Mick Ebeling: The invention that unlocked a locked-in artist

譯者: Sherri Wu 審譯者: Coco Shen

I have had the distinct blessing in my life

一直以來我都特別幸運

to have worked on a bunch of amazing projects.

能夠做一些很棒的計畫

But the coolest I ever worked on

但是我做過最酷的計劃

was around this guy.

是跟這個人有關

This guy's name is TEMPT.

這個人名叫TEMPT

TEMPT was one of the foremost graffiti artists in the 80s.

TEMPT在80年代是最好的塗鴉藝術家之一

And he came up home from a run one day

有一天他跑步完回到家

and said, "Dad, my legs are tingling."

對他爸爸說：“爸，我的雙腿麻麻的”

And that was the onset of ALS.

那就是ALS（漸凍症）的前兆

So TEMPT is now completely paralyzed.

現在TEMPT完全癱瘓了

He only has use of his eyes.

只有眼睛能動

I was exposed to him.

我認識他是因為

I have a company that does design and animation,

我的公司是做設計跟動畫的

so obviously graffiti is definitely an intricate part

所以顯然對塗鴉藝術

of what we admire and respect in the art world.

這塊精細的領域也很景仰

And so we decided that we were going to sponsor

所以我們決定要贊助

Tony, TEMPT, and his cause.

Tony（就是TEMPT），幫助他的情況

So I went and met with his brother and father

所以我去見了他的兄弟跟父親

and said, "We're going to give you this money.

對他們說：”我們打算給你們這筆錢“

What are you going to do with it?"

”你們要怎麼用呢？“

And his brother said, "I just want to be able to talk to Tony again.

他的兄弟說：”我就是想能再跟Tony說說話“

I just want to be able to communicate with him

”只是想能跟他溝通“

and him to be able to communicate with me."

”而他也能跟我溝通“

And I said, "Wait a second, isn't that -- I've seen Stephen Hawking --

我說：”等等，這不是⋯我見過史蒂芬·霍金“

don't all paralyzed people have the ability to communicate

”不是所有癱瘓的人都可以藉由這些儀器“

via these devices?"

”與人溝通嗎？”

And he said, "No, unless you're in the upper echelon and

他說：“不是啊，除非你是上流階級”

you've got really amazing insurance,

“有超好的保險”

you can't actually do that.

“不然是做不到的”

These devices aren't accessible to people."

“因為你負擔不起這些儀器”

And I said, "Well, how do you actually communicate?"

於是我說：“好吧，那你們是怎麼溝通的？”

Has everyone seen the movie "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly?"

有人看過“潛水鐘與蝴蝶”這部電影嗎？

That's how they communicate --

那就是他們溝通的方法 －

so run their finger along.

動手指

I said, "That's archaic. How can that be?"

我說：“那也太落後了吧！怎麼會這樣？”

So I showed up with the desire to just write a check,

我當時出現只是想開張支票

and instead, I wrote a check

然而，我卻寫了一張

that I had no freaking idea how I was going to cash.

完全不知道該如何兌現的支票

I committed to his brother and his father right then and there --

我當時向他的兄弟跟父親承諾

I'm like, "All right, here's the deal:

我說：“好，就這麼辦吧 － ”

Tony's going to speak, we're going to get him a machine,

“Tony要說話，我們會給他一台儀器“

and we're going to figure out a way for him to do his art again.

”而且我們還要想辦法讓他能再度創作“

Because it's a travesty that someone who still has all of that in him

”因為最大的悲劇，莫過於一個仍然才華洋溢的藝術家“

isn't able to communicate it."

”卻沒有辦法揮灑“

So I spoke at a conference a couple months after that.

所以幾個月後我在一場研討會上演講

I met these guys called GRL,

我碰到這些叫GRL的人

Graffiti Research Lab,

”塗鴉研究實驗室“ （GRL）

and they have a technology

他們有一個技術

that allows them to project a light onto any surface

可以讓他們把光投影在任何物體的表面上

and then, with a laser pointer, draw on it,

然後用一枝雷射筆在上面畫

and it just registers the negative space.

就可以在陰影的地方造成明暗對比

So they go around and do art installations like this.

所以他們到處去做這樣的藝術裝置

All the things that go up there, they said there's a life cycle.

他們說他們所有的作品都有"生命周期"

First it starts with the sexual organs,

首先從性器官開始

then it starts with cuss words,

然後是髒話

then it was Bush slanders

接著是罵小布希的話

and then people actually got to art.

然後才真正到藝術的部份

But there was always a life cycle to their presentations.

他們的作品一定都有一個生命周期

So I went home and was having dinner with my wife

我回到家跟太太吃晚飯

and was telling her about this,

邊吃邊聊到這個

and we were like, "Well wait a second. If we know that this technology exists

突然我們靈光一現：“如果現在有這個技術”

where you can use your eyes to control things,

“可以讓人用眼睛操控東西“

why don't we figure out a way for TEMPT to control a laser

”為什麼我們不想個法子讓TEMPT操控雷射“

and he could do graf again? Well that would be awesome."

“那他就可以重拾畫筆，這豈不很讚！“

So that started the journey.

於是整個過程就開始了

And about two years later, about a year later,

大約二年後，一年後

after a bunch of organization

在經歷過幾個機構

and a bunch of moving things around,

和一些奔走之後

we'd accomplished a couple things.

我們有了幾項成就

One, we battered down the doors of the insurance companies,

第一，我們幾乎把保險公司的大門敲破

and we actually got TEMPT a machine

真給TEMPT弄來一部機器

that let him communicate -- a Stephen Hawking machine.

讓他能跟外界溝通－就是史蒂芬·霍金的那種

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Which was awesome.

這太棒了

And he's seriously one of the funniest -- I call him Yoda,

他真的是很幽默－我都叫他尤達（星際大戰的大師）

because you talk to the guy, you get an email from him,

因為當你跟他說話，收到他的email

and you're like, "I'm not worthy. This guy's so amazing."

你會覺得：”我真不配，這傢伙太厲害了“

The other thing we did

我們做的另一件事

is we flew seven programmers from all over the world --

是從世界各地找來七個程式設計師

literally every corner of the world --

真的是從世界各個角落

into our house.

請他們來我們家

My wife and kids and I moved to our back garage,

我太太還有小孩，我們全家都搬到車庫去

and these hackers and programmers

然後這些駭客、程式設計師、

and conspiracy theorists and anarchists took over our house.

陰謀論者和無政府主義者，佔領了我們家

A lot of our friends thought we were absolutely stupid to do that

很多朋友都覺得我們做這件事很蠢

and that we were going to come back

覺得等我們回來後就會發現

and all the pictures on the wall would be removed and graf on the walls.

牆上所有的照片都被搬走了，只留下一堆塗鴉

But for over two weeks,

然而二個多星期以來

we programmed,

我們寫程式

we went to the Venice boardwalk,

我們去洛杉磯的威尼斯海灘步道

my kids got involved,

我的小孩加入我們

my dog got involved,

連狗也參一腳

and we created this.

然後我們創造了這個

This is called the EyeWriter,

叫做EyeWriter

and you can see the description.

你們可以看這個關於它的描述

This is a cheap pair of sunglasses

這是一副便宜的太陽眼鏡

that we bought at the Venice Beach boardwalk,

我們在威尼斯海灘步道買的

some copper wire

裝了些銅線，和一些從Home Depot（美國的”特力屋“）

and some stuff from Home Depot and Radio Shack.

及Radio Shack（美國連鎖電器行）買來的東西

We took a PS3 camera, hacked it open,

我們拆解了一個PS3的攝影機

mounted it to an LED light,

把它裝在一個LED燈上

and now there's a device that is free --

於是這個裝置就產生了，還是免費的

you build this yourself, we publish the code for free,

你可以DIY，我們免費開放程式碼

you download the software for free.

你可以免費下載這個軟體

And now we've created a device

我們創造的這個裝置

that has absolutely no limitations.

完全沒有限制

There's no insurance company that can say "No."

沒有保險公司可以說 “不”

There's no hospital that can say "No."

沒有醫院可以說 “不”

Anybody who's paralyzed now has access

任何癱瘓的人現在都可以

to actually draw or communicate using only their eyes.

用他們的眼睛去畫畫或是溝通

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you.

（謝謝）

Thank you guys very much. That was awesome.

剛那樣太棒了，非常感謝！

So at the end of the two weeks,

二週後

we went back to TEMPT's room.

我們回到TEMPT的病房

I love this picture, because this is someone else's room

我喜歡這張照片，因為這是別人的房間

and that's his room.

那是他的房間（一靜一動的對照）

So there's all this hustle and bustle going on for the big unveiling.

所有騷動都是為了”揭曉“的這一刻

And after over a year of planning,

經過一年的計畫、

two weeks of programming,

二週的程式設計、

carb-fest and all-night sessions,

以及高熱量大餐和熬夜

Tony drew again for the first time in seven years.

Tony七年來首度能再提筆

And this is an amazing picture,

這張照片很棒吧

because this is his life support system,

這是他的維生系統

and he's looking over his life support system.

他的視線越過維生系統

We kicked his bed so that he could see out.

我們升高他的床，好讓他可以看到外面

And we set up a projector

我們也架起了一部投影機

on a wall out in the parking lot outside of his hospital.

就在醫院外的停車場

And he drew again for the first time,

這是他癱瘓後第一次

in front of his family and friends --

在親朋好友面前作畫

and you can only imagine

你們可以想像

what the feeling in the parking lot was.

我們在停車場那裡是怎樣的心情

The funny thing was, we had to break into the parking lot too,

有趣的是，我們還是偷闖進停車場的

so we totally felt like we were legit in the whole graf scene too.

所以我們完全覺得自己也是整個“塗鴉文化”的一部分

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So at the end of this, he sent us an email,

這些事結束之後，他寄了封email給我們

and this is what the email said:

這是那封信的內容：

"That was the first time I've drawn anything for seven years.

”那是七年來我第一次能再度畫畫“

I feel like I had been held underwater,

”我感覺自己像是溺水了很久“

and someone finally reached down

”終於有人拉我一把“

and pulled my head up so I could breathe."

”讓我可以浮出水面，再度呼吸“

Isn't that awesome?

這是不是很棒？！

(Applause)

（掌聲）

So that's kind of our battle cry.

那封信激勵了我們的士氣

That's what keeps us going and keeps us developing.

支持著我們不斷進步

And we've got such a long way to go with this.

靠這個我們已經向前跨了一大步

This is an amazing device,

這是個了不起的裝置

but it's the equivalent of an Etch A Sketch.

但是它跟一個繪圖玩具差不多

And someone who has that kind of artistic potential deserves so much more.

而一位如此有藝術潛能的人實在應該得到更好的

So we're in the process of trying to figure out

所以我們正在研究

how to make it better, faster, stronger.

如何使它更好、更快、更耐用

Since that time, we've had all kinds of acknowledgment.

自那以後，我們獲得各方認可

We've won a bunch of awards.

也得了一些獎

Remember, it's free; none of us are making any money on this thing.

請記得，只是免費的；我們沒有一個人從中獲利

It's all coming out of our own pockets.

所有都是我們自掏腰包

So the awards were like, "Oh, this is fantastic."

所以這些獎讓我們覺得：“噢，太好了”

Armstrong Twittered about us,

藍斯·阿姆斯壯在微博上提到我們

and then in December, Time magazine honored us

12月的時代雜誌也推崇我們是

as one of the top 50 inventions of 2010, which was really cool.

2010年50大發明之一，這真的很酷

(Applause)

（掌聲）

The coolest thing about this --

最酷的是 -

and this is what's completing the whole circle --

而且這個將使一切得以圓滿 -

is that in April of this year,

就是在今年四月

at the Geffen MOCA in downtown Los Angeles,

在洛杉磯市中心的現代美術館

there's going to be an exhibition called "Art of the Streets."

將有一項“街頭藝術”的展覽

And "Art of the Streets" is going to have

而且這項展覽將請到

pretty much the bad-asses of the street art scene --

幾乎所有街頭藝術界的大咖

Banksy, Shepard Fairey, KAWS --

Banksy，Shepard Fairey，CAWs等等

all of these guys will be there.

這些傢伙都會出席

TEMPT's going to be in the show,

TEMPT也會去

which is pretty awesome.

這真是太棒了

(Applause)

（掌聲）

So basically this is my point:

所以我的重點是

If you see something that's not possible,

如果某件事看似不可能

make it possible.

使它成爲可能

Everything in this room wasn't possible --

這間房裏的所有東西在以前都不可能 -

this stage, this computer, this mic, the EyeWriter --

這個舞臺、電腦、麥克風、這個EyeWriter -

wasn't possible at one point.

曾幾何時都不可能

Make it possible, everyone in this room.

使它成爲可能 - 是我們每一個人都可以做的

I'm not a programmer,

我不是程式設計師

never done anything with ocular recognition technology,

從來也沒做過跟視覺辨識技術有關的東西

but I just recognized something and associated myself with amazing people

我只是察覺到了什麽，然後主動結識一群了不起的人

so that we could make something happen.

使一件事情成爲可能

And this is the question I want everyone to ask yourself

這個問題我希望在座的每一個人

every single day

每天都可以問自己一遍

when you come up with something you feel that needs to be done:

當你想到某件事非做不可時

if not now, then when? And if not me, then who?

若非此時，更待何時？捨我，其誰？

Thank you guys.

謝謝大家

(Applause)

（掌聲）