Emanuel Ax plays Schubert

今日很有幸可以聽到Emanuel Ax的concert
他演奏的樂曲全是Schubert:
SCHUBERT 4 Impromptus Op 142/ D935
SCHUBERT Sonata in A major Op 120/D664
SCHUBERT Sonata in B flat Op 31/D960
常覺得Schubert很難彈，但他把Sonata彈得像一句又一句美麗的句子，變成一首美麗的詩，令人聽得很舒服。而且富有層次感，色彩，tone也很豐富，亦很能發揮每一小節的變化。而且他彈得十分流暢自然，沒有誇張造作。
他在演奏時自己還十分陶醉地哼出旋律來，十分有趣，亦可見他已經完全進入在樂曲裡！
聽完這concert，也想多接觸Schubert的音樂，它的lyrical flow真是太完美了！

More information about Emanuel Ax, pls visit http://www.askonasholt.co.uk/artists/instrumentalists/piano/emanuel-ax

蕭勤

在台中的美術館中看到蕭勤的畫作，有一見鐘情的感覺。
抽像的畫中令我感到熟悉和快樂，還有溫暖的。畫作大多用和暖的色系，令人感到生命的活潑和積極的人生觀。

Background:
蕭勤，原籍廣東省中山縣，一九三五年生於上海，一九四九年隨姑父母至台灣，一九六五年以留學生身份，離台赴西班牙；之後轉往義大利、紐約，創作、教學，前後四十餘年。作為一個成功的藝術家，蕭勤的意義還不僅僅在對台灣現代美術運動的推動與影響；而是在「中國美術現代化運動」的時代課題下，他為中國傳統的思想與媒材，找到了一個新的結合與呈現的方式，在國際前衛藝術的舞臺上，他也提供了一個東方人特有的觀點與形貌。然而更重要的，是他透過藝術，展現了一個敏銳的心靈，在孤寂漫漫的宇宙逆旅中，獨特的領悟與因應態度，值得所有對生命有所思索的人們，共同瞭解、認識與珍惜。


蕭勤說：

「對我來說，作畫這件事的第一重要性，並非『作畫』，而是透過作畫來對自己的人生始源的探討，人生經歷的紀錄及感受，和人生展望的發揮。

「『創作』二字目前對我來說，已無甚重大意義，蓋我所做的東西，並非我『個人的』創作，而是宇宙的生命力直接透過我的心手做出來的東西，我並非一個『創作家』，而只是一個『傳達者』而已。」

那綿密連續的線條，就像中國太極拳招式中緩慢卻力道十足的動作，帶著一種深沉的呼吸律動，和身體、意念，乃至宇宙的運行同步。藝術對蕭勤而言，就是一種修持、一種超越、一種救贖。

對蕭勤而言，這些質感構成的宇宙，不僅僅是一個物理知識的世界，更是一個哲學、理念的精神世界。萬物因這些秩序的理解，而得到平衡穩定，精神也因這樣的理解，而獲得超越、安頓。

很喜歡他對藝術的堅持和看法，我也想透過寫作和音樂來對自己的人生始源的探討，人生經歷的紀錄及感受，和人生展望的發揮。
覺得這樣才是活著的意義和憑據:)

其實他的畫作線條十分簡單，表達的意思也明確，很有簡單就是美的感覺。



「宇宙之放射」是蕭勤早期的作品，圖案性的「太陽系列」的擴展，色面幾何，雙重色相圓心及放射性的幾何色面形成，太陽為宇宙的核心，不停旋轉，不斷放射能量，在恆靜及恆動之間永恆的對照，闡述宇宙大能。

很喜歡畫作的顏色配搭，在一片星空中，充滿神秘感和有無限力量的宇宙發射能量給人類，彷彿給我們打了強心針，令我們充滿正能量。還有黃色的粗邊更突出宇宙核心的光芒。



「落日」以土黃色的大色面喻示夕陽西下蘊光的情境，藉由暖色調的彩度，指射出非比尋常的情境與能量。很喜歡作品的名稱—「落日」，而不是日落，令我對日落有另一番看法。畫中的太陽亦象徵強大的生命力，有點像火山爆發噴出來的熔岩，完全不像快熄滅的燈火。其實日落也能表現得樂觀，積極。



「宇宙風」(版畫1986年)是蕭勤藝術創作上，柳暗花明之作品，在心領神會下，淋漓盡致地以本能性的形象，加上順勢繽紛燦爛的色斑，喻示宇宙的大能量。
一看這幅畫，便想風是從那邊吹來，但是細想其實並不重要。紫色代表宇宙的神秘和具有Spirituality，灰色代表宇宙的平衡和neutrality，中間的顏色點代表人在宇宙中流動，不同人對生命的演繹，和而不同，又能共存。

劉國松的心靈風景

上星期到了台中渡假，不忘到台中國立美術館參觀，還參加了導賞團。導賞團只有我們3人，可以聽得清楚，又可以發問，獲益良多！

發現台灣藝術家的藝術造詣也十分高，十分欣賞他們的作品和表達的意義。
美術館有多個展覽，其中最正的是「百嵅百畫－台灣當代畫家邀請展」的展覽。此展覽邀集125位台灣當代畫家進行聯展，慶祝中華民國建國100週年。所以此展覽回應台灣藝術百年發展的取樣，也能一覽台灣藝術家的作品。

導賞介紹數十位的台灣藝術家，我也有一些喜愛的，想和大家介紹。

第一位是劉國松，他被譽為「水墨現代化之父」。常覺得中國的傳統水墨畫很沉悶，沒有新意，不過看了劉國松的水墨畫，頓時覺得水墨畫的美，自然山水和畫帶出的韻味。
他是50年代末期第1位認真研究西方藝術的華人藝術家，他花了40年的時間，創造一種新的語言，將西方藝術的概念帶進中國古典的文明裡，將西方與中國融合，賦予中國藝術新生命。

余光中在〈造化弄人，我弄造化〉一文中認為劉國松的畫「畫面雖然千變萬化，但其視覺的本質，總不離大自然的意象。那些恍惚迷離的山水煙雲，未必能夠一一指認，但是觀者的印象，總像是面對風景。這樣的畫境超越、改變了現實，因為他把現實靜化了、純化了，把不美的雜質淘汰了。劉國松的畫既遺山水之貌而取山水之神，與其籠統的把他的作品稱為抽象畫，還不如另撰一詞，叫它做形而上的山水畫。」

有人問他希望西方觀眾如何欣賞他的畫作？劉國松說，相對於西方畫系以寫實為主的精神，以水墨畫為主的東方畫系則有較深的蘊意，「需要對四週的事物經過吸收、消化、昇華後再表現在作品上，因此中國的繪畫較為永恆」。大家嘗試用他提供的方法去欣賞他的畫作，了解畫作的內涵和美。

精選作品：

秋之記憶　 1993

很喜歡這幅作品，記錄了秋天的美，有紅黃的葉，清澈的湖水，能看出倒影來，用書法刻畫了樹幹，還有光暗的配合，營造出秋天的意境。艷麗的紅色代表秋意是暖暖的，乍涼還暖，秋意也秋意是滿滿的，累累的果實 金黃色的稻穗，表示了對大地事物的喜悅 依賴。暗淡的黑色和灰白色道出壓扁玫瑰回憶的季節，有點感傷 有些惆悵。冬天將要到臨，地上已感一點寒意。

天天公仔

This is part of the exhibtion called 香港：創意生態 — 商機、生活、創意
Inside the exhibition, there are many designs from Hk designers!

天天公仔 Project
Invite HK designers to design the dressing of a smart guy:)


Little prince



Water!




插畫style:)


Wow, superman:)


小雲style! I like her body (full of colourful insects)
仲有2條辮，like 小甜甜! Art is reli fun



This one is reli creative. U cant c the person anymore, but a big tree with roots.But it's not reli health, as there are some mosses n there r little green leaves. I think it represents Hk. HK is not a green city n there r pollution pbs!

當下‧活在 — 香港國際海報三年展2010 part 2

There are so many nice posters in the exhibition:)
Love to introduce more n explore more n appreciate more



This poster says sth abt HK identity! It performs by using form of Kowloon King.
The background is 紅白藍plastic bags which is a HK product, reminding ppl of the 60s (visit to Mainland)
Read the words carefully, u c read political messages, like New Hong Kong, New China, HK ppl rule Hk
N many HK features, like Festival Walk, Chau Tai Fok
In fact, who we are? Are we unique or different from the Chinese in China?
Do we hv any HK spirit? What is it? wealth, fairness, justice, hard work?





Jp style!
Wt do u think of when cing the 2nd poster!
I do think of the maple n variegated carp (錦鯉). Wt's more?
I like both design n it reli makes me think of Japan!

當下‧活在 — 香港國際海報三年展2010

當下‧活在 — 香港國際海報三年展2010
香港文化博物館

Some inspirations from the posters all over the world


Are we all short-sighted?
Money,life-partner, relationships wiv others, nature...
Wt is the most important thing in our life?



This poster is from Israel, so i think it relates to world peace or at least peace within Middle East. I like it coz every alphabet tells us sth. Like the alphabet 'E', a grave can be imagined, like many ppl have died in the conflicts and wars. 'D' shows the ugliness of human nature. The face is full of hatred and disguist. 'A' reflects the conflicts and wars between 2 countries or 2 ideologies or religions. But i think the designer is optimistic as there are some positive elements in the poster. 'Y' shows 2 ppl holding hands together and 'I' is a peaceful and lovely scene where birds are happily sininging on the grass:)
I try to reflect this slogen in my life. I think i dun try hard enough, like my studies or my relationship wiv others. Sometimes im selfish n lazy.
Thx 4 the reminder:)



This is one of my favourite. Karl Marx(the founder of communistism)and plastic bags
Wt is the relation between the 2?
Karl Marx believed that communistism can create a better world, but is it reli the case? Is it like an invention like plastic bags?
Are we living better wiv the idea of communistism or hving plastic bags?
Or do they create more harm than good to human beings?
It is nice that the poster puts communistism and plastic bags in the same context.
I think communistism is an ideal which wont be fully achieved in the reality. This ideology reli does hard to human beings, like the civil wars, destruction of env (it makes me think of the sad history in modern China). But some ppl still believe in Communistism and it can create a better world where ppl r equal and property can be disturbuted equally. Maybe it's just a utopia.
Plastic bags do harm to the nature as it's hard to incinerate but at the same time, it creates convenience:) It's gd to know that ppl now use less plastic bags and bring their own bags to go shopping.

Some other nice posters:


Eyebrow, Eye, nose, mouth!
It's quite cool to notice that there r eyes from ppl over the world! Double eyelid and single eyelid, men and women, wiv glasses and without glasses.
Noses and mouths are in different sizes and shapes:)



This is a Polish film abt 2 men and a woman. But without any background of this film, i think the poster shows a man n a woman kissing. My fd suggests that the red thing is the tounge of the woman (which looks like a snake)He said the Chinese proverb 最毒婦人心.I think he is pretty creative:) Acc to the bible, tounge is the most evil part of our body coz though it's small, it can hurt others easily.
If u r interested, u can watch the trailer of the film in Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaBa2Wj3gHk





I just like the design!





The black one states Mahler's last breath. The poster shows an incomplete butterfly (one of its wings is broken) Mahler died in his young age when he was composing his 10th Sympohny. His life was tragic, his daughter died during young age and his heart was defective which caused him to death. He always feel incomplete in his composition and felt inferior to Beethoven and other composers.

The red one states Mahler's love. I quite like this poster which is composed by many red hearts. It's like flowers as well. Love is the great passion to Mahler to compose. Though he lost his first daughter and got illness, his wife supported him and encouaged him to compose. At the last years, he still worked hard on his symphonies and he became famous and confident.



Duno y i think of 詹瑞文 when i saw this poster!
A human head wiv a Arabian hat, pinapple beard n butterfly wings:0
check the designer background a bit:
'色彩魔術師 – Keiichi Tanaami(田名網敬一)於1965初次製作動畫片"戴面具的魁儡們"，1968年獲卡通動畫技術賞，1975年任日本版playboy美術指導，現任日本京都造型藝術大情報設計系主任'
'他原創性的視覺風格、獨特的用色和混合了夢境與記憶的迷幻式圖像，對觀看的人產生了巨大的沖擊與震撼，不斷挑戰著觀者的視覺神經。人稱“視覺的魔術師”的他游走于混沌奇想的意識世界中，捕捉腦中閃現的幻覺與記憶，用各種形式拼貼、轉化、反覆、混雜映射出心理奇幻的視覺圖像。有別于西方“超合理主義”的思維，田名網敬一試圖探尋非日常的種種心靈幻像，他所描繪的不是美好真實的世界，而是被一種莫名趨力扭曲的認知體驗。'
A blogger said he also designed Uniquo T-shirt:) Maybe i bought one be4:)
One of his exhibitions in Singapore: http://www.juksy.com/?p=93517
It's reli colourful n his art is fun n it does make me smile.