept.

是一種較新概念

Today, we fetishize the fetish, so to speak.

如今我們可說是盲目的崇拜

We go to museums to see art from the ages,

到博物館看歷代藝術

but our experience of it there

但所體驗的

is drastically removed from the context

是徹底地脫離

in which it was originally intended to be seen.

意圖原本的環境狀況

It might be said that the modern viewer

可說現代觀眾

lacks the richness of engagement

缺乏相當現代藝術的

that she has with contemporary art,

豐富性參與

which has been created relevant to her time

應時的創作

and speaks her cultural language.

同鳴的文化語言

It might also be said that the history of what we call art

也可說所謂的藝術史

is a conversation that continues on,

是持續的對話

as our contemporary present passes into what will be

當代的現在式

some future generation's classical past.

將會是某未來一代的經典過去

It's a conversation that reflects

這對話反映了

the ideologies, mythologies, belief systems and taboos

意識形態、神話、信仰、禁忌

and so much more of the world in which it was made.

及更多其他構成這世界的元素

But this is not to say that work from another age

但這不表示，另一時代的作品

made to serve a particular function in that time

其當時的特定功能

is dead or has nothing to offer the modern viewer.

對於現代觀眾毫無意義

Even though in a museum setting

雖然在博物館中

works of art from different places and times

不同地點及時代的藝術作品

are presented alongside each other,

相並展示

isolated from their original settings,

脫離原本擺設

their juxtaposition has benefits.

它們的並列是有效益地

Exhibits are organized by curators,

展品是由策展人安排

or people who've made a career

或由專業人士

out of their ability to recontextualize or remix

以集體方式呈現

cultural artifacts in a collective presentation.

給予文物新場景或新組合

As viewers, we're then able to consider the art

作為觀眾，我們將能看到

in terms of a common theme that might not be apparent

在單一藝術作品中不易發現

in a particular work

但因並列展示

until you see it alongside another,

而顯出的共同主題

and new meanings can be derived and reflected upon.

由此悟出新意義及感想

If we're so inclined,

如果願意

we might even start to see every work of art

還可開始將每件藝術作品

as a complementary part of some undefined, unified whole

視為過去人類經驗中

of past human experience,

無定義、統一總體的一部分

a trail that leads right to our doorstep

一個延向我們的線索

and continues on with us,

再由我們延續

open to anyone who wants to explore it.

為任何想探索的人開放