曜畫廊夏日國際版畫展：原點
Summer International Print Project 2023：Origins

2023.08.08 － 2023.09.24

曜畫廊夏日國際版畫展：原點

Summer International Print Project 2023：Origins

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曜畫廊 Gallery de sol 「夏日國際版畫展」今年來到了第五個年頭。從2019年開始，以台灣版畫之父廖修平與西班牙三大藝術家：畢卡索、米羅、達利的作品喚起台灣觀眾對於原創版畫的重視；第二年推出米羅高齡82歲時的經典石版作品《烏布童年系列》；第三年展出夏卡爾的重要猶太宗教紀念之作《耶路薩冷之窗》；第四年以達利1971年的全套蝕刻版《所羅門王之歌》，邀請觀眾一起走進令無數收藏家癡迷的成套版畫世界。

近年來，原創版畫在國際上受到越來越多的矚目，除了市場上不斷上揚的價格肯定，許多大型美術館亦逐步重視原創版畫的典藏及展覽。為區別以往複製、商業用途的版畫與藝術性極高的原創版畫，歐美各地也發展出「Fine Art Print」的專有名詞來稱呼由藝術家所創造出的原創版畫作品。

曜畫廊秉持著從「媒材」角度來思索、鑑賞原創版畫的初衷，2023年以「原點」為主題，展出華人藝術大師趙無極最早期（1950年代）的珍貴原創版畫。趙無極在1948年抵達法國，1950年便以獨有的版畫技法與風格獲得巴黎藝術界的關注，藝術生涯中更舉辦過許多重要的版畫專展，原創版畫無疑是趙無極在歐洲成名的原點。

此外，本展也將同時展出以擴張版畫邊界為職志的台灣藝術家楊忠銘包括木版、銅版、橡膠版等各種作品的「原版」。這些原本只專屬於版畫藝術家的後台風景，讓我們得以窺見藝術家創作的軌跡。

「原點」的概念，除了是藝術家創作的起點，也同時隱含著曜畫廊對於原創版畫藝術最重要的鑑賞評價理念。正如楊忠銘所述，對於原創版畫藝術家而言，真正的原點「是靈光乍現的獨特性起點，也同時具備著緩慢推敲與大量汰選的思想歷程。唯有那最重要的感受、畫面和思想訊息，才有機會被版畫家耗費大量時間執行出來。原點，是精神的與時間向度的攜手前行。」在手裡的媒材與工具之前，「創作的原點或許來自於那些散落在工作室地上揉皺的一團團紙球。」

超凡的思想，永遠先行於精湛的技藝，是這個世界對於藝術與藝術家最大的渴望與嚮往。

Gallery de sol’s resplendent realm marks the fifth glorious year of the Summer International Print Project. Since 2019, this exhibition has unveiled a profoundly important artistic perspective, interweaving the luminous prints of Taiwan’s printmaker, LIAO Shiou-ping, with the masterpieces of three Spanish titans: Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró, and Salvador Dali. These opulent compositions have ignited a fervent flame of reverence for the sanctity of Original Print within the hearts of Taiwanese viewers.

In its second year, the project showcased the lithographic masterpiece “Ubu’s Childhood Series,” made by the venerable Joan Miró at the ripe age of 82. The following year, it presented Marc Chagall’s Jewish religious commemorative work, “The Window of Jerusalem.” And in its fourth year, the spotlight turned to Salvador Dali’s comprehensive suite of etchings from 1971, “The Song of Songs of King Solomon,” enticing viewers to venture into the captivating world of complete print sets.

In recent years, Original Print has captivated global attention. Beyond the soaring market values, major art institutions have gradually turned their gaze toward collecting and exhibiting these works.

Distinguishing itself from the mass-produced and commercialized print works of yore, the term “Fine Art Print” has emerged in the Western lexicon to dignify the original print creations of artists.

Remaining true to its ethos of contemplating and appreciating Original Print from a “material” perspective, in 2023, Gallery de sol orchestrates an exhibition themed “Origins.” It reverently showcases the earliest (1950s) precious original prints by the Chinese art luminary ZAO Wou-ki, who arrived in France in 1948 and swiftly captured the Parisian art scene’s attention with his unique printmaking techniques and style. ZAO Wou-ki’s artistic odyssey crystallized in the realm of Original Print, serving as a pivotal point in his European acclaim.

Furthermore, this exhibition simultaneously exposes the “Printmaking Layer (Printing plate in the creating process)” of Taiwan’s artist Yang Chung Ming, who fervently explores the boundaries of printmaking. Encompassing woodcuts, copper plates, linoleum cuts, and other mediums, these layers unveil the backstage panorama typically reserved for print artists, granting us a glimpse into their creative trajectories.

The essence of “Origins” extends beyond its role as the inception of an artist’s creation. It encapsulates Gallery de sol’s paramount ethos in evaluating Original Print as an art form. As Yang Chung Ming eloquently asserts, the true “origin” is where the unique point of creative illumination resides, entwined with the deliberate process of contemplation and abundant selection. Only the most profound sensations, imagery, and conceptual messages stand the chance of being laboriously etched by the printmaker over extensive periods. The “origin” is the confluence of spirit and the dimension of time. Before materials and tools rest in the artist’s hands, “the origin of creation may lie in those crumpled wads of paper scattered on the studio floor.”

Otherworldly ideas always precede extraordinary craftsmanship, embodying the world’s deepest yearning and aspiration for art and its creators.