有些人, 被摘下了光環會顯得更耀眼.Royal Academy of Arts 的梵谷展覽 "The Real Van Gogh: The Artist and His Letters"就把我心目中梵谷的光環給摘了下來.
他沒有經歷正統的藝術訓練, 卻自成一格, 並且啟發了表現主義及許多當代藝術, 是一個天才. 他曾經切掉自己耳朵, 最後往自己胸膛開槍自盡, 是一個瘋子. 這是我一直以來心目中的梵谷, 一個瘋狂的天才. 這種想法令我覺得他像是有著牢不可破的光環, 超越所有凡俗, 是遙不可及的.
我抱著這個心態去看這展覽. 心想這也只是另一個以梵谷之名做勢的賺錢展覽. 不過既然難得遇上, 也去湊湊熱鬧吧. 然而這展覽完全超出了我的預期, 甚至驚喜也不足說明, 可以用狂喜(ecstasy)來形容. 一點也沒有誇張. 我必需說經過這展覽我為自己之前對梵谷的看法感到羞愧. 從此我看到的梵谷再也不一樣.
進入展覽場地, 偌大的展覽堂有一幅梵谷作品旁邊一個放了幾封信件的玻璃櫃, 並有一個簡短的介紹. 看看展場地圖知道共共有7個展區, 每個都不小, 也充斥著很多展品. 心想只是多展品罷了, 沒有什麼了不起, 中間沒興趣的可以略過. 也就不慌不忙慢慢看, 漸漸地進入了狀態, 愈看愈投入. 要不是時間比較緊, 要我待上一天也絕無問題.
這個展覽特別之處是不以梵谷名作以招徠, 其重點在於描述梵谷其人, 而描述的媒介就是他的畫和他的信. 作品和信都被策略地編排好, 他的畫作讓我看見他的作畫技巧上的轉變, 信件(主要是給他弟弟的)則讓我了解他的想法和感受, 順著看有如梵谷藝術生涯的紀錄片. 從如何面對學習透視法的困難, 到感到自己描繪動態的不足而不停模仿練習, 再到接觸印象派後使用顏色的改變, 每一個作品每一個轉變都有故事都有原因. 還有一個展櫃特別展出他最愛的書, 他熱愛文學, 廣泛閱讀. 從他的信可知他對文字寫作的執著並不下於畫畫. 信中也可窺見他生活上遇到的喜與憂, 不同的困難, 對各種問題的看法.
慢慢地一個立體的人就呈現眼前. 他再也不是一個超凡的天才. 也更加不是一個瘋子. 他的轉變是不停努力, 不斷思考的結果. 他是一個凡人. 光環摘下了. 取而代之的是無限的尊敬. 他的熱誠, 他的不懈, 他的執著才是他最耀眼的地方.
What am I in the eyes of most people? A nonentity or an oddity or a disagreeable person — someone who has and will have no position in society, in short a little lower than the lowest.
Very well — assuming that everything is indeed like that, then through my work I’d like to show what there is in the heart of such an oddity, such a nobody.
This is my ambition, which is based less on resentment than on love in spite of everything, based more on a feeling of serenity than on passion.
Letter 249.
From: Vincent van Gogh
To: Theo van Gogh
Letter 249.
From: Vincent van Gogh
To: Theo van Gogh
Date: The Hague, on or about Friday, 21 July 1882
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1 comment:
Seems an exhibition about VG with plenty of rare objects from him. If we really love an artist, everything of him will mean a lot to us, that's why his letters,his books are so appealing. However, it's always a paradox for me as I am not sure if it's a respect to VG, a deceased artist, to reveal a lot of his personal things. We see while we exercise our power to a speechless soul, that's what we do.
It's also interesting to think about a "REAL" VG. Since his paintings that capture the essence of the artisit is not real enough, we imagine and interpret about him, that's why each of us has our own VG, after reading his letter and the books he like, will VG become more real? Maybe, but we just add more imaginations and meanings of ourselves on him. We keep positioning him. The exhibition make points for discussion, and it must earn a lot.
I am already donimated by postmodernism.
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