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Malena Valcárcel


Malena Valcárcel
Spain based paper sculptor artists
MalenaValcarcel.etsy.com
近来时常被头晕目眩感所困扰,尤其是在阅读、画画时。甚至此刻码着字都觉得Retina上面的字是花的。籍着用眼过度的说辞对肝脏类食物放松了管控。确实会时不时想象某一天是否会输给退化的视网膜,什么都不能读,什么也不能写。已经习惯了以视觉认知的人,无法想象如何以其余五感体察世界。
 
真心想关爱一下视力但还是停不下阅读,在刚结束的7天staycation中,几乎每天都要读完一本书方找回一丝inner peace(题外话一句,Ruined by Reading 是本值得一翻的书,只是不要去读译本)。I am not bothering you guys why I need to retrieve some of the inner peace, the point is I can always (almost) get everything I need in books. 
 
认知是输入,表达是输出的过程。改变认知模式不易,寻求另一种创意的表现方式并不是不可能。Malena 选择用旧书雕刻,为那些被遗弃的物品谱写续章。Malena 的paper sculpture 作品从diorama到饰品都有涉猎。某些diorama的场景和采用做基的书的主题相关,比如Charon, Fragile。留声机miniature 、黄铜+纸的袖扣也是十分精巧——已经买了一对袖扣准备改天心情不错时,送给某位同样痴迷书的人。以上种种无一不需要那种最心无旁骛的状态,哦,还要有一双不老花的眼睛。

Malena 的作品中,我最喜欢的是下图中书室一角的diorama。黑暗中微闪的暖色光,带着思考独处的片刻,和属于自己脑中、沉于气质中的文字,才最叫人心安。

Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? 
A:
We are surrounded by objects (with beauty) and our connection with them is absolute. To me aesthetics is the simple contemplation of an object, without judgement. Nature is the aesthetics form I like most, I can get lost in nature!! 

Q: Why do you choose paper sculpture to express your ideas? And why books, especially discarded book to be the substrate of your creations?
A:
As a paper artist, I tell my own stories using books as my canvases. I give them new lives as beautiful, incredibly unique works of art. Books are amazing and important things, they are ideas, knowledge, and emotions. Books can change people, start revolutions, change the world. I believe using them to create something new, give them new life… 
 gives to this Art a different concept, depth and magic at the same time. My work is a collaboration with the existing material and its past creators.
The completed pieces expose new relationships of the book’s internal elements exactly where they have been since their original conception. 
 

Q: I noticed that light is also playing an important role in your works, such as “a corner to relax” (which is also one of my fav).
A: 
I have a vivid imagination and I am, most of the time, designing and arranging elements for my work in my mind. I also sketch quite often in a notebook I carry with me always. I believe adding light to my creations gives them a, somehow, magic appearance, a magical glow.

Q: What is your typical workday and what is the most essential item in your workspace? 
A: 
I now live surrounded by nature so, after breakfast, I go for a walk into the woods with my two dogs. Here I can be grounded and keep my mind calm to create. My most essential item in my workspace are scissors, without them I wouldn´t be able to make most of my creations. 
            
Q: Your works are intricate and delicate. It is hard for me to imagine all the patience you have input, it also makes me curious about your state of mind while creating.
A: 
I need to be in peace, that is why it is so important for me to live in contact with nature. At the same time, my work gives me the peace of mind I need if I am, for any reason, stressed or nervous. It is like a symbiosis of body and mind.

Q: At last, please tell us the story of your favorite work.
A: 
Right now, my favorite work is “Into The Mystic”. It represents a girl drifting on a boat along a river. The girl is lying down surrounded by flowers and a record player playing a tune. I made this Sculpture in a time of my life when I was feeling a bit lost. It is strange how coincidences work… I love Van Morrison and one of his songs “Into The Mystic”, I kept listening to it while I was working on this Piece so I decided to titled it with the same name, it was so right and it matched perfectly!!

Malgorzata Sajur


Malgorzata Sajur
Poland based photographer
​
Explore more here: msajur.com
I can never figure out how I really look like, since I can only see myself from reflections that echoes back from somewhere
or someone else. I am just curious if I ever know who I really am

#me in your eyes. Yet, I will always love the ‘me in your eyes’, as I am the one you see

Leave alone the fact that each time when we want to see self, we see reflections. The mechanism of how we see is also tricky. Light reflects, and then cornea and lens refract it. Retina gets infos and transforms them into pulses; they go through all the transmission eventually being read by brain. But brain also lies. Yes, I just make this sound less romantic by explaining the principles with my old science student mindset  :)

人之所见,仅是大脑对electrical signals 的猜测。 

Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? 你如何定义“美”?喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
A:  Aesthetics means beauty, in the ordinary sense. But for every man, beauty can be something else. For me it is a sensual reception of reality, harmony, contact with nature, a sense of inner peace and the process of creation. I like simplicity, minimalism and balance. A simple life, without excess and chaos gives me internal strength and a willingness to live. 对常人而言,美泛指美好之物;就个体来看,它又会有各种衍生体。美于我是一种现实经过感官的转化,它意味着和谐,尤其是内心的平和。在我与自然的亲近或创作过程之中,美的能量会被最大化。我喜欢简约、平衡、有秩序的美,也是这些元素赋予了我生存的热情。

Q: What kind of connection do you think that exists between aesthetics and daily life? 你认为美与生活是怎样连结在一起的?
A: I think it is an ability to find beauty in ordinary things, in everyday routine activities. I'm still learning this. Photography helps me a lot. Watching and analyzing the world through the lens allows me to notice things noteworthy in a chaotic reality - a beautiful play of light, a gently waving curtain in the window, raindrops on the glass, gestures.... Look, listen and feel. The admiration of the world and life will come alone. 在索然无味中发现美的存在是一种后天习得的能力,这也是我还在学习的。摄影对此大有裨益。透过目镜观察这个喧扰的世界时,它筛选出了真正值得留意的事物——炫丽的光,轻舞于窗口的薄纱,沿玻璃顺势而下的雨珠,静止在某个瞬间的举止……用你的感官细细领悟这个世界,它也将回以最美的一面。

Q: I was thinking about reflections while looking myself in the mirror the other day and I saw your series I LOOK AT MYSELF just then. Why did you start this project? What kind of story are you trying to tell us by using mirror as the media? 有一天照镜子时,我在思索镜中反射这回事,那之后我恰好就看到了 I LOOK AT MY SELF 系列。你是因何开始这个系列?为什么选择镜面作为诉说故事的媒介?
A: I talk about my emotions this way. The mirror that I hold in my hand is to emphasize that I do it consciously, with full premeditation, and not by the way. I want to see myself from a distance, in the reflection of the mirror. And look at myself other in moments of sadness, peace, anger, silence, fear, unbelief and ask myself why I feel this way. To undergo self-reflection. Get to know myself better and accept. Let me show my feelings, do not suppress them. 我在这个系列中倾入了深厚的个人情绪,手中的镜子是为了强调这个系列的主观性——这些作品都是设计好的,而非随性之作。我想退后一步,站在另一个角度审视自己。比方说从镜子中观察自己,从而得以观察到不同情绪下的自我:忧伤、平和、愤怒、沉默、恐惧、怀疑。我深深地自省这些情绪由何而生、从何而
来。这样的过程使我更深刻地了解自己,进而接受自己。I LOOK AT MY SELF 系列,是我内心深处情绪的出口。

Q: I like how you juxtapose your reflection and shadow together in your latest mirror selfies. What is the intention of such juxtapositions? 在你最近的一些自拍作品中,你以影子和镜中的反射为元素,将其并置。这种并置的目的是什么呢?
A: Fragments of my face in the mirror is a confirmation of my existence. The shadow on the wall is the awareness that I will not be around in a while. I will stay only in the memory of others. It's inevitable. I get used to the thoughts of passing away and at the same time I try to be here and now. I derive joy from it. 我选择在镜中只露出部分面庞,这是对自身存在的肯定。我在墙上投下的影子说明了我清楚我的存在终将结束。总有一天,不可避免地,我将只能活在他人的记忆中。我坦然接受了人终有一死的事实,我只想全力活在当下。

Q: In  I LOOK AT THE WORLD, the way you show us the world is interesting. Instead of aiming your lens on what you see directly, you show us the reflections in a piece of mirror. It is just like how people get to know themselves: through a reflection. What is the ultimate world in your eyes. 在 I LOOK AT THE WORLD 系列中,你也是以镜中的影像向我们展示了你眼中的世界。这就像是人们认知自己的过程一样:从反射之中(btw,此处的反射,其实不仅仅是指镜中的反射,这么聪明的你们会懂的)。你是如何看待这个世界的?
A: The perception of the world is subjective. Everyone sees reality filtered through their own experiences. What is beautiful for me, for others it can be ugly. And vice versa. The world seen with my eyes depends on my mood. I currently see it in color. He is fascinated by me. But it was not always like that… 人们对于世界的理解是非常主观的,我们基于自身过往的经验来转译同一件事。我之醇醪,如饮鸩毒。我看到的世界的样子,取决于我的情绪。此刻我看到的世界是缤纷迷人的,但它也并非一直如此……

Q: I personally found your works very philosophical, they would raise an introspection on me somehow. But I would like to hear from you about what you expect your viewers to take away in the end? 我在你的作品中体会到了很深的哲学意味,你提到的自省,我也有有所感触。我仍想听听看你希望观者从你的作品中得到什么呢?
A: I photograph from the need to get to know myself better, for purely selfish reasons. But I am also very happy when the images I create evoke emotions. As for you, for example. The awareness that others identify with my feelings is a building experience. We have a similar view of the world, similar sensitivity, we understand each other - we are like in one "team". Such a thread of understanding with people. That gives me a lot of satisfaction. 如前所述,我创作的动机很私人:我想更深入地认识自己。但我也很欣慰我的作品能在他人身上引起共鸣。旁人在我的作品中的领悟是一个知觉共建过程。比方说你,我们有相似的世界观,程度相当的敏感,我们理解彼此。哪怕是千分之一的共鸣我也满足了。
 
Q: At last, please tell us where your inspiration usually comes from? 最后,请告诉我们你的灵感通来自于哪里?
A: I am inspired by the beautiful play of light, sounds, dreams, people with passion and my own thoughts. But especially personal experiences make me create self-portraits. And it began with "awakening" after the victorious fight against depression, which was hell. Then I became interested in a fuller life. The world seemed friendly to me and I understood that much depends on me, on my attitude towards the world. Probably the case made the camera just become a medium that made me register my emotional states. And so it has already been... 交错的光影、世界的喧嚣、梦境、充满激情的人、脑中的絮语都会成为我的灵感。但我的自拍系列还是源于我与抑郁对抗之后的觉醒;这个过程十分艰难,所幸我很成功地走了出来。当我善待这个世界时,它也善待了我。可能是因为这段经历,相机成为了我寄托情绪的载体,随后也有了现在的作品

ROZA VULF


Roza Vulf
Rome based Lithuanian photographer
​
Find more here: rozavulf.com
"… if a subject presents itself and speaks to me, independently – that is when it happens. The journey becomes a joyful path full of surprise, knowledge and awareness."

The rain in Shanghai is fretful, just as the air I am breathing in. I had to download the raining sound of tropical countries from a relax APP when I could not fall in sleep these days. Trying to recall the moments when I listened to the falling rain on the balcony of the apartment in SG. Seeing wilted leaves fluttered in the wind; wind dashed rain against the window and streamed down the glasses. In tranquility, though.

I am usually attracted to b&w street photography because I think the viewers can focus on the story, on what is really going on in the photo without seeing or thinking about the colour. That was until I saw Roza's works, especially the one that happened outside the red bus, in where the pink balloons floated and created a contrast against the blue bow on a girl's head; and another girl dressed in white turned around, looked right at Roza's camera. Isn’t it an interesting and lovely moment? Those color actually enhanced the emotion, and that is what I have been evading. 

It's been a while since the last time I updated. There has been too many things going on around me and too many excuses. And I just constantly waste my life on those excuses day after day. Missing those days when I was able to travel alone and and taking photos, also the moments when I was feeling the sea breeze caressing my skin with its breath. And all thesenseless courage I had that urged me on those trips.

所至之处皆是过往。
Picture
Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? 你如何定义“美”? 喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
A:
 In spite of all formal descriptions of aesthetics, it will always remain a deeply philosophical statement open to so many various interpretations. What is beautiful or what is ugly? From sculpture to photography the beauty of art is defined by one's personal perception and tastes. It is formed through a perception, a personality and a life experience of an individual.  抛去那些教条的定义不谈,美学是一种富有强烈哲学意味的(思想)表现,人们可以以无数种方式去理解它。从雕塑到摄影,各种形式的艺术…什么算美什么算丑?其实都是自我的感觉和品位判断的。美本质上是由个体的感知、性格与阅历形成的。
In my case my mind is open to pretty many forms of aesthetics, which I absorb and enjoy. I hope the viewers feel them while looking at my body of work. It is all reflected in those moments when I pressed the shutter button.  至于我,我欣赏的美的形式很多。但愿人们在看到我的作品时可以心得意会,我眼中的美都已经在按快门的那一刻跃然纸上了。

Q: What kind of connection do you think that exists between aesthetics and daily life? 你认为美与生活是怎样连结在一起的?
A: 
Actually aesthetics are an unavoidable part of daily life. Unconsciously all our day-to-day choices are based not just on our perception of aesthetics but also on our personal expression of it. From the way we decorate the house, select a book, choose the clothes we wear, a place we decide to attend. It's always there. 美是生活里躲不掉的一部分。每一个下意识的选择都是基于个体对美的认知与表现而做的:家中的装饰,阅读某本书,穿着,去某个地方。你所做的每个选择都反映了(你对于)美(的理解)。
 
Q: What motivated you into photography in the beginning? And why did you decide to focus on street photo? 最初你是因何拾起相机?为什么你决定专注于街头摄影?
A: 
It turned out to be a medium which allowed me to translate my vision into the way I see my immediate environment. It gives me a possibility to express myself and sometimes to share my feelings. Although I do not like to put labels on my photography style and prefer to keep the door to different genres opened, I feel most comfortable with “street" and documentary. It allows me to record real moments of real life that flash briefly past my vision. 摄影是能将我之所见呈现给他人的一种媒介,它给了我表达与分享情感的可能。尽管我不喜欢自己的作品被标签细分为某一类——我不想因为被标签而排除其他可能性——“纪实”、“街头”还算是我觉得可以接受的。这一类创作让我能够真实地记录一闪而过的生命与瞬间。 

Q: What is your favorite street photography experience? 在街头摄影的过程中,你最难忘的事情是什么?
A: 
Every time I go shooting, wherever I am, I enjoy it profoundly. There are better and worse days; and usually it is quite contradicting, as it brings relaxation and excitement at the same time. It makes for one whole important experience and to choose just one would be hard. I would say impossible. Nevertheless, I could probably mention some favourite places or cities where I love to shoot. 走在路上的每一刻我都十分珍惜。那些时光不尽然都是美好的,甚至有些矛盾,因为我会既惬意又兴奋。那些时刻是一个整体,我没办法将其中某个片段孤立出来。倒是可以说说我爱去的城市和地方。
There is a place where I am amused shooting the most - the Underground, especially the one in Rome. There is a limited space. It brings an instant impression of disconnection from "life” above. As strangers-commuters are forced to be close to each other, showing their raw and unwary expressions. And then again, I love shooting on the beaches outside the “high" seasons,  
where the emptiness of space and the solitude of my objects brings out another colour of our life. And then there are London's everyday life, Istanbul's diversity and the charm of
 extraordinary New York. 我非常喜欢去地铁站拍摄,尤其是罗马的地铁站。素不相识的人们在拥挤的空间里摩肩接踵,身处熙攘之中而无暇粉饰自己的表情。地下与地表是天差地别的两个世界。我也喜欢淡季的海边,淡季的空旷和我镜头中主体的寂寥带出了生命的另一种色彩。伦敦的日常,千变万化的伊斯坦布,还有迷人的纽约。

Also I have always been attracted to dramatic light and contrast that grew up to the series entitled "Illuminated". It's a never ending project that I enjoy working on as the light keeps bringing those recurring, but sui generis moments. 我也很着迷于捕捉戏剧化的光影,这类照片被我归为一个叫做“Illuminated” 的系列。我热爱那种光照下常见而又独特的瞬间,我想这个系列会一直进行下去。


Q: Most of your works are colored, but you also make b&w. How did you decide whether it is a colored or b&w one? Does hue help in telling stories? 你的作品中大部分都是彩色的,但也有一些黑白照。你怎样决定一幅作品是否应是彩色?色彩是你讲述故事的工具之一么?
A: Yes, that is correct, I am influenced by colour. Humans naturally see in colour which helps depict our life more precisely. It would be a shame to avoid it in my photographs.  Yet shooting in colour is always more challenging and, sometimes, very rarely, the colour gets unleashed and dominates in a wrong way. This is when I convert a photograph to black and white. This technique makes it even more disconnected from reality bringing in a new layer of fantasy to the image. 是的,我深受色彩的影响。人们生来就能(比其他一些物种)看到更丰富的颜色,因此我们眼中的生活更生动也更立体。在作品中回避色彩太可惜了。但彩色摄影更加有挑战性。有时,虽然是极少数情况下,色彩会太难驾驭在画面中喧宾夺主。这种情况下我会把照片调成黑白。去色的同时其实也让这幅作品去现实化了,反倒蒙上了些许幻想。
In some stories the help of hue is obvious as it can be based on it. In some less. However, it depends on what one wants to bring to their story. I would prefer not to disconnect my stories from reality therefore keeping them in realistic colour. 色彩有时可以帮助我们生动地讲故事,但它本身也可以构成一个故事。当然这也不是绝对的,这取决于摄影师最想表达什么。我希望尽可能的保持作品的真实性,保留事物原有的色彩。

 
Q: There is a question, which a friend of mine has been arguing with me for a while. She considers photography limits viewers’ imagination; they freeze a frame, but they can be very subjective. Whereas I reckon photography is supposed to record the world as objective as possible. As for you, what kind of purpose does photography serve? 我有一位朋友曾和我讨论摄影的意义;她认为摄影是主观的,照片定格的一瞬是经过筛选的,由此限制了人们的想象力。我则认为摄影该是尽可能的客观。对你来说,摄影的意义是怎样的呢?
A: There is a reason why photography has this many genres. Fine-art work will certainly be more subjective than the documentary one. While documentary brings a clear message to the viewer and the purpose of it is to “freeze" a frame being as objective as possible. But even that message would be executed through a photographer's eye. 这个问题取决于摄影的分类,纯艺术摄影当然应该比纪实摄影更加主观。纪实摄影如果要传递清晰的信息,那它理应客观地记录某个瞬间。不过即便如此,一副纪实摄影作品传达的信息还是被摄影师的双眼处理过的。
Street photography is a field where there is no need to be objective or subjective. That is a beauty of it. You just choose a way to share with the viewer the world you see around you. All real frank moments of life through photographer's viewfinder do not limit viewer's imagination. Rather opposite. I let viewers process my work in a free personal way they choose to without any distortion; to create their own story in their own mind. 街头摄影是一个相对无所谓主观或客观的分支,这也是它迷人的地方。你只需决定如何和你的观众分享你在取景器里观察到的最真挚的时刻,而你所看到的,并不会限制他人的想象。相反地,我会让大家独立地思考我的作品,以他们各自的方式解读。 

 
Q: Is there any trigger object that makes you want to stop and shoot? 有什么特定的主题会让你想要驻足一拍?
A:
There isn’t really a trigger. I become susceptible to the surroundings and it makes me see those precise moments when I get just a fraction of a second to connect with someone else's story. Therefore a trigger could be just a reflection, a light, a geometry, some facial expression, wind in one's hair, a pose, a gesture or just a sentiment. 这倒没有。我是一个敏感的人,正因此,哪怕只是十分短暂的共鸣,我也能敏锐地捕捉到那一刻。让我拿起相机的动机可能只是一个倒影,一束光,一个几何感很强的场景,某种表情,迎风而动的发梢,一个动作,甚至一种情绪。

Q: What is your benchmark for a nice photography work? 你如何衡量一副摄影作品的好坏?
A:
It should bring out emotions from the viewer. For me personally, when looking at the photograph I wouldn't need to talk and my inner self becomes over flown with the emotions . When I know that I will keep this photograph and senses that it explores in my memory for a long time, if not for good. 好的摄影作品应当是能带动观者的情绪的。当我看到一副佳作,无需语言赘述内心自然会涌现强烈的情绪。它会在我的记忆中驻足良久,甚至是永远。



Q: What is your state of mind while capturing street lives? 你创作时的状态是怎样的?
A: It is essential to me to walk the streets with my guard down, being aware, and ready for the unexpected.  游走街头时我会放松警惕,最大化知觉的敏锐度,并且要准备好应对意料之外的事。
 
Q: At last, please tell us about your favorite work and the story behind it. 最后,请和我们聊一聊你最喜欢的作品和作品背后的故事。
A:
My emotional attachment is present in every shot, making it rather difficult to depict a favourite image. However there are some shots that leave a stronger imprint with me. 我很难讲出最喜欢的作品,因为我在每一幅作品中都倾入了许多情感。但有些作品让我印象更为深刻。
 A few years ago I took a picture of the red bus in London at night. It was late, cold and grim. I was on my way back home tired and a bit disappointed, as I spent several hours shooting in a cold street. Thinking that my late evening walk was not that fruitful, when suddenly, from nowhere, the red double-decker full of light, balloons and life celebration appeared. I immediately took a few shots and instinctively made a few steps towards the bus to be able to see people's faces. In that moment the girl on the bus turned her head and looked outside. I will never know what her mood was and what she was thinking about. I can imagine many stories about that bus, but what I felt personally during those seconds was a hope. A notion of tangible happiness. You never know when your red bus full of light and celebration will drive down your street. Sooner or later it will. 几年前的一个夜晚,我在伦敦拍了一张红色巴士的照片。当时天色已晚,又是严寒天气,我在街上拍了几个小时却一无所获,正疲惫又失望地朝家走去。正当我因一晚的低产沮丧时,那辆耀眼的红色双层巴士不知从哪里开了出来,紧接着映入眼帘的是车上的气球和一场生命的盛宴。我抓拍了几张,本能地走上前希望能拍到清晰的人物。同时,巴士上的女孩转过身来看向窗外。我并不清楚她那一刻的情绪与想法。关于那辆车,我能发想出许多故事,但那一刻我最真切的感受是“希望” —— 一种可触知的快乐。你永远都不知道那辆属于你的红色巴士将何时出现,但是该来的,总会来的。


RACHEL LEVY


Rachel Levy
Photographer of wilted lives
find more here rachellevyflowers.com


”There is nothing after death, 
and death itself is nothing."
Lucius Annaues Seneca.
​
​Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? 你如何定义“美”? 喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
A: I think, “Aesthetics’ is one of the most difficult thing to define or explain. It is woven into many areas of life far beyond the realm of the artistic. When it comes to art, I feel it mostly has to do with emotion and pleasure, sensory pleasure rather than reasoned analysis. It doesn’t have to do with beauty or taste and certainly not prettiness; Just as we do not all respond to the same emotions, I believe one’s aesthetical judgment of a work of art is obviously personal, often deeply rooted in all sorts of experiences and in our responses to sensory impressions, Human beings are moved by art when they recognize something of themselves in it. “美”是最难定义的事物之一。美不仅存在于艺术之中,也融入了其他领域。如单就艺术而言,我觉得美是指情绪与感官的愉悦而非纯理性的思辩;它不需要和“漂亮”,“品味”这类词扯上任何关系。不同的个体会对相同的情绪作出各自的反应,我相信个体对于艺术作品的美感判断也是如此:这种判断是私人的,通常是基于个人的经历以及感官印象而做出的反应。人类往往更容易被有自我投射的作品打动。
I tend to respond most to the strength that can emanate from sobriety & grace but I do also appreciate humor and, to some extend, imagination. We are now permanently exposed to an avalanche of images that will most likely never stop, it is very hard to produce any image that stands out among this never ending stream hence my preference for sobriety and the desire to make something very ordinary into something memorable. 我总是会被克制与优雅散发出的力量打动,但我也欣赏某些作品中的幽默和想象。当下人们其实面临着视觉信息过剩的问题,想在大量的图像中创作出一样脱颖而出的作品实非易事。因
此我更倾向于视觉上的克制,以及在平常之物上做文章让它们变得难忘。  

Q: What kind of connection do you think that exists between aesthetics and daily life? 你认为美与生活是怎样连结在一起的?
A: There is no doubt an aesthetic dimension to life. I think curiosity and the desire to learn, remaining flexible and open, would be my connection to aesthetics in my daily life. 生活之中当然有一个维度是属于美的,求知、虚怀若谷便是我和那一维度相通的纽带。

Q: Among all forms of entities, why did you choose plants? 在这么多实体之中,为什么唯独选择了花?

A: I have been photographing flowers & plants for a long time.  It all started when I moved to an apartment that had a small terrace some 24 years ago. I had no notion of gardening, but soon started to furiously plant flowers such as roses, tulips, peonies, poppies and all sorts of plants, turning my terrace into a garden. That small suspended garden has proven to be an endless source of inspiration ever since.  我拍摄这个题材很多年了。说起来那是24年前,我刚搬进新公寓,还带着一个小阳台。原本我没打算搞园艺,可没过多久还是发疯似地种起了玫瑰,郁金香,芍药,罂粟……那个阳台成了一座花园,也孕育了我无尽的灵感。

​Q: Most of the people see wilting plants as a symbol of imperfection; yet, you capture the end of a life. I would like to hear your view of immortal. 人们通常视凋谢的植物为非完美的,但你捕捉了它们生命终止的一刻。我很好奇你对永生的看法。
A: Living forever would be hell; there would be no point to anything. Dying is part of life and we are the only specie on earth to be aware of our finality, which is why we create works of art. I am not interested in perfection, once it has been reached what more is there to do; I find the humility of imperfection to be emulating. 永生是个诅咒,所有的事物都会失去意义。死亡是生命中的一部分,而人类是唯一一个对自己的终结有感知的物种,所以我们才会去创作艺术,以求某种形式的延续。我不屑完美,达到完美之后你还能做什么呢?没有空间了。我觉得不完美中有一种值得仿效的谦逊。

Q: What do you find in the fragility and ephemerality of these delicate lives you shoot? 在这些生命的易逝与脆弱之中,你得到了什么?
A: They are life, a metaphor of our own ephemerality and fragility. I wanted to explore a different kind of beauty, another kind of grace than that of youthfulness. I photographed these flowers when one usually would cut them out to clean up a flowerbed or a shrub, a memento mori of sort. 这些生命实际上暗示了我们的易逝与脆弱。我想探寻一种不同的、与优雅有关的美感,而不单单是青春。我所拍的枯萎的花往往会被人们在修剪花丛时剪掉,它们算是死亡的象征。

Q: How do you decide which type of flower you will use in each shooting? Do you approach them anthromorphically? 你如何决定拍摄哪个品种的花?你会将它们人格化么?
A: I don’t have a method, it changes with each subject. When photographing wilted flowers I would wait for their last fleeting moments in order to hopefully capture something emotionally moving & strong. With other flowers such as irises and hellebores that I have photographed when fresh, I went to specialized nurseries to work and tried to photograph as many as I could, I liked the idea of diversity resulting from hybridization in the same specie. 我并不会刻意地决定,这取决于我的拍摄主题。拍摄凋零的花时,我会等到它们生命最后的一刻,因为我想捕捉到情绪饱满的画面。其他品种的花,比如鸢尾、菟葵,我拍下了它们鲜活的一面。我去了特殊的花房尽可能多拍一些照片,我喜欢杂交带来的多样性。

Q: At last, tell us about your favorite artists. 最后,和我们说说你最爱的艺术家吧
A: In a chronological order, I will first start with painters, Jean Baptiste Chardin, Francisco Goya, Edouard Manet, and GustaveCourbet. The photographers, Irving Penn and Sugimoto Hiroshi.

JEANETTE WINTERSON


Jeanette Winterson
English Writer, delicatessen owner
She welcomes everyone to follow her on Twitter
​

 ​时间可以颠倒流转
——珍妮特·温特森专访


​ 
此刻恍如时间的开端,有时这并不要紧,
此时彼时是昼是夜,有时也不要紧。
有时,你在,就已足够。
此刻并不是时间停止或开始的瞬间。
只是时间。只有你。抓紧这一刻便能开启一生。
—珍妮特·温特森 《时间之间》中文版P170
​
Picture

​“所以,等会儿的采访中你打算问我什么?" 讲座结束后,离开建投书局的路上,Jeanette 突然转身问道。她的步伐略显急促但十分坚定。
我顿了顿,在脑中过了一下问题清单,挑中了那个本该用于缓和气氛的暖场问题。既然她问,我也就硬着头皮抛了出来,“比方说……有机蔬菜的生意怎么样了?”

"好极了,我刚和水果拍了照片,现在你要和我聊蔬菜。还不错啊,不过那毕竟只是门生意。生意和写作完全是两回事。” 


刚经过洒水车湿润的路面微微映出信号灯的红色,衬的她本已清癯的轮廓格外分明。整天的活动下来,Jeanette 已很是疲惫,但还是耐着性子继续该完成的工作。话锋一转到写作,她似乎又有了精神,开始滔滔不绝。

2016年是莎士比亚辞世400周年(1616~2016),由弗吉尼亚·伍尔芙创建的英国霍加斯(Hogarth)出版社也由此开启了“重述莎士比亚”的计划,他们联手全球七位顶尖作家改写莎士比亚剧作,在现代时空下重新演绎经典,而这个系列的首发作品便是英国女作家Jeanette · Winterson 的《时间之间》(The Gap Of Time),改写自莎翁晚年剧作《冬天的故事》(The Winter's Tale)。


《冬天的故事》首演于1611年,这部距今四百多年的戏剧,却与Jeanatte · Winterson 本人的生活与创作都不乏渊源,甚至连名字都有微妙的呼应:Winterson这个姓氏对应着“冬天之子”。

Jeanette 在《时间之间》里说:“过去的三十余年里,莎士比亚的剧本始终是我的私人读本,所以我才写这部改写版小说。 ……这个剧本讲到了弃儿。我就是个弃儿。这个剧本关乎宽恕、未来有无限可能的世界——以及宽恕和未来是如何紧密的彼此相系。时间可以颠倒流转。”

作为弃儿的Jeanatte · Winterson,自小由一对虔信宗教的夫妇收养,靠养父母家中“仅有的六本书”拓展自我的精神世界,以对抗保守宗教氛围的禁锢。在19岁那年,她与一个女孩相爱,对此养母却说:“why be happy when you could be normal?” 断然离家出走的她,在殡仪馆、精神病院等地辗转谋生,一边打工一边学习,考入牛津大学英语系,并开始创作。

在Jeanette 看来,《冬天的故事》本身就像是莎士比亚对其早期剧本《奥赛罗》的一次“重述”,“但这一次,女主人公无须为了男主人公的妄想而死。……当莎士比亚再次回到这个主题时,他给了自己第二次机会。”

从《奥赛罗》到《冬天的故事》,莎士比亚花了7年。

时间可以颠倒流转。而文字可以描摹出时间的分量。


为了照顾没读过原著《冬天的故事》的读者们,Jeanette 在书的开头提供了原版的梗概,丝毫不怕“剧透”风险。而对熟稔莎翁原著的读者而言,《时间之间》与原著的联系是如此紧密,从剧情到人物都能精确地一一吻合:西西里亚王列昂特斯摇身变成现代金融巨鳄,对冲基金“西西里亚”经理人列奥·凯泽,王后赫美温妮则是活跃于舞台的歌手兼演员,昵称咪咪,那个被误会的波西米亚王波利克塞尼斯,是在“新波西米亚”漂泊的赛诺……就连戏剧中必不可少的丑角——地痞奥托吕科斯,也化身为一名巧舌如簧的二手车推销员,让同样喜爱莎士比亚的读者在阅读的过程里碰到一个又一个微妙且不乏意外的乐趣。生活里总是充满互为镜像的事物,但像温特森一样能够聪敏地捕捉细微,用睿智的诗意语言来呈现,却创造了一种新奇感受。

2017年5月Jeanette 再次来到中国,通过《时间之间》,温特森以她独有的方式告诉我们,时间给予我们一次摆脱限定、实现自由的机会,我们终究不会受困于时间。“时间可以得到抵偿,失落的可以被找回来。”

《冬天的故事》里被抛弃的公主帕蒂特,她还是幸运地遇到了善良的养父和义兄,在无私关爱中长大成人。十六年后,她发现自己原来是一个公主,不但与王子相爱, 最终还和她的亲生父母团圆……如同一切苦尽甘来的童话故事那样, “时间抚平一切伤痛,我们终将被它捕获”。当然,也是另一个弃儿,穿越过时间,给予自己童年的补偿与宽恕。

Jeanette 曾在自传中提及,她并非主动决定成为一个作家的。写作对她来说不是刻意为之的结果,甚至算不上是一个有意识的选择。只是在彼时令人窒息的生活中,要找到一条路、一个出口。而她的那个出口正是文字。以愤怒回击愤怒,嫉妒回击嫉妒…负面情绪的针锋相对形成一种巨大能量,而能量场之下凝结的却是纯净真切的内心情感。而Jeanette 早已在文字与平和的心境之中宽恕了过往。

​
Q: I’ve went through some of your previous interviews, I am not sure if I got it right but I found you are rather direct and honest. However, you used a lot of metaphors, projections, and even prophetic stories. What do you think of this contrast between your character and the way you tell stories? 我读了一些你之前的采访,我不确定我的感觉是完全准确的,但字里行间看得出你是一位十分真诚、直接的人。但你会在作品中穿插大量的隐喻、映射,甚至预言性的故事。你怎么看待你的叙事风格与性格之间的反差?
A: It is really about finding the best way. Every time to start a new book, it is how I am gonna tell the story. What do I need to make this one work because each time it is different, it is never let the last one lasts. So every time, for a writer, it is a new challenge, it is a new difficulty. And it should be, because otherwise you will end up writing the same book. So the danger is when you are published when you are successful people always want more of the same any way, because they know that is what they saw last time. You have to find something, which allows you as a writer to go forward. And for me, it is always been, beginning with what is the language, how can I make the language work. The language is all you have as a writer. You don’t have anything else. Those words on the page will either make the difference or not. 我觉得这不能算作反差,而是找到最合适的表达方式。每次开始一本新书时,我都要想清楚这次要用什么样的方式讲故事才能让它说得通,因为每个故事都是不一样的;一定要避免上一个作品的延续。作为一个作家,每次开始写新的篇章都是一个新的挑战 ,而且也本该如此,不然你就是在写同样的书啊。比较麻烦的地方在于一旦你出版过某些作品且一举成名后,人们总是希望从你这儿看到风格统一的内容,因为他们觉得那是他们熟悉的。你必须得找到某种能让你的创作成长的写作方式。对我来说,这个挑战在于用什么风格的语言开始新的故事,我得为每个故事找到最适合它的词汇。作为一个作家,除了语言你一无所有。那些印在纸上的字要么对别人产生影响,不然就只是印在那里的字而已。
So I have to find a verbal equivalent for that feeling for that thought for the things that I want to convey. And it has to be, I think, simple but beautiful, I want everybody to be able to understand it. I don’t want to make it confusing for its own sake. But at the same time the beauty has to be there, so the language has to be beautiful. But it can’t be like an ornament. It has beauty in there as useful is in there, and strength in there, it is not decoration. 所以我要做的是为我想要传达的思绪找到一种等值的语言。这种语言必须是美丽而简洁的,我希望每个人都能够理解它,它不该因为承载了某些深意而变得费解。同时这种语言也不可成为装饰,它必须有它的目的和语言应有的张力。
The language does not just carry the weight of the story. It’s carrying the readers. The only thing that is under the readers’ feet, the only thing solid is the language. If the readers crush your language, doesn’t like it, can’t mange it, then you’ve lost them. That is the real issue for anybody, and for me particularly because I am very alert to language. I don’t want to write a kind of novel which you just turning the page, and you just find what happens next, what happens next, what happens next. I want each of the lines to be meaningful. So it’s trying to bring into what it’s prose fiction, the story, really the exactness that you will find in a poem, the choice of words, and holding them together. 要知道,字里行间承载的不仅仅是一个故事的重量,它也承载了所有的读者。读者在阅读中能掌控的也只有语言,对于他们来说,语言是实体的。如果读者在你的文字中看不到他们想要的东西,你就会失去他们。对任何人来说,这都是个无法忽视的问题。对我来说则格外突出,因为我对语言向来严谨,我不想写那种只是让人一直翻页想着“接下来有什么”的小说。我希望作品中的每一句话都是有意义的。总而言之,我是在将散文、故事、甚至诗篇等形式中最精妙的部分结合在一起。

Q: There are many segmental stories in your works, such as what you have done in Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit and Written On The Body. They contain a lot of memories and fantasies, and look like a montage of writing. Did you choose this way to create on purpose or is it just a way you think? 《橘子不是唯一的水果》和《写在身体上》等作品中会出现许多打破主线叙事、带些回忆和幻想性的片段,看上去像是某种创作上的蒙太奇。你是有意选择这样的表达方式还是说这是你固有思维方式的体现?
A: I think that is how human beings think. Because our minds don’t run into straight lines, they are not linear. We don’t think about one thing and then start thinking about another thing. Our mind is often working simultaneously on different topics, in different time zone, you know, the past, the present, the future. We operate in our minds, anyway, which is quite free but also quite chaotic, we move around the whole time. I want, obviously, when I am writing, I want to create a structure, something that is not chaotic. But I also want to work with the way that our minds actually do work and be able to bring things in, so that it does look like, sometimes it can be a collage or montage. If it is in a movie it is easy, because you are always cutting away from one thing to another, we recognize that. Because that is how we think, we are cutting away all the time, from this into that and from that into this. And you can do it in language. The reader does not need to have an old-fashion way of storytelling: it is the beginning, it is the middle, it is the end. The reader can move around with you in time and space, as long as they trust you. And that as a writer, you need to gain the readers’ trust, so they can be reading in a way, which is similar to the way you think. 我觉得这种支线结合主线的叙事手法是仿照了人类思考的方式。我们的大脑并非单线程思考:开始想第一件事,然后再开始第二件事。更多时候是在多线程处理不同时态的事情:过去的,现在的,以及未来的。大脑工作的方式其实十分自由,但也会有些混乱,因为它总是从一个话题跳跃到另一个话题。我希望在我的文字中建立一个有序的系统,同时又能呈现大脑的思考过程。所以最终的结果看起来的确可能像是拼贴,或者你说的蒙太奇。如果我们是在看电影的话,这样的叙事手法会更容易被理解。观影中我们总是看到各种情节的切换,却不觉得违和,因为现实中我们也是经常从一个场景切到另一个场景。既然电影可以这样表现,语言也可以如是说。读者们没必要只去读传统的三段式结构小说,他们完全可以跟随你漫步于一个立体的空间中——前提是他们信任你。这也是为什么说作家要赢得读者的信任,只有这样,他们才能接受你的思考方式。
You know, this is the story, and I will tell it to you. We get to a conclusion and that is good. But it is possible to do things differently now and that is what is exciting. The digital age, the multimedia platform we are working now, are making that easier. Every body will sit watching the TV, with their screen, or with their phone. We are used to that multiple world in our lives. So to have it in our fiction, I think people can feel more comfortable with it now. It is much less risky than it was, when I was starting it, actually the world is called up, so now we have to move again I guess, to a different platform. But I am excited about it; I like the fact that we are making new platform, new ways of telling stories to ourselves, and new methods. It is gonna be really interesting to your generation, to develop all of this. And I will be seeing it by then when I am very old, but it’s going to be exciting. 你看,现在我有一个故事,我会讲给你听。我们平铺直叙地讲到结局了,可以。但也可以用更有趣的方式来讲这个故事啊。在数字时代,我们熟悉的多媒体平台也让讲故事变得更容易了。每个人都会被不同的屏幕吸引,我们已经对生活里的多渠道习以为常。我觉得在文字中嵌入“多渠道”的表达方式,人们反而会更自在。 用这样的手法创作不像以前那么冒险了,事实上大家能够欣然接受新的方式。我们应该向前看,探索更多的可能性。我很开心我们在尝试跨平台的可能性,试着用不同的方式讲故事。对你们这代人来说,探索这些可能性很有趣。虽说待到实现之时我已垂垂老矣,但还是想想都觉得兴奋。

Q: Truly. This also brings much more emotions into the stories. 的确。这些片断式的故事给作品注入了更饱满的情绪。 
A: Yes, I think so. And in the end, we want to feel something don’t we. Obviously you want fiction to have ideas, to make you think about things. But you also want to feel. It is about engaging the heart, it is an emotional connection…and it may be something that means more to women, I don’t know, but again it is about joining it up, the heart and the head, they are not split. 我觉得是这样的。读书读到最后,不都是希望能够有些情感上的共鸣么?人
们的确需要有观点的作品,并由其引发各自的思考。但人们同样渴望感受。写作的基础是心灵的交汇、建立情感的共识,这种情感的共鸣可能会更打动对女性。总之我在做的是把各种因素结合在一起,它们不该是剥离的。
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Today we are talking about binaries, which I hate, because binary is around gender male and female, black and white… all that stuff. The idea of the heart, the heart wants one thing and the head wants another thing, I would rather find a way to join them together, because that seems to me to be more real. That is the way I try to work. And when I read, or when I listen to music, or whatever it is, I do want to come out of their feelings or something. If I feel nothing, thereis a failure somewhere, and it might be my failure. I might think it would be so difficult for me to deal with the works, that I cut off so I don’t feel anything. 之前的讲座里我们聊到过我很讨厌的二进制。我讨厌它是因为它总是非黑即白,如果将它套用到性别上,不是男性就是女性……我想做的是把0 和1 结合在一起,对我来说那才是真实的。当我阅读时,或者听音乐时,或者做任何事时,我都希望内心能够有所得。不然我会有种失败感,这可是我的失败呢:为什么理解这些作品会这么难,为什么我和这些作品的联系会被切断。
Often when we say about something, like, “I really hate that” or “that is terrible”, if we have a violent response, it is usually because it has hit something in us. It is ok to say I don’t like this, but when you have quite a violent response to something, then something has been triggered in yourself. And the hatred, because hatred is always a way of avoiding feeling isn’t it? It’s much easier to hate somebody than to work out what’s going on between you. 当我们对某个作品作出类似“我痛恨它”这样带有许多情绪的评价时,通常是因为这个作品触动了我们内心中的一些角落。我们当然不必喜欢看到的每一部作品,但是当我们说出感情如此强烈的话时,我们仍是有所得的。 那种厌恶感……其实厌恶是人们回避情感的方式,回避情感比厘清和他人之间到底是什么关系容易多了,不是么?

Q: There are actually many excellent short stories in your works. Do you have any plans on creating another collection? Or saying you just prefer long stories with inserted segments? 你的作品中其实已经暗藏许多优秀的短故事了,你有过任何短篇创作的计划么?或者说你还是更倾向于长篇故事的创作,只在其中夹着那些有趣的小桥段?
A: I don’t know. I like to write short stories within longer stories. There is a lot of short pieces in my work that stand-alone, you can pick them out. I think I have always been doing that hybrid way of working. I do do short stories and I enjoy them but actually, as you say, I prefer to have things as collage or some kind. I just could throw everything in there, some of them are short and self-contained, and some of them lead on into a more generative. But I don’t want to limit myself particularly. I am excited about the fact that people now like reading, short fictions, and flash fictions on the phone or on their tablet. So you could do things which work well with the electronic format. I am happy to do that because I think if you are a writer the point is that you could write. I see it like a little workshop in a way, where I make things. So someday you might say to me, ok I want you to make me a table, tomorrow make me a chair, or make me a beautiful little bowl. And I will make those things, because I make things.  我不知道,我就是喜欢在长故事里夹杂着些短故事。我的作品中的确有许多脱颖而出的小短篇可以独立存在。我想我可能一直都在用这种混合的方式进行创作。我也会写短篇,但是如你所言,我喜欢在作品中营造一种拼贴感。我会把所有东西都放在一起,有些很短、能够独立存在,有些则能引出更多发想。总之我不想因为篇幅受限。我很开心现在的人们喜欢读书。他们在手机或者平板上读短篇小说、微小说,那作家们也可以创作一些合适电子格式的内容。至少我是很乐意这么做的,因为作为一个作家你就是该写东西啊。我把这些小桥段看作自己创作的工作间 。可能某一天你会让我做一张桌子,然后让我做一把椅子,或是一只碗。那么,我会去做这些东西,我擅长创作。

Q: The only short stories collection of yours, The World And Other Places, is translated by 17 Chinese female writers. Each of them has their unique translation style. Have you ever worried about getting lost in translation?  你唯一的短篇小说集《世界和其他地方》是由17位文风各异的女性作家译为中文的。你担心在翻译过程中,作品本身会有某些流失么。
A: Yeah. I’ve always worried about it. Continually. So I go through a cycle of worrying about it; and then I think well it is actually quite interesting whoever is translating it will be leaving some handprints of their own on top; maybe that doesn’t matter. Then I think within a good translation it will have its own creativity in there, so I won’t worry. I move from being really really worried and really really anxious to move into thinking actually it is fine. Like the people tonight who translated my work, I love those women. And I am glad they have something to do with my work. I think often it is to get a connection with your translator. I didn’t know about the 17 translators, but in fact that is quite fun.  是的,我一直都担心。其实我的内心活动是这样的一个循环: 从一开始的担心,到觉得译者在我的作品里留下些痕迹也是挺有趣的,也许这不重要;然后我又觉得优秀的翻译是该有它自己原创之处的,所以我也不再担心了。总之是从十分担心十分焦虑变得放心。像今晚讲座的嘉宾也翻译过我的作品,我爱她们,我很感激有她们参与翻译我的作品。我觉得翻译过程中最重要的是能与你的译者之间构建一种联系、一种心灵的交汇。至于17 位作家翻译的事,我不知道,但是听上去很有意思。

Q: But how do you know if they got your works right? 但你怎么确定译者正确地传达了你的初衷?
A: I have no idea. No idea. What can I do? Nothing. But in a way, like we talked about earlier, the reader and the writer are somewhere together in the book. And we read, we are always writing our own book anyway as we are reading the book. There is a text on the page, and this is how we respond to it. So we are all translators, even when it is in our own language. We translate the book as we read it: the characters have changed a bit into the characters we want to read about or the stories will be changed; we complete about the ending to ourselves, or we complete about what’s happening. There is always a dialogue anyway, between the readers and the writer, sometimes it is an argument. Maybe it is always a translation, because (for example) we know visually what I am looking at now, I won’t see this color as the way you see it. And I won’t hear music as the way you hear it. But we will never know. Unless we actually play the instruments together. We know that every person, in some way, are translating the world, what we see what we hear what we understand, always. So maybe with the book it doesn’t matter so much. So I have to say 2 things to you, yes it is a problem and no it is not a problem. I carry them around simultaneously. 完全不知道。我能怎么办的?毫无办法。但就像早些时候我们说过的,读者与作者都会在文字中相遇。我们在阅读的同时也总在创作自己的故事-纸上印着字,而人们脑中对情节的二次构建正是我们对于这些文字的反应。某种程度上看,我们都可算是译者-尽管用了各自的母语。在阅读过程中,我们都在翻译,我们看到的角色会根据各自的偏好改变模样;我们读到的情节也是大脑想读到的情节;故事的结局也会跟随我们的认知变得不同,甚至干脆在脑中为作品想了个新的结局。总之在读者和作者间总会有对话的发生,有时也可能是争论。总之我觉得每个过程都像是翻译,比方说,视觉上来看,我所看到的东西和你看到的是不同的。我看到的颜色和你看到的颜色并非完全一样的,我听到的旋律和你听到的也未必全然相同。但我们无法认识到这一点,除非我们一起演奏。每个人都在按照他自己的方式-他所看到的、听到的、能理解的-诠释这个世界。那么对于一本书的翻译,其本意的保留可能已经不是很重要了。所以我只能告诉你两件事,是的,翻译中的流失是个问题,但也不是问题。这两种想法同时存在于我的思维之中。

Q: Only few of your works have been adapted as film. Which work do you want to be adapted the most? And if possible, which director do you wish to cooperate with? Dead or alive, anyone. 你的作品被影像化的甚少 。假设有可能,你会希望谁导演你的作品? 最希望哪部作品被影像化呢?
A: I think that the Gap of Time will make a pretty good movie. Because it is dramatic and exciting and visual, and it’s got a lot of music in it. That would be fun. As for director I think I would choose an Irish director, Neil Jordan, he has done The Interview with Vampire. He has done some big blockbuster movie but also some art house movie. Or Jane Campion, the New Zeeland director… I don’t know, because when you hand over the book to a film, it becomes something that is really a translation. Never mind or worry about 17 people working on the short stories. Then they ask some one else to reinterpret the work, the script writers, the actors, and then it is gone to its own thing. But I like where we are now with the cross platform. That things can jump from one medium to another, it can be a novel or a film or a play. Somebody can act; they can do it as a monologue if they want to. I would never stop any of that from happening. I would say take it, make it into something else. Why not? 我觉得《时间之间》如果能被搬上银幕会是一部出色的作品。它很戏剧化,也有很多视觉上的想象空间,而且还有很多音乐。至于导演么…我会选爱尔兰导演Neil Jordan,他拍过《夜访吸血鬼》。他出过很多票房大片但也能创作艺术片。或者是新西兰导演Jane Campion。挺难说的,因为一本书的影像化真的全然是翻译了,相比之下,17位翻译的事简直不值一提。然后他们会找别人再来转译我的作品,编剧、演员之类的,然后这本书就完全是另一回事了。但我很喜欢跨平台给创作带来的可能性,从一种媒介到另外一种媒介。可以是一部小说,电影,或者喜剧。人们可以在其中扮演角色,如果他们想的话,甚至可以演个独角戏啊。我不会阻止这些事情,我会说拿着我的作品去做点什么吧,为什么不呢?

Q: In The Gap of Time, Mimi as a figurative character acted in another work of yours, The Power Book. What's the intention? 《时间之间》中,作为一个虚构人物,咪咪却出演了你的另一部作品改编的话剧-《苹果笔记本》。这种安排有什么特别的意味么?
A: I thought it would be fun.  I have to put her in there somewhere. And I thought well I did work in Paris at that time with a play. And I thought she’d better be in it, why not. Because the whole thing is an invention and I can make an invention within an invention. And also Shakespeare used to use device of having a play within a play. So in the play on a stage there will be a little play. And I thought well ok, why don’t I have a fictional situation within a fictional situation. So, you could continue forever. And I felt some people won’t even read this page. They will just say it is boring and goes to the next page. Lots of people don’t even notice. 我只是觉得…这会挺有趣的,我总得把她安排在某个情景里吧。当时我想起我的确在巴黎参与过一部戏剧的创作,我想咪咪最好出现在那里,为什么不呢?你看,整个故事都是虚构的,我当然可以在虚构的东西中虚构另一个事情。莎士比亚也如是做过:在一部剧中再演一部剧,所以舞台上会有多个线索的重叠。你可以一直这样虚构下去,形成一个无限的空间。其实我以为大多数人可能都不会注意到这个点,他们只会觉得这很无聊然后翻到下一页。

Q: How do you see your relations with your readers? You said that "books can save us", as a writer do you feel obligated to them? What do you expect your readers to take away from you eventually, or you simply don't care? 你怎么看待你和读者之间的关系?你曾说过书籍能够拯救我们, 作为一位作家你会觉得自己对读者有着某种义务么?你希望读者最终从你这里得到什么?还是说你并不在乎?
A: I do care. I think you know, from tonight, I do care. I can’t control my readers; I don’t know who my readers are or who they will be. Some of my readers weren’t even born when I started. A lot of these people came tonight weren’t born, but now they are reading the books. And I will be dead and so on. You just never know who is gonna be reading your work. That is why I call it a message in a bottle, because you throw it out there. You don’t know who is gonna open it, you don’t know what strange beach it’s gonna be washed up on. And for some one it will mean nothing, it will look like a foreign language in a real sense. And for somebody else, it will become precious. It is the same thing. 我是在乎的。我想通过今晚的对话,你是知道我在乎他们的。当然我不能控制我的读者,我不知道什么样的会读我的书。我的写作生涯刚开始时,很多读者都没出生呢。很多今晚来参加讲座的人就还没出生,但他们现在在读我的作品。我更无法得知在我死后谁会读我的书。我觉得写作就像瓶中信一般,你只是把它扔出去了但你无法得知它会被冲上哪片陌生的海岸,什么人会捡到它。对于某些人来说,这作品看上去像是天书毫无意义。而对于另一些人来说,它很珍贵。其实这都是一回事。
Lots of writers who are starting out at the beginning, you can worry about that. You think oh this people don’t like my work, and that makes you miserable. Or you think these people really find something so that means I am God. You know none of these is true; it is just about a connection. And all you can do is to do the best you can and feel honest to yourself, feel honestly to yourself that you have done your best work, you’ve said what you wanted to say. Then you throw it over in a bottle, we don’t know where we will ends up. And also, life is short, we are not gonna be able to read everything. So you, me, we both miss things that we would have loved. It’s a fact, whether it is book, or music or whatever; we will miss things in our lives. Maybe just a minute away from these, people, places experiences. A lot of it is gambling, and luck, what you find. But I also believe sometimes we find things that we need to find, those important moments, and the right book will fall into your hands, even if you find it on a train or somewhere. 对于很多刚起步的作家来说,他们可以去纠结这些问题。他们可能会想“这些人不喜欢我的作品”然后感觉很糟糕。也有人觉得自己真的有所作为,将自己视作神。其实这些都是表象,写作的本质在于建立某种联系。你能做的只是忠于自己的内心,写出你真正想表达的,然后把它们当作漂流瓶扔出去吧。你无法得知它最后会到达哪里。而且人生很短暂,我们没办法读完所有的文字。你、我,大家都会错过本会热爱的东西。事实如此,不管是书,音乐或者别的什么,我们都会错过很多,很多时候甚至离它们仅仅一步之遥。 我们在一生中能遇到什么完全是一场赌博,全凭运气。但我也相信我们遇到的,都是我们命中注定该遇到的。你总会找到那本属于你的书,哪怕你是在火车上捡到的。

Q: As an anti-technology recluse, are you satisfied with your current state? Is this peace and distance away from mundane helping your creation? 作为一个反科技的人,目前隐居的状态对作品产量或者创作心态有什么影响么?

A: I am not anti-technology! I am on twitter! I think technology is great. 我不反科技啊。我在用Twitter。我觉得科技是很伟大的。

Q: I read about that quite often. 但我在不少地方看到你的名字和反科技在同一个句子里的
A: That is bollocks. Of course I am not. I hate Facebook, because I think the way the date is used is really sinister. I don’t like data harvesting, the fact that we just giving stuffs away to be used by company or people for marketing purpose. But I love twitter. And I think the Internet is fantastic, it changes the way people think, it is a great connection. It’s here, we need to connect. You can’t turn back the clock. It is here, it is now, it is our lives. 才不是。但我讨厌脸书,因为我觉得他们的数据采集很不安全,我不喜欢数据收集-尤其是想到这些数据会被用于市场分析。但我喜欢推特,而且我觉得互联网在人与人之间建立的联系是很妙的。在当下,我们需要的正是和彼此间的联系。你不能逆时间而行,如今的世界就是需要互联网和科技的。
What I do think, though, is that everything else… look, human beings invent stuffs and we let it roll in our lives. We invented the motorcar and everybody sits in a traffic jam. We split the atom and we made a bomb. We are so stupid, every good thing we invented we make into something that can ruin our lives. It’s crazy. I don’t want this amazing global connections that we make to become something which makes everybody superficial and unable to concentrate and never able to sit down with their families and friends because they are always on the phone. Never have a conversation because you are checking… How we use it is really terrible. 不过,我觉得……人们总是有新发明,它们会进入我们的生活:汽车问世后,交通堵塞也随之而来;我们分裂了原子,然后用它来做原子弹。人类很是愚蠢啊,用那些本是美好的发明毁了生活。我不希望人们因为互联网变得肤浅、注意力涣散。甚至不能坐下来和家人朋友好好度过一段时光、好好聊天, 因为他们总要看自己的手机。我们的确物尽其用了,但是以一种很糟糕的方式。

Though, I don’t sit there trying to write with my emails pinning you, interrupting myself by going on Google, or listening to something on YouTube. When the work is done and it is the end of the day, then sure, I have my laptop on, I will look my phone. But I also want time with real people, to be in the room with someday, it is a very different thing, and to make that time so we have a proper conversation. Remember you are still a human being, you need someone to hug. The virtual world won’t do that for you. You need to put your arm around somebody; you need somebody who understands you who will be there for you. 我是不会在邮件提示、Google 的新闻推送或者youtube视频的干扰下写作的。当一天的工作完成时我会把电脑打开,看看手机什么的。但我也需要和活人相处的时间,在一个房间里和真人接触、走心地交流,这跟虚拟的世界完全不同。你是个人类,你总是需要可以拥抱的人。你需要一个能理解你、能在你有需要时及时出现的人。
But no, I am not anti-technology. You can cross that off and make that clarified for me. Anybody wants to go on my Twitter feed, they are welcome. 我还是要声明,我不是反科技的人。我欢迎一切想关注我的人去推特找我。

Q: We came to the last one – then you can go grab a drink. This one is not relevant to literature but can be relevant to everything, It is my signature question that I would ask everyone: how do you define aesthetics? 只剩一个问题-之后你就可以去喝一杯了。这个问题与文学无关,但又和一切有关;这算是我的标志性问题吧,我会问每个受访者:你如何定义“美学”?
A: Aesthetics? Well, everybody has personal taste. I might like something you might not like. There are thing we choose, whether it is furniture or clothes, or things that we enjoy seeing, all of that. For me, aesthetics is something that both beautiful and useful. As I said in the beginning I don’t want things just be decorative. I like the idea a beautiful things also makes a difference to us. And it does, much of the natural world is beautiful but it also has purpose. As the eco system, it allows us to live on this planet; and the rain forest is there purifying the air and supporting all the creatures; and you look at the ocean, it is not just that we think oh it is a beautiful romantic beach; we can walk along it with our beloved. It’s something which is supporting the entire planet. You know, if I cook you a beautiful meal you could eat it, but it is also glorious, you put energy and time in it. Aesthetics isn’t just about art or creativity, it is about how we live our lives. Living is about balance and communication, these are beautiful but also useful. So I don’t like things which are useful but ugly, that really annoys me. Can’t you design it better? Sure you can! I want something that is not just decorative. I can’t see any points in ornaments. So, everything around me, I would have this test: is it beautiful and is it useful? If the answer is yes, I will have it in my home. These kind of things are never a waste of time. Aesthetics is about refining your life so you know you are not wasting time. Life is too short. 美学么?每个人都有自己的品味,我可能会喜欢一些你不喜欢的东西。我们总是会做出选择,不管是家具,衣服,还是我们喜欢看见的东西。对我来说美学是指那些集美与功能性于一身的物体。采访开头我说过,我不喜欢装饰物,我喜欢那些既美丽又能对我们产生影响的事物。这样的事物确实存在,自然界的大多事物都是很美又有自己其目的的。比如我们赖以生存的生态系统;净化空气、承载各种生物的雨林;还有海洋,它的存在并不只是让我们感叹一下“好美”,我们也可以和心爱的人沿着美丽的沙滩漫步。是这些美好的事物支撑着整个地球。所以对我来说,美-不管是指艺术还是自然还是人-必须是好看又好用的。 比如我给你做了一顿饭,你既能填饱肚子,也能感受到它的美妙,因为我在其中倾入了自己的时间和精力。美不是只体现在艺术或创作上的,更多的是我们生活的方式。生活在我看来是关于平衡与交流,这些都是美而实用的。但我也不喜欢有用却丑的东西,太烦人了,设计师不能再用点心么?我从不需要装饰品,在装饰品上我看不到任何意义。所以我身边的一切都要经过测试:它美么?它好用么? 如果两者既符合我的标准,我才会带回家。美学理应是提高你的生活质量;人生苦短,不要浪费时间在丑陋之物上。

MOUNIR HOUMOU


Mounir Houmou
London based Photographer
follow Mounir Houmou on Instagram
​

 “极端来看,我没有,也不想拥有人际关系;对我而言,
最重要的是
能拥有一个人静静发呆的时间,如此而已。
然后,在生鲜超市,便利商店,百元商店
那小而安全的购物行为中感受一点微小的喜悦,
不多做无谓的思考,孤独而忘情地度日。”  
-Moriyama Daido
日期模糊不详,神经递质在紫外线、高温、交谈声的接连折磨下终于罢工。我像橡皮艇身后拖曳的一串不成气候的泡沫随Ed 毫无目的地游荡在Johor 街头。

紫外线,高温,因热情而略显野蛮的交谈方式。

向来陪着我的那台F100 被搁在行程之外,从那时起已很久没再从取景器里审度喧嚣了。甚至轻巧的TX1 也受了冷落。我只是保持着礼貌而又冷漠的距离走在Ed 身后看他走走停停,又或穿梭在渔市摊位之间,发挥神力一样的亲和值与摊贩闲聊。他听到了(或许是)有趣的故事,想转述于我,只能收起 “do I look like I care” 的表情认真听着。

很久之前读过一册巴洛克音乐人的野史,文中提到世人一举成名不外乎两种方式,蒙蔽阳春白雪或去亲和下里巴人。渔市这种充满“生活”、“人文气息”的地方,总是摄影逃不离的选材。总是需要记录者的,记录者至少比observer 有作为。Ed 的作品和Mounir 的有几分相似,但相比之下,Mounir 把自己放在了更为客观、更贴近observer 身份的角度。他说他已经把摄影变为生活习惯,任一有故事的时刻发生时,他都会毫不犹豫的按下快门。笔者最爱的便是Mounir 每次按下快门时一并留下的spontaneousness.

又一封未读邮件,是约定将在Phuquoc 会面的 Leann 贴心地问我是否准备妥当。Phuquoc 算得上是个可以暂避世俗的地方吧。朝着本该是Petronas  Tower 的方向发了会儿呆,每一次反复何异于逃离Château D'If 之后,“three months  before had no desire but liberty, had now not liberty enough, and panted for wealth... being filled with boundless desires... revenge” 的Dantès。已经开始想念文明了。递质假装罢工,错按了删除。 终是得以想明对于沉稳下来的心而言,隐于野、隐于市没有什么区别。


Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? 你如何定义“美”? 喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?

A: That’s a deep word; to me it is defiantly eye of each beholder that exists in each and every one of us. I think all of us can go a little deeper just by second looking at something, when you start to ask a question that you don’t know the answer to it then it means something. I find that when I see someone. And for me it has to be as raw as it can be but not being disrupted in any way to really catch the beauty of it. 美是一个很深奥的字眼,对我来说它相当于人们自有的感知力。我想每个人都能感受到美,只要他肯停下来稍加思考,自问几个问题,哪怕现在找不到答案也没关系。当路人走进我的取景器时,我都会如是思考。我眼中的美一定是天然的——天然但不粗糙。

Q: What kind of connection do you think that exists between aesthetics and daily life? 你认为美与生活是怎样连结在一起的?

A: The connection I feel that exists between them is that process from start to finish. It can be anything: from a journey, from someone’s home to their work, or a goal they are trying to achieve. I feel that people forget there is a process that’s taking place that the subconscious takes over and that’s what I try to capture in my photography. 我觉得生活中最美之处在于一件事的开始和结束之间。比方说一场旅行,从家到办公室的路上,成就一个目标的过程。我觉得人们常常忘了在目标达成之前,还有很长一段路要走。我想用镜头捕捉的正是这种“过程”。

Q: How would you describe your style and how is it formed? 你如何形容你的风格? 它是如何形成的?

A: My style ranges from time to time depending on my mood &
where I am. I keep it as simple as possible without over thinking too much, but I let my 3rd eye take over for a minute and let it do what it has to do. For me the 3rd eye is the creative eye that never stops working. It is like an eye that’s always on the look out for something to capture. I think its more a sleeping subconscious that is always working in the back, and it really does amaze me sometimes as I take pictures of things that I forgot I have taken till I go through my pictures and there it is, staring at me. 我的风格会根据我的情绪、所在的地方而变化。我尽可能保持简洁的风格。与其下意识地过度思考,我更喜欢让我的“第三只眼睛”去观察这个世界。我所谓的第三只眼是指潜意识中的创造力。尽管我没有刻意去想拍摄内容,它还是看得到那些值得一拍的事物。当我回顾拍好的作品时,我总是会被某些特别的照片惊艳——即使没有刻意地设计, 这些画面落在镜头里就是很有趣。

Q: When I attempted to take street photography, the results were never good enough because I was too far away from the subjects. Distance doesn’t seem to be a problem to you, so how do you approach them? 在我还没懒到完全不想拍照的日子里,我也没有很喜欢自己拍的照片。因为我和被摄主体之间的距离总是过于明显。在你的作品中,你和主体之间却有种亲近感,这是如何做到的?
A: This is an easy one, :-) yes your completely right, you have to get as close as you can to catch the spirit into the lenses. There’s a few steps that I tend to follow and so far its been good and has worked for me. 这很简单。你说得对,一幅抓住灵魂的作品一定是距离越近越好。一般拍摄时我有这么几个步骤。
Number one is never make eye contact with the subject, I always pretend I’m doing something else like cleaning my camera or looking at a something, but in fact what I’m secretly doing is taking the picture of them. 首先要避免和你想拍的人产生眼神接触。一般我都会假装自己在忙着擦镜头或者看看光景。实际上我已经在设计他们和画面的关系了。

Number 2 is I never take just one picture of a subject; I take at least 20 then pick the best one that draws my attention. And lastly, I learned to take most of my real raw street photography with me standing at with my back towards them. It takes time to learn but once you learn it it’s a sharp photography tool. 然后我会尽可能地多拍几张。同一个场景同一个人,我至少会拍20几张然后选出最瞩目的那张。以及,某些极具真实感的作品都是我背对被摄主体拍下来的。这个技巧需要很多练习,但是真的很有用。

Q: In your opinion what does it take to make a good street photograph? 你心中的好作品是怎样的?
A: In my opinion it has to be always to be raw, and never really staged or posed, unless you do it in a way that’s its natural. 我觉得好的作品必须是没有过度加工的——刻意的摆拍、布景都很糟糕,除非摄影师能让摆拍看起来十分自然。

Q: What do you want your viewers to take away from your works? 你希望人们从你的作品中得到什么呢?
A: I think the most important thing is to come on a journey with me when I take the picture like if there was there beside me. 我希望他们能感知这张照片诞生的过程,好像在我拍照的那一刻,他们就在我身边。

Q: Is there any specific theme / subject would attract you on the street? 当你走在街头,有哪些特定的主题会让你想要驻足一拍?
A: Oh yes, I love old people, When I see an old person and I manage to capture them well. 我喜欢拍老人。当我在街上看到老人时,我总想要好好拍几张。

Q: Tell us about your favorite artists. 和我们说说你最喜欢的艺术家吧。 
A: That’s a good question, I’ve always been a fan of Bruce Gilden and Eric Kim, they have taking their work seriously and you can tell in their work. For me I wish I could do what they do, dedicate more time into it. But for me I run a Media and property business so I just do it along with my everyday hustle. 我一直都很喜欢Bruce Gilden 和Eric Kim. 从他们的作品中你就能看出他们的认真。我也想能像他们一般全心投入到摄影中。不过我还有媒体和地产的生意,所以我只能从每日的繁忙中抽空来做这件事。

SARAY MARTIN


Saray Martin
Fashion blogger, founder of DansVogue
find more here WWW.DANSVOGUE.COM
笔者向来钦佩那些能够持之以恒去做同一件事的人——certainly,无脑的机械重复另当别论。每当有人问起诸如,为什么你的语言那么好,为什么你如此了解某些fashion house/古典文学之类的问题,尽管脸上还是礼貌的微笑,心里仍会轻轻叹气一番;一是因为不才在下并没有真的精通某个领域,二是因为此类知识大部分都可靠积累获得,三大概是为礼貌的微笑其实很累。

​大多后天可习得的能力,比如持久和专注,都将是一个人修养的一部分。


本次按语就这么短,诸位请认真看图:)

Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? 你如何定义“美学”?喜欢什么样的“美”的物品? 
A: Aesthetics is a subjective concept. It is beauty in our eyes, and the most fun is that its meaning is different in every person. My tastes for aesthetics are varied, it is very complicated to define with words and better with concepts: A song by Coeur de Pirate, a film by Michel Gondry, a painting by Matisse, a character like Iris Apfel, Paris, Tokyo ... all these are beautiful and wonderful aesthetic. “美学”是很主观的概念,它能反映人们的内心。我觉得正是因为每个人对美有各自的理解,它才如此有趣。我的品味十分多元,与其用文字定义,我觉得最好用切实的例子描述它比较好:我喜欢Coeur de Pirate 的歌,Michel Gondry 的电影,Matisse 的画作,像Iris Apfel 那样性格的人,巴黎,东京……对我来说这些都是很美好的事物。

Q: What inspired you to start your blog DansVogue in the beginning? And how did you make it known from 0 to 1? 你成立DansVogue 的动机是什么?你是如何从0 到1 的?

A: I decided to open my web almost 9 years ago. The objective was very different from what we know today. I wanted to express, explain my point of view and share my passion with other people. That really was what happened. Well there was no strategy. I just decided to open the blog and see what happened. Before fashion blogs were not prevalent, I opened my web in the environments of everything and that was an impromptu strategy. The only strategy that adapts to new applications is to learn and learn everything very quickly. Also to take great care of the image and think quality contents. 大概是9年前,我决定成立自己的网站。那时我的目标和现在的很不一样。我想有一个能和大家分享我热爱的事物的平台,并且能够表达自己的观点。说真的,我没什么特别的策略,这是一件靠时间养成的东西。我只能说我做了一个重要的决定-虽然是个很突然的决定-我在时尚博客还没有很普及的时候就开始这么做了。如果一定要说计划,那就是时刻保持学习的心态,而且要学得很快;同时也要用心投入内容产出。

Q: What are your views on fashion and why is fashion important to you? 你怎么看待时尚?时尚对你的意义是什么?
A: Fashion is cyclical, and that makes it very fun. You can find works of art, styles and shapes but you can re-invent, ... the incredible fashion you can play and experience. For me it’s very important because I want to express myself as I am, or what I want to convey. Finally is art! 时尚具有周期性,这种周期性让它变得很有趣。(由于这种周期性)你会看到很多(反复的)艺术,看到不同的风格或者流行元素,但是你可以在现有的流行基础上改造,说不定你也能打造出令人耳目一新的风潮。在我看来时尚非常重要,因为这是自我表达的方式。除此之外,它对我来说也是一种艺术!

Q: To those who are not familiar with this industry, how would you describe your job and what you do? 对那些不了解“时尚博主”这个行业的人,你会如何介绍自己的工作呢?
A: On my website you can find pics with my styles, trends that fit my style and more illustrations related to fashion. In my social networks there is a mix of both: styling, styling with collage painting, ...I always like to reinvent and go a step further. 我会和
他们说去我的网站上看看我的照片吧,这样他们能看到我的风格,以及这种风格的趋势,还有那些时装插画。时尚和拼贴创作在我的平台里各占了不少比重。我喜欢将不同的元素混合在一起,看看它们是否能碰撞出新的火花。

Q: How would you describe your own style? 你如何形容自己的风格?

A: My style is quite eclectic, but perhaps there are some points in common such as: vintage and French style. I like to inspire myself in art: in cinema, painting, travel...我的风格比较折衷,但也有一些相通的特点,比方说复古的单品、法式元素。很多搭配的灵感是来自电影、画作、旅行当中的。

Q: You are definitely very talented, with contributions of ballet, illustrations, collages… how do you make them work together in fashion? 你是一个相当有天赋的人。你很擅长芭蕾、插画、甚至拼贴。你是如何把它们和时尚结合在一起的?
A: Oh, thank you very much. It's hard work and many hours. I'm still working on it!
But I think it is something so deep and that is inside me, it has happened naturally and progressively. 谢啦。其实没什么秘诀,只是数小时的辛勤工作的结果。我也还在摸索中。但我觉得这是一种内心深处的直觉,有时它们自然而然地就发生了。

Q: What are your wardrobe essentials? 你的“衣橱必备单品”是什么?
 A:
 I love the trench, the striped t-shirts and my inseparable sailor cap. 我喜欢风衣,条纹T恤。如果我穿条纹T恤,那一定会戴水手帽。

Q: Do you have any plan for DansVogue or Dessinetas in the future? 对于DansVogue 的未来,你有什么计划么?
 A:  I am currently promoting my book: DANVOGUE "The closet method capsule" in Spanish it is “El Método Armario Cápsula”. A book that explains in an illustrated way, how to get the perfect wardrobe every season with 40 garments. I want to work together with brands and continue mixing photography, styling and painting. I also want to work in Asia, it’s a market that I am passionate. 目前我在推广我的书<El Método Armario Cápsula>. 这本书用插画和大家说明如何在衣橱只有40件衣服的情况下,搭配出足够穿一季的完美look。我希望能够和不同的品牌合作,并且持续自己将摄影、造型、美术混合在一起的风格。我也想尝试在亚洲工作,我对这个市场充满了期待。


Q: What do you expect your followers to take away from your DansVogue? 你希望你的读者们从你这里得到什么?
A: I hope to inspire and to create a community with desire to express what we like. 我希望我能够启发他们,或许可以与他们成立一个供人表达自我的社群。

Q: Do you have any advice to those who want to start their blog? 对于想要成为时尚博主的人你有什么建议么? 
A: I always advise that the content be real and self. It is the best way to be consistent. Being realistic and reaching people in a humble way. Also think about innovating and contributing different things. 我觉得如果想要做时尚博主,那么要尽可能地在社交媒体中表现真实的自己。我觉得这是保持内容统一的最佳方式。保持自我的真实,以谦虚之心和人交流。做内容的同时也要想想如何重构已有的事物,以及选材的多元化。

Q: How do you spend your day usually?  你的一天通常是如何度过的?
A: Every day is different and that makes me happy, but I spend a lot of hours: hours with email, photography, painting, events, trips with brands, other moments to look for inspiration and think about new contents...我的每一天都是不一样的,我喜欢这种多变性。不过我还是会花很多时间在工作上:回复邮件,摄影,绘画,参与品牌的公关活动,寻找灵感以及构思博客的选题。

MIN LIU


Min Liu
NYC based motion designer & animator
find more here: BLOODY-DAIRY.COM

曾经很喜欢GLAY 的“紅と黒のMatador”。本想拿来用作本期VIEWS 的背景乐,但Min 的“紅と黒”不该那么严肃-至少不该搞得和笔者一样严肃。毕竟有趣的东西值得和它的等价物在一起。

黑与红的配色可以营造古典感,叛逆感,或者像Min 提及的暴力感。这样的配色全然未削弱作品中诙谐幽默的部分,加之简洁、平面的表现方式反而自成鲜明的风格。Min 的每个小品中都有一个即直白却要让人想一想的故事,也是因为这样才能抓住别人的注意力。说它们直白,是因为每一幅animation 的故事确实如图所示;却也略显晦涩,因为它们总有些想一想也想不通的地方。但Min 自己也说了,并无他意,只是为了让人们脱口而出“这是什么鬼”-过度解读的人类。
 
最近在和某位作家的对话中她说道,“世界是建立在翻译之上的”,荒诞的幽默也是翻译的某种方式,并不失真实。看似无逻辑的事物也在跟随着某种对其成立的逻辑;Min 画的围绕火光终而复始的蛾,在唱片机上追逐尾巴的Tata,病人病态的谎言,还有当我想着”Les Merveilleux Nuages”时,窗外无常的云。

Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? 你如何定义“美”? 喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
A: For me, aesthetics is a way that the artist chooses to present viewers his/her taste, attitude, and story. We try to tell the story by the most direct and simple way we can, no matter in what format. I personally like something simple, rough and sarcastic. 对我来说美是艺术家们择以向大众展现个人品味、态度、故事的某种形式。但不管是什么样的形式,艺术家一般尽可能地选择最直接了然的那种来讲故事。就我个人而言,我更喜欢简单、原始,并带点讽刺的形式。
 
Q: How did you get involved with design at the first place and why did you choose motion design as your way to express? 最初你是因何涉足艺术领域的? 
A:
When I was younger, my major in college was accounting, which I don’t really have passion about. In my senior year, I randomly picked up Aaron Nieh’s portfolio in a bookstore (he is one of the most famous graphics designers in Taiwan), and this changed my life. I felt like this is something I always want to do. So I decided to start from zero, self-studied basic software, applied for school then came to New York. The more I learned, I realized that animation is the media which helps me tell my story better than graphics design,  so I started focusing on it. 刚进大学时我学的是会计专业 – 我对这个专业真的是没什么热情。到了第四年,我在书店无意看到了Aaron Nieh 的作品集(他是台湾最著名的平面设计师之一)。这是我人生的转折点,当下便明白了这才是我想做的。从零开始也无所谓,我自学软件并且申请学校,然后我来了纽约。在学习的过程中我渐渐意识到比起平面设计,动画才是更能帮我讲述故事的形式,于是我改变了创作的重点。
 
Q: Bloody Dairy is the 3rd daily project blacKKK introduces, what is your motivation behind it? And how has this project changed you so far? Also I saw some website cited it as Bloody Diary, just wanna double check with you. Bloody Dairy 是blacKKK 采访中介绍的第三个“日常作品项目”, 它背后的动机是什么?这个项目对你有什么影响呢?此外,在一些网站上我看到他们写了Bloody Diary, 想和你确认一下它的名字。
A: First of all, the name is Bloody Dairy, not Diary. This is actually a fun story; it was a typo at first. When I started this, I just wanted to do something fun and pushed my insanity. After 30 days I decided to make a website and I needed a name. Then I remembered that when I uploaded first animation on Instagram, I mistyped “dairy” for “diary”, and people asked me if I did it on purpose. Like you drink milk or put it in your coffee everyday, I create an animation instead. I found this was a interesting way to think about it, so I just went with that.
 首先,项目名是Bloody Dairy, 不是Diary。这事还蛮有趣的,本来它是个笔误。开始这个项目时,我只是想做点好玩的事并且给自己的疯狂一点动力。做了30天后我决定建个网站,那我需要给网站一个名字。于是我想起了我在ins 上传第一张照片的时候我把diary(日记) 打成了dairy(奶制品),然后有人问我是不是故意这样做的。好比你每天要喝牛奶,或者要在咖啡里加牛奶一样,我每天也要创作。我觉得这是个有趣的类比,于是就沿用了Bloody Dairy 这个名字。
Cel animation has always been my passion, after I finished a long term job that time, I just wanted to take a break from work and did something I really love. There was a trend on Instagram call #The100DayProject. You can take a photo, cook a new dish  


or draw a doodle everyday. I thought this idea is pretty cool and decided to make an animation everyday. 我一直对手绘动画很有热情。那段时间我刚离职,我只想休息一下并且做点自己真正喜欢的事情。当时ins 上很流行#100dayproject, 坚持每天摄影,做菜,画个涂鸦什么的。我觉得这想法挺好玩,所以就开始做动画了。
 

Q: Comparing to graphic design, I am rather unfamiliar with motion graphic and animation. As a professional, how would you benchmark a motion graphic work? 对我来说,比起平面,动画是比较陌生的。从专业角度看,你怎样评判一个动画作品的好坏。
A: Just like graphic design, motion graphics is one of the medias that allow artist to tell their stories. It’s based on graphic design, and pushes that even further. I think the beauty of motion graphics and animation is the movement and the creative transitions between scenes. 好比平面设计一样,动态影像也是艺术家们讲故事的一种方式,它是基于平面设计的,但是表现力更强一些。我觉得动画的美取决于动态效果和帧之间有趣的过渡。
 
Q: Can you tell us a bit about your work process? 和a我们说说你的创作过程吧。
A: I carry a notepad with me and whenever some crazy ideas hit me, I will do a quick sketch. I will go back and check my notepad for inspiration. I draw everything frame by frame in Photoshop. 我平常会随身带一个pad,不管什么时候只要我想到一些有趣的想法时我都会画个草图。事后再重温这些随手画下的东西,找找灵感。每个动画作品都是在Photoshop 里一帧一帧画的。


Q: I love the combination of black, white and red. How would you describe your style? As you look over, do you see any evolvement in them? 你如何形容自己的风格? 现在回过头去再看以前的作品,你有看到风格的演变么?
A: I always like things with dark humor. Something twisted and disturbing but not too horrific. One of my favorite manga artists is 伊藤潤二, this could explain where my interest comes from. 我一直都喜欢黑色幽默。带些小反转和不安的因素,但不至于让人不舒服。我最喜欢的漫画家是伊藤润二,这大概能解释我的喜好。
When I was doing this project, I had a very intense timeline to make one animation. I had to upload it before 12am everyday, which left me no time to overthink about it. The combination of red, black and white was actually a accident. Due to the limited time, I can’t really go too far with shading and stuffs. I used black for the outline first, and then used red as a placeholder to remind me here is for texture when I do the final composing. But after I finished the draft, I was fascinated with the violent beauty of the color palette, so I just went with that. 当我画Bloody Dairy 的动画时,我会给自己设定很紧的时间点,我必须在每天12 点之前上传,所以我没空过度思考或者解释每幅作品。也是因为时间限制,我没办法太关注阴影之类的细节。草图中我用黑色的轮廓线勾勒,然后用红色把稍后要画细节的地方先填上。但草稿画完后,我觉得黑红这样暴力的配色看上去相当不错,所以我就这么着了。
My style has changed during these years. I am still on the path to finding my own style, but I think I am at a good place now. I am still quite new in this field, I have learned a lot from the people I worked with and the inspiration from this great city. 这些年来我的风格有一些变化。我仍然在探索个人风格的路上,但我觉得目前没有走偏。在动画领域中我还算是个新手,我从共事的人身上学到了很多。纽约这座城市也给了我很多灵感。
 
Q: Some of the blacKKK readers are very curious about the cat’s name, if the cat actually exists. As for me, I am more curious about its symbolic meaning. blacKKK的一些读者很好奇那只经常出现在你作品里的猫,它有名字么?我个人的话更好奇它是否有什么象征性意义。
A: Yes, her name is Tata. And no, there is no deeper meaning for my works. I just love cats and crazy shits. I am trying to make something people will look at it and say awwwww wtf is this. 它的名字是 Tata 。至于象征性意义,没有那么深刻。我只是喜欢猫还有疯狂的东西。我希望我的作品能抓人眼球并且让人们脱口而出"这是什么鬼"。
 
 
Q: What is your typical workday? 你的工作日通常是怎样度过的?
A: I am a morning person, so I usually start working around 8. I try to not work on weekend too. I do feel regular daily route helps me bring out the most of me. 我是个晨型人,差不8:00 已经开始工作了,我尽可能不在周末工作。我觉得规律的日常才能让我的潜能得到最大的发挥。
 
Q: At last, tell us about your favorite artists. 最后,和我们说说你最爱的艺术家吧
A: There are lot of great animators I love. ShiShi Yamazaki, Chris Carboni, Drew Tyndell etc…
 

NeSpoon


NeSpoon
Warsaw based graffiti artist

facebook.com/nespoon.polska/
MODERATION
近几日终于能与Nikki Taylor 小聚。自新加坡分别后,这是第一次三人同桌促膝长谈。上次见面至今最大的改变正如NeSpoon 文中提到的moderation。我想到了佐藤的一段话,“我认识到我认识到平衡不仅仅是一个物理学上的概念,还与各种各样的事物有着本质的联系……保持平衡就是要控制住破坏平衡的阻力,最大限度地把握好平衡与让事物具有丰富表现力的创意有着密切的联系。” 尽管那2% 的人从事着不同的领域,但都会看到相通的某些东西,maybe it is methodology, or something else, not sure yet.
 
为这篇文章做最后的编辑之时又是在等候此二人,略有饥饿感,但也不知不觉地写完了。Seragoon again? Ha.
 
感谢每次在我不知中文如何写才好时挺身而出的Nick。

​
Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? 你如何定义“美”? 喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
A: Aesthetics refers to the nature of beauty and taste. These categories are not objective. A sense of beauty changes over time, that’s why I personally prefer to talk about a sense of balance and harmony, which are not related to the current canon of beauty or fashion. I also believe that less is more. "美" 指向的是自然协调与格调,当然我列举的这些类别并非客观的。美感会随着时间而变化,因此我个人其实更倾向讨论与时下的流行美、潮流时尚无关的平衡感与和谐感。我也坚信少即是多。
 
Q: What kind of connection do you think that exists between aesthetics and daily life? 你认为美与生活是怎样连结在一起的?
A: Well, Karl Marx said that "social being determines consciousness". He claimed that a man in his thinking is not free, but determined by the conditions in which we all live. I believe that it also refers to the visual harmony of the space surrounding us. The visual harmony of the surrounding space calms the mind and makes us happier. 马克思有句话说:"社会存在决定社会意识。”他认为一个人的自由是受到客观条件的诸多制约的。我觉得这话也映射到了我们生活环境中的视觉协调。这种视觉上的和谐可以安抚浮躁的灵魂,让人愉悦起来。
 
Q: Is there a line between beauty and grotesque in your opinion? If there is one, where would you draw it? 对你而言,美与丑之间有界限么?如果有,你如何划分二者?
A: Of course there’s a line. Look at the people who exaggerated plastic surgery. At some point, in the pursuit of beauty and youth, they become grotesque, ugly and even monstrous. Again, I can just say that less is more. I believe, that the key word is “moderation“. 当然有界限。看看那些盲追整容手术的人,不知不觉的,在过度追求美貌和青春的过程中,他们面孔开始变得扭曲,丑陋,甚至不堪。我重申少即是多的观点,我相信那是通往平和的关键。
 
Q: The form, lace pattern, you choose as the substrate of your thoughts is delicate and fascinating. Tell us what motivated you initiating this project and what you expect the viewers take away from your works.用蕾丝作为想法的承载很是迷人。告诉我们你开始这些项目的动机以及你希望观者从你的作品中得到什么。
A: I have been painting since I can remember, since kindergarten. I wanted to be a "real artist“ at the age of 6, when other girls dreamed of being princesses or fairies, but I started to do art on the streets in 2009. I thought that if corporations can overtake and destroy with ads the visual landscape of my country for commercial purposes, my art will not hurt anyone, 
even if I do not ask for permission. 从我能记事起,幼儿园起,我就在画画了。6岁时,当别的女孩想成为公主或者仙子,我则想成为真正的艺术家。但这些街头艺术是从2009 年才开始。我觉得如果那些商业广告可以占据一座城市的视觉空间,那我的作品 - 即便它们未经批准 - 也并不会伤到谁。
I use lace patterns, because in every lace we can find a universal aesthetic code, which is deeply embedded in every culture. In every lace we find symmetry, some kind of order and harmony. Isn't it  what we all are instinctively looking for? I try t o make positive art and to invoke positive emotions by the people. I hope that they smile, even for a moment, when they see my works. 之所以用蕾丝的图案是因为每一个蕾丝都有它自己嵌在不同文化背景下的美感代码。在每个图案中我们都能找到对称、秩序与和谐。这难道不是人类潜意识里在寻找的东西么?我试图创作有正能量的作品,以唤起人们的正面情绪。我希望他们看到我的作品时能够会心一笑,哪怕只是一下。
​
Q: From 2009 until now, how has your understanding toward this subject has evolved?  从2009年至今,你对你创作主题的理解有什么变化么?
A: Basically, I am still at the same point. Making art on the streets is constantly pure pleasure and fun for me.  基本上还和那时一样,对我来说在街头创作始终都是为了纯粹的有趣。
 
Q: Not sure what are the policies in Poland but how long can your works last out there on the street?  我不确定波兰的法律是怎样的,通常你的作品有多久的存活期?
A: Illegal street art and graffiti are forbbiden almost all over the world. In some countries the rules are very straight. If the police catches an artist, he can go to jail, pay a lot of money, or even be punished by whipping, like in Singapore. Luckily in Poland, even if part of my works is illegal, they are not removed from the walls so quickly. They stay a few months, or even years, depending on the spot that I have chosen for them. 在任何地方未经批准的街头艺术和涂鸦都是被禁止的,某些国家管制得更严格。如果被警察现场抓到那肯定是要进监狱了,罚金也逃不掉,甚至有鞭刑 - 比如新加坡。幸好在波兰这样的国家,即使我的某些作品是不合法的,它们并没那么快被移除。它们通常能存留几个月,甚至几年;时间长短取决于我挑选的位置。
 
Q: How do you pick your sites to create? 在创作之前,你是如何选择创作地点的?
A: It is an instinctive process. Usually I walk around the city and when my heart starts beating faster I know that I found the right spot. 这是个直觉的过程。通常我只是在城里闲逛,当我心跳加速时,便知道该在哪里创作了。
 
Q: What is your take on street artists and where do you see the street art movement in the upcoming 15 years? 你怎么看待广义的"街头艺术家"?你认为接下来的15 年,街头艺术会按照怎样的趋势发展?
A: No idea. The world is changing in unpredictable ways. I am just sure that in 15 years I will still create some kind of visual arts, because that’s who I am and that’s what I do. 不清楚,这个世界在以不可预测的方式变化着。我唯一确定的是15 年后我仍然在创作 - 不管是什么形式。因为这就是我,这就是我该做的。
 
Q: Is there any ongoing project at the moment? 目前手上有什么进行中的项目么?
A: My aim is to do large-scale multimedia installations in public spaces. In 2042 I will have finished my most important project so far - ‘Thoughts’. It started four years ago and it continues to grow every year. 我的目标是在公共区域进行大型多媒体装置的创作。到2042 年我会完成目前为止我最重要的作品 “思绪”。这个作品是从2012 年开始的,我一直在挖掘它更多的可能性。

​

JANICE CHUANG


Janice Chuang
San Francisco based Illustrator,
explore more at JANICECHUANG.COM

这篇interview 的内容完成于2016年年底,囿于schedule 和contents 安排(当然也是因为累),拖至今日。
 
理科出身而后转型在设计圈玩得风生水起的人,不是每天都能见得到的。说起来Janice 大概是笔者见过的第一位(广告圈的话倒是也有见过商科和应用数学出身的人,与这种人相处总是无往不利;逻辑即战力)。因此和Janice 联系上时不免有些许惺惺相惜之感,况且MIT 曾是笔者的ideal choice. Janice 最吸引我的地方是她的经历,her road looks a bit like my untaken path.
 
说回作品,Janice 作品中最令我难忘的大概是笔触,她自己也讲了“I’m quick to move into the final tools, because for me a lot of the beauty comes from the texture and properties specific to different media. It’s such a pity to see a watercolor so overworked it looks like marker, or a pastel so rubbed in and smooth that it looks like a photograph, so I really try to keep the drawing raw enough for the materials to shine. ”,灵动的笔触跃然纸上,全无笨重感,只有匠气。以前听professional painter 讲他学生手稿里试探性的笔触太多,一看就很犹豫。Make sure you know what you are doing. Not just talking about drawing, but everything.
 
T 小姐和其他很多人对笔者说过的那句大意为“虽然你没学过画画,但是你的画看上去感觉很好,比很多学了很久画的人好很多”的话,也适用于Janice。空有形而无灵气的东西着实是很蠢的。
STH JANICE’S WORDS REMINDED ME
​“Always push your limits to the extreme, dear girl.”
 ●
写东西方极简比较论文时,不知所以也成功地drag in 了一些expertises 一起随便聊聊。那时的做法可能已有blacKKK 的影子了。只是那时的笔者是想不到现在会忙到连一次愉快的采(聊)访(天)都很奢侈的地步(嗯,聊天都这么困难了,我才不会好好整理呢)。
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Got the ‘150 challenge’ on Thursday morning and needed to deliver final results on Friday morning. Nailed it. But the interesting part was being with Youna and Jackie and Kylie.
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聊好第一个group project 的client 之后的三杯长岛。
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为了讨论那个最后拿了distinction 的group project,在serangoon 等尤为擅长迟到的N & T 很久很久(等待中去买鞋子,看到喜欢的款却没有合适的尺码)。被放鸽子不愉快但合作…hum, 没我想象的那般tormenting:) and I miss u all.
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Dean 爱不释手的brochure template 在happy beast 之父眼里有趣不足,繁冗有余。
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说起dean, he is so good at prophecies. He said that, “you got an eye in business, young lady.” And see what has happened these days…笔者在等他”you’ve got the leadership charisma” 的prophecy :)
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"I'm gonna write a song for you."
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Group project 笔者最enjoy 写project proposal 和presentation 的部分;结果真的有大半年在写各种business proposal。
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飞了6 小时来找我聊天的Birdie;素未谋面却肯从13 小时行程外赶来见我合作的Morris(总是和叫Morris 的人很合得来, Taleb 的某些理论大概可以解释这种现象);久别重逢的ZT;在Ubin 海听着ukulele 一起聊Sarte 和le duxieme sexe 近天明的Josue。记名字是件很累的事情,所以我总会忘记。
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和Birdie 听着chandelier 从harding road 一路走到Bay.
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许多custom-made 小裙子和365 天无休的夏天。
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“虽然你没学过画画,但是你的画看上去感觉很好,比很多学了很久画的人好很多。”你看到的不是画,那大抵是智商和才气的视觉呈现;缺失的是热情。
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I always enjoy the moment when I finally felt previous works are trash – a sign of evolvement.
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Deadline 之前和Rolland 24/7 边看电影边赶final-居然仍挤得出时间一起逛街;逼着Monsieur 一起看了7 次的 the Last Samurai。
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每次final 后,去往另一个热带国家。
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Correlation doesn't imply causation.
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Grading sheets 里的D不是A、B、C、D的D,是Distinction 的D.
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Like Janice, I have also spent many quality times at art stores.
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不需要撑伞的雨天。
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fort caning park 雨后的气味和它留在嗅觉里的记忆。
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再找不到那么好的地方看"les merveilleux nuages", 但可惜那个时候还没开始拍这个系列。
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The wrong timing of the right person; 那也许还不是right.
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Final projects 总是痛苦但有趣的。
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这些由Janice 提到的final 一词 —如果可以的话,好想看看她的final — 触发的、但与美学相去甚远的记忆,看得懂的人自然会看得懂,敬请对号入座。
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"There are men too gentle to live among wolves."'


Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? 你如何定义“美”?喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
A: I would say “aesthetics” is the attention paid to visual beauty. For me, it’s ever changing and depends on the object, the environment, the purpose, etc. And sometimes, just when I think I know what is beautiful, I can be surprised with something I never knew I would love! 要我说的话,“美”是对视觉美感的关注;“美”是跟随它所依附的主体而变化的:物体、环境、创作意图,等等。有些时候我以为我很清楚它是怎样的,但接下来还会爱上某种意料之外的东西。
Aesthetics are relevant to me in everything. Of course in design and art, but it’s also important to me in terms of what I wear every day, how my home is furnished; I can’t even buy a can opener if I don’t like what it looks like! I think some people feel that it’s a superficial issue, but I think of it more like this: The outside of an object deserves to reflect the beauty of the inside. “美”和我的一切都有关。不用说设计和艺术了,包括每日的着装、居家布置也是一样。哪怕我买一个开罐器,它也一定要好看。我知道有些人会觉得这很肤浅,但我是这么看的:一个物体的外在理应是能反应它内在的美的。
(笔者:一点也不肤浅,无美不成活,笑.)
 

Q: What kind of connection do you think that exists between aesthetics and daily life? 你认为美与生活是怎样连结在一起的?A: An undeniable connection! One of my favorite quotes is “Have nothing in your  houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” In my ideal world, an object is both functional and beautiful, especially an item you see or use daily. Admittedly, this makes life more difficult at times—I went years without living room furniture because I couldn’t find the perfect couch, and I recently spent two months looking at planters for 
my new cactus plant! But I’d rather have nothing at all than something that looks terrible. 它们之间有着无法忽视的联系。这里引用一句我最喜欢的话,“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” 在我理想的状态里,每样物品都该是可以集美观和功能于一身的,尤其是那些每天都用得到的物品。不得不说这种观念确实让我的生活艰难了一点——我的客厅空了好几年,因为我找不到完美的沙发;最近我又是花了两个月才给我的仙人掌找了个花架。尽管如此,我宁缺毋滥。
(笔者:引述自William Morris.)
 
Q: What motivated you into illustration at the beginning? 最初你是因何开始插画生涯的?
A: I’v always really been into drawing and art, and any kind of craft, actually. My dad is an architect, and my mom majored in fashion in Tokyo and used to draw me paper dolls when I was little. I was also strong in academics though, and when you’re good at things like Math and English and Science, of course no one asks if you want to take art more seriously. I went to MIT and was Biology major, planning on being a doctor because that’s what smart girls become, but my heart wasn’t in it. When I realized that difficult reality, it felt too late: I would just graduated with something I did not want to pursue any further. 其实我一直都挺喜欢画画、艺术,还有手工的。我的父亲是一位建筑设计师,母亲曾在东京进修时装专业,在我还小的时候她会给我画纸娃娃。但我的文化课也很好,你懂的,当你的文化课成绩优秀时,也没什么人会关心你是否想从事艺术了。之后我进了MIT读生物专业,原本计划的是毕业后去做一个医生,因为聪明的女孩大多都会这么做。但我的心不是这样想的。当我意识到这一点时已经太晚了,我差不多已经要走上一条并不情愿的路。
I moved to Tokyo, thinking that living abroad by myself would force my true path in life to just emerge...and then started to panic when, by year 4, that wasn’t happening. But all through my time in Tokyo, I was always drawing and making things. Solitary nights were spent in the aisles of art stores, I became the youngest member of a knitting group in Ebisu, and I visited just about every location of Okadaya in Tokyo. I even hand-drew a menu for a Hawaiian dive bar in Yokohama called Stove’s, just because! And yet it still did not occur to me that I could make a career out of my art until a friend hired me to illustrate a party invitation for him, after spotting some drawings I’d done on the cover of my planner. When I realized that art could be more than a hobby, I was ready to come home to San Francisco and get started. 毕业后,我搬去了东京,觉得独自在外的生活也许会逼我真正该走的那条路浮出水面。到了第四年,我开始恐慌了,因为那条路仍然没出现。但我在东京的日子并没有虚度:独自一人在艺术品商店度过的夜晚、成为Ebisu 一个针织小组最年轻的成员、我逛遍了东京的手工材料店、还为横滨的一家stove’s bar 画了菜单。 后来,直到一位朋友看到我在手账封面上画的一些东西后决定雇我替他画派对邀请函,我知道自己可以靠插画谋生了。那时我发现艺术不仅仅是爱好,我已经准备好回San Francisco 开始新的生活了。
 
Q: I was going to ask how did different cultures influence your and your works, but I am even more curious about the impact of your MIT biology background. Has the mindset/logic built up while you were studying science ever blocked the creative process? For me, they end up as unique inspirations; but some times trammels. 我本想问你,那些居住过的城市的不同文化是否影响到你的作品,但我还是更好奇理科背景对你的影响。理科中建立的思维方式和逻辑会不会阻挡你的创意过程?对我来说有时它们是独特的灵感,另一些时候反而是阻隔。
A: Hm, I think it was the opposite: studying Biology at MIT helped me be bolder and more adventurous with my side art projects at the time. Because my art was so separate from my studies, I did not take my art projects very seriously and therefore felt free to go crazy with them and I was more loose and creative. For a thank-you present once, I drew a portrait of a friend which I then embroidered onto a pillow that I made from scratch with materials from a fabric store that I asked my long-lost cousin’s wife to drive me to in the middle of winter (and probably in the middle of finals, too)! My projects back then were much more involved and random. 这么说吧,在MIT学习生物的经历让我在艺术上有了更大胆的尝试。我画的题材离我学到的东西跨界甚远,我并不把它看作特别严肃的事情因此我能很随性、自由地创作。有一次我送了一份感谢礼给一位朋友,我画了这位朋友的肖像然后绣在了自己做的枕套上。至于那个枕套,那是个冬天…而且还是在快要交final 的时候吧,我让阔别已久的嫂子开车载我去纺织品材料店,买好原料自己做了枕套!以前的作品就是这么随性,也让我更有参与感。
I think it was the graphic design classes that have sort of held me back, actually. Graphic design is a client-facing work, so you have to ask things like: is this strategic? Will people like it? Does this make sense? But those questions are also worries that keep me from being as daring, bold, and experimental with my art as I used to be and would like to be again. 我觉得反倒是平面设计的课程把我拉回来了。平面设计是面向客户的,所以你必须问自己: 是这个策略么?人们会喜欢这个作品么?这样做逻辑上说得通么?但这些问题也会让我的作品不像以前那么大胆、有试验性。我还是喜欢像以前那样创作。
 
Q: How is your work process like? Where do you usually start? 和我们说说你的创作过程吧。一般你会从哪里开始?
A: I often begin with Pinterest. I start a board for the project, and start pinning everything and anything that could possibly be useful. It’s an easy way to start without really starting; it’s still something I can do in front of the fireplace with a cup of tea! Then I might do two quick thumbnails to force myself to explore something outside of my initial idea, and then it’s time to dive right in. I don’t do too much light sketching underneath; I usually start with a gesture drawing and leave the lines in as part of the final piece. I’m quick to move into the final tools, because for me a lot of the beauty comes from the texture and properties specific to different media. It’s such a pity to see a watercolor so overworked it looks like marker, or a pastel so rubbed in and smooth that it looks like a photograph, so I really try to keep the drawing raw enough for the materials to shine.  我一般从Pinterest 开始,我会给每个项目新建一个board,归类好任何可能有用的素材。这种没有开始的开始是很轻松的方式,我在壁炉前喝杯茶的功夫也能轻松地做起来。然后我会开始做一些thumbnails 延展最初的想法,thumbnails 有了之后差不多也该全力以赴了。我不会浪费太多时间雕琢草稿,一般我只会画个简单的示意图,然后直接在线条上开始作画,我很快就会进入最后一步。对我来说一张画的美感很大程度上是来自媒介自身的纹理和属性的。有时看到一幅加工过度的水彩看起来像马克笔一样,或者是色粉作品过分均匀看起来像照片一样,它们丢失了本身的属性太可惜了。我尽可能地避免过度加工,这样才能让材料本身表现自己。
(笔者:thumbnails 也是笔者念书期间经常碰到的词,然而在中文里找不到精准的对应词,无力翻译,抱歉.)
 
Q: What is the most essential item in your workspace? 说一样你工作室里最重要的工具。
A: It’s not exactly an item, but I love to have solitary time at night. This is my favorite time to work, when everyone else is asleep. 如果说最重要的,那倒不是某种工具,而是夜深人静我独醒,一人思考的时刻。
 
Q: Where does your inspiration usually come from? 你的灵感通常来自哪里?
A: It can come from anywhere. I love looking at other artists’ works, but sometimes that’s more about admiration and pure enjoyment. I never want to copy someone else’s work, even unintentionally, so I try to find inspiration in other fields: fashion, music, nature, etc. 到处皆有可能。我是很喜欢看别的艺术家的作品,不过那大多是出于欣赏和纯粹的个人喜好罢了。我永远都不会剽窃别人的想法,无论是有意识还是无意识的。所以我还是会在别的领域寻找灵感,比如时尚、音乐、自然之类的。

Q: Is there any ongoing projects at the moment? And what’s next for you? 目前手上有什么在进行的作品么?接下来有什么计划?
A: I just finished a couple of commissions: a drawing for a childhood friend of mine for her new baby daughter, an architectural rendering, and a portrait of a pair of beautiful black cats. I love commissions because they give me a chance to create work I would probably not approach on my own, and help me to keep pushing my boundaries into unfamiliar territory. And I’ll be taking a weaving class soon! I hope to take a break from client work after this round, though, and work on a series of pastels that I have wanted to finish for a while. 我刚完成的几幅作品有:一幅给我童年玩伴新生宝宝的画,一幅建筑图,一对黑色猫咪的画。我还蛮喜欢comissions 的,因为它们让我有机会接触到平常不会尝试的题材,并且让我不断地向未知的领域拓展边界。接下来我要去学编织了!这些项目做下来后,我想休息一下。然后完成一个一直在画的色粉系列。
 
Q: Tell us about your favorite artists. 和我们说说你最喜欢的艺术家吧。

A: My favorite artists are hard working and prolific, bold, and are always trying new things. Aesthetically, every line they put down is confident and has purpose,and they all have technical skill, regardless of the style they choose to use. Some current favorites are Egon Schiele, James Jean, Drawbertson, Astrid Vos, Richard Haines, Lady Gaga, and Helen Bullock. 我最喜欢的艺术家们身上大多具备了勤奋、多产、大胆、不断尝试的特质。从美感角度来说,他们落下的每一笔都是极为自信且目的明确的。不管他们选择了哪一流派,他们都有自己轻车熟路的创作方式。目前最喜欢的有Egon Schiele, James Jean, Drawbertson, Astrid Vos, Richard Haines, Lady Gaga, and Helen Bullock.

RACHEL STIFF


Rachel Stiff, US Based Artist
explore more at RACHELSTIFF.COM
绮丽
 ”所以,看到这位的作品后,脑海里出现的第一个词是什么?”
​
“乱而有序。” 不幸被抽中帮笔者做试点的CG小姐如是说。巧的是Rachel 个人对于美感的定义恰好也是关于有序和无序, “Order and disorder has everything to do with aesthetics...... Balance is essential. Some disharmony makes for a much more interesting piece and is a better representation of life. ” 相较每次沉默很久只飘过来一个“美”字的某人,CG小姐的感受力靠谱许多。

在看到Rachel 的最终答复之前心里一直略有忐忑,担心的是abstract artist 是否有落到点的故事可讲,或是说在创作之前是否有明确的创作动机——讲不清故事/表达、逻辑欠佳的人实在难以忍受。好在Rachel 的故事十分有趣——至少笔者在反复阅读中每次都有了新收获, did you guys actually read? “Decay is quite beautiful...The reality of death and the physical process of matter breaking down was my primary discovery. ” 这也是笔者在自己的‘蝶’系列中试图探索的命题——最新一幅作品(进度 35%)搬家时丢了:)

p.s. 本篇大概是2016 年最后一次更新(笔者要去过夏天)。感谢包涵笔者如此散漫的更新频率、至今仍在关注blacKKK 的众看客。以及时不时会被叫来试读顺带义务校对的小伙伴; 格外感谢Nick, Nikki, Terry, 帮助翻译interview 的Ava(喜欢anne.lines 那篇访谈译文文风的看客可以继续留言吐槽笔者的文风,just let me know the percentage so I can decide what to do next),常出力帮忙准备内容的Aiden, 还有Kurt 宝宝-此人有一个文学类公众账号,但更新频率之低于笔者只有过之而无不及,因此本次不广告...。2017 年笔者会尽力找到更有趣(表达力和作品都要有趣)的interviewees 来讲故事,毕竟有智商的内容才配得上聪慧又有趣的你们。


Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? What kind of connection do you think that exists between aesthetics and daily life? 你如何定义“美”? 喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
A: Order and disorder has everything to do with aesthetics. How a person keeps their home, to the arrangement of the colors in an outfit, people make choices about function and appearance. As a painter I am constantly making decisions about how the layers of paint will converge or how they might create tension. Balance is essential. Some disharmony makes for a much more interesting piece. 我认为“美”是关于有序和无序。大到家的收纳、整理,小到如何排列衣服的颜色,看似不经意的事情实际上都有促使我们在功能、外观等方面做出选择。作为一个画家我所做的选择是关于层次的罗列:它们怎样交汇,或者说如何能让层次之间产生张力。本质上这是关于平衡、和谐,某些不和谐反而能带出更美的作品。

Q: Is there a line between beauty and grotesque in your opinion? If there is one, where would you draw it? 对你而言,美与丑之间有界限么? 如果有,你如何划分二者?
A: Decay is quite beautiful. As a child, I spent a lot of unsupervised time outdoors. Digging in the mud, trying to walk on all four like a deer and inspecting dead things were my past time activities. The reality of death and the physical process of matter breaking down was my primary discovery. Nowhere within these experiences or my attempts to replicate that beauty in art, have I sought the grotesque. Intention is the line between beauty and the gross. To share my discovery and show the viewer the details up close is my purpose. 衰败在我眼里是美的。童年许多时候我都独自在户外玩耍:挖挖泥沙、学小鹿一样四足纵步、观察死去的动物的尸体……最大的发现是关于死亡的事实以及衰败的过程。无论是过去的日子或是此后我试图在作品中使其再现的时刻,我都没有将它和丑划过等号。(作品背后的) 意图才是划分美、丑的那条线:我试图和受众分享我的发现,以及那些他们忽略的细节。

Q: How did you get involved with art at the first place? 最初你是因何涉足艺术领域的?
A: My grandfather would draw and paint on strange objects; rocks and scrap pieces of wood. He was untrained and all of his paintings had a folk-art feel. Once he found a rock in the shape of a parrot. And, so, he painted it green with an orange beak! My mother’s talent is notable. She liked to sit in her garden and draw the way light illuminated the vegetables and leaves. This was my only exposure to art in the small, isolated town I grew up in. There are no museums or cultural centers nearby. Seeing the two of them make images is what inspired me initially. 我的祖父总是在一些奇怪的东西表面作画,比如石头,碎木之类的。他没有接受过正统艺术训练,他的作品民间艺术特征十分突出。一次他找到了一块形似鹦鹉的石头,于是他将它漆成绿色,还加上了橙色的喙。母亲也是一位很有艺术天赋的人,她喜欢坐在花园里临摹阳光在蔬菜、树叶上投下的光影。我在一个很偏远的小镇长大,那里没有博物馆也没有文化中心。观察他们作画的过程便是我的艺术启蒙,促使我踏入艺术领域。

​Q: My favorite lecturer used to push me to experiment in every design project. I assume experimentation plays an even more critical role for you as a mixed media artist? 大学时期我最喜欢的那位讲师总是会push我在每个项目中都要不断尝试(媒介,形式,表现手法,等等)。我猜对于像你这样的混合媒介艺术家来说,试验性过程是非常重要的环节吧?
A:
 Experimentation lets the variable of chance in. It keeps me engaged and enamored with the process. Making mistakes is a large part of building the composition. Underneath all of the layers and the layers that you see in the history and energy of many uncontrolled instances. It’s the culmination of control and chance that amount to a finished piece. 试验过程为结果的多变与偶然创造了机会,这也是我最迷恋的环节。‘错误‘是创作中很重要的
一部分。堆叠的涂料之下是作品迭代的过程和各种不可控的瞬间,人们看到的最终结果是层层必然(控制)与偶然的累积。

Q: Where does your inspiration usually come from? 你的灵感通会来自于哪里?
A: Primarily, the process of painting inspires me. The abstract expressionists were quite captivated by the idea of action and materials. I appreciate this idea and sometimes let this be my entry into a piece. A dialogue between the painting and myself begins. We start to inform each other and pose questions. Responding to previous marks or forms I start to get an idea of what I want from it. It’s usually about environments, air quality and the exchange between human development and natural landforms. 多是来自绘画过程。抽象表现主义艺术家们比较痴迷执行和材料这两个点。这也是我喜欢的点,通常我也是从这里切入新作品。在这个过程中,画作与我的对话会自然而然地开始——我们的对白常常是关于环境、空气质量、以及人类发展与自然之间的相互作用。我们抛出问题给对方,对此前的注解做出解答。渐渐地我会清楚在这幅作品中我想要达到怎样的结果。
 
Q: I was never an expert in abstract art, but I really like what you said about it, “Abstraction enables depiction of the most important properties and forms that are embossed in memory”. Could you elaborate on this? 我在抽象艺术方面不甚通达,但我很喜欢你对此的解释,“‘抽象’是潜意识的写照”。可以深入地聊一下你的看法么?
A: So much of how I work depends on the dialogue I have with the painting. In the beginning, experimentation is key. It’s only until the painting starts to show it’s personality that I begin to have a vision. In other words, the work is not premeditated; no plans, no preliminary sketches. Working representationally would send my ideas dead on arrival. When a surface starts to build layers, is when I begin to exert control. Through decisions and editing, the best textures and the best spatial arrangements for my idea are chosen. The element of surprise seems natural and breathes life into each painting. 每幅作品的创作方式取决于我和它们之间的对话。在最初的阶段主要还是靠不断尝试,直到这幅画本身的性格浮出水面,我才会看到它的可能性。换言之,我的作品里没有那么多预设,没有计划,没有草稿;具象地创作只会扼杀我的想法。直到开始堆砌层次时我才会施予控制,左右它的走向。深思熟虑后筛选出最合适这个作品的空间架构。非预设的偶然看起来更为自然,也让每幅作品有了灵魂。

Q: I know you from “What’s Up With the Sky?” posted by AIANEWS and I just got hooked on it. What can you tell us about the stories behind it?  AIANEWS 推送过你的“What’s Up With the Sky?”,我很爱这幅作品。能说说它背后的想法么?
A: This piece was made during an artist’s residency in Chinatown; downtown Los Angeles. Not having much experience with big cities, I was in awe at all the human life and activity. Built up! Immeasurable human history and story compressed between layers of landforms, plants, cars and interstate systems. The air has a certain quality there. It’s rich with energy, sounds and pollution. Light and color get filtered through all of that. There was also a feeling of terror. Overpopulation and fear of “The Big One” (San Andreas fault line) was ever present. I think this fear was amplified due to my extremely quiet and rural childhood. “What’s up with the Sky” describes the exchange between the gross qualities of huge western cities and the awesome beauty of their states. 这幅画画于我在L.A. 唐人街居住期间。前文所说我成长于一个小镇,没去过太多大城市。我对L.A. 那里的人类活动以及一切都怀有一种敬畏感。地质层、植被、车辆、公路……层层之间都藏着难以估量的发展历史。仿佛空气也有种特殊的质地:富有活力,喧闹,也有污染的味道,它们替我滤过了光线和色彩。随之而来的还有一些恐惧感:人口过剩、圣安德烈斯断层。这种恐惧大概是被我于乡下度过的安静童年放大了。这个作品描述的是西方大城的繁荣与美感间的对流。
 
Q: How would you describe your style? As you look over your exhibitions or publications do you see any evolvement in them? 你如何形容自己的风格? 现在回过头去再看以前的作品,你看到风格的演变么?
A: In an interview with Yves Michaud, Joan Mitchell said, “Abstract is not a style. I simply want to make a surface work. This is just a use of space and form: it's an ambivalence of forms and space.” Painting has expanded and collapsed, just to expand again and collapse all over again. My evolution as a painter is important to me. It shows my observations of the environment at certain points in life. While working abstractly, I often employ the type of gravity and space one encounters in a vast landscape. When asked to describe my work, I sort of wince. It’s not a bad question! But, putting the work into words can feels like a futile endeavor. So much of a painting and an artist’s voice is in the presence it holds. 在与Yves Michaud 的对谈中,Joan Mitchell说:”抽象不是某种风格。我只想利用空间感和造型感让平面活起来:这是空间与构成的两重性。” 绘画在它的发展史中经历过巅峰和低谷,以后无非是再次达到巅峰或崩盘的重复。作为一个画家,风格的发展对我来说非常重要。它体现了我在人生的某一个阶段对于人生(环境)的观察:创作抽象作品时,我想的是让引力和空间在开阔的平原相遇。如果一定要让我描述我的作品,我可能会迟疑。这个问题本身并不糟,但试图把视觉作品装在文字里是徒劳的行为。该在那里的东西一直都在那里。

Q: What is your state of mind when you are creating? 创作时的心态是怎的?
A: Contemplative. It’s not romantic. The work done by artists is hard and often laborious. When I am working on a painting it’s exhausting because it’s in the decisions and the compositions that one is an individual. We are always trying to progress and this is difficult. Alternatively, when I make drawings I am much more meditative and free to explore without worrying about the outcome. 艺术创作其实没有人们想象的那么浪漫——艺术家们的作品大多是辛勤劳作的结晶——通常我在沉思中创作。执行过程会让人很疲惫, 因为这个过程包含太多‘决定性的决定‘——这些决定影响着一幅作品的灵魂。精进的过程往往形同逆水行舟。不过,尽管是沉思着,我仍会自由地尝试,并不过分担心最终结果。

Q: Tell us about your favorite artists. 能聊聊你最喜欢的艺术家吗?
A:
 James Turrell and Walter de Maria are two land and light artists that I find interesting. The abstract expressionists: Joan Mitchell and Clifford Still. Laura Owens is a contemporary painter from Los Angeles. Her work is very heroic. Large billboard sized paintings envelope the viewer. From a closer distance they become much more intimate. I like when paintings function perfectly from any distance and I love huge paintings.

anne.lines


Annelies aka. anne.lines
Contact through: info.anne.lines@gmail.com
Or follow ANNE.LINES on instagram
眼前
笔者还对基础医学感兴趣时,买过一本有关free-hand drawing的书(ha? Ok... I know how this sounds), 书中第一个exercise 要求的是用一条连续不断的线任意发挥, 且建议每日反复练习-写到这里我想起了另一个擅用连续线条和eye tracking 技术的artist。这种exercise 并非只是写给beginner,即使是技艺熟成的人也需要复习已知的内容。感谢和我说"always keep practising”的讲师,这可比他的lecturing 让我受益得多。
 
Annelies 的365天线/格练习已经渐入尾声,在我写下这行字时已经是day 259。为了更好地展现表达力阶段性的变化,早期的一些手稿也被纳入此篇,看到前后的变化和熟成是十分有趣且感动的-筛选时我仍有意略去了前二十篇,对一项新事物差不多是需要这么久的时间去入门。别说是需要经过理解抽象转化表达的涂涂写写,任何事情能够坚持一整年都是令人钦佩。
 
Ms.Corvino 教授Design Principle 时,第一课艰辛的dots exercise 对于Ttk,Youna chan,Jackie 几位大概仍是历历在目。点点点点;但又不只是点点点点。每次下笔莫不是一种修心-前提是拿笔的人在主动思考。
 
尤其喜欢Annelies 对美与生活相连的解释,“I think aesthetics can uplift daily life in many ways... and drawing attention to the aspects that are very important for our wellbeing, aspects that are easily overlooked.” 一切都源于观察和主动思考。
 
是这么简单的,最值得在能看时多看几眼的事物本来就在眼前,只是自己想不想看得到。亦可等到miss之后才miss。

​
Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? 你如何定义“美学”?喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
A: A difficult question because I use the word ‘aesthetics’ seldom. But since you ask. I would define it as artificial beauty. The kind I like brings joy and makes one wonder about life. 这个问题很难回答,因为我平时很少用“美学”这个词。既然你已经提到了,那我对它的定义则是“人工美学”,我喜欢给人以愉悦,并让人思考生命的美。
 
Q: What kind of connection do you think that exists between aesthetics and daily life? 你认为美与生活是怎样连结在一起的?
A: I think aesthetics can uplift daily life in many ways. By adding beauty and meaning. By making life more pleasant, and drawing attention to the aspects that are very important for our wellbeing, aspects that are easily overlooked. 我认为“美”可以从不同方面提高人们的日常生活品质,我们可以通过增添美好 ,赋予意义,让生活充满愉悦;关注生活中能提升幸福感,却又极易被忽略的美。
 
Q: Is there a line between beauty and grotesque in your opinion? If there is one, where would you draw it? 对你而言,美与丑之间有界限么?如果有,你如何划分二者?
A: Yes I am sure there is a line, but it only exists in the eye of the beholder. Should we walk together through town or in a museum then I could show you what, in my opinion definitely crosses the line. It is hard to describe. For instance as a rule I prefer a clear and minimalistic style over a baroque style. But at the same time I can immediately point out exceptions to that rule. 我相信是有这么一条界限的,但是它只存在于观察者眼中。我们不妨一起徜徉于小镇或博物馆,这样我就能向你介绍我所谓的这条分界线。说实话,这很难描述清楚。比如,较之巴洛克风格,我更倾向于清晰极简的风格。但同时,我又能举出种种特例。
 
Q: Your insistence is absolutely remarkable. So where did this 365 days project begin and what is your motivation behind it? 我十分钦佩你的毅力。所以这个365-day project 背后的动力是什么呢?
A: 
My life is no different  than the lives of many others. It contains to do lists and deadlines. I wanted to set myself free of all that stuff from time to time, preferably on a daily basis. It had to be a project with no other purpose than to enjoy myself and have fun. After some time I realized that I work best with a deadline. So this project would not be pushed aside by the other deadlines. That was the moment I made it into a 365 days project. 我的生活无异于其他人,同样存在待办事项和截止期限。我希望能够不时地从这些事情中抽离出来,去专注于日常创作。要做到专注,那必须是一件让我不带其他任何目的,纯粹出于创作乐趣的作品。一段时间之后,我觉得应该设定个截止期限,才能更好地完成作品。为了让这个项目不受其他项目时间的影响,我决定将这个项目的周期制定为365天。
​To be honest, I did surprise myself by showing so much discipline. My perseverance comes mainly from having so much
 pleasure, feeling so good while making the lines and 
grids. By no  means implying that I am always content with the outcome. It is really the creating process that I am referring to. 说实话,我能这么严于律己,自己都感到惊讶。我之所以坚持不懈,是因为很享受于创作各种线条和栅格时乐在其中的感觉。不过这绝不意味着我总是满足于自己的创作结果,却毫无疑问地享受于整个创作的过程。

Q: And why did you choose the form of lines and grids? 为什么选择栅格和线条这样的形式?
A: I love colour and I love combining colours. The most easy way to do so is by lining them up. That is how  the lines started. 我喜欢不同的色彩及各种色彩搭配。最简单的方法就是把不同的颜色勾勒出来,线条系列就是这么来的。
For the grids I am not sure. I happened to have a notebook with grids. I like lined paper to write on. Grid paper invites me to draw. Drawing grids is fun.   至于栅格系列,我不太确定。我碰巧有一本栅格笔记本,并喜欢在划线的纸上写字,但是栅格纸总让我产生绘画的欲望,绘画栅格也非常有趣。
I am fond of fountain pens (and notebooks) and thought it would be nice to see what would happen if I was bound to use only a grid and two colours. The restriction works as a puzzle to me. One I have to solve on a daily basis. 我喜欢使用钢笔和笔记本进行创作,当时有点好奇如果限定使用栅格和两种颜色会创造出什么样的作品。这种日常命题创作像谜一样吸引着我。
 
 
Q: You have created over 200 pieces, how has this project changed you so far. 你已经创作了200余件作品,目前为止这个项目对你产生了什么影响?
A: Regarding the works: the lines changed from simple lines, to shapes and then to architecture. At first there was no sign of any dimension, later on there was. 从作品层面而言,从一开始的简单线条变换为图形,再变换为结构。作品最初毫无任何维度可言,但随着创作元素的不断叠加和变换,作品维度也逐步叠加。
As for how the project changed me. I spot more beauty now in parts of the city that are in general not seen as attractive. Like the area’s where there are only factories.  A huge part of my life has always been devoted to art. But this project/challenge gave a new dimension to my life. 而从我个人层面来讲的话,它让我能更轻易地捕捉到城市角落里易于被人忽视的美,甚至是工厂遍布的地方。我的生命基本上都献给了艺术,但这个项目/挑战却将我的人生带到了新的层次。
 
Q: I can not stop thinking of ‘repetition’ from design principles, and I still remember how I struggled to create variation among unity back in the design institute. Have you encountered any similar situation during creating process? 你的作品让我总是想起设计原理中“重复” 那一条,也想起了在设计学院时,总是试图从统一之中创造差异。你在创作过程中有过类似的感受么?
A: For the grids I come up with ideas I am sure I already used before. But when I check I did not. Most of the time I am surprised by it. How many variations you can think of when only having this principle of a small grid and two colours. Apparently a lot. 那些栅格,有时我会以为我又在重复以前画过的点子,但画完时会发现原来这是个新点子。你能想象仅凭借小小栅格和两种颜色所创作的作品有多少种变幻方式吗?显然很多。
For the lines I do not worry. It all comes by intuition. The only rule I have is that it needs to have lines in it. Since it all comes from my mind I trust there will be a connection. 至于线条的我倒不怎么担心“重复”、“统一”、“差异”定律这种问题,因为我总是凭直觉创作。我创作的唯一原则就是必须在作品中体现线条。既然这些都源于我的想法,我相信它们之间也必然有一定的联系。

Q:  What is your state of mind while doing this daily exercise? 创作时的心态是怎的?
A: An open mind, focussed on what I draw, wondering what would happen if I make a certain choice. There is a lot of room for experiment. 放开心态,投身于创作本身,思考着不同决定所产生的不同结果。当然,作品的试验空间还是很大的。
 
Q: Where does your inspiration usually come from? 你的灵感通会来自于哪里?
A: Many times it is an image or a shape that pops up in my mind. Other times it is architecture. 通常源于大脑里涌现出的某张图片或某种图形,有时建筑物也能激发我的灵感。
 
Q: At last, tell us about your favourite artists. 最后,能聊聊你最喜欢的艺术家吗?
A: Well, there are many. Established ones and the ones that are less famous. I have seen interesting work on instagram too! But my all time favourite is an Italian artist I have been admiring for many years and whose works I absolutely love: Giorgio Morandi (1890 – 1964). Every time I get the chance to see his work in real life I grab the opportunity with both hands. I would encourage everybody not yet familiar with his work to have a look. 嗯...有很多,有些声名远赫,有些鲜为人知。我也在instagram上看到很多有趣的作品。但是我最喜欢的还是一位已经崇拜多年的意大利艺术家乔治•莫兰迪(1890 – 1964),我非常喜欢他的作品,每逢千载难得的机会,我必将亲自去参观。我也鼓励每个人,甚至那些不太了解他作品的朋友们去看看,亲自感受一下乔治•莫兰迪的艺术魅力。
 

EKATERINA ERMILKINA


Ekaterina Ermilkina
NY Based Artist, @ekaterinaermilkina(Instagram)

Original Art:
saatchiart.com/ermilkina
artsy.net/artist/ekaterina-ermilkina

Gifts and Merchendise: 
redbubble.com/shop/ermilkina
某座城
​(this might be part I)

在某处曾度过炎热无雪的圣诞。
 
临别的那个圣诞,final presentation 业已结束,只等无聊至极的commencement。在Orchard Central 的露台夜眺,透过交叠的利口杯看蓝慢慢隐匿在蛛灰绛紫中,空气中膨胀的阳光比在北温带更有趣、更迷人,不远处gateway 中来往的行人被湿润的空气和玻璃蒙上了一层bokeh;现今得知这样的配色会被某人叫做“粉矿在夜里”。身后一条长长的Orchard Road 在逐渐升温的暮色中灯火熠熠。OC 是每次课程结束后,回家途径之地。

计划要搬回NYC 继续生活的Rolland 如是说了整一年,却跑去SG 陪我等commencement。两人一起俯瞰Orchard Road,猜想每个行色匆匆之人的dress code。末了对我说, “Just as you said, you are the photographer among illustrators, illustrator among designers, semi-biologist among artists. But after all, you are like an observer.” After all the results of my observation is the only thing that counts. 我在Ekaterina 的画中察觉到些许wanderer 与observer 的意味,许多时候就是向后一步从旁看看便好。“世间上有人生来是演戏的,也有生来是看戏的。这演与看的分别主要在如何安顿自我上面见出…看戏要置身局外,时时把'我'搁在旁边,始终维持一个关照者的地位吸纳这世界中的一切变化。”
 
近来疲于与各种proposal, paperwork 纠缠,陶然世外观察路人熙攘的时间也少了许多。片刻的宁静如同honesty 一样成为今日的奢侈品。反而总有自己是灵感断片枯坐于打字机前闲扯尼龙带的Mr.Moody的错觉。“如果’顿悟’不置于’渐悟’中,顿悟之后恐有顿迷来。”
 
Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? 你如何定义“美”?喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
A: Aesthetics is a taste of beauty but each of us has a different experience with it. There is some magic in piano music that fascinates me, and I want to express these emotions in my paintings. 美感是体验美的产物,但每个人的感受力都不同。对我来说钢琴曲就有一种引人入胜的力量,而我想把这些感受表现在作品里。

Q: What kind of connection do you think that exists between aesthetics and daily life? 你认为美与生活是怎样连结在一起的?
A: I think it is a direct relationship between aesthetics and daily life. It is not only artwork on your wall or in museum, it might be an art of communication with your friends and colleagues, your look, streets you crossing every day with a beautiful architecture, sounds, all kind of things around you, sunset.. 美与生活之间存在很直接的关系。美不仅是只可远观的艺术品,也是交流的艺术、人的外在、那些你每天会经过的街道和林立两旁的建筑、声音、日落...周围的一切。

Q: Is there a line between beauty and grotesque in your opinion? If there is one, where would you draw it? 对你而言,美与丑之间有界限么?如果有,你如何划分二者?
A: To my mind there is a clear distinction between beauty and grotesque. But I can draw a line between beautiful grotesque and horror grotesque. I would say the paintings of Dali and Bosch are beautiful grotesque but works of Francis Bacon are too bleak and far from beauty. 对我来说二者间泾渭分明无疑。但我会去区分有美感的丑和它的相对面。比方说Dali 和Bosch 的作品属于荒诞之美,而Francis Bacon 的作品惊异、粗犷有余,缺了美感。
 
Q: Why modern pointillism as the way of expression? 为什么选择点彩法来创作呢?
A: It is my way of expression I found out during a years of creating art. It is a long and uncontrolled changing process of finding a new style to reflect emotions. It took more than 10 years for me of transformation from academic style to modern pointillism. I graduated from Art and Design Academy in Saint Petersburg, Russia. My paintings that time were realistic. The first signs of changes happened when I moved to USA in 2005. New life 
definitely asked for a new style. 我也是摸索了很久才确定这种风格。我一直在寻找能够表达内在情绪的最佳选择,这种探索
过程很长,且难掌控。我毕业于圣彼得堡的Art and Design Academy,从学院派到如今的当代点彩派,这种风格的转变花费十年有余。最初的变化是在2005年——刚搬来美国之时——新生活无疑要配新风格。

​Q: What is the story behind the Urban Series? How did you get started with it? 和我们说说“都市系列”背后的故事吧。
A: When I first came to the U.S., it seemed that everything about the architecture was completely new-and, by extension, the sense of history and culture, and what the buildings had to say. It was impossible to continue working in quite the same way. The experience of seeing skyscrapers for the first time had an enormous imaginative impact, and the effects continue to reverberate in my work, both in its content and in my evolving technique. The modernist style of the buildings seemed to demand a more modernist artistic approach, and I was inspired to create the "Urban Series". 初来之时,我深深地被这里的建筑所吸引。它们承载的历史、艺术、文化气息(与我以往所见)迥然不同,再沿袭之前的方式创作会太无趣。我始终记得第一次看见那些摩天大楼时的感觉,有如醍醐灌顶。这种影响反射在我的创作题材和日益臻熟的技法中。现代派的物体需要更新颖的艺术手法来表现,也因此催生了“都市系列”。


​Q: I was drawn toward the color and serenity in your works at the first glance. But as the creator, I would like to hear what you actually expect viewers to take away from your art. 第一次看到你的作品时,我便被用色和画中的静谧吸引住了。但作为创作者,你希望大众从你的作品中看到什么呢?
A: I am in love with colors and I am sending a message to the viewers using my "color code". Asking myself what do I have to say today? I say what I feel. I paint my experience and impressions and It makes me happy when my viewer can read it. I do hope that art can enrich and deepen our understanding of the world. In the paintings I reflect my own feelings, but it's not surprising that I find understanding. 我热爱色彩,因此我也是在作品中运用特有的配色手法来向受众传达信息。我不会说我究竟想让他们看到什么,而是要想办法通过视觉让他们感同身受。我将自己的经历和印象转化成受众可以看到的图像,如果他们能懂则最好。我希望艺术能加深人们对这个世界的认知。我的作品不仅是情绪知觉的转化,同时也是理性思考的产物。
 
Q: There’s a lot of art in the NY art market, how do you differentiate yours from the rest? 你如何在艺术商品琳琅满目的纽约区别出自己的作品?
A: To tell the truth I did not see anything like modern pointillism style, I created it and it is new and it is different. I think my Instagram followers @ekaterinaermilkina can differentiate it. As for me I am amazed by contemporary art at New York art scene and new artists you can find at art fairs are very inspiring and also have their style. I would like to invite you and your readers to my next show at Affordable Art Fair in Amsterdam 27 - 30 October, 2016. Paintings will be presented by Art & LEF Gallery, Stand no: C10 Groningen, NL. 说实话目前为止我还没看到过类似当代点彩派的风格,我创造了这种风格。我相信Instagram(ekaterinaermilkina) 的粉丝都能一眼认出我的作品。至于纽约的艺术市场,这里的当代作品和新兴艺术家都使我惊羡,他们风格鲜明且令旁人灵感迸发。顺便一提接下来我在阿姆斯特丹的展览,从10月27日到30日,在Affordable Art Fair, 由Art & LEF 承办, 展位: C10 Groningen, NL(不知是否有居于荷兰的看客,心情好了可前去一看)。

Q: I noticed that you are also creating some derivatives, I like how you are approaching the combination of your art and commercials. How did you come up with this idea? 我注意到你在Redbubble上有许多衍生产品。我喜欢产品和艺术的结合。你是如何想到要这样做的?
A: I've heard a lot from my clients that the smoothness and fluidity of texture in my paintings reminds them the fabrics. I decided to try and immediately was excited with results. Now I have a collection of pillows in my house with my favorite paintings, I wear scarfs and always have a unique gift for my friends. Now I have fans who buying the whole collection from skirt to mug! 之前有很多买家和我说画作中平滑流畅的纹理让他们想到了纺织物,我想不妨试着将二者结合,结果很不错。现在我自用的枕套、围巾都出自原创系列,我也总能为朋友准备特别的礼物。有一些粉丝甚至会集齐整个系列的产品,裙子、马克杯,无论大小。

Q: Who are some of your influences? 你的作品有受到哪些人的影响?
A: Gustav Klimt, Andy Warhol, Georgia O'Keeffe, Auguste Renoir, Valentin Serov, Marc Chagall, Konstantin Makovsky and a lot of other great masters.

KARAN SINGH


Karan Singh
Artist, illustrator
explore more at MADEBYKARAN.COM


​“Neurosis is the inability to tolerate ambiguity.”
S.Freud.
​
Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’?
A: I think in the world of illustration, aesthetics are about formulating and refining a style or set of styles. The aesthetic of your work is essentially a representation and expression of yourself.


​While he studied interaction design, the self-taught artist has focused on visual arts and illustration for the past nine years, drawing inspiration from graphic design sensibilities and op-art minimalism. His bold and vibrant work is aplayful interpretation of minimalism particularly focusing on depth and dimension through pattern and repetition. His professional career has seen him based in a number of 
cities including New York, Malmö, Sydney, Melbourne and now Tokyo over a variety of disciplines ranging from art for IBM, animations for the band OK Go, textiles for Heineken and a typeface for The Designers Foundry.

JORDAN SULLIVAN


Jordan Sullivan
Artist, storyteller
explore more at
 JORDAN-SULLIVAN.COM
​

  “I am an excitable person  ​who only understands life lyrically, musically,
in whom feelings are much stronger than reason…
Anything I cannot transform into something marvelous, I let go.
Reality doesn’t impress me. I only believe in intoxication, in ecstasy,
and when ordinary life shackles me, I escape,
​one way or another. No more walls.”
​A. Nin.

 

Getting Lost & No More Walls
火车驶出Greymouth 的月台加速时,我正在不停地向下刷着 INS的界面,丝毫没有住手的意思。无意义的动作这样持续了十几秒后,界面恰好停在我的Muse,Zinser 的一条 post上。那条post 引用了篇首Ms. Nin 一段关于如何诗意地存活于喧嚣人世的体会。By the way我其实很希望能用诸如斑驳的红皮火车(@Belgium)  或是在沿着海边铺成一线的铁轨上哐哐前行(@Dalian) 一类的短句帮助你们展开画面,然而Greymouth 的火车只是没有情怀的现代化。

无意义地肌肉反射是清空杂念的方式之一,比如scrolling down my INS:不需要去看、去读,只是盯着界面右侧的bar在向下移动。 彼时,是苦思graduation ceremony 之后何去何从的日子,在新加坡的一家Art Studio 和本土的一家Boutique 之间犹豫不决 ——结果是笔者在两家都随便玩玩了几天,最终却去了别处。Zinser  的gallery feeds 总是能给我安宁内省的空间,一条一条地看过去,发现了一张Jordan Sullivan 的作品,自此便对Sullivan 的novella 念念不忘。这其实是差不多两年前的故事,直到最近笔者才决定向Sullivan 发出requests (这长长的间隔皆因一种生于timing 的感觉;timing 的微妙,此处不表)。

Sullivan的拍摄几乎都是在路上完成的,他本人也差不多总是在路上。Wandering Days 系列早期的一本作品集The Young Earth 便是在旅拍中跟随两个20出头的年轻人去了冰岛。故事的主人公之一身患不治之症,二人在那次拍摄中留下了许多对死亡的彷徨、焦虑,以及反思的瞬间,思忖着往生。最终的成品不只是一本影集,更像是novella (他喜欢称自己为storyteller 而不仅是艺术家),“Through meditations on death, the loss of youth, and the beauty and complications that come with love and friendship, The Young Earth explores how two men attempt to move on and find courage and calm in the face of oncoming tragedy.”

在等待Sullivan 的回复期间——等了很久,因为他心血来潮突然决定去欧洲某国玩一遭——我读完了他的每一篇文字。他聊过他不喜欢久居一地的原因,有逃离的成分在,但那不是全部,更多的是为了探寻未知的事情,“我游离于各地,是因为想离开一些人,一些城市...我说不清。我也不是一直不见踪影,有时只是想去看看不同的东西。但心碎时,我都会消失一阵。爱上某人、因某人心碎,或是游荡一阵后,我总能进入最好的创作状态 (I am running from) girls, the city, I don’t know really. I am not always running away. Sometimes I am just looking for something different. But whenever I have a broken heart I tend to disappear for a while. I feel like I make all the best things when I’m in love or just completely broken up or after being on the road for a while.”
时至今日,这样不着调的理想主义还是可以打动我。也许是时候应该再去escape 一次,也许我该去找Mr. Sullivan,也许我该和Sullivan 深入地聊聊菲林和move around 的意义,“Anything I cannot transform into something marvelous, I let go…I escape, one way or another. No more walls.” Find my way to escape.

Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? What form of ‘aesthetics’ 
​


do you like? 你如何定义“美”?喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
​
A: Within my work I am interested in exploring the ethereal. Within that exploration is definitely a search for beauty. Things I find beautiful generally have a mood, atmosphere, and history to them. I'm drawn to things that make me feel before they make me think. 我一直试图在作品中表现“飘渺”,而这个过程,自然也是一种对“美”的诉求。符合我美感的事物通常是有情绪、有氛围、有故事的。感性与理性之间,我更倾向
​于能引发感情共鸣的事物。


Q: What kind of connection do you think that exists between aesthetics and daily life? 你认为美与生活是怎样连结在一起的?
A: I don't want my ideas or my aesthetics to get in the way of experiencing life. I try to go out into the world with an open mind, without too many preconceived notions then when I am in the studio I sort take all those experiences and turn them into an idea or a picture or a book. 我不希望我的想法或者审美影响我体验生活。我希望自己能以开放的思想融入这个世界,去接纳一切,而非受先入印象的影响。事后到了工作室里,我再将它们转化为别的形式——也许是一个idea(注:职业病,笔者无力翻译此词),一张图片,或者一本书。
 ​
Q: I love the words you wrote for the Death Valley series. Do you always try to build up an interaction between visual and texts?  我很喜欢Death Valley系列中你写下的文字。你会试着在图像与文字间建立联系么?
A: Yea. Writing for me is sort of what sketching or drawing is to painter - for lack of a better analogy. 是啊。写作对我来说——举个微拙的例子——就像画师的速写一样。
 
Q: What motivated you into photography and writing from your varied career background? And why did you choose these forms of art? 之前你从事过各种职业,为什么最后选择了摄影和文字?为什么是这样的艺术形式呢?
A: Photography is very to book arts and books are one of my main passions, so I think an interest in making photo books was actually what first drew me to the photography. Photography is a powerful platform for creating interesting visual narrative, and I love stories in whatever format.  其实是对画册制作的兴趣让我选择了摄影——书籍是我的兴趣之一,而图片是书籍艺术的基础元素。摄影是让视觉叙述生动起来的有力工具,只要是有故事的,什么形式我都爱。
 
Q: How would you describe your style and how is it formed? 你会如何描述你的风格?它是怎样形成的?
A: Honestly, I wouldn't know how to describe. I feel like my work is always changing and evolving. 说真的,我也讲不准我的风格是怎样的。我觉得我的风格一直在变化中迭进。
 
Q: Perhaps you could explain your thoughts behind one of your favorite project? 可以介绍一下某个你最满意的作品背后的思考么?

A:  I think it's better to just look at the project. The work is more interesting than anything I have to say about it. 这个最好还是看作品。作品本身比我说的有趣多了。
 
Q: I see a very consistent color scheme in your works, and it is quite unique. Does such a color scheme mean anything to you? 你的作品沿袭着一种独特的色彩风格。这种颜色对你而言有特殊的意义么?
A: A lot of my new work is about color and time, and I am generally interested in how we experience color. When I'm shooting a place or a person I'm interested in the light and color that is there as well as the light that isn't, the phantom light, the colors that can be brought out through art and photography, the colors and light that can make something ordinary divine. 近来许多作品都是关于色彩和时间的,我会好奇人类对色彩的感知。每次拍摄时,我不仅会注意可见的光,我也会注意不可见的影;那些通过艺术形式的转化才能呈现出来的色彩、那种能帮平凡脱胎换骨的光影。
 
Q: Is there any ongoing projects at the moment? And what’s next for you? 目前手上有什么在进行的项目么?接下来你有什么打算?

A: Near To The Wild Heart and a new book. 目前在拍摄Near To The Wild Heart. 接下来准备再出一本书。
 
Q: Where does your inspiration usually come from? 你的灵感通常会来自于哪里?
A: Everywhere. 到处都有可能。
 
Q: Tell us your favorite artists or designers. 聊一下你最喜欢艺术家或设计师吧。
A: Cy Twombly, Paul Auster, Samuel Beckett, Anselm Kiefer, Ann Hamilton, Christian Boltanski, Emily Dickinson, Noah Purifoy, Mark Bradford, Charles Simic, etc, etc...

TOM WU - THE WHITE PROJECT


TOM WU. 
Designer, entrepreneur, founder of WHITE
 
explore more about the upcoming WHITE
at 
KUYUPLUS.COM

​THE WHITE PROJECT 无物在外 无物在内
​
"太阳本身很美,但当我们和阳光直面时,那刺眼得能让人眩晕的纯净的白色光芒更是一种美;瀑布本身很美,但从一落千丈的瀑布中飞溅四射成雾状的水珠更是一种美,这种美——只可意会,我们称它为くろく。当我们将注意力集中于此类抽象美时,我们的感官就会如同古筝琴弦弹奏的优美乐曲一般,抑扬顿挫。经过漫长的历史积累,这种民族审美意识作为一种审美概念以一个被叫做‘白’的词,固定了下来。"
 —— Kenya Hara

大抵是要向前数过八次春秋更替,那是笔者怀揣一台F100,带着些加缪局外人式的恍惚找寻与redeem 的一年。边游荡,边与自我"大哉问,大哉答"。彼时尚不能自如地调和好阳光下亮部与暗部细节的相容,仍执拗地只肯用容差极小的反转底片。
Rollei 的反转色调过暖,亚洲人的皮肤被衬得格外别扭;Fuji 有中速的反转底片,颗粒尚算细腻;Kodak  因为太主流且名字不讨那时我的欢喜,一直处在被鄙夷的地位,何况色彩并不具有表现力… 过分地沉迷于色相与饱和度的后果便是迷乱了双眼,看不清自己的镜头与底片承载了什么。

人类习惯于用自己能够理解的度量单位去定义实体。比如"1",比如直方图,比如色彩。没有这些度,人类无法感受,也无法表达每日的所思所想。像失语症患者似的,只觉得有一个词悬浮在第一颞回中的某个角落,努力回忆着,还是描述不出它的模样。而色彩,若撇开色值不谈,它们是不同的个体经过主观感受后得出的结果--nothing, as a matter of fact, is unified.

 我说不清也无法记起,究竟因为何人何事,突然爱上了黑白摄影。于是从反转底片的火坑里跳入了另一个——开始囤积不同牌子的黑白底片、比较它们对结果的影响、学习冲洗…这之中经历过痴迷于纯黑的阶段,再到纯白。最终了然认为黑既是白,白亦同黑。倒是在忘记了彩色的干扰后,仿佛看得更清楚了。看得见以前被刻意挤在同一个画面内的对比色掩盖的纹理、光影、时间、故事。

 一张照片,有时不需要按快门的人带入太多的感性,按下快门的那一秒,客观而冷静,镜头中记录的事物本身的情感自然会显现出来。而一件设计的产物,也可沿用这样的道理吧。THE WHITE BRUSH 就是如此冷静,不喧闹、不侵扰的存在。

WU 说自己"喜欢,并相信着'碰巧'的事",与他的结识也是十分"碰巧"。笔者是尊重,但并无法全然理解他对设计的热忱的—笔者早忘了设计师的责任感,惭愧。第一次与WU 聊到WHITE 时,我不解他何以孜孜不倦地找寻跨界的合作,他解释说,一个群体的表达才可能是生意,这并不是只投入时间、精力就可以的,如果设计上投入更多,是会更好,但是投入越多,销售成本越大,买的人越少,越投入越是自己的艺术品,单人的表达自我不是生意。

白作为无彩色,宛如一方容器,这一方容量有着让不同的人去体验、诠释的潜能。"白是一种特别不寻常的颜色,因为它也可被视为没有颜色。在过去,日本人将一起事件发生之前存在的潜在可能性称作‘机前’。由于白包含着转化为其他颜色的潜在可能性,它也可被视为‘机前’。"

白,与万物同在的自由也。而生命恰是好在本无意义,才容得下众生为它赋予各自的意义。无物在外,无物在内。
 
Q: 你如何定义"美"? 
A: 我还无法定义美,还在探索。

Q: 喜欢什么样的"美"的物品? 
A:  "倾注了心血的事物",承载心血的事物总是能在一瞬间紧紧揪住我。

Q: 你认为美与生活有关系么?  
A: 爱因斯坦研究相对论的起点是因为"觉得原有的理论没有美感"。

Q: 和大家聊一聊你的 THE WHITE PROJECT 吧。
A: 作为设计师,设计的工作多数是在表达我和客户。而此次我希望创造出一个空之容器,借此容纳一些东西,属于消费者自己的东西,给消费者表达的机会。假如这是件礼物,你在使用它的时候会更多地意识到你朋友的情谊;如果这是一个菲利普的产品,你根本不会有这样的一个意识,只有它损坏了、丢了,你才可能想起你的朋友,因为它平时一直在暗示你:飞利浦,不可能是你的朋友。正因为白色空空如也的感觉,才会有一些东西可以住进去。从商品的角度来说,每个人买到的都不会有太大区别,真正区分它们的是人


类的记忆。我希望把这个空间让出来,而不是去侵占。同时,这件关于牙刷的事(以后是别的产品)也是一个给大人们(制造业生产方)表达的机会,他们本不会表达——也就是不会设计——他们只会生产。这些人就是中国的制造业,并不是一台台机器,一筐筐材料;他们无法表达的,我来帮他们表达(设计)。所谓一代人做一代事,​我们一起做事。他们不是不做品牌,只是不会。

​Q: THE WHITE PROJECT 的创作过程是怎样的?
A: 创作过程很简单,好像脑子里有个画面,你要做的就是让整个画面更清晰。挑战在于,是否可以把我的想法传达给别人,因为它们是如此的隐蔽和轻微。比如我说纯白,并不是白色的产品这么简单,产品本身连logo、功能键的说明都没有印,
因为3个灯代表的3个功能是任何人都明白的。但如果我写上"去除茶渍咖啡渍、常规、按摩"这样的字样,就会有人因为觉得"自己需要去除茶渍"而去使用对应的功能,但是他忽视了自己口腔的感受。没有印字,你就必须要通过自己的口腔来感受,你适合怎样的振动频率。这种东西很细微,你很难像吃了2款巧克力后能明显地感觉出哪款更好吃,实际上我不讲出来你都不会发现,但是你会觉得更舒服。基本就是用了WHITE之后,突然再换回一个很花哨的牙刷给你,你会不习惯,觉得别扭、难受,好像内心的一个圈子被入侵了。

​这也是我厌恶广告业、不愿加入广告业的原因之一。我很高兴大学时看了一部纪录片<helvetica>,里面有个设计师说:平面设计师要有责任感,去做出好的引导(而不是控制)。我们为这个社会贡献了什么,这是一种责任感。

去除logo虽然不难,只要是你自己投资,只是主动放弃了自己的品牌暗示。我认为电动牙刷就是一件生活用品,几年后人们不会说"电动牙刷",只说"牙刷",就像乔布斯之后,我们不说"智能手机"了一样。那么,一件好的生活用品,就应该如一条白色的毛巾那样,适应我们的需要,又不打扰我们的生活;她平时就安静地在那里,你不会受到任何暗示。   白因为是无色,它会把你的注意力聚焦在事物本身:刷牙的时候你不用手动,也有定时提醒,因此你可以放松你的大脑,或者去感受自己的内在;白色的牙刷为你制造出一个短暂的2分钟空白,让你和自己说说话,或者只是对视一会。我想经常跑步的人能懂我说的那种感觉。

​比如当下商业带有所谓的"互联网基因",还有"互动的需求",就有好多电动牙刷去做APP,什么?!你刷没刷干净自己的口腔需要看APP上的笑脸,而不是自己的感觉?你还有什么是属于自己的?或者说对于人类来说最重要的自我感觉你都放弃了,那你还有生活么?无非就是苹果让你买个手机,微信让你关注一些账号,飞利浦让你刷牙2分钟,那你还是你么?

Q: 在这个项目中,你扮演了什么样的角色?
A: 造梦者吧,我给整个项目起名:眠计划,清醒地作白日梦。还有就是动物园里的猴子,被亲友们围观,看看你做的怎样了,"还真不错啊","果然不行吧",我就觉得xxxxx。两个角色都很享受。

Q: 第一次面向大众沟通时,为什么选择了brush tooth 这样的媒介?
A: 白色的东西以前也做过很多,但面向大众沟通一定得是商品。而选择电动牙刷纯属巧合,但我喜欢、并且相信着[碰巧]的事情。

Q: 在创作过程中哪一个步骤最打动你?
A: 创作过程从来没有打动过我,也基本没太多乐趣。我渴望结果。

Q: 你认为THE WHITE 的受众是怎样的 ?
A: 我没有考虑过这种东西,我的确是在做"不够商业化的商品",不但是设计,连过程我都没有遵照老师教授的方式,比如分析什么受众。我认为那是一种自我限定,能自我限定的人得是超级厉害的人,就像漫画里,超厉害的人才会主动限制自己,以免伤害到周围的人或者能够和普通人一同生活;我还不够格。同时我不愿意去做一个很中心化的东西,去主动照顾每个群体(个人),根据不同情绪、需求进行变形是我想要的画面。

Q: 此前,你谈及通过这个项目,对中国老一辈企业家产生了新的认知。
A: 就是心有余力不足+强烈的自尊和责任感吧。并非无法沟通,年轻人要主动承担责任,沟通就可以进行。他们只是囿于不会表达(设计),只会生产。

Q: 与他们接触后,你意识到此前心中是存有偏见的?
A: 从25岁开始,人类就很难意识到时间在自己身上的流逝,大人永远觉得自己是大人,要照顾小孩,你们小孩永远是小孩,毕竟年龄差不变。我自己又何尝不是,总抱着那种想法,其实前提就是你还把自己当孩子,相对于他们的孩子;只要主动平等起来,很好谈的。他们对于社会的考量,是远在年青人之上的,年青人心中太多自我,他们心中没有,更多的则是想要尽一份责任。他们并非不愿交手年青人,而是希望继续保护你们,承担责任:因为责任很重,我也是逐渐才体会到的。

Q: 你是如何平衡商业与艺术的冲突的(或者说 你认为二者间会有冲突么)?
A: 并没有,艺术的理解不应该太狭隘、设定边界,那样很不艺术。冲突其实也并不存在,好的商人利用冲突,好的艺术家表达冲突。

Q: 你的灵感通常会来自于哪里? 
A: 经历,然后不断琢磨自己。

Q: 你的一天通常是如何度过的? 
A: 拓展、积累、思考,是每日必需,跟水一样。一定要想一些东西,看一些东西,记录一些东西,不然就觉得哪里不对。很自然的,走在路上躺在床上,甚至梦里;梦里没法积累了,就由潜意识思考,然后突然起床拿起手机(以前是笔记本)记录我的梦,然后思考意向。经常吓到别人,哈哈,但真的没法就让它那样从你的意识里溜走啊。

Q: 对自己品牌的未来有什么样的规划? 你会继续延展 THE WHITE PROJECT?
A: WHITE 是这个项目永远的坚持。我不擅长规划,只想发展更多有趣的合作。

Q: 有比较喜欢的艺术家或者设计师可以介绍一下么?
​A: 最近喜欢琢磨李小龙、爱因斯坦和毕加索,很有趣的一点是爱因斯坦研究相对论的起点是因为"觉得原有的理论没有美感"这个前面谈过了,后半句更有趣,毕加索在艺术上的突破是因为"觉得以往的观察方式不太科学"。

APRIL HILL WRITING 


April Hill Writing
Writer, doodler, and a gatherer of thoughts
Start following on instagram to FEEL the thoughts

直至倘若成为当时
Poetry is not a turning loose of emotion, but an escape from emotion; it is not the expression of personality, but an escape from personality. But, of course, only those who have personality and emotions know what it means to want to escape from these things. --_T.S. Eliot
     


        诗的灵感可来自任何平凡的事物:生活中随意的一瞥。诗并不会因此沦落至平凡。 但如此飘渺之物究竟是什么。

​        April Hill的诗作——或许会被传统诗的支持者唾弃——精炼、诙​谐,时而讽刺时而忧伤。诚然不及湖畔派诗人(the lake poets) 的辞藻优美,作为自由诗而言,诗格、押韵也是没有过多的讲究。这些看似信手拈来的字句,好像是他/她脑中随意抽到的某一段胶片,在8mm放映机上哑哑地转上了几秒。词句闪现在他/她脑海里那一刻的sensation也跟着一起投映出来,呈现在众人眼前。

        以主题区分,诗可以粗略地分为社会主题、自然主题、人生主题。其思绪常萦绕于人的生命存在的目的和意义,即所谓“生命意识”,恰如美学,诗最终也是要回到对人的关怀——又有什么不是以人,人文为本的呢;说到底,人类是一些自恋个体的集合。而恰巧也是人,作为读者的人,才能使文字成为可以被阅读并理解的作品。纵然作者总是倾入了无尽的思绪,但文字的意义并不在于他,而是读了这些字的人的理解让文字有了存在的意义。It is because you are here, no matter what kind of point you think you get from the work itself – that would be another story about how the human brain interprets what eyes see. Even you, the existence of yourself, could compose a beautiful poetry; and what are your poems of life?

         一个诗人,固然是热爱文字的——但未必一定要热爱生活的;毕竟对当下的热爱与审视是两回事。文字就像April Hill笔下漏气的氦气球,肆意的狂舞,即便是屋顶也拦不住。字里行间迸发的力量如同弗拉门戈般有力,尽管它们只是源于一些短小到会被大脑忽略的瞬间的念想。

        April Hill 自诩思维的采集者,隐藏在April Hill这个身份之后的初衷也是为了能更自在地记叙,并将作者身份、性别对读者的印象影响降至最低。对于采集者而言,最重要的事情是记录内心在当下最真切的感受。就像Mr. Laurie说的一样, “It is a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you are ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any. “
       
       And then, it is the moment when if becomes when. 直至倘若成为当时。   

        又及,诗篇是仅能领悟却不可强扭的意象,笔者并非汉文学或翻译专业出身,请勿较真翻译。

 Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? 你如何定义“美”?
A: Aesthetics is best defined as the way something seems to each individual. The idea of aesthetics is so interesting because everything looks different to everyone, + that appeal can make a last or lasting impression. The aesthetics of art, fashion, the home, the workplace or even people is so important because the way someone, something or somewhere is presented to us as so much to our senses. 美学的根本是个体对于事物的认知。”美”是个有趣的概念因为每个人心中认定的美都截然不同,而那种魅力决定了我们对它是匆匆一瞥还是念念不忘。实体呈现出的美十分重要,因为这种外在正如内在。

Q: What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? 喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
A: I myself, as you may tell from my work, have always used one of my favourite forms of aesthetics. I use a simple modern + clean style, with nothing but the words to be read. I sometimes include a little doodle, or a simple sketch that I feel aids in capturing or setting the scene of each piece. I do my work hand written because I feel that emotion is shown so much more when the actual pen stroke is involved. 从我的作品就能看出我最爱的美的形式便是文字。此外我也喜欢简约、现代的风格,因此我的手稿里只会呈现有意义的元素。当涂鸦能帮助人们想象文字之外的概念,我才会带上它们一起。笔触的走向、压感能更好地体现一个人的情绪,因此我坚持手写所有的作品。

Q: Do you reckon aesthetics is related to daily life? 你认为美与生活有关系么?
​ A: I believe that aesthetics is used everyday. In advertising, social media, day to day personal interactions, it is everywhere. As I said in my definition of the word, aesthetics plays a huge role in how we feel about everything. 我相信生活各处都会用到美学。广告,社交媒体,人们的互动,到处都有美的存在。就像我对这个词的定义那样,实体呈现出的美对于我们的感受至关重要。
​
Q: How did you realize that you want to become a writer? And what do you remember about your first writing? 你是怎么发现自己想与文字打交道的?你还记得第一次写作时写的内容么?

A: This is a good question; it is fun to look back on what has been a very expressive year of writing. I honestly never thought I would be writing the way I have been. Every day I have been sharing a new piece of work. It is honestly thrilling. I used to just do these doodles in a notebook or textbook during school. I thought that if I liked them someone else might too? 这是个好问题,回想一下过去一年的进展还蛮有趣的。实话说,我未曾想过我会坚持每天都分享一段新的文字,细细一想还蛮兴奋的。在学校时,我只是在记事本或者教材上随手写写,但那个时候我也在想会不会有别的人喜欢这些内容。 I remember writing my first post originally for a spoken word I was going to do with a friend, it was about the light + darkness. Not giving up. I really liked it + the whole thing fell through so I ended up just taking the doodle + posting it on an Instagram account under a pseudonym of this ghost “April Hill.”  It hit something like 13 likes + I was so happy, I will never forget opening the post + thinking there was no way. I had so many stock piled pieces that I made a personal hope to post once a day, two if my friends are good, haha. 我记得我第一次分享的作品是源自一首我本要和朋友创作的吟唱词,它讲述了光明与黑暗以及坚持不懈。我们的合作没成功,所以我加上了涂鸦,以April Hill之名在INS上发布。刚发出去就有差不多13个人点赞,我会一直记得点开那篇post时心里惊奇的感觉。我有很多篇涂鸦和短诗结合的小品,我大概会一天发一篇吧。如果哪天我朋友们表现得好,可能会发两篇(笑)。

Q: How is your style formed? Sometimes I sense a hint of sorrow in your works, did you try to add these elements at the beginning, or did it happen just like that? 你的风格是如何成型的?有些作品读起来略感忧伤,你是在落笔之初便奠定了这样的基调还是不知不觉的在字里行间流露了那样的情感?
A: My style is pretty simple. It is just these ideas I have in my sleep or while driving, or walking somewhere, than when I think of a cool doodle I sit down + draw them all out. I don’t try + put a filter on anything because I really want to go where my mind 
wanders, + sometimes it ventures into the dark. I love to write happy things. I write about the sad things in life because I don’t want to pretend they aren’t there. 我的风格很简洁。其实就是在阐述一些遐想。当我再想到能和它搭配的画面时,我会坐下来画完它。我从不过度美化,因为我只想跟着直觉走;的确,有时我的直觉会飘到比较阴暗的地方去。我喜欢记叙快乐的事情,不会回避悲愁,因为我并不想假装它们不存在。

Q: Tell us about your most satisfied work. 和我们聊一聊你最满意的作品吧。
A: Honestly I love every piece, each one is a little release of emotion. If I am angry, I can write it out + have almost 1000 people to vent to. If I am happy, I can share that with the world. I love when my work is shared, what an honor, that someone would like what you thought of so much, he or she turned it to a friend + said, “Hey check this out.” But I try not to dwell on those posts because I don’t want it to skew my future writing one way or another. I mean if a post about love gets 100 likes or a couple shares on instagram/tumblr I might be persuaded by that to write more love poems. Every piece is my favourite because I put something into every piece. 说实话每一篇都很爱,每一篇都是我情感的表现:如果我感到生气,写出来后我的关注者也会感受到怒气;当我开心时,我也能够与所有人分享。我喜欢别人分享我的作品,想到他们确实感受到我在文字里表达的情感,然后让他们的朋友也来看,会让我开心。但我会避免总念着点击率很高的作品,我不希望他人的行为扭曲我的写作方式:假说我有一篇以爱情为主题的短诗被点了很多次赞,潜意识里,我可能会花更多时间在这种主题……每一篇作品我都很喜欢,每一篇都有倾注自己的心血。

Q: Where do you usually write? 通常你在哪里写作?
A: Most of my actual writing + contemplating is done on the go, so I write ideas on a notepad or in my phone. Then later on I will actually grab my notebook + handwrite them out, + add a little doodle. 构思、落笔通常都是在路上完成的。我会先在便条纸或者手机上写下关键的想法,晚一点再写在本子上。可能还会顺手涂鸦一下。

Q: Usually I would ask my interviewees to introduce their work process. Most of your works seemed concise and improvisational, so how does a poem begin for you? 一般我都会让受访者介绍一下自己的工作流程。但你的作品看起来十分简洁,也很即兴,那它们是如何写成的呢。
A: I couldn’t have chosen two better words. Its funny because concise + improvisational usually don’t work well together, but that’s how my brain works. I think of an idea, I store it down or I play with it in my head for a few days, but its always changing. I get the ideas written down + then I try not to change any once they are written + then just clean it up when I am ready to share them. It’s not a great process for spelling mistakes or bad drawings but I do it because it is raw, it is my unfiltered ideas. I notice it a lot in other writers, + I am happy you’ve picked up on that. 简洁和即兴这两个词再合适不过。有趣的点在于这两个词其实有冲突,但我的大脑确实就是按照这种方式来的。当我想到一个想法,我可能会先斟酌几天,于是得到无数的衍生想法。当我决定落笔,便不会再改动,然后就等着分享它们了。这种流程对拼写错误和画得很丑的一些图来说是个麻烦,但我还是决定这样做,因为这样读者最后看到的每一篇文字都是天然的,是没“加过滤镜”的想法。很多作家其实都是这样的,我很高兴你能领悟到我的点。

Q: While you are writing, is there a particular kind of audience in your mind? 当你写下每一篇文字时,你会想到某一类特别的读者么?
A: I think I appeal to a younger audience. One of my main groups I want to reach is the hopeful. I’ve used the word, “hopefiend,” in my writing. I think we can change the world but it starts with each individual doing small good things throughout their day. I want to share happy thoughts + sad thoughts with the world, to live together + love together. 我想我的作品更吸引年轻读者。其中,那种总是充满希望的人是我会格外留心的。我曾写过”hopefiend” 这个词(注:hopefiend指无论何时都很乐观的人)。我觉得我们可以改变世界的,但改变是从每一件小小的善事开始的。我想做的就是把这些快乐的、悲伤的情绪分享出去,和这个世界相生相爱。

Q: What do you see as the role of contemporary poetry? Comparing to the classic, which intrigues you more? 你认为现代诗承担了怎样的角色?与传统诗篇相比,哪一种更吸引你呢?
​ A: Contemporary poetry is awesome because you get to write anything you want. I don’t follow a stanza or a set word count. That isn’t how my brain works anyways. I wouldn’t ever say I was a poet, more so a gatherer of thoughts. 现代诗很棒因为通过这样的形式,你想写什么都可以。我不会遵循诗节、平仄去写,那不是我做事的方式。比起诗人这个头衔,我更像是思维的采集者。

Q: What is the best part in writing for you? 在写作过程中,那一个步骤最打动你?
A: The release. Being able to get the thought out of your head. If something is dwelling in my brain, whether it is guilt or sadness or happiness, I can express that. I think it’s a good practice for everyone, I have told so many friends who come to me feeling upset to get a notebook, it is so simple to just write the problems away. To step back +then to look at how small an issue is on a piece of paper, whether you don’t think you are attractive or smart enough or you don’t fit in or anything. If I write about it I find it does not seem as big a deal. It works so well for me because I use a pseudonym, I can write about anything + anyone I want, + express anything I feel. 发布分享的时候、听到读者的想法的时候。对我而言如果我心里有任何挥之不去的念头,无论它们是悲伤的、快乐的、还是内疚的,我都能自如地表达出来。我觉得对任何人来说,表达心中所想都是个蛮好的练习。有的时候有些朋友和我说他们心情不太好,我的建议是去买一个记事本:书写是理清思绪最简单的方法。退后一步,你就会看到这张纸上的问题——无论你觉得自己不够有魅力或者不聪明或者不合群或者其他的问题——其实都微不足道。落到纸上后,我才看得清它究竟有怎样的分量。因为用笔名创作,所以更能写得随心所欲:我可以写任何想写的事情、人、想法。

Q: Have you tried to write anything other than poems? 除了短诗以外,你试过创作其他作品么?
A: I actually am slowly working on an idea. My dream is to write kids books, or a series in the same style as C.S Lewis’s Narnia. I started writing a novella a few months ago to give it a shot. It is called “Lights Out,” maybe one day I will finish it. I also wish I could start a youtube channel or write scripts for shows but that would obviously be under another name, so you may never know about it. 确实有个尚未成型的想法。我的梦想是写儿童读物,或者是一部C.S Lewis’s 的Narnia感觉的小说。几个月前我开始试着写一部叫Lights Out的作品,也许有一天我会写完。我也计划在Youtube上开通一个原创频道或者写点剧本,但我一定会用别的一个笔名,所以你未必会找得到我。

Q: How do you plan or spend your day? 你的一天通常是如何度过的?
A: I don’t usually plan my days, I am not too busy. I write whenever I get home from work, usually I write a lot of pieces out on the weekends to share during the week. Sundays are for writing. 通常没什么特别的计划,我不怎么忙。工作时间之余,只要有空我就会码几行字。周末的时候,尤其是周日,我会写很多篇,平日里再发布。

Q: Where does your inspiration usually come from? 你的灵感通常会来自于哪里?
A: Everything + anything. I am pretty sure I wrote about teeth once + about a showerhead. Sometimes something catches my eye, like a leaf in a puddle, + I write it a poem so it never gets forgotten. Usually a random thought will get stuck in my head or pop up + I just write it out. I mean probably write a piece for whenever this interview get released, that’s just how my brain works, if I am thinking about it, I write about it. 任何事物都有可能:我曾经写过一篇关于牙齿的短诗,还有一篇是关于莲蓬头的。有时,一些不起眼的事情就是能抓住我的眼球,比如浮氽于池塘水面的一片叶,于是我会写下一首诗,这样它就不会被遗忘了。常常有些随想闪现,我就会写出来。说不好这篇采访发布后,我也会为它写几行字。我的大脑就是这样,想什么便写什么。

Q: Except from writing +doodling, do you have other hobbies? 码字、涂鸦之外,你喜欢做什么?
A: I love watching shows, a million shows. Movies, ten million movies. I love music, all kinds. I love the arts + I love reading. I also love to drum. 我爱看剧、看电影,完全看不够。我也喜欢音乐、艺术、阅读。架子鼓我也很爱。

Q: What are you reading these days? 最近有在读什么书么?
A: I read a lot of Chuck Palahniuk. My favourite books are Rant by Chuck + the Narnia books by C.S. Lewis. I’m also reading The Walking Dead comic series! 我读了很多Chuck Palahniuk 的作品。最喜欢他写的Rant 和C.S. Lewis 的Narnia。The Walking Dead 的漫画我也会看。

KATI IMMONEN


Kati Immonen
Finland Based Watercolor illustrator
explore more here: katiimmonen.com

 倘若我们停止观察前方
第一次往来邮件时,Kati Immonen 正在她父母的森林小屋度假。Immonen 提及她需要时间整理她手写的内容,因为所有的文字都记在她的速写本上;图尔库的老城和林地的静谧无一不令人向往。
Kati Immonen 是一位擅长幻化各种色彩的视觉艺术家,水彩清澈、响亮的特性无一不在她的驾驭之内。尽管时不时的会为儿童读物绘制插画,Kati 仍热衷political 方面的话题。在她看来,艺术常常会循规蹈矩,诉说诸如 "war is evil, nature must be protected" 一类的老生常谈;她希望每一件作品都能成为她精神层面的物化。

任何作品——笔者说的是能被称为作品的作品——都不是凭空想象而成的,落笔前的思索起着决定性的作用。也许对于expressionists 而言,如此冷静的working process 太无聊,所幸Kati 也是冷静理智之流。而多少人的双眼因为mundane 而不得不紧闭,庸碌着,或者忙于看上去庸碌,忘记观察、忘记思考;连洞察美感的能力都不健全。

日晒之下,银盐也好,甘油、蛋清也好,色彩总会被时间侵蚀。即便是承载着意识的形,破败得灰飞烟灭了,personal level thoughts 还是会在。

P.S. 当笔者凝视着一簇朱顶红时,深红色让我觉得一定要分享关于"红"的一段话, "For many cultures, red is both death and life - a beautiful and terrible paradox. In our modern language of metaphors, red is anger, it is fire, it is the stormy feelings of heart, it is love, it is the god of war, and it is power." (Finlay)

Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? 你如何定义"美"?
A: I guess I define aesthetics as something clear and simple. I don’t mean necessarily minimalistic but "clear and simple" in a way that the basic idea of a picture is clearly present and visible. 我觉得美是简单又直白的。倒不是说一定要走极简路线,但一幅作品想要表达的重点至少要让人一眼能看得到。

Q: What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? 喜欢什么样的"美"的物品?
A: I am open to many forms of aesthetics andinfluences. Fairy-tale book aesthetics, TV and magazines, walks in woods, old family photographs. 我对任何形式的美以及它们所带来的影响都十分包容。童话书,电视,杂志, 林间漫步,以前和家人拍摄的合照。

Q: Do you reckon aesthetics is related to daily life? 你认为美与生活有关系么?
A: Yes, in the scene that I find ideas to my paintings in daily life around me. 有的。每天我都能在生活中看到下一幅作品的灵感

Q: How do you define your style? 你如何形容自己的风格?
A: I don’t work in a context of commercial brands but in a more free flowing scene of contemporary visual art. I work with watercolour technique in a contemporary way. I often work with heavy subject-matters (for instance the pollution of Baltic sea) and combine the sweet and light watercolour with the heavy content. 比起为品牌做事,我更喜欢自由自在地创作。尽管水彩现

在已算是传统媒介,但我的技法是很先进的。我选作的题材可能有些沉重(比如波罗的海的污染),我会把这些沉重的题材与水彩明亮活泼的色调结合在一起。

​Q: Do you see any evolvement in your style? 从创作初始至今,你的风格、创作手法有什么发展或变化么?
A: Yes my style has evolved over the years ( I have been painting more or less fulltime for 15 years). Things that affect my style have been: the size of paintings, new colours and brushes. Just recently I have start using an airbrush and this this also affects my style. 从开始作画至今差不多有15年了,这期间我的风格一直在发展。很多因素都可能影响到我的风格,比方说作品的尺寸,新的颜料和笔刷。最近我开始用喷枪,也对作品的效果有着不小的影响。


Q: Have you ever tried other medium besides watercolor? 除了水彩之外,你用过其他材料进行创作么?
A: I have tried some oil painting and tempera painting and some photography. But I keep coming back to my watercolour paints.I like the lightness and brightness of colours. And the surprise-element that comes with the water. 我试过用油画,蛋彩,摄影进行创作。但最终我还是回到了水彩。我喜欢水彩的清透、鲜艳,还有"水"带来的不确定性。

Q: What projects have you been working on recently? 最近在忙什么project?
A: I made a huge wall-size painting for an exhibition in Wäinö Aaltonen Art Museum. 最近刚为 Aaltonen Art Museum 的展览创作了一幅壁画。

Q: Have you encountered any major problem during your advancement? 在创作、发展过程中有遇到过什么棘手的问题么?
A: I very much like the act of painting, and to mixing of colours. Sometimes the urge to paint, to play with water and colour, is so strong that I realize only after that the basic concept of painting was silly or boring! 我很喜欢涂色、混合颜料的过程。有时可能求成心切,用力过猛,画完才发现这个作品其实缺乏一个好的concept。

Q: Please introduce your work process. 请简单介绍一下自己的创作过程。
A: Usually I draw a sketch with water-soluble pencils and then start working with colour-layers. 一般我会用水溶彩铅打底稿再开始铺色。

Q: Is there a certain procedure would attract you during your work process. 在创作过程中哪一个步骤最打动你?
A: I love to work with very wet colour on top of a more detailed painting layer. 我喜欢在细节很多的图层上涂一层很湿的颜色。

Q: How do you plan or spend your day? 你的一天通常是如何度过的?
A: I sketch and paint about 5-6 hours per day. I also teach painting courses. 一天里有5、6个小时我都在画画。此外我还教授绘画课程。

Q: Where does your inspiration usually come from? 你的灵感通常会来自于哪里?
A: From life around me. Things and ideas that trigger me and start to evolve in my head. 来自于我的生活。某些事、某些想法触动了我,自然而然的在我脑海中延伸开了。

Q: Except from drawing, do you have other hobbies? 绘画以外,你有什么爱好?
A: I have a small sailing boat for summer time adventures. 夏季我会乘着我的小帆船走走看看。

Q: What’s your long-term plan for yourself? 对自己的未来有什么样的规划?
A: I’ll try to stay sane and keep doing what I’m doing. 保持理智并且坚持我在做的事情。

Q: Could you introduce your favorite artists or designers? 有比较喜欢的艺术家或者设计师可以介绍一下么?
A: Here are some great watercolour artists that inspire me: Petri Hytönen, Maria Nordin, Stina Persson.

LOUISE SIMON


​Louise Simon
France based illustrator / graphic designer 
for art inquiries: louise_01@hotmail.fr

这次介绍的Louise Simon是一位法国插画师。法国女性总是能将简洁的美感发挥到极致。Exactly,笔者一向不是很待见穿着冗杂繁复、配饰bling bling、且自我感觉仍然很优越的女性——虽说K赞成confidence makes a woman attractive的说法。
​
Simon年纪尚轻,风格也看得出尚未完全定性。早期的作品其实是朝着写实的方向去的,academic颇重。最近的作品才逐渐往flat & minimalism靠拢,更多地使用pastel color 与基本的线条和形状结合, 简简单单的元素间发生的碰撞,也总能抓得住眼球。

简化、抽象的过程最能够展现一个人的观察力与想象力,Simon以这样的方式将我们生活的世界转化成她脑海中的世界。在她的作品里看不到hyperrealism (超写实主义)那样丰富的细节。但主动填补空白、想象的过程,是超写实作品带了的 “食嗟来之食”之感难以比拟的。

​
Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? 你如何定义“美”?
For me aesthetics is something you think about it before doing it. It is something beautiful, impressive and clean. Aesthetics can be with or without colors; symmetric or asymmetric; coherent or without any logical. 我的美学哲学应该是如同乍现的灵光一般。它有着简洁的美感,让人过目难忘。无论是黑白还是彩色、对称还是不对称、感性或理性,都可以是美的。

Q: What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? 喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
I like when it impressive me. When I think, "who can he create something like that? I can't even imagine this in my head."  美的东西总能让我为之一振,让我惊叹“究竟是谁能做出如此巧夺天工之作”。

Q: Do you reckon aesthetics is related to daily life? 你认为美与生活有关系么?
Yes it is. Our entire environment inspires us everyday. 有的,周遭的世界总是能为我带来灵感。

Q: How do you define your style? 你如何形容自己的风格?
My style is very simple, feminine and colorful. I love curves and little details that make my illustrations funny. 我的风格很简单, 柔和、色彩明快。我喜欢斟酌画面里曲线微妙的弧度、和其他小细节。

Q: Do you see any evolvement in your style? 从创作初始至今,你的风格、创作手法有什么发展或变化么?

All the time! I am my worst enemy. When I start a project I am very enthusiastic. I can't wait to start and to see the result. The more I advance in my project, the less I like it. So it is very difficult to judge myself or to be fully satisfied with my work. This is for that I love to have an outside view. Or to pause my work for few days, and then come back with a new eye. 一直在变。“我”是我最大的敌人:每个新项目开始时我都激情满满,迫不及待地想看到结果;随着进度向前,我对它的喜爱反而会冷却下来。淬火期一过,那些作品便难再让我觉得满意。因为创作中我总喜欢从旁观者

的角度审度它们,或者是暂停几日回头重新再来过。

​
Q: Please introduce your work process. 请简单介绍一下自己的创作过程。
I've got an idea in my head. I think about it for a long time. I do some sketch, I do research on Internet. Then I grab my computer, my graphic tablet and let's go! 
Usually I take a picture of my sketch. I put it on my computer as first base. When I have my final drawing I put colors and some effects. 当我有了新想法时我会思忖许久。画草图、找参考,准备好后我就会抓起数位板开工!一般情况下我都会在手绘稿的基础上描绘矢量稿。最后就是上色、渲染效果。


Q:I noticed that you moved around a lot. Does the environment affect your creation? 我发现你曾多次迁居。环境对你的创作有影响么?
Not that much. I met some new artists in NYC and London. I saw new things, different styles a lot of exhibitions. But all my inspiration is from the entire world not just from the place I am.  其实也没有很多。我在纽约、伦敦认识了不少艺术家,迥异的风格开阔了我的视野。但我的灵感还是来自于整个世界而不只是我所居住的那个地方。

Q:Is there a certain procedure would attract you during your work process. 在创作过程中哪一个步骤最打动你?
When I put the colors on my characters and when I try to create effects. Every time this is a surprise and I can not wait to see the final result. 每次上色、渲染效果的时候。那一般是我工作流程的最后一步,紧接着我就能看到作品的最终效果了。

Q: How do you plan or spend your day? 你的一天通常是如何度过的?
As my contract in London is done now, I am looking for a new job. I spend my day to search the perfect place to work.  伦敦的工作合约刚刚到期,最近在寻觅合适的栖息之地。

Q: Where does your inspiration usually come from? 你的灵感通常会来自于哪里?
It is from things around my friends, my family, favorite artists, my news, and blog. 灵感来自于我周围的一切,朋友,家人,我最爱的艺术家,新闻,博客。

Q: Except from drawing, do you have other hobbies? 除了绘画之外,平常有什么爱好?
I love cooking, especially cooking chocolate cakes for my fiends, my family or myself. I am crazy for sugar. To be able to eat a lot of cake I do some sport. Twice per week I go to run with my dog. If it's raining I go the gym. These two things make me happy, stable and able to be concentrated for my work. 我喜欢烹饪,尤其喜欢为朋友、家人和我自己做巧克力蛋糕。我超爱甜食。为了能吃更多蛋糕我也会运动。每周我都会带我的狗狗出去跑步两次,下雨的话就去健身房了。这两样事能让我的心情愉悦,这样才好专注工作。

Q: What’s your long-term plan for your self? 对自己的未来有什么样的规划?
I would like to see my characters in a publicity campaign for famous brain or like a brand ambassador. 我希望我设计的形象可以出成为重要人物的campaign中的一部分,或者能为品牌设计代言形象。

Q: Could you introduce your favorite artists or designers? 有比较喜欢的艺术家或者设计师可以介绍一下么?
Most of my favorite artists are illustrator. To be short I will just introduce my three favorite artists. 
The first one is Diglee. A very famous French illustrator. With her, everything seems easy. This is the one who make me in love with character design. She has a lot of different styles. I discovered her because of her blog. She posted many drawings about her life. Diglee is not just an illustrator but an amazing artist. 
The second on is Emmanuelle Walker. She is an Animation Director & illustrator based in London. EW uses unusual colors and unusual character design: long legs & arms with a little triangular head. Her style is very personal. 

The last one but not the least is again a girl: Malika Favre. Her work is very graphic, symmetric and smart. Her colors are bright. Often time her illustrations bewitch me because of her graphic effects and patterns. 

毕业季-1922 “物之所及,华之所现”


1922
Product / Graphic Designer
for project inquiry please contact

1751664786@qq.com

歌者,
自天地开辟之始,万物各有其理,
风声水声,各有其音,
皆为歌也。
《古今和歌集闻书三流抄》

童年时每每弹起Paul de Senneville 的Comme un rayon de lune 都会思绪乱飘。一来,这首曲子十分繁覆、听起来让人觉得矫情;二来,当年练习用的那本绿皮琴谱将unrayon译成了“华”,月之华。何为华,何为月之华,何以曲调由哀转喜又转哀?几番思索仍不得解,只好作罢,直到稍年长后读到《帚木》中有云:“连那澄明的空中景色也因看的人不同,或美艳,或寂寥。”才是释然。 本期毕业季特辑中,笔者集合了几位年轻设计师的作品,来看一看他们心目中的美学是怎样的。在此特别向帮助联络的1922,Wicky以及接受blacKKK采访的各位致谢。能看到新一代的中国设计师未陷于盲,幸哉。

万物之华,如饮醇醪。

Q: 你如何定义“美”?
A: 是惊鸿一瞥吧。某个瞬间,目光被什么东西拉住;一个人的身形,一道光的投射,一段音乐所营造的氛围。在某个瞬间,频率相接,然后它像光、水、空气一样渗透进你的感知。

Q: 喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
A: 两种。一种是看似不经意,但回味一想,能发觉一层深意的作品,含蓄又深情。像是珠帘卷起,有绝色美人端坐抚琴的感觉。一种是看起来很怪异,完全不会是常人做出来的事,甚至是常人看起来“丑”、恐怖的事物,但是丑得竟然有些可爱。              

Q: 你认为美与生活有关系么?
A: 有的。用一种类比吧:生活本身是一层白色的沙砾,上面覆盖了一层沙土,我们踩在上面向前行走,有时风吹,掀开了沙土,而我们正好低头,就看到了反射阳光的沙砾,那就是美。

Q: 请和我们解释一下 “物華寺” 这个作品的概念。
A: 我认为每个人在内心会有一个空间,是一个自己和自己对话的空间,像是平行世界的另外一端。
寺,是承载人的器皿也是净化思虑的圣地,我创造出一个虚幻的空间,本意是想创造一个可以让自己静心思考的地方。跟此次的毕设相结合:寺的大门为山门,进了山门之后左右屹立两栋楼,“钟”楼和“鼓”楼,是守护之意。
而在中国古代“钟”和“鼓”又有被用来作白天黑夜的代称,又有“晨钟暮鼓”之说。辰时,以钟报时,酉时以鼓报时。两套盒子上的雕刻花纹对应的各是白天和夜晚美好的事物。每个盒面的图案都有对应的名称,梦浮桥、风待、既约、应钟、箬竹、朝颜等等。大多取自《源氏物语》和《万叶集》等日本俳句之中。

 Q: 你的设计流程是怎样的?

A: 先是确定下来盒子的形状、木材的选择,根据木材厚度计算出盒内盒外的尺寸。再查阅资料,搜集一些和服、和果子、千代纸纹样,绘制雕刻纹样的手稿。查阅《源氏物语》、《万叶集》等日本

俳句名作定下木盒名称。勾绘电子矢量稿,去雕刻工作室根据激光雕刻机器的识别程度进行电​子稿的修改。等盒面雕刻完成就是盒体的制作,算出每片木片的大小尺寸用激光雕刻机器切割,老师带我借了砂轮和介铝机等制作内导角。还有盖子下面卡住的木片要根据尺寸一点点打磨才能卡住又不会松动。盒子制作完成后要进行很多细节的调整,因为是手做,会存在一定误差。之后进行400目和600目的砂纸打磨与上漆。清漆总共上了七遍左右,每次干透之后都需要打磨。接下来是后期平面方面的工作,设计出相应的卡片纹样去拓印工作室丝网印刷,跟摄影系的Ricky学弟确定拍摄的构图等,编写文案并请教文学系老师的指导。成品图拍出来后觉得或许可以制作成纪念的明信片,又跑去了包装工作室请桂老师帮忙制作了封套。

Q: 平时喜欢什么风格的打扮?
A: 其实穿着打扮蛮随意的,买什么穿什么,能少就少。因为懒有时候出门都不带包,手机钱包插口袋就奔来奔去。喜欢简单、干净,细节有小趣味设计的打扮。

Q: 听说你的专业并不是与设计领域相关的,为何会对设计产生兴趣?
A: 唔……专业什么的像挂个名号一样,人是自由的,所以会去尝试新鲜事物。接触设计能认识很多有意思的人和事,这种感觉很棒。

Q: 最初,是什么原因使你拿起了画笔?
A: 说真的,是为了高考。高中是理科生,物理化学。然后高三的一天上课老师在上面blah blah讲双键单键,我趴桌子上打瞌睡,迷迷糊糊开始想自己未来的生活和职业,突然就想到:哇,以后要这么在实验室度过一生了耶,要不换种人生呢。就突然决定转艺术了。当时是高三,还有3个月就要统考,我连几何体都不会画,我妈竟然同意我瞎闹,现在觉得老妈真伟大。

Q: 除了绘画之外平常有什么爱好?
A: 最近迷上吉他!喜欢用手机拍照,拍出好看的摄影照片记录生活和情绪。还有就是看电影、音乐、烘焙、粘土等……兴趣基本不同时期都不一样。会突然一下对一样东西产生兴趣。

Q: 关于绘画,你最欣赏哪个流派?
A: 以前很喜欢欧洲的写实的绘画,现在稍微喜欢一些日式意境的绘画了。

Q: 在创作/发展过程中有遇到过什么棘手的问题么?
A: 基本上平均下来每天要遇到两个以上的问题,心情就像不停在跌落又飞起……不过从制作过程中学到了很多,并且在老师朋友的帮助下得以解决,收获真的蛮大的。

Q: 毕设的制作过程中有没有印象深刻的事情?
A: 是与朋友的一次谈话。我制作毕设的木雕工作室在三楼,二楼是玻陶工作室;休息的时候经常会去找玻陶班的同学聊天。有一次休息时跑到玻陶工作室看到朋友在很认真地拉坯,我们聊制作时的心境这个问题,他说:你看这些作品,它们是有生命的。有时候我会在拉坯的时候对它说:起!起!然后它就真的立起来了。静下心来跟作品交流,作品才会给予你回应。

Q: 你的灵感通常会来自于哪里?
A: 很多地方吧,一些很小的细节。以前好像听过一句话,说:设计就是把很多个小点串联在一起。灵感是一点一点拾到的,我把生活的时间剪成一个一个片段,压成唱片,收集在脑海的那个书架里,有时候遇到的看到的美好的东西制成标本夹在里面。等到类似的想法一经出现,就像魔法一样,唱片和标本就会跳出来开始组合。

Q: 创作过程中的哪一部分会让你感到开心?
A: 就是突然一下发现自己能够把这些小点串联在一起,像是从山的两边挖着地洞,敲破最后一层岩土后,瞬间通风的快感。看着自己构想的东西慢慢形成体系,就真的好想看到了一座漂亮的隐寺修建起来一样。


Q: 你的一天通常是如何度过的? 
A: 其实没什么特别,有时候画画,有时候跟朋友约去练琴和看展,好看的东西会停下使劲拍,会去工作室找老师制作东西。有时候一开心和朋友们做一些匪夷所思的事情。

 Q: 有比较喜欢的艺术家或者设计师可以介绍一下么?
A: 有位喜欢的摄影师:杉本博司。《海》和《剧院》的作品,就像是把时间和空间压缩成一张唱片的感觉。喜欢的艺术家不会是那种视觉冲击很强的,而是会被他的作品引导去思考。

毕业季 - 王琛 Vobot


王琛
for project inquiry please contact
892729282@qq.com


· 2011-2015 就读中国美术学院 工业设计专业
· 在校任职工业设计系学生会主席、班长
· 获中国美术学院毕业创作暨林风眠创作奖“金奖”

Q: 你如何定义“美”?
至少它不会出现在我的噩梦里。

Q: 喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
细腻的、低调的,并且一定吸引着我千方百计想要去靠近它。

Q: 请和我们解释一下毕设作品的概念。
1.设计灵感:
智能手机的面世给人们的生活和工作带来了翻天覆地的变化,但同时也连带制造出了“低头族”。手机已成为21世纪的一个病原,阻碍人与人正常的社交活动。最典型的例子:聚会场合,依然各玩各的手机,上菜照相,和别人发信息聊微信,吃饭聚会只是变成一种形式,这是很无奈又可悲的现象。

如何解决这个现代人们所共同面对的问题?来缓解聚会时刻低头玩手机的现状,加强彼此间的互动交流,增进情感。 我们构想设计一款能够在聚会欢乐时刻,多人进行互动的游戏产品,正因为要打破无声的僵局,我们便从声音出发,以声控作为设计初想,设计一款声控桌游机器人。随声而动,多人创造型互动的游戏产品,以此治愈病态的社会现象。                                  

2.作品阐述:
Vobot是一款多人互动的声控桌游机器人,体积只有5.6cm³大小非常适合随身携带与进行桌面游戏。各玩家可以通过前后左右等方向口令控制各自机器人的走向来实现一系列的游戏玩法,比如:运物品、过路障、掷骰子、传炸弹、撕名牌、地形穿越、组队对抗等等。
我们将声音作为设计的出发,目的是解决当今社会的一个痛点问题:手机“低头族”,让大家在聚会时刻不要沉迷各人的虚拟社交圈,而是多与生活中的家人朋友们交流互动,增进情感。游戏中多人同时发声,活跃聚会气氛,打破沉默与尴尬,在彼此互动中加强团队精神与竞争意识,让游戏拉近彼此的距离。颠覆传统的桌面游戏形式,我们将打造未来的桌游,创造无限的可能。

Q: 你的设计流程是怎样的?
熬夜头脑风暴、熬夜前期调研、熬夜设计初步方案、熬夜修改设计

方案​(无限循环的建模渲染看效果建模渲染看效果…)、熬夜加工制作(不断会出现可爱的小问题~)、熬夜成功,补觉补觉,熬夜反思,熬夜成长。

Q: 平时喜欢什么风格的打扮?
茫茫人海中,让别人一眼认准你,而不是那谁那谁谁。

​Q: 为什么会选择做工业设计?这个专业可能对女生更加吃力,有没有想过要放弃?
再没有认清自己是小公举还是女汉纸之前,就已经走上了一条不归路。怎么说呢?打!死!也!不!后!悔!工业设计让我的生活充满了正能量和幸福感,继承了老妈的运动员基因使我干起活儿来不费劲儿有力量~连续通宵设计过后把自己往床上一扔整个人都特别幸福~
好吧认真的说,能学工业设计专业,能把自己设计的作品实现,真的特别幸运,特别幸福。学业、事业和梦想,三者能够都是一件事,简单明确,专注目标,何况我已经在路上了。

Q: 除了设计之外平常有什么爱好?
看恐怖电影,最爱,没有之一。看过的片儿比自己吃过的盐还要多。

Q: 在创作/发展过程中有遇到过什么棘手的问题么?
从刚进入大学的眼低手低,到眼高手低,到现在的眼高手还是低,知识、阅历、经验依旧很少,年轻人多的就是时间,我需要一直在生活里成长成熟,尽自己所能,去发现、探索、创造。

Q: 毕设的制作过程中有没有印象深刻的事情?
对Vobot的整个设计过程就像坐过山车一样,心情大起大落,时而欣喜,时而焦虑,时而绝望。在作品没有成功完成之前,伙伴们都是近乎崩溃状态。由于智能产品实现的复杂性,我们需要不断的根据内部硬件修改外观,根据外部造型调整内部硬件的搭建结构,如此反复,如此反复,如此反复。

Q: 你的灵感通常会来自于哪里?
生活的各个方面,空间里的各个角落…
我也不喜欢熬夜,但善于思考的人总是失眠多梦的~有次半夜3点半盯着窗外的树影半个多小时,折磨了我一个星期的方案造型就想出来了,不要问我为什么,黑夜总是给我太多的惊喜。

Q: 创作过程中的哪一部分会让你感到开心?
加工制作。从小就喜欢动手,除了欺负男同学,就是小制作。把自己设计的东西动手做出来,简直太有成就感。

Q: 你的一天通常是如何度过的?
如果静着就是在电脑前建模渲图逛设计网站看恐怖电影,如果动着就是在做手工买衣服出去浪手舞足蹈。偶尔幻想下未来荣当大设计师的日子,充实眼下的生活。

Q: 有比较喜欢的艺术家或者设计师可以介绍一下么?
萨尔瓦多·达利,超现实主义伟大的艺术家,一个让人崇拜的天才,一个让人痴迷的疯子。他的超凡想象力令我敬仰,而他真正让我崇拜的地方,是他对他妻子始终如一的爱。伟大的艺术家通常都是放荡不羁,博爱多情的,同时代的毕加索也是伟大的艺术家,他有过很多女人。而达利却大部分时间都和大自己九岁的妻子加拉生活在一起。很难相信一个生活和艺术中如此多变的艺术家会对感情如此专一。他在生活中过度的迷恋着加拉,同时用艺术表现着对妻子的崇拜和忠贞。这样的男人令我崇拜,这样伟大的艺术家令我着迷。

毕业季 - 吴昉 "Dreaming In The Deep Ocean"


吴昉
for project inquiry please contact
shallow-fang@qq.com


· 内心如梦缱绻、浪漫的姑娘。
· 前事不计的毕业生、刚踏上征程的设计师。
· 2011就读于SIVA珠宝设计专业。

Q: 你如何定义“美”?
美和爱一样,每个人都有各自的定位,所以我眼中的美的存在也是千变万化的,但它一定是由内而外从本质就散发出来的,并非假象。


​Q: 喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
万事万物能让我有一秒心动的都喜欢,最喜欢的还是朴实无华的,褪去表
面越过时间还能留下美的印迹的,那是最美的。

​Q: 你认为美与生活有关系么?
不美的生活该怎么过下去呢。

Q: 请和我们解释一下 Dreaming In The Deep Ocean 这个作品的概念。
Dreaming想表达的是一个小女孩做梦的场景,她在梦里凌驾于城市之上,或是囿于深海之中,她的想象是游离在现实之外的。设计套件的时候把它当作一个舞台五个分镜场景的形式,每件作品中都出现了主人公,五个场景分别记录了女孩游历的地方:海藻如水倾泻的珊瑚丛;可以穿着花瓣做的裙子跳舞的鱼鳞;坐着大鱼飞行的城市夜空;通向棉花糖云的阶梯;最后她坠入海洋却甘愿囿于其中。它并没有逻辑地叙述一个故事(尽管想作为一件叙事性首饰来表现)而是用零散的镜头刻画梦境的虚无,少女的甜蜜,城市的冷漠,现实生活的矛盾。

Q: 为什么会选择银和树脂作为材料?
选择银是因为需要金属作主体部分,而金又太贵了……树脂是为了与我的主题相符,想制作一种半透明的朦胧梦境的效果,并且希望它带有色彩。后来排除了软陶玻璃材质,选择了树脂。因为树脂它有比较强的可塑性,色彩也是可控的,最重要的是它能产生半透明的效果。

Q: 你的设计流程是怎样的?
通常是先随手画草图,没有定性地乱画,然后在这些草图中知道自己想要表达的元素,想要讲的故事,开始更完整地构思,出一个比较正式的稿子,给制作作参考,当然它也是根据实际制作情况进行修改的。然后就进行制作了。

Q: 平时喜欢什么风格的打扮?
简单舒适,看上去少女元气的风格。因为一提毕业感觉自己一下子老了十岁,必须从穿着上给自己满满的信心,嗯,我还年轻,还有很长的路要去闯呢。

Q: 为什么会选择做珠宝设计?
也是个巧合,高三的时候心血来潮考美术没想到考上了,于是放弃了文化课学了艺术,填志愿的时候看上了珠宝设计这个专业,没想到一不小心它就伴随我度过了四年,而且感觉还有漫漫的下半生。冥冥之中像是它选择了我。

Q: 除了设计之外平常有什么爱好?
写作,阅读更多书帮助写作,一边还听着音乐。


Q: 在创作/发展过程中有遇到过什么棘手的问题么?
材料方面就遇到了挺大的问题,因为是第一次实验制作,还是对我比较重要的毕业设计,一直没有底气。特别是抛光阶段,也问了很多人,尝试过很多方法,连汽车玻璃抛光剂都用上了,但是你可以看最后的成品,它还是没有达到理想中的透明效果的。
质疑声当然也是很让人灰心的,很多人不会喜欢这样的风格,我本身就属于很容易自卑的人,那时候感觉就算做出来了也没意思。后来身边的朋友鼓励我,我也对自己说,只要有一个人喜欢它,那它就有存在的价值,然后就继续做下去了。

Q: 毕设的制作过程中有没有印象深刻的事情?
因为经常在寝室阳台做树脂,树脂又有很大的气味,逼得室友们天天戴口罩真的特别不好意思;有一次她们出门没注意我在阳台把阳台门锁了,于是我一个人在阳光下静静等树脂干固化……

Q: 你的灵感通常会来自于哪里?
大自然。其实所有看到的,听说的,路过的,路边的一棵行道树,海洋里的一滴水,都会成为我灵感的迸发地,然后对它进行胡思乱想,形态也好,内容也好,到最后呈现的,往往不是最初的模样了,但是归根结底,那还是大自然的力量呢。

Q: 创作过程中的哪一部分会让你感到开心?
构思的时候; 在心中有蓝图的时候真的激动到睡不着觉。因为会想着它完成的样子,然后觉得自己很棒。虽然大多数时候一些制作上的限制会让人达不到预期的效果,但那就是有梦想的热血感觉,有梦的时候最开心了。

Q: 你的一天通常是如何度过的?
现在的话,有了自己的工作,和上学时期的作息不一样了,每天上班的时间占据了大部分时间,来回路上思绪可以飘离,会大声地听音乐,回家后继续做工作中有趣的事。

Q: 有比较喜欢的艺术家或者设计师可以介绍一下么?
如果心存敬佩的话,每个艺术家都是值得瞻仰的。所以问我喜欢哪一个真不好作答,就像问比较喜欢哪颗星星一样。那就拿那颗最亮的说,在珠宝领域影响我们最深的大师还是René Lalique吧,我们都很喜欢他,因为他创作的珠宝、玻璃制品都像有灵魂的精灵一样,他设计制作的作品能糅杂大自然与他自身的情感,有震慑人心的力量,在艺术的领域不乏天才的存在,而Lalique就算居于天才中也会闪着光的。
​
JACKIE SHEN

微博:eth0s
www.eth0s.net
​sales@eth0s.net
上海市徐家汇嘉善路253号 


​细针密缕,精摹慢描
"一个boutique存在的意义,就是建立一个梦想的brand list,买到每个collection最好的作品,服务好每一个可爱的客人和朋友。成为一个有态度的传递者和平台。"eth0s建立之初的理念简单而又不平凡。

​

提起暗黑系,如果你只脑中只给得出Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto一类的名字,那就有些无趣了。店内的Geoffrey B.Small, Guidi, Elena Dawson,Marc Le Bihan 等品牌一样是精品之作。几种材质不同而触感

契合、互补的面料互为表里,相得益彰。没有张扬的色彩,没有无意义的装饰,所有细节都是尽心尽力却又恰如其分。令人有观止之叹。

"人都会下意识地选择与"美"的人或者事物接触吧,只是大家对美的理解不同。eth0s是古希腊文ethos的变形,意思是"氛围"。我们是要营造出我们所认为真实的"美"的氛围,可能很多人接受不了, 但是同样也遇到了一小部分感同身受的人。"本期的受访者—eth0s的店主之一Jackie Shen如是说。每个人对美的感受力都是建立在过往的经历与认知之上的,无法强求,更无法强加。遇得到品味相合者,甚幸。

在沪上如今买手店、showroom、集合店有如恒河沙数,且人人用力过猛的情况下,想要从良莠不齐之中显露头角并非易事。"步步艰辛,但也步步坚定"。比起当下动辄互抄、或以制造舆论吸引顾客之流,eth0s 的高明程度不可以道里记。eth0s 一直都在。没有价格战,没有自降身价的喧闹。无论你来与不来,它就安静地在那里。

Q: 你如何定义"美"?
A: "美"就是事物本身自然的状态,真实又不确定地表现出来,随着时间推移而发生变化。

Q: 喜欢什么样的"美"的物品?
A: 任何事物都可以是美的,只要他/她/它不虚伪。我喜欢Tim Burton的作品,可爱中充满了讽刺

Q: 你认为美与生活有关系么?
A: 人都会下意识地选择与"美"的人或者事物接触吧,只是大家对美的理解不同。所以如果能在生活中多抓住"美",一定会很享受生活。

Q: 请和我们解释一下eth0s的品牌的概念。
A: eth0s是古希腊文ethos的变形,意思是"氛围"。我们是要营造出我们所认为真实的"美"的氛围,可能很多人接受不了,但是同样也遇到了一小部分感同身受的人。所以有了相同类型的人组成自己的圈子,即使他们来自各行各业,也都是件很享受的事情。

Q: 你认为创意与市场之间应该如何平衡?
A: "创意"应该是为生活服务的,比如说苹果公司的产品。如果能提升生活的现有质量,而且其价值能与价格对应起来,那就是好的创意产品。

Q: 平时喜欢什么风格的打扮?
A: 看似简单,内容丰富的。从小不能欣赏彩色浮夸的东西,我认为

黑色是最具有神秘感和想象力的颜色。工匠、暗黑、宫廷、还有各类先锋都是我沉迷的风格。

​Q: 你的工作流程是怎样的?
A: 我参与女装的买货,当然有时也参与男装。所以我的工作流程就是在巴黎时装周的时候和团队一起去进行订货以及到货后的拍摄上新。我也兼职当女装模特。

Q: eth0s 如何挑选合作对象?
A: eth0s 是一家独立的独立设计师品牌服装店,我们只选择我们所认为的业界最独立、最顶级的服装设计师及艺术家进行合作。当然也会有被拒绝的时候,但好就是好,我们只会不断提升自己去与最顶级的品牌进行更长久的合作。另外一点,我们坚持原创。

Q: 你如何描述eth0s 的受众?
A: 会成为eth0s的家族一员的人,一定是追求生活品质与个性化的人群。我们受众中有相当大的一部分是其业界的顶级精英。不是在吹捧,这是真的。我们很荣幸能为他们提供eth0s 的产品。
Q: 听说你之前在意大利逗留了一段时间,有学到什么有趣的东西吗?
A: 这是我们与一位设计师之间的深度合作项目之一,我们团队去学习了一些初级的缝纫技术。

Q: 在创作/发展过程中有遇到过什么棘手的问题么?
A: 听到很多的质疑、反对,每一步都是困难的。但是这些都成为了我们的经验。最近非常棘手的问题就是我们必须面临与一些不正规的线上代购竞争的问题。Chanel通过调整区域零售价来解决,更多大品牌会跟着去做,我们也会开始尝试与设计师沟通后进行调整。

Q: 你的灵感通常会来自于哪里?
A: 我们很少参与创作,但通常与客人们还有朋友们的交流会获得很多的新的感受。他们更多是直接的体验,比较真实。

Q: 你认为电商策略对于eth0s 这种略小众的店重要么?
A: 重要,因为我们有很多客人无法来到实体店进行采购,这种情况下 eth0s 的线上渠道会提供给他们更多产品信息。因为客人本身很专业,所以他们也很满足于这种类型的交易。但是由于产品价格带较高,所以我们始终建议客人前来实体店铺尝试,减少想象与实际产品的差异。

Q: 你的一天通常是如何度过的?
A: 在店里与一些客人聊天,与团队讨论下现状以及可以改善的地方。一个人的时候听听音乐,看看电影,与朋友一起玩耍。

Q: 除了服装之外,平常有什么爱好?
A: 听音乐,画画,看电影。

Q: 工作中的哪一部分会让你感到开心?
A: 卖掉衣服的时候,因为你所做的事情获得了认可,也满足了别人。

Q: 国产showroom、买手店越来越多,你对刚入行的新人有什么建议么?
A: 如果你想做得专业一点,那这不会是个容易赚钱的行业。但是任何情况下,请诚实地负责地去做一家买手店该做的事情。请有原则,有道德。

Q: 对自己品牌的未来有什么样的规划?
A: 这个想要保密,哈哈。

Q: 你认为"made in China"目前最大的阻碍是什么?
A: 产业链不完整,进出口、商检也有较高的门槛及时间上的阻碍。而且把MADE IN CHINA当成标志来做的人群所占比例太小,换句话说,对我们国家的产品形象不太负责任。

Q: 有比较喜欢的艺术家或者设计师可以介绍一下么?
A: Geoffrey B. Small,他是一位坚持着去制造全世界最好的衣服的设计师,这是他的梦想。如果你细细看他的作品,就明白"最好"与"很好"的差别了。除了设计,他的智慧与思想也是非常值得让人尊重的一位导师。

CHASE COBBINA 


for art inquiry: therareheirproject@gmail.com
follow UPTOWNCHASE on instagram to see more
形式不重要,得心应手就好。
恰好是一年前,Chase (A.K.A. Billie Essco)——一位来自Buffalo City的作曲人兼art dealer——看了我的服装插画后带着AVANT GARDE PROJECT 的合作邀请找上门来。彼时笔者心情甚好,遂一口答应。此前对于Chase创作的这类音乐,我是不感兴趣的;喜欢Berlioz,Mahler,喜欢Lorenzo Da Ponte 一流。接受合作只因某位英国女士的assignment 着实令人觉得无趣,以及心情好。


但听着,就习惯了;习惯得久了,新的想法也接踵而至。笔者至今仍不是街头文化的簇拥者,但绝不反感—--原则是包容各家所长。且难免为此前无名的抵触感到羞愧。

AVANT GARDE PROJECT 的故事性极强——事实上笔者几次想过Chase 是先写好了故事线还是先有那些音乐。主线围绕Billie Essco 内心对于
Fine Art School 的纠结开始,18 tracks 跟着故事线描述了Essco一天的内心活动。作为一个年轻的art dealer,Chase在management 方面也十分出色。在有限的时间里集合了几位风格迥异的艺术家,完成了包含traditional painting, prints, music, short film等多种形式的项目。Chase自己也提到了,在AVANT GARDE PROJECT中他想做的就是打破媒介之间的界限。在他看来,形式即限制。形式真的没那么重要,因此,只要选择得心应手的那种就好。

P.S.现在看看,18张作品里似乎就是by Kiara Tan那张画风最格格不入 (laugh).

Q: How do you define ‘aesthetics’? 你如何定义“美”?
A: I define aesthetics as the spirit of style. The underlying reasoning for function. The essence. 我认为美是品位的最终表现,它是引起功能改变的根本原因。美是万物的精髓。

Q: What form of ‘aesthetics’ do you like? 喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
A: The kind that creates nostalgia. Those creations that entice the mind to rejoice in childhood memory, or memories of the past. We often find our best “self” in that moment. 那些能引起怀旧情绪的。童年时期,有些东西总能让人很开心,或者是过去的记忆。我们总能在”过去”之中看到最好的”本我”。

Q: Do you reckon aesthetics is related to daily life? 你认为美与生活有关系么?
A: Yes. Aesthetic is what we spend the days striving for in someone or another. Just as an illustrator strives for the straightest lines, we search for aesthetic through our choices to achieve our definition of peace and perfection. 是的,有些人生来就是为美而活。好比一个插画师会尽力画一条直线,我们在追寻的美的过程中也在寻求内心的平静和圆满。

Q: Please explain the concept/motivation of your latest project. 请解释一下最近在做的项目的概念。
A: The overall motivation for my latest endeavors, since 2013, has been based on the concept of self and searching for self. Through this journey, I have been able to create art works in various mediums (music, fashion design, film) that have been a charted evolution of my craft. The main focus has always been music so that has been the main product in creation.  #GhettoCouture. 从2013年起,我一直在竭力探索自我的价值和追寻自我,这也是我创作的动力。在这个过程中,我使用不同的媒介进行创作(音乐,服装,影像),从技巧上也是精进了许多。但我的主要精力还是放在音乐上,我的大部分作品也是音乐形式。

Q: How do you define your style? 如何形容自己的风格?
A: Searching and evolving. With some old soul involved in the final decision. 不断探索、不断前进。也会受人生积淀的影响。

Q: Do you see any evolvement in your style? 从创作初始至今,你的风格有什么发展或变化么?

A: If you don’t see evolution in your style then you may not be progressing into the self. Style represents your consciousness. 如果你看不到风格的发展,那可能是因为你后滞不前。风格是意识
的外在表现。

Q: What projects have you been working on recently? 最近在忙什么project?
A: GHETTO COUTURE. This is the second part of this grandiose trilogy project I’ve been living through. The first part was “AVANT GARDE” which you had a great part in helping bring the idea to life. GC is where I am at now. In life, design, creation, it represents what’s going on in the world around me in a very direct manner. I’m using fashion as vessel for this one. 在忙GHETTO COUTURE. 这是我的三部曲计划中的第二部。第一部分是 AVANT GARDE, 你也参与在其中。GHETTO COUTURE很直观地展现了我周围的一切。我将用服装的形式呈现这一部分。

Q: Have you encountered any major problem during your advancement? 在创作/发展过程中有遇到过什么棘手的问题么?
A: Life is always the biggest obstacle. Something seems to come up at the most inconvenient time. Balance is necessary for advancement. Being able to balance out the highs and lows to create an air space capable of flying in without turbulence. 生活本身便不易。祸福难测,永远说不好将会发生什么。发展的同时要维持一种平衡,要想办法让起伏中的一切相抵…开拓一片安全区,让自己可以无所顾忌的发挥。

Q: Please introduce your work process. 请简单介绍一下自己的创作过程。
A: Late night hours is always the best time for me to complete work. The midnight hours hold a state of peace like none other. Mostly my process is sporadic when designing. When recording music, it’s a little more planned out but the best sessions come from the feelings. The best designs come out of concept or names first. 我的作品往往是在深夜收尾,午夜有种独特的平静。我的设计过程多是零散的,不过录音这一类工作还是会好好计划一下。但最好的,永远是跟着感觉来的。我最好的设计多是从概念或者名字开始。

Q: Is there a certain procedure would attract you during your work process. 在创作过程中哪一个步骤最打动你?
A: No set procedures other than “herbal” treatment (laughs). “草药疗”啊(笑)。

Q: Where does your inspiration usually come from? 你的灵感通常会来自于哪里?
A: Anywhere at the right moment. Good film, music, or other art. Conversation is the best to me because you realize what the other side wants. It’s more about the moment of context than the context itself. 只要时间对,哪里都有可能。好的电影,音乐,或者其他艺术品。和别人对话有时也会激发灵感,因为在对话中你能意识到站在不同角度的人的需求点。主要就是对的时间点。

Q:  Except from art, do you have other hobbies? 除了艺术之外,平常有什么爱好?
A: Right now no. I would say traveling but it’s related to work. Tennis and cooking are both something I like do for the sake of myself. 目前还没有。原本想说旅行,但我的旅行也是和现在进行中的项目有关的。网球、烹饪还不错,但也是有目的的行为。

Q: What’s your long-term plan for your brand? 对自己品牌的未来有什么样的规划?
A: My long term goal for the brand is simply to be able to create a brand that can stand long term. To create a brand that will entice the youth to search for their “self” and continue to pass down game. The perpetuation of aesthetic. 就长期目标而言,很简单,就是能让我的品牌可以长期维持下去。我希望我的品牌可以引导年轻的一道寻找他们的自我,并且能传承下去,达成美感的不朽。

Q: Could you introduce your favorite artists or designers? 有比较喜欢的艺术家或者设计师可以介绍一下么?

A: Virgil Abloh, Raf Simons, Mitch Arizona, CamouFlyJet, Hidji Films, PartyNextDoor, Travi$ Scott and Trevor Vona of 2090s. I study my inspirators more than I admire them. Kanye West is somewhat of the gold standard. 与其说崇拜,不如说我是在学习这些人。某种程度上Kanye West是我的标准。

任欣羽 CHARLOTTE YAM


Inquiries please contact:
Renxinyu96@126.com
​
任欣羽,Charlotte Yam,摄影师

•2008
就读于广州美术学院摄影系
•2010
在广州创建后台(backstage)视觉摄影工作室 
兼任香港汉森国际娱乐公司摄影总监
•2012
毕业于广州美术学院,担任2012南方新思路大赛平面摄影总监 
同期参演 《一代宗师》拍摄
•2013
赴英国伦敦艺术大学游学 
与《摄影之友》签约合作
•2014
定居北京,创建任羽摄影工作室
译美之道
任欣羽,90后摄影师,八仙绘的作者。

举手投足间不难发现任小姐是十分理性的人,有着清晰的目标并且会说出“有问题,克服就好了”这样坚定的话。感受力也一样敏锐,总能在各种细节中看到被忽略的事物、感受到最细微的美。

美有千万种,表达美的方式也是千变万化。任小姐和此前受访的YUHAO都有着强烈的想法,并且找到了恰如其分的途径表达所思所想。她镜头中的人物或多或少都沾了些神秘的气息;看似波澜不惊的表面之下,又再述说情绪满满的故事。

每个人都像是艺术家,以心之道,诠释对美的理解。

Q: 你如何定义“美”?
A: 我觉得美是四面八方的,无处不在。它并不只是一个人的所见,而是感受力上的东西。从你闻到的、听到的、触摸到的、甚至可能是读到的一段文字,这些都可能是和美有关的。美是瞬间的,它就像空气一样。

Q: 喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
A: 阶段的变化吧;每个时期接触的东西不同,从国内外断断续续停留不同的地方,所以也没有非得喜欢一种风格,变来变去也蛮有意思的。

Q: 你认为美与生活有关系么?
A: 当然。

​Q: 如何形容自己的风格?
A: 带有神秘有力量。以前以为自己沉迷于东方古典色彩,去了欧洲之后,观点有了变化。但不管形式怎么变,最终追求的还是一种有故事情节的、 有电影感的视觉作品。(我之前有看到你的两套作品,玉兔妆面和中秋牡丹妆面,东方色彩的确很浓重) 这两个作品是我在大二刚接触摄影时拍摄的,现在看回去,好像当时是没有很讲 究,但我比较喜欢那时的一种创作态度:不管好不好,只要想到了就去做。可是,现在变得胆小了。

Q: 从创作初始至今,你的风格、创作手法有什么发展或变化么?

A: 从创作思维上来说,以前可能是看到一个图片很好看,就想要去试试自己是不是也可以做到。后来大学毕业以后,觉得这样真的不对噢。
后再去构思画面,我觉得这是我比较 大的一个转变。

Q: 最近在忙什么project?
A: 最近会开始接触一些电影相关的工作,因为一直想要多学习电影美术、摄 影,所以可能会花一大段时间研究这些。此外还接了一个 project 是为一部电影拍摄平面,这个故事会在不同的国家拍摄,接下来应该会有一段有趣的经历。

Q: 在创作/发展过程中有遇到过什么棘手的问题么?
A: 想的东西太多又过于复杂。从文案,道具、服装、模特、资金、甚至团队的运作,每一个细节都要精 心推敲过。看起来一步都是前所未有的。希望一直都是处于这种状态吧......每次拍完一个作品后看回去都是一堆问题。但是遇到问题,解决就好了。(呵呵)

Q: 请简单介绍一下自己的创作过程。
A: 我的创作过程可能会和生活现状有关。如果现状是很开心的,作品会往开心的方向走;若是处在抑郁的状态,作品也有可能和一段抑郁的心情有关。通常,会 先有一些文字来描述一段时间内的想法,根据这些再开始画草图、设计道具等等。之后开始找模特,找化妆师.....步步为营比较好,希望可以多一些细节。但整体而言,我的作品并不会去放大某种情绪,很微妙,会尽量做到画面看似平静,其实暗潮涌动。

Q: 你的灵感通常会来自于哪里?
A: 哪里都有。

Q: 除了摄影之外,平常有什么爱好?
A: 不喜欢人多的地方。晒太阳,看电影,发呆,装深沉。喜欢安静一点。

Q: 作为摄影师,你会很看重器材么?
A: 以前不看重。直到大学毕业时,我一直只用一机一头,灯具全部是国产的,当时认为只要效果好就可以,用国产的器材同样做得到理想的效果。但是到北京后,发现自己是错的,尤其是在开始做商业摄影后,接触的人都是火眼金睛。如果你想要表现的更加professional,器材是必不可少的,好的器材能够帮助你在客户眼中塑造更加专业的形象。中国定义的商业,其实还是要玩一个比较专业的形象,而自己的个人创作则是一个不同的方向。我认为商业摄影追求的首先是要对得起客户和产品。更加专业的态度,是需要更好的器材辅助的。

Q: 在数码摄影和传统摄影之间倾向于哪一种?
A: 数码。

Q: 有比较喜欢的艺术家或者设计师可以介绍一下么?

A: Tim Walker.应该很多人都知道他。会用图片说故事的英国摄影师。

张羽昊


Find more:
微博:张羽昊Zzzhangyuhao
www.zhangyuhaostudio.com
张羽昊,1992年,生于绍兴

• 2010-2013 就读于上海东华大学莱佛士国际设计学院。
在校期间参与众多校企合作项目的辅助设计,也曾为学校在新天地开设的店铺提供过商业作品。大三时,毕业设计被选为毕业秀展示作品之一,毕业年创立个人品牌。a

• 2013年9月第一次参加由上海时装周组委会在英国伦敦皇家歌剧院举办的海外推广活动“设计来自上海”(DESIGN BY SHANGHAI)进行静态展示。

• 2013-2014年就读于英国中央圣马丁艺术与设计学院研究生院。

英国在校期间曾参与亚历山大麦昆品牌(Alexander McQueen)的面料产品开发设计,辅助设计工艺,毕业设计与英国饰品设计师合作开发配饰与服装相结合的新的尝试,并于六月份参展于CSM DEGREE SHOW. 同年开始创立个人工作室,为个人品牌设计女装产品线。

• 2014年6月签约HARDCANDY 时尚品牌管理公司,进行广告媒体以及明星宣传推广方面的合作以及代理。

• 2014年9月第二次参加在伦敦时装周“设计来自上海”(DESIGN BY SHANGHAI),进行小范围的静态展示,接触国际买手以及时尚媒体。

• 2014年10月在时堂(SHOWROOM SHANGHAI)接触国内买手,并在上海,天津,昆山买手店进行实体店铺销售。与此同时签约侯宫,KNEWSTYLE等国内新兴时尚电商。

• 目前正在全力筹备ZHANG YUHAO 2015年4月的上海时装周秋冬发布会,与作曲家,钢琴演奏家闫月合作秀场音乐。

 
从未亲近,亦未疏远
“说到美学,我觉得中国人从小到大见了太多丑陋的东西,这和整个大环境也有关。早期的我们常被一刀切,我们穿同样的校服,剃差不多的发型,做一样的广播体操,很多都是一样的。所以我们个体的特点、个性也找不到了。在这样的环境里导致我们对一些丑陋的东西习以为常,即使看到了,也会去容忍;我觉得在这样的一个环境里很难去创造。对丑陋的默默地容忍阻滞了美学的前进。”稍作思考后,张羽昊如此回答。

“中国制造”早已不只是简单的“制造”。随着像羽昊这样对美学有着独特体会的新生代设计师、艺术家的力量注入主流,“中国制造”的深度——而非浮于表面的符号化中国—--终会被西方看到。

Q: 你如何定义“美”?
A: 中庸、和谐、平衡。基本上是处于中性的状态。

Q: 你喜欢什么样的“美”的物品?
A: 中庸的、平衡的。

Q: 如何形容自己的风格?
A: 与这个世界保持距离,从未亲近,亦未疏远。

Q: 本季的灵感是什么?
A: 2015AW系列,没落的贵族(The fallen aristocrat)的想法是来自于民国时期留洋的青年知识分子。作为出生在贵族大家庭的他们,接受了最为传统的中国上层阶级的礼教,同时又留洋接受了自由民主的教育,这两种看似对立的意识形态在他们身上得到了一种奇妙的糅合与发酵,在那个伴随着战火和硝烟的年代里成为了贵族精神最为完美的诠释,即精神世界的自由与进取。此外,在对服装本质探索,我也加入了清末民初的服装演化特质,包括了清末官服以及平民服饰,再到民国时期的学生服饰,充满年代感的穿着、搭配方式与现代社会格格不入。但就是因为时代的久远从而导致了另一种途径的猎奇。

Q: 从创作初始至今,你的风格有什么样的发展或者变化么?
A: 从一开始其实是把人体作为一个出发点,把人体作为建筑物去思考,想着如何能在人体上创造一个立体的东西。现在的话可能是回归到一个更平面的思维。兜兜转转,从曾经学的西方的一些思维、技法,回到原点、回到东方一些特有的东西,重新开始。

Q: 曾经看过一篇关于你的题为“平面思维塑造立体女人”报道,你如何诠释“平面思维”?
A: 从一个平面的图形出发,脑海中可能只有一个模糊的概念,当平面的东西落到人体之后,因为重力和人本身的起伏,人和服装之间


会产生一种奇妙的联系。有的衣服摊在桌上可能只是一个平面,但是当你把它拎起来时它就成了很立体的作品。这其实就是最原始的平面的东西,但当你把它与“褶皱”结合在一起,它就成了平面的另一种体现。

Q: 你希望通过自己的作品塑造怎样的女性形象?
A: 有距离感的。其实这种距离感不一定是说“我对你很疏远”,是一种很微妙的东西,一种很得体的距离。就好像一个人,你不认识,她不会与你过分的亲近,但也不会对你刻意的冷漠,那是一种很安全的距离,不会让你觉得不舒服。某种意义上,这也是一种中庸思维的体现:保持一个适当的距离。
之前我回国时,中国的一些女生给我了一点不好的印象,她们让我觉得她们穿衣的方式是为了吸引异性,或者说是为了场合的需要,而非想要展现自己的诉求;我觉得这无可厚非,但当这样的现象成为主流、影响到女性的美学时,我觉得这是非常不好的。所以我想要塑造一个有距离感的女性形象。

Q: 在发展过程中有遇到过什么棘手的问题么?
A: 从设计到成衣的过程的实现以及对想法的实现。思考方式是否符合传统学院派的思考方式。(为什么你会提到传统学院派的思考方式?)因为学院派的思考方式通常是先有一个大概的想法、research,再一步步从无到有发展出一个作品。但我可能是脑海里先出现一个人穿上我的作品是什么样的状态、先有最后一步,然后才推回来,返回去想我究竟需要一些什么样的素材来帮助我更好地实现我脑海中的样子。我的顺序可能和传统的学院派有些不同,这是我之前在英国时遇到的一个问题。
此外,还有市场的环境。我觉得下一个十年,中国也许会慢慢找到自己的方向。我这一代人中有不少是接受了西方的教育,他们很有创意,但是没有能力把自己放在服装产业里。很多人混淆了服装产业与时尚产业,他们没有认认真真的去学习技法。时尚到最后是一个噱头、一个花架子,没有人愿意消费一个花架子。媒体也好,设计师本身也好,买手店也好,我觉得他们都需要去思考最终发展的方向。首先认真做好衣服,然后再想怎样表达想法。做时装不能够为所欲为。

Q: 在Design process 中那一个步骤最打动你?
A: 内心戏。想象一个人穿上我的设计时。

Q: 为什么你觉得fashion design 可以影响到更多的人?
A: 很简单的一点,穿着。人都是爱美的,那我们有什么东西是可以每天放在身上带出去的?那只有衣服啊,或者是饰品。Fashion其实是个广义的概念,不仅仅是衣服,也包括饰品、发型、人的精神状态、妆面等等从头到脚的整体的东西。这些才是fashion也是你这一个人的体现。Fashion可以帮助人把内心的想法很直观地体现出来。

Q: 你的灵感通常会来自于哪里?
A: 人的状态,尤其是特定环境下的某一些人。比如说民国时期的女学生,也有可能是寺庙里的僧侣,也有可能是电影里的某一个场景……其实还是自己喜欢的一类东西。但我不会限制自己,我愿意尝试各种各样不同的东西。

Q: 除了服装设计之外,平常有什么爱好?(听说你爱好写作?)
A: 写作不是爱好,写作是一种需要,它是一种表达。我觉得没有表达,我的精神世界是不完满的。我希望能够把自己的态度说出来,我不喜欢被动地接受别人所说别人所想的东西。既然我有自己的想法,我为何不把自己的想法放到外面的世界,看看它们究竟能够影响到哪些人,或者说哪些人会和我有一样的共鸣。至于爱好,我的爱好很多,游戏、旅游等等。
 
Q: 有喜欢的艺术家或者设计师可以介绍一下么?
A: 其实我更喜欢日本的一些建筑设计师,艺术家的话,至今还没有发现能够特别打动我的。可能是因为艺术表达的范围太广,我不太能够接受,我希望能把表达的东西控制在某一个范围里,让大家都能够去感受。我比较喜欢日本的设计师。东方有许多东西还没有被挖掘,没有用自己的语言去把它们呈现出来,日本设计师把东方的东西以自己的语言做了一次完整的创新。比如三宅一生的褶皱装,它就是服装技术的一次革命;川久保玲的话是定义了非常多的可能性;山本耀司把服装本质跟人的关系做了新的诠释。东方的东西如果想影响设计师,影响更多人的思考方式以及穿着状态十分的不易,但从他们身上能看到东方文化的一种投射,提炼出的全新的状态。这对中国设计师也有着很大的指引作用。这其实是在告诉我们,我们中国的东西,或者说东方的东西,也是可以做得十分前卫而不是流于表面。

Q: 对自己品牌的未来有什么样的规划?

A: 我希望它成为一个有完整产品线的品牌。不单只想做女装,未来可能也会有男装、箱包、香水、鞋履等产品。我本人其实有很大的热情去做其他的产品。我认为做品牌合作设计是有很大区别的,做设计可能仅仅只是想把自己的理念表达出来,把这个系列做好就够了。但做品牌不一样,品牌是设计师的精神的延续,它是有生命力的。
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