走出憂鬱的觀景窗－留法影像藝術家紀國章教授專訪

            En sortant de la vitrine melancolique --

  entretien exclusif avec le Prof. Artiste Kuo-chang CHI

撰文/楊齡媛（新聞局台灣光華與TR雜誌2005年9月號專訪)                   

春末的清爽還留在台北的空氣裡，一群學生魚貫進入台北市立美術館的地下室，面對著100幅彷彿是印象派畫作風格的照片，其中又夾雜幾幅墨筆所勾勒出的線條圖，還有結合實景與油彩的圖像，讓參觀者不禁大聲讚嘆：「這是照片嗎？好像抽象畫喔 !」「照片怎可能拍成如油畫,抽象畫般的神奇影像呢？」

這場大型抽象藝術個展是花蓮之子紀國章花了12年時間而創作彙整出的「色彩三部曲」，他受超現實主義畫派大師米羅的激發，又希望跳脫攝影機寫實的框架，將繪畫美學的概念與技巧融入鏡頭影像世界裡，呈現實境裡融合抽象藝術的新影像世界。

憂鬱の窓から歩み出る―國際知名写真芸術家紀国章教授

撰文/楊齡媛（Taiwan Panorama 與行政院新聞局TR雜誌 2005年9~10月號專訪) 

春の爽やかな空気がまだ台北に残っている頃、一群の学生たちが台北市立美術館の地下室に入りこんで、印象派を思わせる100点余りの写真作品に見入っていた。その中には墨で輪郭を描いたと見られる線描図が数点、実景と油絵画像を組み合わせた作品さえ入り混じっていて、見るものを驚かせる。「これが写真なのだろうか、抽象画みたいだ」「こんな風にも写真を撮れるものなのか」と声が上がる。

この写真展は花蓮出身の紀国章が12年をかけた創作をまとめた「色彩三部曲」である。シュールレアリストの画家ホアン･ミロの影響を強く受け、またカメラのリアリティの枠組みを飛び出し、絵画の美学概念とテクニックをレンズの中に持ち込み、現実の世界に抽象的画像を溶け込ませた新しい世界を表現した。

Artist Professor kuo-chang CHI

Through the Photographic Looking Glass

走出憂鬱的觀景窗－留法影像藝術家紀國章教授專訪

Taiwan Panorama Report by Yang Ling-yuan

Images Arts by kuo-chang CHI

In the fresh, cool air of late spring in Taipei, a group of students crowd into the basement of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum to look at a collection of 100 art works of photographs that appear to be in the style of Impressionist paintings. Some of the photos contain line drawings made with a brush, while others combine real scenes with oil-paint images. All of this leads some viewers to blurt out questions like, "Are these photographs or abstract paintings? " or "How the heck do you get photos to come out like this?

This photography exhibit, titled Trilogy of Color, brings together the last 12 years of creative work by Hualien native Chi Kuo-chang. Inspired by the work of Surrealist painter Joan Miro (1893-1983), Chi was determined to move beyond the realist framework built in to the camera, melding painting aesthetics into the world of photographic scenery to create new images that blend together the real and the abstract.

Chi's creations have earned him the high honor of an "Artiste Excellent" award from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as well as the only invitation offered in 20 years to a Taiwanese artist to exhibit at France's Arles Photography Festival, the most important event of its kind in the world. His works have also been purchased for the collections of the Van Gogh Cultural Center Memorial Gallery in Arles, the Bibliotheque nationale de France, the Musee Nice-phore Niepce, and the Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.

  創作生命的再生/專訪當代影像藝術創作人紀國章教授

    聯合國教科文組織+國際筆會2005專訪/聯合報系+台灣立報2005引述報導

青少年時期在照相機觀景窗後，找到了觀察人生的位置，20歲棄學舉辦首次個展，退役後考上聯合報系聯合晚報攝影記者工作近兩年，存錢負笈法國學攝影與電影，6年內從國立巴黎大學研究所碩士班學生到專任講師、專任講座教授。近30年( 1980~ )專情影像藝術創作，國際獲獎無數，作品為歐洲知名藝術機構國家美術館典藏，並與他的恩師郎靜山大師一樣，獲得聯合國教科文組織UNESCO肯定為國際傑出藝術家。

但在台灣，要從觀景窗後的位置，挪向「當代影像藝術創作人」的社會定位，紀國章卻獨自走得很辛苦。 1999年後，紀國章在高呼本土化卻未善待藝術文化的台灣，經歷了藝術創作生命的荒漠，不但掙扎於為何創作及為誰展覽的痛苦中，也因數位影像技術的蔓延流行，而備感驚嚇而憂鬱。

國際知名藝術家紀國章目前的攝影創作概括兩條路線，一條是平易近人的「紀實、人文」形式作品，另一條則是追求影像美學，挑戰既有視框的抽象影像藝術創作。例如19歲(1983)拍攝創作的野鳥生態攝影作品「波光粼粼」（獲得美、法、德、英、比、荷、義、西班牙、南非、新加坡、香港、台灣等國際攝影沙龍彩色照片組金牌與全省美展攝影類第一名）；人文紀實作品例如「1995黑白巴黎人生夢」、「1997尼泊爾容顏‧Nepal」、「1998黃海岱戲說掌中歲月」等黑白人文紀實系列；抽象藝術的著名影像創作作品例如1994年的「色彩符號」系列創作、1997年首度獲邀法國阿爾國際攝影節展覽的「黑白律動」有如中國水墨畫影像創作系列，以及2004年的「色影斑斕」美術繪畫與攝影的複合媒材創作系列，這三組抽象攝影藝術創作系列合稱為「色彩三部曲」。2005年4~6月應台北市立美術館之邀請，舉行「色彩三部曲」--紀國章影像藝術展。

不論紀實、純影像或是抽象藝術，紀國章的藝術生命誕生於「前數位時代」，紹承視覺藝術的傳統。紀國章認為攝影藝術家就是用照相機的畫家，猶如梵谷或高更等前輩藝術家一樣，表達媒材本質不同，但同樣講究創作主體概念傳達，及其落實於表達媒材上的技術實力與創作觀念。

身為國際攝影藝術社群的一員，紀國章很快地就在西方視覺藝術歷史中插隊落戶，他執著於自我超越，為每個階段作品的主題深度與技術高度，堆砌愈來愈嚴格的門檻，這是不分國界的視覺藝術家們共有的動能，也是藝術家們得以認識彼此的藝術生命素質。

想像在1997年，在國際首屈一指的法國阿爾國際攝影節近50個展覽裡，「紀國章」會代表了什麼？是「黑白律動」作品系列中乍看如瘦金體筆法所勾勒的水墨線條，細觀方知即將枯死的荷花脈絡，細緻淡雅而極其簡單地交待了視覺裏最基本的「圖像基因」。他的國際藝術朋友們，可能分不清楚台灣和布吉那法索的地理位置，卻可以瞭解紀國章從「色彩符號」之後，再度為攝影藝術樹立了新標竿，也知道「黑白律動」為紀國章在國際攝影藝術創作社群裏，展現了鮮明的風格符號。自1990年赴法國巴黎之後，紀國章試圖在國際攝影藝術社群裏交出一張漂亮的成績單，他熟悉前人作品，摸索各種表達形式的意涵，並以適切的深度開始自己在全球攝影藝術創作史中的行動，衝刺到1997年，終於獲邀在法國歐洲攝影之都阿爾（Arles）古城展出，自1981年郎靜山獲邀展出之後，紀國章是亞洲華人世界中的第二人。

紀國章立意在人們所忽視的平凡角落，發現藝術理念轉換的空間。例如深獲國際好評的色彩三部曲之二「黑白律動」系列作品，是他在台北市南海路的植物園，守候 4年的冬天所觀察創造出來的成果，先以相機收納了枯荷殘枝及波影，再加以暗房中高反差的曝光技術輔助自我藝術觀念的轉換，展出後獲得國際攝影界與藝術界極大的迴響與認同，巴黎國家圖書館及巴黎現代美術館就分別各自典藏了10幅作品。但他在拍攝創作期間，植物園裏散步運動的老人們常問他：少年仔，那一堆垃圾有什麼好拍的？

                     REBIRTH OF CREATIVITY

          INTERVIEW WITH ART PHOTOGRAPHER CHI KUO-CHANG

     創作生命的再生-留法影像藝術家紀國章教授專訪

UNESCO/ International P.E.N.--Taipei Chinese Center2005 Report :

Photography artist Chi Kuo-chang discovered early his calling to observe the world through a camera’s viewfinder. He quit his studies at 20, and held his first personal exhibition at 20. After completing his military service, he saved enough money by Newspaper to study photography of Art in Paris, and went from student to assistant lecturer to Professor in six years. He has collected countless awards over his career spanning more than twenty years, and his works are in the collections of major European art institutions. Like his teacher Long Chin-San, he has an award from UNESCO recognizing his contributions to art. Yet in Taiwan, it was a lonely, difficult journey to move from behind the viewfinder into the limelight of public attention as a “Contemporary Visual Artist.”  Since 1997 there have been loud cries in Taiwan for a rediscovery of its roots, but the public continued to neglect its artistic culture.  Chi Kuo-chang found himself in the desert beset by doubts about the future. Why create art? Who would appreciate it? And what will happen now that digital photography was spreading like wildfire?

Chi Kuo-chang’s art follows two tracks. The first is the “Documentary and Culture” style with mass appeal, while the other track focuses on abstract imagery, seeking the essence of photography and challenging established frameworks.  The documentary and culture style includes the “Wild Birds of Taiwan” collection in 1984 when he was twenty years old.  This won gold medals in the colored photos category at international photography exhibitions in countries such as the USA, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Other documentary works include”Huang Hai-Tai, the Centagenerian Showman,” and ”Faces: Nepal” (1998).  Noted works in the abstract track include the “Symbols of Colors” in 1994, “The Dying Flower” which was invited to attend Les Rencontres Internationale de la Photographie d’Arles in 1997, and the soon to be shown “Variegated Shadow” series in 2003. Together the three abstract visual collections are referred to as the “Trilogy of Color.”

Be it documentary or abstract, Chi Kuo-chang’s career as an artist began in the “Pre-Digital Age” and is heir to the grand tradition of the visual arts. To him, a photographer is a painter like Van Gogh and Gauguin, the only difference being the use of the camera. Though the medium of expression may be different, the emphasis is still on the overall composition and the technical skills used to express the artist’s vision.

As a member of the international community of photographers, Chi Kuo-chang soon found his niche in the history of Western visual art. His continued efforts to surpass himself have led to works of increasingly greater depths and technical difficulty. This is an incentive common to artists across the world and how they recognize each other’s artistic essences.

If we go back to the prestigious Arles international photography festival in 1997, out of nearly sixty exhibitions there what would “Chi Kuo-chang” have represented?  It was the one image from “The Dying Flower” collection. At first sight, it appears to be a tracery of lines drawn in ink using the “Slim Gold” calligraphy style. Only upon closer inspection do we realize these are the veins of a withering lotus blossom. This expressed the “imagery gene” fundamental to visual perception in a simple yet delicate and elegant manner. Chi Kuo-chang’s overseas artist friends may not know Taiwan from Burkina Faso, but they could certainly tell that Chi Kuo-chang has once again set a new standard in the art of photography since the “Symbols of Colors”. To the international photographic art community, “The Dying Flower” is now a potent emblem synonymous with Chi Kuo-chang.

TRILOGY OF COLORS –

Chi Kuo-Chang Photo Image Art Exhibition 

色彩三部曲-紀國章影像藝術創作展                                                      

Taipei Fine Arts Museum~ Room B02 ~   

Exhibition Date : 23-04-2005~05-06-2005                                                                                                           

Photographic artist Chi Kuo-Chang grew up in Sofong Township, Hualien.  Between 1990 and 1993 he studied in Paris, receiving his Masters in Visual Arts from the Université Nationale de Paris VIII.  His achievements include an award for excellence in art from UNESCO, qualifying him for the Paris City Council’s “International Residence” program for outstanding artists, and he had also taught at the Paris Photographic Institute as well as the Ecole Nationale d'Art.
Before studying overseas, Chi Kuo-Chang had worked for United Evening News newspaper as a photojournalist for nearly two years.  During that time, he won the Best Taiwanese Photojournalism Award for 1988 as well as the 29th Chinese Culture Medal for Photography.
Achieved through hard work, these honors further emphasize this young artist’s passion for the art of photography.

In early summer 1994 Chi returned from Paris to present the first part of his “Trilogy of Color”, the “Symbols of Colors”.  Its unique expression of abstract art photography and the visual impact of its rich colors reverberated through the art world in both Paris and Taiwan, drawing widespread media coverage.

博客來網路書店2005年藝術暢銷書作者紀國章專訪

漫談攝影藝術家的神聖使命與社會責任

受訪者：紀國章／留法攝影藝術家．策展人
採訪者：博客來網路書店史兒
地點：台北市民生社區金石堂丹堤咖啡

一、化腐朽為神奇

在1930年代前，攝影創作有七成是固定的風景，1960、70年代後，隨著硬體與軟體設備的進步，攝影家逐漸演變成透過相機這個媒介，捕捉內心世界的風景。

Artist Chi Kuo-chang Through the Photographic Looking Glass ___________________________________________________________________
Yang Ling-yuan /  Images Arts by Chi Kuo-chang (紀國章) / tr. by Michael Hill 

  In the fresh, cool air of late spring in Taipei, a group of students crowd into the basement of the Taipei Fine Arts Museum to look at a collection of 100 photographs that appear to be in the style of Impressionist paintings. Some of the photos contain line drawings made with a brush, while others combine real scenes with oil-paint images. All of this leads some viewers to blurt out questions like, "Are these photographs or abstract paintings?" or "How the heck do you get photos to come out like this?!"
This photography exhibit, titled Trilogy of Color, brings together the last 12 years of creative work by Hualien native Chi Kuo-chang. Inspired by the work of Surrealist painter Joan Miro (1893-1983), Chi was determined to move beyond the realist framework built in to the camera, melding painting aesthetics into the world of photographic scenery to create new images that blend together the real and the abstract.
Chi's creations have earned him the high honor of an "Artiste Excellent" award from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as well as the only invitation offered in 20 years to a Taiwanese artist to exhibit at France's Arles Photography Festival, the most important event of its kind in the world. His works have also been purchased for the collections of the Van Gogh Cultural Center Memorial Gallery in Arles, the Bibliotheque nationale de France, the Musee Nice-phore Niepce, and the Musee d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.
Known for his symbolic use of color in creating photographic images, Chi Kuo-chang may be like most photographers--always lugging around two cameras, a tripod, and heavy special-use lenses--but he also brings a sketchbook, watercolors or poster paints, and brushes.
"First, I sketch out my idea in color," says Chi. "Once the image I'm looking for becomes clearer as I work with the brush, then I start using the camera." Fair-skinned, soft-spoken and slight, Chi also has a steely Hakka temperament, and never balks at taking on difficult tasks. To get the right shot, he will go back to the same spot time after time. The images he brings back are almost always single-exposure. Aside from those pieces that require some digital processing or reworking on a computer, all of his works are completed once they have been developed in the darkroom.