從生命到宇宙的定理— 侯玉書作品中的圖式與意涵 文｜莊偉慈
繪畫的源起，一直與神秘學、宗教與靈性等此種原始而具有直觀特質的文化密不可分。無論是東方或是西方的藝術創造，都存在著一種直觀而樸素的特徵。
侯玉書的繪畫作品，一直以來具有一種超越時空與文化限制的特質，那種特質幾乎是穿梭來去在不同的宗教與社會，是一種直指人類心靈感受、或者是可以引起情緒共振的頻率。這種特質，不由得讓人想起早期希臘哲學家在談及美學時，特別注意到宇宙萬物的本源或本體的問題。
在談及古代美學之前，我們有必要在此先回顧侯玉書歷年來的創作。在早期、特別是90年代的作品裡，侯玉書的作品多半是將文字與畫面融合在一起。根據藝術家自己所言，這樣的作法多半與繪畫當時的意念有關係。在〈關於我和我的秘錄殿堂〉一文中，侯玉書剖析將文字與畫面結合，一直是他所偏愛的創作模式，而這樣的形式其實可以追溯到中國山水畫或者是西方中世紀彩繪飾本的創作形式。然而在侯玉書的作品裡，文字與圖像的結合，是給予畫面以及觀者更多的想像空間，而不是一種單向式的傳達。侯玉書特別以超現實主義畫家馬格利特的作品為例，指出在自己的繪畫創作中，其實要給出的是超越圖像與文字意義的內涵。那樣的想像空間，能夠跨越文化的制約，而直達到心靈深處無法被語言所傳達的地方。
這樣的美學觀念，直接呼應了早期希臘古代的美學理念。在西元前6世紀，希臘的畢達格拉斯學派即特別注意宇宙萬物的本源與本體的問題。他們認為，世界的本源是數，數是無形的，但卻能由心靈體會，也就是說，「數」統治著一切。在這樣的理念之中，我們可以從中理解到，某種抽象的精神實體其實是先於物而存在的。而在其美學的概念裡，其命題在於美是和諧、對稱以及比例，在此種以數學概念為基礎的美學哲學中，提到了無論是音樂或者是藝術均具有心理淨化作用的問題，乃至於由數的哲學出發，以做為一切美學問題所能提出的宇宙論解釋。
在畢達格拉斯學派的理念中，美最主要的特徵就是「和諧」，和諧是許多混雜要素的統一，也是不同要素的相互一致。在其中存在著一種數量關係的平衡，也存在對立面的協調一致，也就是說，美是由數量關係所創造出來的和諧。在這樣的美學思想中，由於是從音樂理論為考察的出發點，因此其美學特別著重於宇宙是按照一定的數所構成的和諧的系統，只要任何事物與現象有其和諧即是美。
在侯玉書最初於1990年代創作的作品裡，先確立了具有高度辨識度的特質。在「侯玉書的繪畫與單刷版畫」一展中，他將圖像與心靈乍現的靈光或是深度思維結合為具有文學特質般細膩的畫面，這些畫面也許具有某些象徵性的特質，也許是宗教般的崇高或神聖，但也有更多是屬於個人情懷般具有詩意之作。然而從此時期的作品裡，隱然可以察覺到在具有詩意的圖像之外，侯玉書嘗試著在創作裡追求更為超越智識與傳統訓練的美學概念，追求一種能與宇宙秩序相呼應的藝術可能。
在近日的新作中，侯玉書透過神秘學的角度，以曼陀羅式的圓形造型做為主要的創作形式，這種從圓形為出發的圖式，不僅僅呼應宇宙中的無形秩序，同時也與東西方文明中基礎的造型意涵也有關係。也就是說，侯玉書的作品以圓形做為所有的概念與空間的代表，而一個圓形可以容納什麼樣的內容，除了具有其一定的秩序之外，也呼應觀者內心的想望——亦及見山是山、見水是水的一種反照。
對於侯玉書而言，這種以圓形造型為基底的創作，是屬於一種「超空間」的符號，即使是以不同的語言和來自不同的文化背景，仍然可以透過顏色、符號創造出一種共通的語彙。因此圓形的造型代表無形的宇宙，也是一個可以容納各種可能性的宇宙空間。
在這些作品中，看似具有秩序性的安排，其實是來自於隨機的決定。侯玉書坦言，畫面中所有的顏色幾乎都是透過隨機的方式來選取，在作品沒有完成前，幾乎無法預測其樣貌。然而特別的是，這樣的隨機性卻微妙地展現出高度的平衡，或是共構出獨特的秩序與個性，創造出一種來自於肉體的能量測量。亦即，儘管顏色的挑選屬於隨機，但冥冥之中卻具有一種宿命的秩序：藝術作品可以是與生命情境相對應的。
這樣的創作形式與侯玉書近年對於能量場域的關注關係特別緊密。在他的作品「空間．不思議」系列中，所有圓形的基底是以360度的大圓為準，並且以每10度劃分為一格（共36格）的形式開展。在此既有的秩序下，圓形的造型不斷的重複、增生、重疊、交映，幾乎是以呼應單細胞生長的概念發展，有如生命之花的展現。而在展場的安排中，將作品懸吊在高處並且構成一個特殊觀展場域的佈展方式，亦是在於創造出超越單一觀看作品的模式，以及更為獨特的藝術場域。侯玉書曾經提到，他近日對於具有宗教性質的空間，或者是具有儀式性的場域感到特別有興趣，這樣的興趣不全然是與信仰相關，然而在在都展現出了他對於生命、能量平衡和神秘學的關注。誠如侯玉書所提到的，任何的宇宙哲學，都可能經由藝術給出提示，而這樣從宇宙哲學為出發的藝術理念，確實也與古代希臘美學對於和諧的概念相呼應。
對於侯玉書而言，其創作生涯已然進入了另一階段，創作並不是尋找解答的過程，也不是追求結果的手段。所謂的藝術，應該是「去接納無限的可能」，對他而言，唯有自由，才能做出真正的選擇，而藝術創作也理當如此。
侯玉書的繪畫作品，一直以來具有一種超越時空與文化限制的特質，那種特質幾乎是穿梭來去在不同的宗教與社會，是一種直指人類心靈感受、或者是可以引起情緒共振的頻率。這種特質，不由得讓人想起早期希臘哲學家在談及美學時，特別注意到宇宙萬物的本源或本體的問題。
在談及古代美學之前，我們有必要在此先回顧侯玉書歷年來的創作。在早期、特別是90年代的作品裡，侯玉書的作品多半是將文字與畫面融合在一起。根據藝術家自己所言，這樣的作法多半與繪畫當時的意念有關係。在〈關於我和我的秘錄殿堂〉一文中，侯玉書剖析將文字與畫面結合，一直是他所偏愛的創作模式，而這樣的形式其實可以追溯到中國山水畫或者是西方中世紀彩繪飾本的創作形式。然而在侯玉書的作品裡，文字與圖像的結合，是給予畫面以及觀者更多的想像空間，而不是一種單向式的傳達。侯玉書特別以超現實主義畫家馬格利特的作品為例，指出在自己的繪畫創作中，其實要給出的是超越圖像與文字意義的內涵。那樣的想像空間，能夠跨越文化的制約，而直達到心靈深處無法被語言所傳達的地方。
這樣的美學觀念，直接呼應了早期希臘古代的美學理念。在西元前6世紀，希臘的畢達格拉斯學派即特別注意宇宙萬物的本源與本體的問題。他們認為，世界的本源是數，數是無形的，但卻能由心靈體會，也就是說，「數」統治著一切。在這樣的理念之中，我們可以從中理解到，某種抽象的精神實體其實是先於物而存在的。而在其美學的概念裡，其命題在於美是和諧、對稱以及比例，在此種以數學概念為基礎的美學哲學中，提到了無論是音樂或者是藝術均具有心理淨化作用的問題，乃至於由數的哲學出發，以做為一切美學問題所能提出的宇宙論解釋。
在畢達格拉斯學派的理念中，美最主要的特徵就是「和諧」，和諧是許多混雜要素的統一，也是不同要素的相互一致。在其中存在著一種數量關係的平衡，也存在對立面的協調一致，也就是說，美是由數量關係所創造出來的和諧。在這樣的美學思想中，由於是從音樂理論為考察的出發點，因此其美學特別著重於宇宙是按照一定的數所構成的和諧的系統，只要任何事物與現象有其和諧即是美。
在侯玉書最初於1990年代創作的作品裡，先確立了具有高度辨識度的特質。在「侯玉書的繪畫與單刷版畫」一展中，他將圖像與心靈乍現的靈光或是深度思維結合為具有文學特質般細膩的畫面，這些畫面也許具有某些象徵性的特質，也許是宗教般的崇高或神聖，但也有更多是屬於個人情懷般具有詩意之作。然而從此時期的作品裡，隱然可以察覺到在具有詩意的圖像之外，侯玉書嘗試著在創作裡追求更為超越智識與傳統訓練的美學概念，追求一種能與宇宙秩序相呼應的藝術可能。
在近日的新作中，侯玉書透過神秘學的角度，以曼陀羅式的圓形造型做為主要的創作形式，這種從圓形為出發的圖式，不僅僅呼應宇宙中的無形秩序，同時也與東西方文明中基礎的造型意涵也有關係。也就是說，侯玉書的作品以圓形做為所有的概念與空間的代表，而一個圓形可以容納什麼樣的內容，除了具有其一定的秩序之外，也呼應觀者內心的想望——亦及見山是山、見水是水的一種反照。
對於侯玉書而言，這種以圓形造型為基底的創作，是屬於一種「超空間」的符號，即使是以不同的語言和來自不同的文化背景，仍然可以透過顏色、符號創造出一種共通的語彙。因此圓形的造型代表無形的宇宙，也是一個可以容納各種可能性的宇宙空間。
在這些作品中，看似具有秩序性的安排，其實是來自於隨機的決定。侯玉書坦言，畫面中所有的顏色幾乎都是透過隨機的方式來選取，在作品沒有完成前，幾乎無法預測其樣貌。然而特別的是，這樣的隨機性卻微妙地展現出高度的平衡，或是共構出獨特的秩序與個性，創造出一種來自於肉體的能量測量。亦即，儘管顏色的挑選屬於隨機，但冥冥之中卻具有一種宿命的秩序：藝術作品可以是與生命情境相對應的。
這樣的創作形式與侯玉書近年對於能量場域的關注關係特別緊密。在他的作品「空間．不思議」系列中，所有圓形的基底是以360度的大圓為準，並且以每10度劃分為一格（共36格）的形式開展。在此既有的秩序下，圓形的造型不斷的重複、增生、重疊、交映，幾乎是以呼應單細胞生長的概念發展，有如生命之花的展現。而在展場的安排中，將作品懸吊在高處並且構成一個特殊觀展場域的佈展方式，亦是在於創造出超越單一觀看作品的模式，以及更為獨特的藝術場域。侯玉書曾經提到，他近日對於具有宗教性質的空間，或者是具有儀式性的場域感到特別有興趣，這樣的興趣不全然是與信仰相關，然而在在都展現出了他對於生命、能量平衡和神秘學的關注。誠如侯玉書所提到的，任何的宇宙哲學，都可能經由藝術給出提示，而這樣從宇宙哲學為出發的藝術理念，確實也與古代希臘美學對於和諧的概念相呼應。
對於侯玉書而言，其創作生涯已然進入了另一階段，創作並不是尋找解答的過程，也不是追求結果的手段。所謂的藝術，應該是「去接納無限的可能」，對他而言，唯有自由，才能做出真正的選擇，而藝術創作也理當如此。
A Theorem of Life and the Universe
--Images and Meanings in George Y. Ho’s Artworks By Wei-tzu Chuang
The origin of painting has always been linked closely with cultural elements that connect directly to a person’s core, such as occultism, religion and spirituality. This quality is present in the art of both the East and the West.
George Y. Ho’s paintings always possess a trans-temporal and trans-cultural character, shuttling between different religions and societies. It is a character that touches the human heart, or a frequency that resonates with one’s emotions. When pondering about this character, one cannot help but think about the topic of the Universal Source brought up by the Greek philosophers in their discourse on aesthetics.
Before going further into ancient aesthetics, we need to review Ho’s art creations through his career up to now. During his early period, particularly the 1990’s, He often combined words and image in his composition. According to the artist himself, such presentation probably is related to his point of view at that time. In the article About Me and My Hall of Records, Ho explains that the combination of text and image has been one of his favorite formats. Such format can be traced back to the traditional Chinese landscape paintings or the medieval illuminated manuscripts. The difference between those and the way Ho combines text and images is that he aims to provide the viewer with more space for imagination, rather than delivering a simple one-way message. Using the works by the surrealist artist René Magritte as an example, Ho points out that he intends to present contents beyond the meanings of images and words in his works. It is a space for imagination that surpasses the confinement of cultures and directly reaches the inner depth of hearts where no language can describe.
This aesthetic concept directly resonates with that of the ancient Greeks. In 6th century B.C., those of the Pythagoreans School in Greek already paid particular attention to the question of the origin and substance of the universes. They generally considered that numbers (mathematics) are the origin of the physical world. While numbers are abstract ideas, it can be understood by one’s spirit. In other words, the numbers govern the universes. From here we can understand that certain abstract spiritual entity exists prior to the creation of matter. With this concept applied to the aesthetics, the theme of beauty is all about harmony, symmetry and proportion. This mathematically based aesthetic philosophy mentions that both music and art can serve to purify one’s mind. Based on mathematics, all aesthetic questions can be answered at the cosmic, universal level.
The major attribute of beauty is “harmony” within the Pythagorean concepts. Harmony refers to the unification of muddled elements, or finding unanimity in different factors. There exists a quantitative balance as well as a coordinated consistency between the opposites. In other words, beauty is harmony created through quantitative relationships. Since this observation is made from the perspective of music theory, this aesthetic especially considers the universe as a harmonized system of fixed numbers. Any harmonious thing or phenomena could be considered as beauty.
Ho’s distinctive qualities were already apparent in his work form the early 1990’s. In the exhibition entitled Paintings and Monotypes by George Y. Ho, He infused images with flashes of spiritual inspiration or deeply pondered issues to produce tableaus resembling refined literature. These imageries are sometimes symbolic, sometimes showing religious sublimity and sacredness, but mostly they are poetic expressions of personal sentiments. Nevertheless, from his works of this period, one could detect subtly that, beyond the poetic imagery, Ho’s intention to pursue an aesthetic concept that transcends the intellect and conventional training and allows him to find possibility to resonate with the cosmological order.
For his recent works, Ho takes on an occult approach and adopts a mandala-style circular form as the main format. This circular imagery not only matches the invisible operating procedure of the universe but also relates to the prototypic iconography in both Eastern and Western civilizations. In other words, Ho uses the circular form to represent all concepts and space. The kind of content a circle could contain depends on its ascertained order as well as the projection of the viewer’s inner yearning.
For Ho, this circular format artwork is a type of “hyperspace” symbol. Namely, a common language can be shared among all through colors and symbols despite different languages and cultural backgrounds. Accordingly, the circular form indicates the formless universe as well as a space that is open to all possibilities.
Some seemingly very orderly arrangements in those artworks actually came about by chance. Ho confessed that almost all of the colors in tableaus were picked coincidentally, and therefore the final outcome of each piece was not predictable.
Surprisingly, these compositions of chance turned out to be ingeniously balanced, each showing individual character, and a gauge of the energies that created them. In other words, although the selection of colors is by chance, there is a hidden pre-destined order: art does imitate life.
This particular working process is closely tied to Ho’s recent interest in the realm of energy. In the Space of Wonder series, all of the circular forms are based on a 360-degree circular template which is subdivided into 36 sections of ten degrees each. With this parameter, different circles are repeating, growing, overlapping and interlocking constantly, like unicellular growth or the blossoming of the “flower of life.” Hanging the artworks higher than usual and placing them in a “space within a space” formation create a special installation that offers a new point of view other than the conventional one-way mode. Ho once mentioned that recently he has been particularly interested in spaces for ritual or worship. This interest is not specifically related to holding any particular faith but does demonstrate his focus on life, the balance of energies and occultism. Indeed, as Ho mentioned earlier, it is possible to express different types of cosmology through art, and such ideology for art matches perfectly with the concept of harmony of ancient Greek aesthetics.
Ho apparently has entered the next stage of his creative life, where art creation is not about looking for answers nor some means to an end. Art should be about “receiving the infinite possibilities.” For him, making true choice comes only with total freedom, and art making is no exception.
George Y. Ho’s paintings always possess a trans-temporal and trans-cultural character, shuttling between different religions and societies. It is a character that touches the human heart, or a frequency that resonates with one’s emotions. When pondering about this character, one cannot help but think about the topic of the Universal Source brought up by the Greek philosophers in their discourse on aesthetics.
Before going further into ancient aesthetics, we need to review Ho’s art creations through his career up to now. During his early period, particularly the 1990’s, He often combined words and image in his composition. According to the artist himself, such presentation probably is related to his point of view at that time. In the article About Me and My Hall of Records, Ho explains that the combination of text and image has been one of his favorite formats. Such format can be traced back to the traditional Chinese landscape paintings or the medieval illuminated manuscripts. The difference between those and the way Ho combines text and images is that he aims to provide the viewer with more space for imagination, rather than delivering a simple one-way message. Using the works by the surrealist artist René Magritte as an example, Ho points out that he intends to present contents beyond the meanings of images and words in his works. It is a space for imagination that surpasses the confinement of cultures and directly reaches the inner depth of hearts where no language can describe.
This aesthetic concept directly resonates with that of the ancient Greeks. In 6th century B.C., those of the Pythagoreans School in Greek already paid particular attention to the question of the origin and substance of the universes. They generally considered that numbers (mathematics) are the origin of the physical world. While numbers are abstract ideas, it can be understood by one’s spirit. In other words, the numbers govern the universes. From here we can understand that certain abstract spiritual entity exists prior to the creation of matter. With this concept applied to the aesthetics, the theme of beauty is all about harmony, symmetry and proportion. This mathematically based aesthetic philosophy mentions that both music and art can serve to purify one’s mind. Based on mathematics, all aesthetic questions can be answered at the cosmic, universal level.
The major attribute of beauty is “harmony” within the Pythagorean concepts. Harmony refers to the unification of muddled elements, or finding unanimity in different factors. There exists a quantitative balance as well as a coordinated consistency between the opposites. In other words, beauty is harmony created through quantitative relationships. Since this observation is made from the perspective of music theory, this aesthetic especially considers the universe as a harmonized system of fixed numbers. Any harmonious thing or phenomena could be considered as beauty.
Ho’s distinctive qualities were already apparent in his work form the early 1990’s. In the exhibition entitled Paintings and Monotypes by George Y. Ho, He infused images with flashes of spiritual inspiration or deeply pondered issues to produce tableaus resembling refined literature. These imageries are sometimes symbolic, sometimes showing religious sublimity and sacredness, but mostly they are poetic expressions of personal sentiments. Nevertheless, from his works of this period, one could detect subtly that, beyond the poetic imagery, Ho’s intention to pursue an aesthetic concept that transcends the intellect and conventional training and allows him to find possibility to resonate with the cosmological order.
For his recent works, Ho takes on an occult approach and adopts a mandala-style circular form as the main format. This circular imagery not only matches the invisible operating procedure of the universe but also relates to the prototypic iconography in both Eastern and Western civilizations. In other words, Ho uses the circular form to represent all concepts and space. The kind of content a circle could contain depends on its ascertained order as well as the projection of the viewer’s inner yearning.
For Ho, this circular format artwork is a type of “hyperspace” symbol. Namely, a common language can be shared among all through colors and symbols despite different languages and cultural backgrounds. Accordingly, the circular form indicates the formless universe as well as a space that is open to all possibilities.
Some seemingly very orderly arrangements in those artworks actually came about by chance. Ho confessed that almost all of the colors in tableaus were picked coincidentally, and therefore the final outcome of each piece was not predictable.
Surprisingly, these compositions of chance turned out to be ingeniously balanced, each showing individual character, and a gauge of the energies that created them. In other words, although the selection of colors is by chance, there is a hidden pre-destined order: art does imitate life.
This particular working process is closely tied to Ho’s recent interest in the realm of energy. In the Space of Wonder series, all of the circular forms are based on a 360-degree circular template which is subdivided into 36 sections of ten degrees each. With this parameter, different circles are repeating, growing, overlapping and interlocking constantly, like unicellular growth or the blossoming of the “flower of life.” Hanging the artworks higher than usual and placing them in a “space within a space” formation create a special installation that offers a new point of view other than the conventional one-way mode. Ho once mentioned that recently he has been particularly interested in spaces for ritual or worship. This interest is not specifically related to holding any particular faith but does demonstrate his focus on life, the balance of energies and occultism. Indeed, as Ho mentioned earlier, it is possible to express different types of cosmology through art, and such ideology for art matches perfectly with the concept of harmony of ancient Greek aesthetics.
Ho apparently has entered the next stage of his creative life, where art creation is not about looking for answers nor some means to an end. Art should be about “receiving the infinite possibilities.” For him, making true choice comes only with total freedom, and art making is no exception.