Newsletter No. 481

一位青年藝術家的自畫像 A Self-Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man 星前月下,一個背影正在爬出陽台,跨向前 方的階梯,離開住所。這身影張開雙臂,擁 抱眼前新發現的、出乎意料的自由。儘管身 上還穿着睡衣,他已迫不及待踏上命運之 旅。雖然前路充滿未知,觀者也無從窺見主 角的臉,樂觀情緒仍躍然紙上。離開安舒區 去追夢也許是一時衝動,但追夢者並不在意 別人也許會視此為不切實際。畢竟,何謂切 合實際?就藝術追求而言,真有實際或是理 性這回事嗎? 在藝術展遍地開花、收藏家富可敵國的二十 一世紀來說,後一個問題的答案可能是「有」; 但在《追夢者》成畫的1958年則未必。那 時,幾乎沒有任何平台介紹或展出新晉藝術 家甚至知名藝術家的作品,位於大會堂的 香港博物美術館(香港藝術館前身)尚未興 建,時年二十二歲的王無邪才習畫兩年。他 並非出身書畫世家,從聖若瑟書院畢業後家 人也無力供他上大學。他在一所商行當文員 謀生,雖然工作穩定,但在商業世界卻找不 到滿足感,於是他把公餘時間花在作畫和 寫詩上。1958年是王無邪的轉捩點,他參與 成立了現代文學美術協會並擔任其主席,同 時開始跟隨現代水墨先鋒呂壽琨(1919– 1975)學畫。在藝術與文學之間,王無邪最 終選擇了前者,這個抉擇或可以從《追夢者》 中略見端倪。簡言之,這幅夢之畫正畫出了一 個畫家夢。 乍看之下,此畫似乎是業餘藝術家的隨手之 作。然而流暢自信的線條運用、緊湊的構圖 和合乎邏輯的空間顯示,以及和諧協調的色 彩配搭,都儼然出自大師之手。此外,《追 夢者》的卡通風格是理解畫意的關鍵。畫的 題材「追夢」既然是個縹緲的幻想,利用本 質上就兼具幻想與現實的風格來表達,無疑 合適不過。因此,觀者無須深究畫中細節, 例如,陽台外怎會有樓梯,梯級通向哪裏等 等。就讓畫作帶領我們進入不折不扣的奇幻 世界,無須把情境理性分析,只管盡情感受 便是了。這畫似在暗喻凡夢皆有可能。一如 所喻,壽登耄耋的原作者活出夢想,至今已 悠悠六十載。 Under a moonlit sky, a silhouetted figure climbs out of the balcony and reaches for the steps that will lead him out of his current abode. The figure raises his arms to embrace this newfound, if unexpected, freedom. Still in pajamas, he cannot wait to embark on the path to his destiny. While his imminent journey is filled with unknowns and while his face is concealed from the viewer, optimism abounds. Leaving his comfort zone to chase a dream may be an impulsive decision, but the dream chaser is not concerned with what others may consider as unrealistic pursuit. What is realistic anyway? Is there such a thing as a realistic or rational pursuit in arts? If the answer to the second question is affirmative in the vibrant twenty-first century art scene filled with burgeoning art fairs and affluent collectors, it was not necessarily the case when Dream Chaser was painted in 1958. At that time, there were hardly any platforms to introduce or display works by fledgling artists—or well-known artists for that matter—and the City Hall Museum and Art Gallery (forerunner of the Hong Kong Museum of Art) had yet to be built. Wucius Wong, then 22 years of age, had only been painting for two years. His interest in the arts was not cultivated at home, which did not have the means to send him to university upon his graduation from St. Joseph’s College. Subsequently, Wong earned a living working as a clerk in a commercial firm. Though he had a stable job, he did not find fulfillment in the commercial world. His spare time was spent on painting and publishing poetry. The year 1958 was a turning point for Wong, because he had co- founded and chaired the Modern Literature and Art Association, and he also began to learn to paint under the pioneer in modern painting Lui Shou-kwan (1919–1975). Wong would ultimately have to choose between art and literature, and his choice of art may be cued from this visual manifestation of his dream. In short, this painting of a dream is really about his dream of painting. At first glance, the painting may appear to be a freehand by an amateur artist. Yet the fluid and confident execution of lines, the tight composition with logical spatial recession, and the harmonious use of colours indicate that it came from the hand of a master. More importantly, the cartoonish style is central to the meaning of the painting. As the subject of the painting—chasing dream—may be considered a fantasy, there could hardly be a better way to convey this theme than in a style that is by definition drawn from both fantasy and reality. As such, it is not incumbent upon the viewer to find reasons for all or any of the features, e.g., how there could be steps outside the balcony, to where they lead, etc. We are thus led in to a world of real fantasy, where one does not need to make sense of the situation, but simply to make the best out of it. The underlying message appears to be that all dreams are possible. Fittingly, the artist, who’s now an octogenarian, has been living his dream for six decades. 王無邪(1936 – ) / 《追夢者》, 1958 水彩紙本, 35.8 x 24.6厘米 / 王無邪贈, 2016.0037 上述作品現於文物館之《追夢者:王無邪教授早期 作品展》展出,展期至八月三十一日。 The painting is currently exhibited at Dream Chaser: Early Paintings of Professor Wucius Wong at the Art Museum until 31 Aug 2016. 09 # 4 8 1 | 1 9 . 0 8 . 2 0 1 6 Wucius Wong (b. 1936) / Dream Chaser , 1958 Watercolour on paper, 35.8 x 24.6cm / Gift of Wucius Wong, 2016.0037

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