Curator / Kung-Tse WANG

Abstract painting has been developing for over a century, with many classic works of abstract art now housed in major museums around the world. These works have also fetched remarkable prices at auction houses. However, in Taiwan, abstract painting still awkwardly lingers on the fringes of both the market and academic circles. Some artists, due to their personal dispositions, have turned to abstraction after years of artistic exploration, but their works remain somewhat isolated. Taiwan’s abstract art has yet to truly engage with the broader public.

The emergence of Western abstract painting was influenced by its historical context, with both philosophical and technological developments shaping its trajectory. The two World Wars further sparked doubts about the progress brought by external technology: was it a source of happiness, or was it leading to destruction? These existential questions naturally prompted reflections on life and abstract expression, which became a crucial development in the history of art.

Thanks to technological advancements, in relatively peaceful eras and regions, people have grown accustomed to easily and quickly acquiring all kinds of information and material goods. As a result, they are less inclined to invest effort in the foundational appreciation of art. Instead, there is a growing demand for art that is easy to access and more approachable—art that is popular, light, and engaging. While this is not inherently negative, its superficial nature may undermine the spiritual depth that is most precious in art. On the other hand, it is worth reflecting on whether the pioneering abstract art of the early 20th century has today become confined to repetitive Western classic abstract forms.

Contemporary abstract painting continues to develop for several reasons. First, the interpretation of the artwork is highly open-ended. Second, the battlefield between ideals and reality remains ever-present, with abstract art offering us the freedom to transcend the everyday, material world. Third, contemporary abstract art has evolved with the times, incorporating a visual modernity that resonates with and reflects current cultural realities.

In 2015, Mark Godfrey, the curator of Tate Modern in London, organized the exhibition “Painting After Technology,” which attracted widespread attention. From this exhibition, one can glimpse the flexible and diverse qualities of contemporary abstract art, which blends human life and cultural characteristics of the present moment.

In May of last year, I curated an exhibition titled “Hidden Dimensions: Contemporary Abstract Art in Taiwan, Part 1” at the National Treasure Art Gallery in Taichung. The exhibition, which featured abstract artists born between 1960 and 1969, garnered much attention and praise. A symposium held during the exhibition included a stimulating dialogue between Professor Chen Shiming, a renowned retired artist from Taipei National University of the Arts, and the participating artists, leaving behind a valuable record of their discussions.

In 2019, GSA Gallery once again launched the second part of “Hidden Dimensions: Contemporary Abstract Art in Taiwan.” This exhibition featured eight artists from Taiwan’s middle-generation, born between 1970 and 1979: Liu Wende, Wu Yinhai, kung Tse Wang, Dai Jiaru, Luo Ruilin, Xu Guoyu, Ke Weiguo, and Zhao Luojia. Among the many avant-garde art trends and dazzling mediums in contemporary art, these artists have steadfastly avoided following the popular currents and have refused to yield to the aesthetic tastes of mass culture. Instead, they have chosen to persist with abstract painting, a form that embodies transcendence and otherworldliness. If the abstract art of the 1950s and 1960s in Taiwan began to establish the initial connection between abstract art and Chinese culture, then these artists from the 1970s have more freely integrated their personal emotions or contemplations into their work. Their abstract art reflects the pursuit of ideals, unique intuitive experiences with nature, or their reflections on life, even moving toward personal introspection. Through this, they have redefined the relationship between abstract language and their own creative intentions.

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臺灣當代抽象藝術展 - 隱藏的視界- 二部曲

Contemporary Abstract Art of Taiwan Exhibition – Hidden Vision II

策展人/ 王公澤

抽象繪畫發展超過百年，許多抽象藝術的經典作品已成為世界各大美術館裡的典藏品，抽象繪畫在各拍賣會中也屢創驚人的天價。但在臺灣，抽象繪畫似乎始終尷尬的徘徊於市場和學術的邊緣。有部分藝術家因自身的心性使然，在創作多年對藝術有更深刻的體會之後而走向了抽象，但曲高和寡；臺灣的抽象藝術至今與大眾似乎還是沒有交集。西方抽象繪畫的出現有其時空背景與歷史的淵源，除了是藝術自身脈絡發展的結果之外，也受到當時的哲學與科技發展的影響，加上兩次世界大戰更讓人質疑外在進步的科技所帶給人類的，到底是幸福？還是毀滅？轉入生命底層的省思與抽象的體現就成為美術史的必然。拜科技發展所賜，在相對和平的年代與地區，人們已習慣容易且迅速地獲得一切的資訊與物質，所以人們也不想花太多功夫去積澱藝術欣賞的基礎，開始想要一種比較輕鬆而且容易進入的藝術，也就是比較通俗流行更具親和力的藝術。這並不是不好，但它的淺薄化可能會傷害了藝術中最寶貴的精神性。然而另一方面值得我們檢視的是，20世紀初最前衛的抽象藝術，到今日是不是已落入對西方經典抽象形式系統重複的窠臼之中?
 
當代抽象繪畫之所以能夠持續的發展，一方面是因為畫面的解讀具有高度的開放性，二方面是理想與現實的戰場永遠存在，抽象藝術讓我們能夠自由遨遊，掙脫每天歷歷在目的現實。三方面當代抽象藝術具有與時俱進的視覺當代感和融滲力。倫敦泰德現代美術館(Tate Modern)策展人馬克·高德飛(Mark Godfrey) 於2015年策劃的展覽- 科技後的繪畫(Painting After Technology)，引起藝術界高度的關注，從展覽中就可以窺見當代抽象藝術雜糅當下人類生活特質和文化的靈活多元樣貌。去年五月臺中的國璽藝術委託本人策劃了1960~1969出生的臺灣抽象藝術家的一個聯展-臺灣當代抽象藝術首部曲-隱藏的視界，獲得了許多關注與好評，於展覽期間舉辦的座談會邀請了臺北藝術大學退休的知名藝術家陳世明教授與策展人並展出藝術家的精采對話亦留下寶貴的篇章。2019年國璽藝術再推出臺灣當代抽象藝術-隱藏的視界二部曲，邀請了1970~1979出生的八位臺灣中青世代的藝術家 : 劉文德、吳銀海、王公澤、戴佳茹、羅睿琳、許國鈺、柯偉國與趙璐嘉。在當代眾多前衛藝術與絢麗的形式媒材中，這些藝術家沒有追隨藝術流行的發展趨勢，也不願意屈服於大眾文化素質的審美品味，而是頑強地選擇了具有超然物外性格的抽象繪畫，若說五、六O年代的臺灣抽象完成了抽象藝術與中華文化的初步嫁接工作，那麼這幾位七O年代出生的臺灣藝術家的抽象藝術則是更自在地融入了一些個人化的心象或思緒上的辯證，包含對理想的追尋與對自然的獨特直觀體驗，或是對生命或生活的體驗，甚至朝向個人修為的內觀世界，重新定義了抽象語彙與自身創作意圖的連結性。

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