Arthur Ganson: Moving sculpture

譯者: Louise Chen 審譯者: Michelle Fan

A few words about how I got started,

先說一說這一切是怎麼開始的

and it has a lot to do with happiness, actually.

其實是跟開心好玩有很大的關係

When I was a very young child, I was extremely introverted

我小時候非常內向

and very much to myself.

幾乎不和別人來往

And, kind of as a way of surviving,

可能是爲了生存吧

I would go into my own very personal space,

我會到我自己的祕密基地

and I would make things.

做些東西

I would make things for people

我會做東西給別人

as a way of, you know, giving, showing them my love.

你知道，送東西，是我表達愛的方式

I would go into these private places,

我會到我的祕密基地裡

and I would put my ideas and my passions into objects --

然後把我的構想和熱情放到東西裡面

and sort of learning how to speak with my hands.

算是學著怎麼用手說話吧

So, the whole activity of working with my hands and creating objects

所以做勞作和創造物件這整個活動

is very much connected with not only the idea realm,

不僅僅和我的構想世界相連接

but also with very much the feeling realm.

也與我的感官世界連接在一起

And the ideas are very disparate.

我的各種構想差異很大

I'm going to show you many different kinds of pieces,

現在讓我們看一些不同的作品

and there's no real connection between one or the other,

這些作品之間

except that they sort of come out of my brain,

除了都是從我的腦海裡出來的以外，並沒有什麼關聯

and they're all different sort of thoughts that are triggered

而且這些不同的構想，是透過

by looking at life, and seeing nature and seeing objects,

審視生活，發現大自然和觀察物件而激發的

and just having kind of playful random thoughts about things.

或者只是對事物有一些好玩且隨性的想法

When I was a child, I started to explore motion.

我小時候就開始探索運動

I fell in love with the way things moved,

我愛上了事物運動的方式

so I started to explore motion by making little flipbooks.

所以，我從製作小動畫本子開始探索

And this is one that I did, probably like when I was around seventh grade,

這個大概是我在七年級的時候做的

and I remember when I was doing this,

我記得我在做的時候

I was thinking about that little rock there,

我在想那裡那個小石頭

and the pathway of the vehicles as they would fly through the air,

和汽車飛過的途徑

and how the characters --

還有這些人--

(Laughter) --

（笑聲）

would come shooting out of the car,

會怎樣從汽車裏面飛出去

so, on my mind, I was thinking about the trajectory of the vehicles.

所以我腦海裏想的是汽車的軌跡

And of course, when you're a little kid, there's always destruction.

當然啦，小時候總會想要搞些毀滅

So, it has to end with this --

所以這是這樣結束的--

(Laughter) --

（笑聲）

gratuitous violence.

純粹的暴力

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So that was how I first started to explore the way things moved,

那就是我開始探索物體運動的方式

and expressed it.

並且將其表達出來

Now, when I went to college,

現在當我上大學的時候

I found myself making fairly complicated, fragile machines.

我發現自己在製造很複雜而且很容易壞的機器

And this really came about

這真的是從

from having many different kinds of interests.

有很多不同的興趣產生的

When I was in high school, I loved to program computers,

在高中的時候我喜歡寫電腦程式

so I sort of liked the logical flow of events.

所以我也蠻喜歡事情的邏輯連貫性

I was also very interested in perhaps going into surgery

我對進入外科

and becoming a surgeon,

當一名外科醫生也很有興趣

because it meant working with my hands

因為那需要用我的雙手工作

in a very focused, intense way.

而且工作內容非常密集而精細

So, I started taking art courses,

所以我開始上藝術課

and I found a way to make sculpture

然後我找到了雕塑

that brought together my love for being very precise with my hands,

雕塑將我對精密手工的熱愛

with coming up with different kinds of logical flows of energy through a system.

和透過一個系統而產生的另類邏輯能量結合在一起

And also, working with wire -- everything that I did

並且使用電線來做──我做的所有東西

was both a visual and a mechanical engineering decision

不但是視覺設計

at the same time.

也是一個機械工程的決定

So, I was able to sort of exercise all of that.

所以基本上我在各方面都可以此練習

Now, this kind of machine is as close as I can get to painting.

這種機器是我能做出最接近繪畫的機器

And it's full of many little trivial end points,

到處都是很多細小的端點

like there's a little foot here that just drags around in circles

就像有個小腳在這裡繞圈圈

and it doesn't really mean anything.

而且它也沒什麼意義

It's really just for the sort of joy of its own triviality.

真的只是爲了它本身細小而繁瑣的樂趣

The connection I have with engineering

我與工程的聯繫

is the same as any other engineer, in that I love to solve problems.

與其他任何一個工程師都一樣，就是因為我喜歡解決問題

I love to figure things out,

我喜歡把事情弄清楚

but the end result of what I'm doing is really completely ambiguous.

但是我所做的事的結果是完全不可預料的。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

That's pretty ambiguous.

那真的是非常不可預料的

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

The next piece that is going to come up

下一個將要展示的作品

is an example of a kind of machine that is fairly complex.

是一種較複雜機器的好例子

I gave myself the problem.

我給自己出了一個難題

Since I'm always liking to solve problems,

因為我總是喜歡解決難題

I gave myself the problem of turning a crank in one direction,

所以就給自己出了個題目，如何朝同一個方向轉動把手

and solving all of the mechanical problems

就解決所有機械上的問題

for getting this little man to walk back and forth.

讓這個小人可以前後走動

So, when I started this, I didn't have an overall plan for the machine,

剛開始我對於這個機器沒有完整的計畫

but I did have a sense of the gesture,

但是我的確有動作的構想

and a sense of the shape and how it would occupy space.

還有對形狀的想法和它如何佔據空間

And then it was a matter of starting from one point

這樣，這就是一個從一點開始

and sort of building to that final point.

然後完成到最後一點的問題了

That little gear there switches back and forth to change direction.

那個小齒輪會往前和往後，藉此以改變方向

And that's a little found object.

而且是一個小小的信手拈來的藝術品

So a lot of the pieces that I've made,

所以，我做的很多小東西

they involve found objects.

都有信手拈來的東西

And it really -- it's almost like doing visual puns all the time.

而且說真的──這幾乎一直就是視覺的雙關語

When I see objects, I imagine them in motion.

當我看東西的時候，我會想像東西活動的樣子

I imagine what can be said with them.

我會想像，這個東西可以怎麼說

This next one here, "Machine with Wishbone,"

下一個是連接著｢許願骨｣的機器

it came about from playing with this wishbone after dinner.

是我在吃完晚飯後玩著許願骨的時候想出來的

You know, they say, never play with your food --

你知道的，他們都說，不要玩弄食物──

but I always play with things.

可是我總是玩弄東西

So, I had this wishbone, and I thought,

所以，我拿著許願骨的時候就一面想

it's kind of like a cowboy who's been on his horse for too long.

這就像一個騎馬騎太久了的牛仔

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And I started to make him walk across the table,

然後我開始讓這個牛仔在桌上走著

and I thought, "Oh, I can make a little machine that will do that."

然後我就想：｢噢，我可以做一個帶著他走的機器呀｣

So, I made this device, linked it up, and the wishbone walks.

所以我就做了這個設備，許願骨就開始走路了

And because the wishbone is bone -- it's animal --

而且因為許願骨是骨頭，是動物

it's sort of a point where I think we can enter into it.

我認為這算是一種切入點

And that's the whole piece.

這就是整個機器

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

That's about that big.

大概就這麼大

(Applause)

(掌聲)

This kind of work is also very much like puppetry,

這種工作和木偶戲很像

where the found object is, in a sense, the puppet,

信手拈來的那個東西，在這個場景中就是木偶

and I'm the puppeteer at first, because I'm playing with an object.

而剛開始時我是那個牽著線的人，因為是我在玩那個東西

But then I make the machine, which is sort of the stand-in for me,

但後來我做了一個機器來代替我自己

and it is able to achieve the action that I want.

這個機器可以造就出我想要達到的動作

The next piece I'll show you is a much more conceptual thought,

下一個我要展示的是比較抽象的概念

and it's a little piece called "Cory's Yellow Chair."

我把這個作品叫做｢可瑞的黃椅子｣

I had this image in my mind, when I saw my son's little chair,

我看到我兒子的小椅子時，腦海裡就呈現出這個畫面

and I saw it explode up and out.

然後我看到椅子向上、向外炸開

And --

然後──

so the way I saw this in my mind at first,

而我第一次在腦海中想像到的樣子

was that the pieces would explode up and out with infinite speed,

就是椅子的部件會以無限快的速度，向上、向外炸開

and the pieces would move far out,

碎片會向遠處移動

and then they would begin to be pulled back

然後再被拉回來

with a kind of a gravitational feel,

帶著一種引力的感覺被拉回來

to the point where they would approach infinite speed back to the center.

回來的時候也是會以無限快的速度回到中心點

And they would coalesce for just a moment,

在一瞬間，這些部件就會完全密合

so you could perceive that there was a chair there.

所以你感覺到的會是，那裡曾有一把椅子

For me, it's kind of a feeling about the fleetingness of the present moment,

對我而言，是一種當下瞬間的感覺

and I wanted to express that.

而我想把這種感覺表達出來

Now, the machine is -- in this case, it's a real approximation of that,

現在，在這個情況下，這個機器可說是這種感覺真實的近似體現

because obviously you can't move physical matter

因為你當然無法讓實物

infinitely with infinite speed and have it stop instantaneously.

以無限快的速度移動然後又突然停止

This whole thing is about four feet wide,

整個機器的寬度大約有四呎寬

and the chair itself is only about a few inches.

椅子本身也只有幾英吋

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Now, this is a funny sort of conceptual thing,

現在這是一個有趣的概念性的東西

and yesterday we were talking about Danny Hillis' "10,000 Year Clock."

而且昨天我們才說到希里斯的萬年鐘

So, we have a motor here on the left,

所以我們就有了左邊的這個馬達

and it goes through a gear train.

經過一個齒輪列車

There are 12 pairs of 50:1 reductions,

這裡有 12 對 50 比 1 的減速器

so that means that the final speed of that gear on the end

也就是說到了最後一個齒輪的最終速度

is so slow that it would take two trillion years to turn once.

已經慢到兩兆年才會轉一圈

So I've invented it in concrete, because it doesn't really matter.

因為不管發明在什麼上面都無所謂，所以我就把它放在水泥塊上

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Because it could run all the time.

反正這個機器一直都是開著的

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Now, a completely different thought.

現在，這是完全不同的一個概念─

I'm always imagining myself in different situations.

我一直都想像著自己處於不同境況的情境

I'm imagining myself as a machine.

我把自己想像成一個機器

What would I love?

我會喜歡什麼？

I would love to be bathed in oil.

我應該會喜歡泡在油裡面

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So, this machine does nothing but just bathe itself in oil.

所以，這個機器就只是泡在油裡，什麼也不做

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

And it's really, just sort of --

而且實際上對我來說─

for me, it was just really about the lusciousness of oil.

這個機器真的只是陳述著油脂的甜美

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And then, I got a call from a friend

後來我接到一個朋友的電話

who wanted to have a show of erotic art,

她想要辦一個情色藝術展

and I didn't have any pieces.

可是我沒有可以參展的作品

But when she suggested to be in the show, this piece came to mind.

但是當她建議可以展出些什麼時，我想到了這個作品

So, it's sort of related, but you can see it's much more overtly erotic.

這個作品算是有點關聯，但是你們可看到，這個實在太過情色了

And this one I call "Machine with Grease."

我把這個作品叫做「機器和油脂」

It's just continually ejaculating, and it's --

這個機器不斷地射精，而且─

(Laughter) --

（笑聲）

this is a happy machine, I'll tell you.

我可以告訴你，這是一個快樂的機器

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

It's definitely happy.

絕對很快樂

From an engineering point of view,

從工程的角度來說

this is just a little four-bar linkage.

這是一個小小的四條槓的組合

And then again, this is a found object, a little fan that I found.

和前面一樣，這也是一個信手拈來，用我找到的一個小扇子做的

And I thought, what about the gesture of opening the fan,

然後我在想，打開扇子的姿勢是什麼

and how simply could I state something.

我可以用多麼簡單的方式來說明某件事

And, in a case like this, I'm trying to make something which is clear

以這件作品為例，我試著要做出一個意象明確的東西

but also not suggestive of any particular kind of animal or plant.

但卻不會暗示著某種特定的動物或植物

For me, the process is very important,

對我來說，過程是很重要的

because I'm inventing machines,

因為我不僅發明機器

but I'm also inventing tools to make machines,

我也發明製作機器的工具

and the whole thing is all sort of wrapped up from the beginning.

整件事就好像是從頭到尾一氣喝成的感覺

So this is a little wire-bending tool.

這是一個小小的用來彎鐵絲的工具

After many years of bending gears with a pair of pliers,

多年來一直用鉗子彎鐵絲做齒輪之後

I made that tool, and then I made this other tool

我做出那這個工具，後來我又做出了這個工具

for sort of centering gears very quickly --

可以迅速把齒輪置中

sort of developing my own little world of technology.

可說是自行發展我自己的科技世界

My life completely changed when I found a spot welder.

我的人生在我找到了接點焊接器之後就完全改觀

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And that was that tool.

這就是那個工具

It completely changed what I could do.

這個工具完全改變了我所能做的事

Now here, I'm going to do a very poor job of silver soldering.

現在我要做一件很糟糕的銲錫工作

This is not the way they teach you to silver solder when you're in school.

這不是學校教的銲錫法

I just like, throw it in.

我只是就這樣扔進去

I mean, real jewelers put little bits of solder in.

我的意思是，真正的珠寶技工只會放一點點的焊料

So, that's a finished gear.

這就是完成的齒輪

When I moved to Boston,

當我搬到波士頓之後

I joined a group called the World Sculpture Racing Society.

我加入了一個稱為「世界雕塑競速協會」的團體

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

And the idea, their premise was that we wanted to show

整個概念就是，他們的前提就是

pieces of sculpture on the street,

我們想在街上展示一件件的雕塑

and there'd be no subjective decision about what was the best.

而且沒有主觀的判斷來評判哪一個雕塑最好

It would be -- whatever came across the finish line first would be the winner.

誰最先到達終點線誰就是贏家

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

So I made -- this is my first racing sculpture,

所以我就做了這個，我的第一個競速雕塑

and I thought, "Oh, I'm going to make a cart,

而且我想：「我要做一個推車

and I'm going to have it --

我要─

I'm going to have my hand writing 'faster,'

我要讓我可以寫『快一點』

so as I run down the street, the cart's going to talk to me

所以在我上街時，推車就會和我說話

and it's going to go, 'Faster, faster!' "

而且會走得『快一點，快一點』」

So, that's what it does.

這就是這件機器能做的

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

But then in the end, what I decided

但到最後，我決定的是

was every time you finish writing the word,

每一次寫完那個字後

I would stop and I would give the card to somebody on the side of the road.

我就會停下來，把推車給路邊的人

So I would never win the race because I'm always stopping.

因為我總是停下來，所以我從來沒有贏過競速比賽

But I had a lot of fun.

可是我覺得很好玩

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Now, I only have two and a half minutes -- I'm going to play this.

現在我只剩下兩分半鐘了─我現在要放這個

This is a piece that, for me, is in some ways

這件作品在某種程度上，對我來說

the most complete kind of piece.

是最完整的一件作品

Because when I was a kid, I also played a lot of guitar.

我小的時候，我彈吉他彈得很多

And when I had this thought,

我在有這個想法時

I was imagining that I would make --

我想像著我會做一個─

I would have a whole machine theater evening,

我會有一個完全由機器演奏的夜晚

where I would -- you would have an audience,

在那裡─你會有觀眾

the curtain would open, and you'd be entertained by machines on stage.

在拉開序幕的那一刻，舞台上會是由機器來表演

So, I imagined a very simple gestural dance

所以我想像的是非常簡單的示意舞蹈

that would be between a machine and just a very simple chair, and ...

就是機器和一張普通椅子間的舞蹈，而且,,,

When I'm making these pieces, I'm always trying to find a point

當我在做這些設作品，我一直試著找到一點

where I'm saying something very clearly and it's very simple,

讓我可以很清楚、簡單的說一件事

but also at the same time it's very ambiguous.

但同時又很模稜兩可

And I think there's a point between simplicity and ambiguity

我認為，界於清楚與模稜兩可之間有一個點

which can allow a viewer to perhaps take something from it.

或許可以讓觀眾從中的到些什麼

And that leads me to the thought that all of these pieces

這一點讓我想到這些作品

start off in my own mind, in my heart,

都是從我的腦海中開始，從我心中開始

and I do my best at finding ways to express them with materials,

而我盡可能找出用各種素材來表達的方式

and it always feels really crude.

而且總是讓人覺得是未經人工雕琢的

It's always a struggle,

我總是在掙扎

but somehow I manage to sort of get this thought

但是我似乎總能把我的想法

out into an object, and then it's there, OK.

注入物件中，然後就呈現出來了

It means nothing at all.

那並不具備任何意義

The object itself just means nothing.

物件本身並沒有任何意義

Once it's perceived, and someone brings it into their own mind,

當物件受到理解時，有人會把理解到的帶到他們的腦海中

then there's a cycle that has been completed.

那麼循環就完成了

And to me, that's the most important thing

對我而言，這一點是最重要的

because, ever since being a kid, I've wanted to communicate my passion and love.

因為從孩童時期開始，我一直希望傳達我的熱情和我的愛

And that means the complete cycle of coming from inside,

這指的是一個完整的循環，是從內心開始

out to the physical, to someone perceiving it.

向外到有形的世界，再由另一個人理解

So I'll just let this chair come down.

所以我只是要把椅子放下來

(Applause)

（掌聲）

Thank you.

謝謝！

(Applause)

（掌聲）