Tempering the Cultivation of Life - Wen Jen LIN Solo Exhibition 【淬練的人生底蘊】林文政創作個展
Dec 1 - Dec 29, 2023
Text by Kuang-Yi Chen
(Professor, Department of Fine Arts, National Taiwan University of Arts)
Wen-Jen Lin is not a full-time artist. His primary occupation is serving as Chairman of Synmosa Biopharma Corporation. Painting is merely one of his many hobbies (reportedly as many as thirteen), yet it is the one he has pursued the longest and with the most dedication. In 2005, he formally began studying art and for seven years commuted from Taichung to Taipei to take classes. He would often devote his entire evening, after dinner, to painting until bedtime. His dedication eventually led to invitations to exhibit at events such as Art Taipei and the Busan-Taipei International Exchange Exhibition—venues typically reserved for professional artists. So, how should we regard an artist like him?
In 1995, French author Alain Sevestre published L’art Modeste (l’art modeste), where he pointed out that beyond the professional art world we’re familiar with, there exist tens of thousands of creators who have no intention of attracting attention. Some study under mentors, others imitate their favorite masters. Their subjects are usually simple—landscapes, still lifes, portraits—and they harbor no ambition of becoming historically renowned painters or avant-garde innovators. Instead, their drive comes from a desire to “fill an inner void.” The French term for such individuals is peintres de dimanche—“Sunday painters”—people with full-time jobs who paint on Sundays to cultivate a hobby or release emotional tension. Wen-Jen Lin seems to fall within this category. ..............
文/陳貺怡 (國立臺灣藝術大學美術系所專任教授)
林文政並非專職藝術家，他的正職是新萬仁製藥公司的董事長。而且繪畫只是他諸多興趣中的一個(據說他的興趣多達13個)，不過卻是維持的最久也最投入的一個：他2005年拜師學藝，曾長達7年從台中開車到台北上課，也經常將每天晚飯後的時光全數投入繪畫直到就寢，最終受邀參加台北藝博、釜山台北國際交流展等專職藝術家的展覽。這樣的一位畫家我們應該怎麼看待他呢？
1995年法國作家Alain Sevestre出版了《謙虛的藝術》 (l’art modeste)一書，提到除了我們所熟悉的藝壇專職藝術家之外，其實有數以萬計的作者們並不打算引人注目，他們在形式上或跟著某個老師學習，或模仿心儀的大師。他們所繪不外乎風景、靜物、人物等單純的題材，也並無任何野心想成為留名青史的偉大畫家，或顛覆傳統的前衛畫家，他們只是感受到一種「填補內在空缺」的需要。法文稱之為「星期天的畫家」(peintres de dimanche)，意指平日有正職，利用星期天作畫以培養興趣或抒發身心的畫家。林文政似乎即屬於此類。.....................
(Professor, Department of Fine Arts, National Taiwan University of Arts)
Wen-Jen Lin is not a full-time artist. His primary occupation is serving as Chairman of Synmosa Biopharma Corporation. Painting is merely one of his many hobbies (reportedly as many as thirteen), yet it is the one he has pursued the longest and with the most dedication. In 2005, he formally began studying art and for seven years commuted from Taichung to Taipei to take classes. He would often devote his entire evening, after dinner, to painting until bedtime. His dedication eventually led to invitations to exhibit at events such as Art Taipei and the Busan-Taipei International Exchange Exhibition—venues typically reserved for professional artists. So, how should we regard an artist like him?
In 1995, French author Alain Sevestre published L’art Modeste (l’art modeste), where he pointed out that beyond the professional art world we’re familiar with, there exist tens of thousands of creators who have no intention of attracting attention. Some study under mentors, others imitate their favorite masters. Their subjects are usually simple—landscapes, still lifes, portraits—and they harbor no ambition of becoming historically renowned painters or avant-garde innovators. Instead, their drive comes from a desire to “fill an inner void.” The French term for such individuals is peintres de dimanche—“Sunday painters”—people with full-time jobs who paint on Sundays to cultivate a hobby or release emotional tension. Wen-Jen Lin seems to fall within this category. ..............
文/陳貺怡 (國立臺灣藝術大學美術系所專任教授)
林文政並非專職藝術家，他的正職是新萬仁製藥公司的董事長。而且繪畫只是他諸多興趣中的一個(據說他的興趣多達13個)，不過卻是維持的最久也最投入的一個：他2005年拜師學藝，曾長達7年從台中開車到台北上課，也經常將每天晚飯後的時光全數投入繪畫直到就寢，最終受邀參加台北藝博、釜山台北國際交流展等專職藝術家的展覽。這樣的一位畫家我們應該怎麼看待他呢？
1995年法國作家Alain Sevestre出版了《謙虛的藝術》 (l’art modeste)一書，提到除了我們所熟悉的藝壇專職藝術家之外，其實有數以萬計的作者們並不打算引人注目，他們在形式上或跟著某個老師學習，或模仿心儀的大師。他們所繪不外乎風景、靜物、人物等單純的題材，也並無任何野心想成為留名青史的偉大畫家，或顛覆傳統的前衛畫家，他們只是感受到一種「填補內在空缺」的需要。法文稱之為「星期天的畫家」(peintres de dimanche)，意指平日有正職，利用星期天作畫以培養興趣或抒發身心的畫家。林文政似乎即屬於此類。.....................
Wen Jen LIN 林文政