Can art amend history? | Titus Kaphar

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: 易帆 余

I love museums.

我很愛博物館。

Have you guys ever been to the Natural History Museum?

你們曾經去過國家歷史博物館嗎？

In New York City?

在紐約市的？

(Applause)

（掌聲）

So one of the things that I do is I take my kids to the museum.

我會帶我的孩子去博物館。

Recently I took them to the Natural History Museum.

最近，我帶他們到國家歷史博物館。

I had my two sons with me, Sabian and Dabith.

我帶著兩個兒子， 賽賓恩跟戴比斯，

And we go into the front entrance of the museum,

我們到了博物館前面的入口，

and there's that amazing sculpture of Teddy Roosevelt out there.

外面有一座很棒的羅斯福雕像。

You guys know which one I'm talking about.

你們知道我在說的是哪一座吧。

Teddy Roosevelt is sitting there with one hand on the horse,

羅斯福坐在那裡，一隻手在馬上，

bold, strong, sleeves rolled up.

英勇、堅強、捲著袖子。

I don't know if he's bare-chested, but it kind of feels like it.

我不知道他有沒有袒胸， 但感覺好像有。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And on the left-hand side of him is a Native American walking.

在他的左手邊， 有個美國原住民在走路。

And on the right-hand side of him is an African-American walking.

在他的右手邊， 有個非裔美國人在走路。

And as we're moving up the stairs,

當我們正在上樓梯時，

getting closer to the sculpture,

越來越靠近雕像，

my oldest son, who's nine, says,

我九歲的大兒子說：

"Dad, how come he gets to ride,

「爹，為什麼他可以騎馬，

and they have to walk?"

他們卻得走路？」

It stopped me in my tracks.

這讓我我突然停下來。

It stopped me in my tracks.

這讓我我突然停下來。

There was so much history

要講好多的歷史，

that we would have to go through to try to explain that,

才有辦法去試著解釋這件事，

and that's something I try to do with them anyways.

但我還是這麼做了。

It's a question that I probably would have never really asked.

這個問題可能是 我永遠不會問的問題。

But fundamentally what he was saying was,

但基本上，他在說的是：

"That doesn't look fair.

「那看起來不公平，

Dad, that doesn't look fair.

爹，那看起來不公平。

And why is this thing that's so not fair

為什麼這個不太公平的東西

sitting outside of such an amazing institution."

會放在這麼棒的機構外面？」

And his question got me wondering,

他的問題讓我思忖，

is there a way for us to amend our public sculptures,

有沒有什麼方式讓我們能修改

公開展示的雕像和國家紀念碑？

our national monuments?

Not erase them,

不是要抹除它們，

but is there a way to amend them?

而是有沒有方式修改它們？

Now, I didn't grow up going to museums.

我成長過程沒去過博物館，

That's not my history.

那不是我的歷史。

My mother was 15 years old when I was born.

我出生時，我媽才十五歲。

She is amazing.

她棒極了。

My father was struggling with his own things

我人生中大部份的時候，

我爸都在掙扎著他自己的事。

for most of my life.

If you really want to know the truth,

如果你們真的想知道真相，

the only reason I got into art is because of a woman.

我進入藝術這行的 唯一理由，是一個女人。

There was this amazing, amazing, fantastic, beautiful, smart woman,

有個非常棒、出色、 美麗、聰明的女人，

four years older than me,

她比我大四歲，

and I wanted to go out with her.

我想約她出去。

But she said, "You're too young

但她說：「你太年輕，

and you're not thinking about your future."

且你沒有好好思考你的未來。」

So I ran on down to the junior college,

所以，我跑去專科學校，

registered for some classes,

註冊參加了一些課程，

ran on back,

再跑回來，

and basically was like, "I'm thinking about my future now."

那基本上就像是：「我現在 有在思考我的未來了。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

"Can we go out?"

「我們能約出去了嗎？」

For the record, she's even more amazing.

鄭重聲明，她結果還更棒，

I married her.

我娶了她。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

So when I randomly ran down to the junior college

當我隨機跑到專科學校

and registered for classes,

並註冊了一些課程時，

I really wasn't paying attention to what I was registering to.

我其實沒有注意我註冊了什麼。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So I ended up with an art history class,

我最後是去上了藝術史課程，

and I didn't know a thing about art history.

我對藝術史什麼都不知道。

But something amazing happened when I went into that class.

但當我上課時發生了很棒的事。

For the first time in my academic career,

在我的學術生涯中，那是第一次

my visual intelligence was required of me.

我需要用到我的視覺智能。

For the first time.

那是第一次。

The professor would put up an image,

教授會展示出一張圖，

bold strokes of blues and yellows, and say, "Who's that?"

圖上有著大膽的藍色與黃色筆觸， 他會說：「那是誰？」

And I'd go, "That's Van Gogh. Clearly that is Van Gogh.

我會說：「那是梵谷， 很明顯那是梵谷。

I got this."

這個我知道。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I got a B in that class.

那堂課我的成績得到 B。

For me, that was amazing.

對我來說，那很不可思議。

In high school, let's just say I wasn't a great student. OK?

在高中，姑且說 我不是個很棒的學生，好嗎？

In high school, my GPA was .65.

在高中，我的 GPA 成績是 .65。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Decimal point first, six five.

前面有個小數點，後面才是 65。

So me getting a B was huge, huge,

所以我拿到 B 是件很大很大的事，

absolutely huge.

絕對是很大的事。

And because of the fact that I realized that I was able to learn things visually

且因為我了解到我可以 用視覺的方式來學習那些

that I couldn't learn in other ways,

我無法用其他方式學的事物，

this became my strategy, this became my tactic

這就變成了我的策略， 這就變成了我的戰術，

for understanding everything else.

用來了解所有其他的一切。

I wanted to stay in this relationship. Things were going well.

我想要留在這段關係中， 一切都很順利。

I decided, let me keep taking these art history classes.

我決定要繼續修這些藝術史的課程。

One of the last art history classes, I will not forget, I will never forget.

我永遠忘不了我最後上的 藝術史課的其中一堂，

It was one of those survey art history classes.

那堂課是堂藝術史概論課程。

Anybody ever have one of those survey art history classes,

有人曾經上過藝術史概論課程嗎？

where they try to teach you the entire history of art

在這種概論課程中， 他們會試著把整個藝術史

in a single semester?

用一個學期教給你。

I'm talking about cave paintings and Jackson Pollock

我在說的是，洞穴繪畫和 傑克遜波洛克

just crunched together all in the same --

通通都擠縮在一起……

It doesn't really work, but they try anyway.

這樣其實沒有用， 但他們還是試著這樣做。

Well, at the beginning of the semester,

在學期初，

I looked at the book,

我看著書，

and in this 400-page book was about a 14-page section

在這本四百頁的書中， 有個章節大約十四頁，

that was on black people in painting.

內容是關於繪畫中的黑人。

Now, this was a crammed in section

這是個什麼都硬塞進去的章節，

that had representations of black people in painting

有繪畫中對黑人的表述、

and black people who painted.

也有會畫畫的黑人。

It was poorly curated, let's just put it that way.

編排策劃得很差， 姑且就那樣形容它吧。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Nonetheless I was really excited about it,

不論如何，我還是很興奮，

because in all the other classes that I had,

因為在我上過的其他課程中，

we didn't even have that conversation.

我們甚至沒有那樣的談話，

We didn't talk about it at all.

我們完全不談它的。

So imagine my surprise

所以，想像我去上課時

when I get to class

是有多麼驚喜的，

and on the day that we're supposed to go over that particular chapter,

到了我們應該要讀 那個章節的那一天，

my professor announces,

我的教授宣佈：

"We're going to skip this chapter today

「今天我們要跳過這個章節，

because we do not have time to go through it."

因為我們沒時間去討論它。」

"Whoa, I'm sorry, hold on, professor, professor.

「哇，對不起，等等，教授，教授。

I'm sorry. This is a really important chapter to me.

對不起，對我來說這個章節很重要。

Are we going to go over it at any point?"

我們會找其他時間來讀它嗎？」

"Titus, we don't have time for this."

「泰特斯，我們沒時間這麼做。」

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry,

「對不起，對不起，對不起，

please, I really need to understand.

拜託，我真的需要了解它。

Clearly the author thinks that this is significant.

顯然作者認為這是重要的，

Why are we skipping over this?"

為什麼我們要跳過它？」

"Titus, I do not have time for this."

「泰特斯，我沒時間來談這個。」

"OK, last question, I'm really sorry here.

「好吧，最後一個問題， 我真的很抱歉。

When can we talk, because we need to talk."

那我們何時可以談？ 因為我們需要談。」

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

I went to her office hours.

我在她的課輔時間去找她。

I ended up getting kicked out of her office.

我最後被踢出她的辦公室。

I went to the dean.

我去找校長。

The dean finally told me, "I can't force her to teach anything."

校長終於告訴我： 「我無法強迫她教什麼。」

And I knew in that moment if I wanted to understand this history,

在那時，我理解到， 如果我想要了解這段歷史，

if I wanted to understand the roles of those folks who had to walk,

如果我想要了解這些 得要走路的同胞們的角色，

I was probably going to have to figure that out myself.

我可能得要自己去想辦法。

So ...

所以……

above you right here on the slide

在上面的投影片上，

is a painting by Frans Hals.

是弗蘭斯哈爾斯的畫。

This is one of the kinds of images

這是在那個章節中

that was in that chapter.

會出現的畫之一。

I taught myself how to paint

我自學畫畫的方式

by going to museums and looking at images like this.

是去博物館看像這樣的畫。

I want to show you something.

我想給各位看一樣東西。

I made this.

這是我畫的。

I --

我……

(Applause)

（掌聲）

I made some alterations.

我做了一些改變，

You'll see there are some slight differences in the painting.

你們可以看到畫中有些許的不同。

All this art history that I had been absorbing

我過去一直在吸收的藝術史，

helped me to realize that painting is a language.

協助我了解到，繪畫是一種語言。

There is a reason

有理由可以說明，

why he is the highest in the composition here.

他為什麼在這裡有最高的位置。

There is a reason

有理由可以說明，

why the painter is showing us this gold necklace here.

為什麼畫家要讓我們 看到這裡的金項鍊。

He's trying to tell us something about the economic status

他試圖要告訴我們畫中這些

of these people in these paintings.

人物的經濟狀況。

Painting is a visual language

繪畫是視覺性的語言，

where everything in the painting

畫中的一切

is meaningful, is important.

都有意義，都重要，

It's coded.

它像編碼一樣。

But sometimes, because of the compositional structure,

但有時，因為創作的結構，

because of compositional hierarchy,

因為創作的階層，

it's hard to see other things.

會很難看見其他東西。

This silk is supposed to tell us also that they have quite a bit of money.

這塊絲也是要用來 告訴我們，他們很有錢。

There's more written

在我們的藝術史上，

about dogs in art history

對於狗的描繪還多於

than there are about this other character here.

這裡的這個角色。

Historically speaking, in research on these kinds of paintings,

就歷史而言，在這類繪畫的研究中，

I can find out more about the lace

找這畫中女人穿著的飾帶、

that the woman is wearing in this painting --

飾帶製造商之類的相關資訊，

the manufacturer of the lace -- than I can about this character here,

多於我能找到關於這個角色的資訊，

about his dreams, about his hopes,

關於他的夢想、希望，

about what he wanted out of life.

關於他在人生中想要什麼。

I want to show you something.

我想給各位看一樣東西。

I don't want you to think

我不希望你們認為

that this is about eradication.

這與根絕有關。

It's not.

並不是。

The oil that you saw me just put inside of this paint

你們剛剛看到我塗在畫上的油，

is linseed oil.

是亞麻子油。

It becomes transparent over time,

隨時間過去，它會變透明。

so eventually what's going to happen

最終會發生的事情是，

is these faces

這些臉孔…

will emerge a little bit.

會漸漸出現。

What I'm trying to do,

我在試圖做的是，

what I'm trying to show you,

我在試圖給各位看的是，

is how to shift your gaze just slightly,

是如何稍微轉移你的注視，

just momentarily,

只要短暫一下，

just momentarily,

只要短暫一下，

to ask yourself the question,

問問你自己這個問題，

why do some have to walk?

為什麼有人得要走路？

What is the impact of these kinds of sculptures at museums?

在博物館中這類雕像的影響是什麼？

What is the impact of these kinds of paintings

這類畫作對於社會中

on some of our most vulnerable in society,

最脆弱的那些人有什麼影響，

seeing these kinds of depictions of themselves all the time?

總是看到自己被這樣地描繪？

I'm not saying erase it.

我並不是說要抹除它。

We can't erase this history.

我們無法抹滅歷史。

It's real. We have to know it.

它是真實的。我們得要知道它。

I think of it in the same way

我去思考它的方式，就如同

we think of --

我們思考……

Let me step back a second.

讓我暫時先退回來一步。

You remember old-school cameras,

你們記得老式照像機嗎？

where when you took a picture, you actually had to focus. Right?

拍照時還真的得要調焦聚，對嗎？

You'd put the camera up,

先把相機架起來，

and if I wanted you in focus,

如果我想要聚焦在你身上，

I would move the lens a little to the left

我會把鏡頭稍微向左旋轉，

and you would come forward.

你就會凸顯出來。

I could move the lens a little to the right,

我可以把鏡頭向右旋轉一點，

and you would go back and the folks in the background would come out.

你就會失焦，而背景的人會凸顯出來。

I'm just trying to do that here.

我在嘗試做的就是這個。

I'm trying to give you that opportunity.

我在嘗試給你們那個機會。

I'm trying to answer that question

我在嘗試回答我兒子問的那個問題。

that my son had.

I want to make paintings,

我想要畫畫，

I want to make sculptures

我想要雕塑，

that are honest,

我的作品要誠實，

that wrestle with the struggles of our past

要與我們過去的掙扎進行角力，

but speak to the diversity and the advances of our present.

要能夠談及現今的多樣化和進步。

And we can't do that by taking an eraser and getting rid of stuff.

用個橡皮擦把東西擦掉 並不是可行的辦法，

That's just not going to work.

那樣不會有用。

I think that we should do it in the same way

我認為我們的做法應該類似

the American Constitution works.

美國憲法運作的方式。

When we have a situation

當我們遇到

where we want to change a law in the American Constitution,

想要改變美國憲法 法條的情況時，

we don't erase the other one.

我們並不會把另一條給擦掉。

Alongside that is an amendment,

我們是在旁邊放一條修正條款，

something that says,

它會寫說：

"This is where we were, but this is where we are right now."

「這是我們過去的狀況， 這是我們現在的狀況。」

I figure if we can do that,

我認為，如果我們能那樣做，

then that will help us understand a little bit

那就能協助我們多了解一點

about where we're going.

我們在前進的方向。

Thank you.

謝謝各位。

(Applause)

（掌聲）