Marian Bantjes: Intricate beauty by design

譯者: Ching-Yi Wu 審譯者: Lin Su-Wei(林書暐)

I'm going to begin by reciting a poem.

首先讓我念一首詩給各位：

"Oh beloved dentist:

「喔！我摯愛的牙醫：

Your rubber fingers in my mouth ...

我口中　 仍有你戴著橡膠手套的手指

your voice so soft and muffled ...

你的聲音輕柔而隱約

Lower the mask, dear dentist,

我親愛的牙醫　卸下你的面罩

lower the mask."

卸下你的面罩」

(Laughter)

（笑）

Okay, in this presentation,

好的，今天的演講

I'm going to be putting the right side of your brains

我會讓各位的右腦

through a fairly serious workout.

經歷一場嚴苛的考驗

You're going to see a lot of imagery,

大家會看到很多的影像

and it's not always connected to what I'm talking about,

通常和我想談的沒什麼太大關係

so I need you to kind of split your brains in half

所以呢請你們把腦袋分成兩半

and let the images flow over one side

一半讓影像自在遊走

and listen to me on the other.

一半聽我的演講

So I am one of those people

我是那種有著

with a transformative personal story.

變化多端的人生的人

Six years ago,

六年前

after 20 years in graphic design and typography,

浸淫於圖像設計與字文設計已20年的我

I changed the way I was working

改變了工作方式

and the way most graphic designers work

一如大多數的設計師

to pursue a more personal approach to my work,

我希望作品有著更多的個人風格

with only the humble attempt

謙卑的試著

to simply make a living doing something that I loved.

憑自己所愛過生活

But something weird happened.

但奇怪的事情發生了

I became bizarrely

我變得莫名其妙地

popular.

大受歡迎

My current work

我現在的創作

seems to resonate with people

似乎能與人們產生共鳴

in a way that has so taken me by surprise

到了讓我驚訝的地步

that I still frequently wonder

我常想

what in the hell is going on.

到底發生了什麼事

And I'm slowly coming to understand

漸漸的我發現

that the appeal of what I do

我作品中的感染力

may be connected to why I do it.

跟我做作品的原因可能有關

These days, I call myself a graphic artist.

這些日子以來，我稱我自己為圖像藝術家

So where my work as a graphic designer

身為設計師的我

was to follow strategy,

之前以策略為工作準則

my work now

現在的我

follows my heart

以心為工作準則

and my interests

我的興趣

with the guidance of my ego

以自我意識為導師

to create work that is mutually beneficial to myself and a client.

創作出讓我和客戶都互惠滿意的作品。

Now, this is heresy

這對設計界來說

in the design world.

是異端

The ego is not supposed

自我意識不應該

to be involved in graphic design.

在設計裡頭出現

But I find that for myself,

但我發現，對我來說

without exception,

當我越把這些工作

the more I deal with the work

當成我自己的創作

as something of my own,

讓它們充滿個人色彩

as something that is personal,

作品就越成功

the more successful it is

也越吸引人、

as something that's compelling,

有趣，且帶著永續的生命力。

interesting and sustaining.

沒有一次例外

So I exist somewhat outside of the mainstream

因此，也許當大多數人只重視結果時

of design thinking.

我是

Where others might look at measurable results,

設計思考的非主流派

I tend to be interested in more ethereal qualities,

我對抽象的質感比較有興趣

like "Does it bring joy?"

像是是否能讓人感到愉悅？

"Is there a sense of wonder?"

能否帶來奇妙的感受？

and "Does it invoke curiosity?"

是否能激起好奇心？

This is a scientific diagram, by the way.

對了，這是一個科學相關的圖

I don't have time to explain it,

我沒時間解釋

but it has to do with DNA and RNA.

它和去氧核糖核酸（DNA）與核糖核酸（RNA）有關

So I have a particular imaginative approach to visual work.

我以特別的想像法則來從事視覺設計

The things that interest me when I'm working

在工作上，讓我感興趣的是

are visual structure,

視覺結構、

surprise

驚喜、

and anything that requires figuring things out.

或任何需要挖掘的事物

So for this reason, I'm particularly drawn

因為這個原因，我對

to systems and patterns.

系統與模式感興趣

I'm going to give you a couple of examples of how my brain works.

我給各位幾個例子讓大家看看我怎麼思考的

This is a piece that I did for

這是我為英國的衛報

The Guardian newspaper in the U.K.

所設計的作品

They have a magazine that they call G2.

他們有個叫G2的副刊

And this is for their puzzle special

這是2007年的

in 2007.

謎題特刊

And puzzling it is.

作品本身就是個謎

I started by creating a series of tiling units.

我從一系列的區塊單位開始

And these tiling units, I designed

我刻意讓這些區塊

specifically so that they would contain

形狀含有

parts of letterforms within their shapes

字型的一部分

so that I could then

這樣我就可以

join those pieces together

藉著把這些區塊拼起來

to create letters and then words

在抽象的圖像中

within the abstract patterning.

創作出字母和文字

But then as well, I was able to

當然囉，我可以

just flip them, rotate them

反轉，旋轉這些區塊

and combine them in different ways

用不同的方式組合它們

to create either regular patterns

來創作出規律

or abstract patterns.

或者抽象的圖型

So here's the word puzzle again.

這是謎題這個字

And here it is with the abstract surrounding.

其周圍由抽象圖像包圍著

And as you can see, it's extremely difficult to read.

如你所見，字非常難以辨別

But all I have to do is

但只要我

fill certain areas of those letterforms

將圖像的某些區域填滿

and I can bring those words out of

我就能將這些字眼

the background pattern.

從背景中凸顯出來。

But maybe that's a little too obvious.

或許這有點太明顯了

So then I can add some color in with the background

所以呢，我可以在背景加上一些顏色

and add a bit more color in with the words themselves,

然後在圖像上也加上更多顏色

and this way, working with the art director,

這樣子，和藝術總監合作

I'm able to bring it to just the right point

我就能將主題呈現到剛剛好

that it's puzzling for the audience --

讓觀眾覺得困惑的程度

they can figure out that there's something they have to read --

他們可以看出是有個東西在那

but it's not impossible for them to read.

但也不是完全看不出來是甚麼

I'm also interested in working with

我對於使用奇特的媒材

unusual materials

或是另類使用平凡的素材

and common materials in unusual ways.

也很感興趣

So this requires figuring out how to

這讓我得好好思考

get the most out of something's innate properties

如何配合我的意願

and also how to bend it to my will.

來呈現這些物質的精髓

So ultimately,

最終

my goal is to create something unexpected.

我的目標是創造出人意表的作品

To this end, I have worked in sugar

至此，我已為三屆的TED講者

for Stefan Sagmeister,

施德明設計過

three-time TED speaker.

以糖為媒介的創作

And this project began essentially

這個專案一開始是出現在

on my kitchen table.

我家廚房的餐桌上

I've been eating cereal for breakfast

我這輩子的早餐

all of my life.

都吃玉米片

And for that same amount of time,

不可避免的

I've been spilling sugar on the table

我老把糖灑在桌上

and just kind of playing with it with my fingers.

就這樣開始用手指玩起這些糖來

And eventually I used this technique

後來，我曾用這樣的方式

to create a piece of artwork.

創作一件作品

And then I used it again to create

然後我用同樣的方式

six pieces for Stefan's book,

幫施德明的書《人生所學到的事》

"Things in My Life I've Learned So Far."

設計了六件作品

And these were created

創作時我沒打草稿

without sketches, just freehand,

而是把糖放在白色表面

by putting the sugar down on a white surface

再用手撥弄

and then manipulating it to get

直到文字跟設計

the words and designs out of it.

躍然紙上

Recently, I've also made some

最近呢，我也用

rather highbrow baroque borders

普通的義大利麵條

out of lowbrow pasta.

做了些高級的巴洛克框

And this is for a chapter that I'm doing in a book,

這是我參與的一本書裡其中一章

and the chapter is on honor.

內容關於榮譽

So it's a little bit unexpected,

這有點出人意表

but, in a way, it refers

但靈感來自於

to the macaroni art

小朋友自發

that children make for their parents

或他們在學校做給父母親的

or they make in school and give to their parents,

通心麵條藝術

which is in itself a form of honor.

這也是一種榮耀的表現

This is what you can do with some household tinfoil.

你也能用家裡的鋁箔紙自己做

Okay, well, it's what I can do with some household tinfoil.

好吧，是我能拿鋁箔紙自己做

(Laughter)

（笑）

I'm very interested in wonder,

我對思考，和以設計為

in design as an impetus to inquiring.

質疑的動力很感興趣

To say I wonder is to say

說「我想......」也就是說

I question, I ask.

「我質疑」、「我詢問」

And to experience wonder is to experience awe.

思考的過程其實是在經歷「敬畏」

So I'm currently working on a book,

我正在寫一本書

which plays with both senses of the word,

利用文字的兩種不同意義來做設計

as I explore some of my own ideas

這讓我以視覺效果來呈現

and inquiries

我自己的想法

in a visual display of rather

及自我探詢的過程

peacock-like grandeur.

而非只是如孔雀開屏的大鳴大放

The world is full of wonder.

這個世界是充滿著驚奇的

But the world of graphic design,

但就設計的世界而言

for the most part, is not.

大部分並非如此

So I'm using my own writings

我的寫作，就一本書而言

as a kind of testing ground for a book that has

是一種測試，因為

an interdependency between word and image

書裡的文字和影像互為表裡

as a kind of seductive force.

這讓書得以吸引人

I think that one of the things

我想許多宗教

that religions got right

說對了一點：

was the use of visual wonder

使用影像效果

to deliver a message.

的確能傳遞訊息

I think this true marriage of art and information

而藝術和訊息的結合

is woefully underused in adult literature,

極少運用於成人文學

and I'm mystified as to

我對為什麼

why visual wealth is not more commonly used

視覺的豐富性不能更常被用來

to enhance intellectual wealth.

提高知識的豐富性而感到困擾

When we look at works like this,

當我們看著這樣的作品

we tend to associate them with children's literature.

會認為這跟兒童文學有關

There's an implication that ornamental graphics

一般認為，裝飾用的圖形

detract from the seriousness of the content.

會降低內容的嚴肅性

But I really hope to have the opportunity

但我真的希望有機會

to change that perception.

能改變這樣的觀念

This book is taking rather a long time,

這本書花了我許多時間

but I'm nearly done.

已接近完成

For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea

為了某些原因，我想

to put an intermission

先中斷我的演講

in my talk.

會是個好主意

And this is it -- just to give you and me a moment to catch up.

就是這個─給我們一點時間喘口氣

(Laughter)

（笑）

So I do these valentines.

我設計了這些情人節圖案

I've been sending out valentines

從2005年開始

on a fairly large scale since 2005.

每年我都會寄許多出去

These are my valentines

這是我05到06年的

from 2005 and 2006.

設計

And I started by

我從做這樣一個

doing just a single image like this

單一圖形開始

and sending them out to each person.

再寄給每個人

But in 2007,

但是在2007年

I got the cockamamie idea

我有個很荒謬的想法：

to hand-draw each valentine

我要為我通訊錄上的每個人

for everyone on my mailing list.

手繪一個情人節圖案

I reduced my mailing list to 150 people.

我將名單縮小到150人

And I drew each person

為每一個人

their own unique valentine

設計一個獨特的圖案

and put their name on it

放進他的名字

and numbered it and signed it and sent it out.

編號、簽名、再寄出

Believe it or not, I devised this

無論你信不信

as a timesaving method.

我用一種省時的方法設計它

I was very busy in the beginning of that year,

那年剛開年時我非常忙碌

and I didn't know when I was going to find time

而我不知道我是不是會有時間

to design and print a single valentine.

設計跟印刷一個情人節圖案

And I thought that I could kind of do this piecemeal

我以為我可以在我旅行時

as I was traveling.

一次做一點

It didn't exactly work out that way.

但是最後不完全是這樣

There's a longer story to this,

這故事有點長

but I did get them all done in time,

我並沒有準時完成它們

and they were extremely well received.

但效果相當好

I got an almost 100 percent response rate.

我有將近百分之百的回覆率

(Laughter)

（笑）

And those who didn't respond

而那些沒有回復的

will never receive anything from me ever again.

再也不會收到我任何禮物

(Laughter)

（笑）

Last year,

去年

I took a more conceptual approach to the valentine.

我用比較概念藝術的方式來設計

I had this idea that I wanted people

有這個主意是因為

to receive a kind of

我希望人們像收到

mysterious love letter,

秘密情書一般

like a found fragment in their mailbox.

又好比在信箱裡找到的碎片

I wanted it to be something

我希望這不是

that was not addressed to them

指名要給他們的

or signed by me,

或是由我簽名的作品

something that caused them to wonder

而是能讓他們想想

what on Earth this thing was.

這到底是甚麼

And I specifically wrote

我還特別為此

four pages that don't connect.

寫了四頁不互相關的文字

There were four different versions of this.

這是其中四個不同的版本

And I wrote them

我讓文字從

so that they begin in the middle of a sentence,

某句中間開始

end in the middle of a sentence.

在某句中間結束

And they're on the one hand, universal,

一方面，這些文字有共通性

so I avoid specific names or places,

我避免寫下名字或地點

but on the other hand, they're personal.

但另一方面，這些也是私人文字

So I wanted people to really get the sense that

我希望人們能夠有

they had received something that could have been

收到專屬於自己的情書的

a love letter to them.

感覺

And I'm just going to read one of them to you.

讓我讀其中一篇給各位聽：

"You've never really been sure of this,

「你大概從來就不確定這點

but I can assure you that this quirk

但我可以保證

you're so self-conscious of

這你相當自覺的怪癖

is intensely endearing.

非常受人喜愛

Just please accept that this piece of you

所以，請接受這一部份的你

escapes with your smile,

隨著微笑跑走時

and those of us who notice

我們這些注意到的

are happy to catch it in passing.

會非常樂意在它經過時抓住它

Time spent with you is like chasing and catching small birds,

和你在一起的時光就像追逐捕捉小鳥一般

but without the scratches and bird shit."

但沒有抓痕跟鳥大便。」

(Laughter)

（笑）

"That is to say,

「這就是說

your thoughts and words flit and dart,

你的思緒奔放亂竄

disconcertedly elusive at times,

隨時都令人疑惑無法定義

but when caught and examined --

但若是捕捉一縷下來細細研究：

ahh, such a wonder,

喔，多有趣

such a delightful reward.

多令人愉快的回饋啊

There's no passing time with you,

跟你在一起，從來沒有失落的時光

only collecting --

只有收藏

the collecting of moments with the hope for preservation

跟希冀保存同時存在的珍藏時光

and at the same time release.

同時也是釋懷

Impossible? I don't think so.

不可能？我不這麼覺得

I know this makes you embarrassed.

我知道這讓你感到害羞

I'm certain I can see you blushing.

我確定我看到你臉紅的模樣

But I just have to tell you because

但我還是得告訴你，因為

sometimes I hear your self-doubt,

有時我聽見你懷疑自己

and it's so crushing to think

光是想到，你不知道

that you may not know how truly wonderful you are,

你其實是個很讚

how inspiring and delightful

激勵士氣、喜樂充滿...的人

and really, truly the most completely ..."

就讓我崩潰。」

(Laughter)

（笑）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

So Valentine's Day

再過幾天

is coming up in a couple of days,

就是情人節

and these are currently arriving

這些圖案將寄達

in mailboxes all around the world.

散布全世界的許多信箱

This year, I got, what I really have to say

今年，我有個，

is a rather brilliant idea,

我得說是相當精采的主意：

to laser cut

我用雷射

my valentines

用雷射切割聖誕卡片

out of used Christmas cards.

來做我的情人節圖案

So I solicited friends

所以我向朋友

to send me their used Christmas cards,

募集他們的二手聖誕卡

and I made 500 of these.

做了500個圖案

Each one of them is completely different.

每一個都完全不同

I'm just really, really thrilled with them.

這些圖案讓我心情激動地顫抖

I don't have that much else to say,

無法多說甚麼

but they turned out really well.

但真的是相當棒的作品

I do spend a lot of time on my work.

我花很多時間在我的工作上

And one of the things that I've been thinking about recently

最近我一直在想

is what is worth while.

什麼是有價值的

What is it that's worth spending my time on

是甚麼值得讓我花時間

and my life on in this way?

跟一輩子這樣生活下去？

Working in the commercial world,

在廣告界工作

this is something that I do have to struggle with at times.

我常會因為一些事感到掙扎

And yes, sometimes I'm swayed by money.

是的，有時我受控於金錢

But ultimately, I don't consider that a worthy goal.

到頭來，我不認為那有甚麼了不起

What makes something worthwhile for me

對我來說真正有價值的是

is the people I work for or with,

這些和我一起工作的朋友

the conditions I work under

工作當下的狀態

and the audience that I'm able to reach.

和我能夠產生共鳴的觀眾

So I might ask: "Who is it for?"

我會問：這是給誰看的？

"What does it say?"

要傳達的是什麼?

and "What does it do?"

它能夠做什麼?

You know, I have to tell you, it's really difficult

老實說，對如我這樣的人來說

for someone like me to come up on stage

跟這些老在思考願景

at this conference

改變世界、改變生活

with these unbelievably brilliant minds,

新點子新技術

who are thinking these

不可思議的聰明人

really big-picture,

一起站在這個舞台上

world-changing, life-changing

參加這個會議

ideas and technologies.

是非常困難的事

And it's very, very common

對設計師與

for designers and people in the visual arts

視覺藝術領域的人而言

to feel that we're

我們常常覺得自己

not contributing enough,

貢獻得不夠多

or worse, that all we're doing is

更糟的是，我們的作品

contributing to landfill.

都會進了垃設掩埋場

Here I am; I'm showing you

我在這裡，展現給各位

some pretty visuals

一些好看的視覺設計

and talking about aesthetics.

談談美學

But I've come to believe that

但我領悟到

truly imaginative visual work

真正富有想像力的視覺作品

is extremely important in society.

對社會很重要的

Just in the way that I'm inspired

就像我從各式各樣的書籍、

by books

雜誌、

and magazines of all kinds,

對話、電影等

conversations I have, movies,

媒介得到靈感

so I also think,

我也認為

when I put visual work out there into the mass media,

當我的作品出現在大眾傳播媒體

work that is interesting, unusual,

這些有趣、罕見

intriguing,

奇妙的作品

work that maybe opens up that sense

或許會打開我們心中

of inquiry in the mind,

渴求探索的能力

that I'm seeding the imagination of the populace.

那麼我正播下讓大眾盡情想像的創意種子。

And you just never know who

你永遠不知道

is going to take something from that

誰會吸收這些訊息

and turn it into something else,

將之轉變為別的創作

because inspiration

因為靈感

is cross-pollinating.

是會交互傳播的

So a piece of mine

我的一個作品

may inspire a playwright

可能是一個編劇

or a novelist or a scientist,

或者小說家，或是科學家的靈感來源

and that in turn may be the seed

而他們的作品，可能會是

that inspires a doctor

一個醫生

or a philanthropist

慈善家

or a babysitter.

或保母的靈感種子

And this isn't something that you can quantify

而這些都不是你所能

or track or measure,

量化、追蹤和測量

and we tend to undervalue things in society

我們常會低估社會上許多

that we can't measure.

我們無法測量的事

But I really believe

但我真的相信

that a fully operating, rich society

一個全力運作的富裕社會

needs these seeds coming from all directions

需要從各個面向

and all disciplines

各種規律的種子

in order to keep the gears of inspiration

來維持靈感和

and imagination

想像力齒輪的

flowing and cycling and growing.

移動、運轉和成長

So that's why I do what I do,

這是為什麼我得從事這樣的工作

and why I spend so much time and effort on it,

為什麼我得花這麼多時間跟心血創作

and why I work in the commercial, public sphere,

為什麼我在商業且大眾化的設計圈

as opposed to the isolated, private sphere

而非獨立且私人的精緻藝術圈

of fine art:

工作

because I want as many people as possible

因為我要盡可能讓更多的人

to see my work, notice it, be drawn into it,

看見我的創作，被我的作品吸引

and be able to take something from it.

從中吸取一些東西

And I actually really feel that it's worthwhile

我真的覺得這樣子利用

to spend my valuable

我的價值

and limited time on this Earth

和我這輩子在地球上有限的時間

in this way.

非常值得

And I thank you for allowing me to show it to you.

謝謝各位允許我將心得分享給大家

(Applause)

(掌聲）