Forest Series

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Acrylic on canvas

200x345cm、70x100cm、72.5x116.5cm、80x150cm、53x41cm

2017

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By consistently ensuring the predominance of his desired tonal palettes, Shiu Sheng-Hung’s art manifests dynamics that are exceptional both in breadth and in conceptual meaning. This visual fluidity allows his paintings to feel unique and to change in depth and appearance each time they are seen, depending on externalities which include the perspectives from which the paintings are seen and the lighting present. At the heart of this versatility lies Shiu’s overarching commentary on the nature of time and memory: the use of pearlescent paint over elements of his paintings have ethereal and transformative effects on his art while remaining crucially symbolic of the relationship between temporality and remembrance in viewers’ minds. 

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In his ‘Forest’ series, Shiu remains faithful to these hallmarks of his art. Drawing upon photographs from his travels in Taiwan, he employs a primarily blue colour scheme and, selectively, pearlescent paint to signify the progression of time and the ephemeral essence of memory. These components lend a sense of ambiguity and mystery to the paintings. Shiu views his art as a mode of communication that transcends verbal expression, allowing viewers of the paintings to freely interpret them within the context of their own personal narrative. His paintings are therefore interpretations, and not mere replications, of the photographs which serve as their reference - they encapsulate the fundamental aspects of his art.

 

 

這系列風景畫的圖像來源大多取自於我出外踏青或旅行所拍攝的照片。

 

繪畫對我而言是個載體，面對過往拍攝的攝影圖像開始寫生，然而我所畫的多半不是再現這些風景，而是過程中不斷面對當下的自身狀態、生活環境以及這些人事已非的場景所帶給我的想像。藉由繪畫性連結過往至當下的時間性並雜揉在畫布上，成為即將在某個時刻顯現的圖像。有些是對於未知的連結，透過繪畫啟動這挖掘的過程。繪製這些風景畫就像是讓四散的生命經驗在此相遇，繪畫對於畫者而言是不斷處理自身與空間、時間關係的課題。

 

每座森林作為隱喻有著自身運作的生態體系，有時候我們只是暫時路過。在這每一片刻短暫相遇的過程中景色依舊、人事已非甚至全然更替、消失，而我們始終仍不斷穿梭於不同體系間，在互動交流中找尋自身的位置。風景中刻意沒有人被安排在畫面裡，然後每一個風景都是與不同的人在不同的時間點彼此交織構成所留下的痕跡。