絕對理念的感性顯現：直觀謝宏蓮繪畫中的愛與美

絕對理念的感性顯現：
直觀謝宏蓮繪畫中的愛與美

文／張雅晴（日本國立山口大學亞洲研究所藝術史博士、曜畫廊總監）

古典美學巨匠黑格爾（Georg Wilhelm Hegel, 1770-1831）在十九世紀觀察總結出「藝術是將絕對的精神用直觀的形式表現出來的東西，藝術與美，是絕對理念的感性顯現。」的觀念，在隨後的年代伴隨「藝術之死」，亦即藝術走到最後將成為哲學的理論，藝術漸漸從直觀的表現走向對於絕對理念的不斷闡明。在對於當代視覺藝術的觀察中，大量資訊與視覺圖像主宰的網路世代，創意與觀念凌駕於直觀與感性，出現了許多大量閱讀文本方得以進入藝術家中心思想的藝術作品。

然而謝宏蓮的繪畫，卻彷彿將我們帶回那個藝術直觀與感性的年代。花鳥、山海、記憶的故鄉、靈性的國度‥‥‥所有在其生命中重要的視覺元素與記憶點，無論是觀者熟悉或不熟悉的事物，皆以一種帶著親密感的直觀形式呈現出來。論者或可謂這樣直白的藝術，缺少了精密思索與對世界的深刻批判，然而實則不然。在謝宏蓮的繪畫中，絕對的精神與理念體現在每一幅看似簡單直覺的畫面之內。題材是一種載體，謝宏蓮選擇了讓人易於進入的主題，藉由直觀的形式，以色彩以筆觸以油畫厚重的質地，顯現出訴諸感性的表達。而其中所承載的，便是她對人生「愛」與「美」這兩者堅定的信念，所闡述永恆不變的真理。

色彩的純淨昭示心靈的透明度

謝宏蓮的繪畫有著令人不用多想的主題，卻總有著叫人想不透的色彩表現。她堅持使用有著厚重質地的油彩，豐富的顏色一筆一筆地堆積於畫布之上，調色盤上的不是造物者的色彩，而是稱為宏蓮這個人類心靈反應出獨有的顏色。在繽紛的畫面上，每個色彩卻都十分純淨，協調得如同交響樂，以每種樂器各自的音色，組合成一個充滿力與美的樂曲。色彩的純淨昭示心靈的透明度，藉由畫作上美麗的色彩鋪陳，謝宏蓮展現在觀者面前的是淨化過的思想與心念。

當西方媒材遇見東方意念

謝宏蓮的繪畫很難簡單地被歸類於西畫或國畫。她所使用的是油彩，普遍被認為是西畫的媒材；而表現的內容形式是根植於母親的土地上，自然地反應出成長於東方的思想與意念。這是許多當代亞洲藝術家共同的課題，差別只是個別藝術家在面對東西文化交融時所採取的態度。例如中國近代旅外藝術家趙無極與同時期亦留法最後選擇返回中國的吳冠中，兩者對中西文化的選擇與體現完全不同，但都接受到後世的肯定與讚許。而日本、韓國、甚至東南亞各地，也都有許多藝術家不斷地在這個問題上絞盡腦汁，試圖找出有別於他者的表現方式。

然而，由直觀與感性出發的謝宏蓮卻沒有與這個問題正面衝突。在她的繪畫世界裡，宇宙是合一的，沒有國界之分。花，可以長於法國的宮廷，亦可生於中國的庭園之中。鳥，可以是文人的寄託，亦可化身為西方愛情中的呢喃。中西的分界與多少藝術家一生的習題，謝宏蓮就這樣輕鬆的越過了，解決了。因為她所信仰的愛與美是全世界共有的價值與真理，天賜的色彩感覺與純淨的心靈在畫中完整反映出做為一個成長於東方社會的獨特個體。她的藝術沒有國界，卻清楚地告訴世界她是誰，清楚地展現了自身獨有的面貌。

The Manifestation of the Absolute Idea in a Sensuous Form：
Love And Beauty Expressed in the Painting of Ms Hsieh Hong-Lien

Chang Ya-Ching
Director of Gallery de sol

Georg Wilhelm Hegel (1770-1831), an idealist philosopher of the 19^th century, defines the beauty of art as the manifestation of an idea in a sensuous form.  According to Hagel’s End of Art Thesis, once the spirit has reached the romantic stage, art itself reaches an end. Art gradually transforms itself from intuition into absolute reason. To observe contemporary fine art activities, large quantities of information and graphics dominate the world, innovation and creativity outshine intuition and sensibility.  Thus, getting to know the inner world of artists and their artworks requires lots of related reading.

However, the paintings of Ms Hsieh, Hong-Lien bring us back to the era of intuition and sensibility; all visual elements and memories in one’s life, all those flowers, birds, mountains, oceans, and the spiritual domains are presented to us in a form of intuitive intimacy. Critics might argue that intuitive art lacks sophisticated taste and profound meaning. In fact, Ms Hsieh’s simple and intuitive paintings are all combined with absolute mind and ideas. A subject matter is an art medium. Ms Hsieh chooses simple and easy-to-understand themes, by using abundant colors, and different strokes in oil paintings to relay to us her concepts in an intuitive and sensible way.

“Love” and “Beauty” are her firm belief. Art reveals truth in a direct, intuitive way.

SING FOR LOVE AND BEAUTY

In the era of shallow reading and visual priority, the sensational, audacious, and creative graphics grab public attention easily. The subject matters with subversion, nudity, concepts of redemption and the darkest side of humanity gain the support and consensus among younger generations. Ms Hsieh’s paintings by contrast transcend anger, sadness and failure. Her paintings sing for love and beauty instead. She has bravely chosen a relatively difficult path in world of contemporary art.

A shark preserved in formaldehyde in a vitrine or a sparrow sitting on a tree, which is more topical? A three-year-old could answer the question easily. However, it would be more difficult to answer by asking which has more profound meaning? Ms Hsieh depicts and praises love and beauty in her paintings not because she holds a high position and lives an easy and comfortable life, indeed she has experienced uncertainty and sorrow in life. She failed in the business world, she was defeated in marriage, and she was deprived motherhood. She sobbed out her sorrow and heart break, she encountered death threats and torture. She has overcome all the harshness and survived all her trials. She found the key to a spiritual world. Art is her savior and means everything to her.

When art becomes an outlet and redeemer, emotional outbursts and life experiences tend to be the major topic of one’s paintings. However, in Ms Hsieh’s paintings, all the harshness in her life seems as if they never happened. Her creations are all about singing and praising the beauty of life. “It is the result of healing” said Ms Hsieh. Her answer explains why her ideas are presented so straightforwardly and intuitively, once she found the light in this chaotic world. Everything in life becomes simple again. “To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower” all the simple and tiny things in life hold eternal truth. “Love” is truth and reason.

Ms Hsieh said “Love is my belief. I consider it is my task in life to deliver the message of love and beauty through my creations.” In the trend of contemporary art, this kind of declaration is too small and too desolate to be noticed. Her paintings are neither speculative nor judgmental. They are not too complex to understand. She has chosen to walk onto this difficult path which could possibly bury her talents in art. Nevertheless, she continues to faithfully hold onto her belief.

There are many art works presenting in the name of love, but only few can provide a sense of joy and contentment. People feel joy when looking at Ms Hsieh’s paintings. Her paintings seem to have magical power; maybe it’s simply the power of believing in love and beauty!

PURENESS OF COLORS REVEALS THE CLARITY OF MIND

Ms Hsieh adopts common themes, but uses unique and bold colors. In her paintings, she insists on using a profusion of heavy texture oil paints on canvas. The colors on her palette reflects the colors in her mind. The colors she uses present a satisfying balance. Combinations of colors that exist in harmony are pleasing to the eye. Ms Hsieh unfolds her thoughts in her creations, through her journey of purification. Pureness of colors reveals the clarity of her mind.

WESTERN MEDIA MEETS EASTERN IDEAS

It is hard to categorize Ms Hsieh’s painting as solely Eastern or Western paintings. While oil paints are common medium in western painting. The manner in which Ms Hsieh expresses her ideas comes from her eastern background. Zao Wou-ki, the famous Chinese-French painter, and Wu Guan Zhong, who studied in France and returned to their hometown in China, were both considered the greatest contemporary Chinese painters. Their artworks had both Western and Eastern influences. Artists form Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia try hard to find distinctive features to present themselves.

However, Ms Hsieh, focusing solely on intuition and sensibility, doesn’t confront these kinds of conflicts. In her painting world, there is only one universe. There are no border boundaries. Flowers can grow in French castles, but also be planted in Chinese gardens. Most artists seek to cross the issue of Eastern and western boundaries and or try to overcome it. Ms Hsieh easily leaps over the gap and settles all those conflicts. The love and beauty she holds onto is the resolution and truth in the universe. Heavenly colors and pure minds reflect her eastern origin intact. There is no boundary in her paintings, but through her art she clearly shows the viewers her identity, and her uniqueness.

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