Thursday, November 30, 2006

星光伴我心

香港老牌電影院賣少見少,碧麗宮、海運、新華等等,都已成明日黃花了。

今天是灣仔影藝戲院的last day,也是一個時代的終結。

曾幾何時,它是冷門藝術電影迷的Mecca,也是和文藝青年結伴看戲的老地方。 看過的心頭好不計其數,像《街童》、《情書》、《一個快樂的傳說》等等。依然掠過的是藤井樹那句「你好嗎?我很好!」的餘音。朋友,我懷疑有次鄰座的那位是你、或你、還有你. . .

影藝與新華和藝術中心加起來,是啟蒙我電影智慧的灣仔金三角。

如今Those were the days。像Cinema Paradiso一樣, 它始終有謝幕結業的一天,以及被時代洪流淘汰的一刻。

電影結尾剪片師父Alfredo給Toto保存下來的接吻Remix片段,聞說殺盡意大利老中青三代男,令他們紛紛灑下男兒淚。

此時此地,縱沒有Alfredo, 我們腦海中剪存的那些經典場面或甚是浮光掠影,仍教我們低迴不已。毋須哭聲眼淚,心之回憶亦已足夠。

沉溺中的光影歲月,星光伴我心。


P.S. 朋友們,認識與否,何妨分享一下你回憶中的影藝或是在那裏看過的好片?

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Thorpedo


我很後知後覺,剛剛才得悉至愛游泳運動員科比(Ian Thorpe)從此絕跡泳壇。「魚雷」科比上週正式宣佈退役時,只有24歲。天才那短暫但耀眼的光芒,也真令人嘖嘖稱奇。

多麼可惜! 他自由泳的泳姿世上最好看! 那管他體型如何魁梧、腳板如何巨大,一跳進水裏,稍稍一動,便飄到老遠。像魚雷一樣,不偏不倚地有效前進。

魚雷除了big feet,也有big heart。以他名義成立的
Fountain for Youth, 致力替貧病兒童謀福祉。

雖然從此再難在競賽的泳池上找到「大腳板」,希望它在愛心之泉再度暢泳。也希望在璀璨的星途過後,大腳板會踏上另一奇妙旅程。

一切都聚散有時吧!

Monday, November 27, 2006

春風吹又生


星期天也要工作,還長途跋涉前往天水圍香港濕地公園,本是苦差。

但大自然就是有股撫慰的能量。有多久沒見過這樣的藍天了?

參觀濕地公園的人也真箇絡繹不絕。在夢幻樂園或主題公園以外,香港也有份回歸大自然的渴求吧! 或許,香港的孩子更需要一個活生生的自然教育園地。

與工友奔波多月,為的就是這個社區藝術計劃,早前掘下一堆「天水泥」,這天請來區內一些小童與我們作總綵排,當中他們大多還是首次接觸陶泥。令我驚詫的不只是率真的創意或意想不到的傑作,而是那一張張純真笑臉背後的悲情故事。如果那一把泥土能給予那一刻、那一點的歡欣,我們但願快樂藝術、快樂社區。

上天請給我們足夠資源,讓這個藝術計劃能持續發展下去。


回家時累都累死了-_-!!

不過,我人生的regret list上又將會少一項。

剛巧聽到徐悲鴻的油畫《奴隸與獅》在香港佳士得拍賣會上以5千多萬港元成交,創下中國油畫世界拍賣新紀錄。厲害! 藝術有時真是一個天, 一個地。

還有. . .

香港最終有沒有鋪天蓋地的文娛藝術區也好,藝術還是要繼續的。

春風吹又生。


加油!

Saturday, November 25, 2006

不期而遇 (二)

在兩幢陳舊的大厦間,有這條陋巷,少人用也少人管。

是造就這片風光的原因吧! 印象中它出現好一段時間了. . .

(Left) Jean Arp, Collage Arranged According to the Laws of Chance, 1916–17.
(Right) Paul Klee, Chalk Drawing, 1939

除了"Art is around us"外,藝術也衝激我們的記憶與聯想。

Friday, November 24, 2006

False Hope

常言道,做人要滿懷希望,凡事往好的方向想。

極正面的想法,敢情好!

不過,心底裡最怕遇到false hope distributors,沒有仔細考慮便給予他人美好的承諾。

往往亦最最令人失望。

♠ ♠ ♠ ♠

小時候有一次,父親忽然說要帶我和姐姐往遊樂場玩,那時候滿心歡喜。正要出門之際,他忽然收到「麻雀腳」一通電話,最後節目要取消了,我們當然是繼續乖乖留在家中。


有一個人,曾煞有介事地承諾每天聽君細訴、互相扶持,最後......當然是逃之夭夭了呵呵~.~

儼如從天堂直降地獄的感覺,雖然周遭從未變異,事主也一直身處人間。

當然,父親或那人也好,都有他們想過的人生或想逃離的境地。

都不怪他們的啦 *.^

♠ ♠ ♠ ♠

那些都是往事了,零碎的回憶,也毋庸多去追想。

未為意的可能是心底的烙印。

很想相信,卻怕相信;願意相信,未能相信。

所以,如果不肯定自己能辦到,就不要誇下海口,給人易碎的美夢。那像把小孩帶進一個充滿玩具的房間,叫他"take whatever you can",最終卻忽然說:「對不起,你要空手離場咯!」

請別隨便給他人false hope,因為那真的很殘忍。

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Utrecht

Caravaggio

Dick Bruna

Miffy

Tulip

Utrecht

Riddles??


謎底:

17世紀巴洛克時期意大利著名畫家Caravaggio影響力延伸至鬱金香國荷蘭,因為追隨者如Gerrit van Honthorst曾遊學羅馬,被這位意國大師那獨特的繪畫風格深深吸引,更讓他那強烈的光暗對比法移民至故鄉Utrecht。

Utrecht也是Miffy作者Dick Bruna先生的出生地,他至今仍居於此。

如今Utrecht有座聞名的博物館Centraal Museum,建於1838年,是荷蘭最古老的市立博物館,內設一個藝術展覽區,讓一衆兔迷認識Miffy的前世今生。

下次如果青兔失踪,可能會在Utrecht被補,因那裏有齊上述至愛。

還有, 小朋友別誤會Miffy是Hello Kitty或My Melody的親屬, 雖然Miffy和Melody都是兔 :-)

Monday, November 20, 2006

No Regrets

"The only conquests which are permanent and leave no regrets, are our conquests over ourselves."
Napoleon Bonaparte

"As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things that you didn't do."
Zachary Scott

"Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today."
James Dean



每次聽Edith Piaf 唱"Je ne regret rien", 都被她那股瀟灑自如卻又帶激昂的腔調迷住。

"Je ne regret rien" or "No regrets". 要義無反顧的說無悔此生, 問世間, 又有幾人做到? 比比皆是的卻是子欲養而親不在、尚未盡力去珍惜眼前人或放棄實現理想等等。

魯莽或愚昩、丟臉或突兀、激進或未竟全功, 未必是遺憾。

原來沒有好好努力過或盡力而為, 才叫人抱憾。

所以,當看見一眾香港市民竭力捍衛舊天星碼頭及其鐘樓,即使投下的汗水眼淚或許只是滄海一粟,肯定的卻是,他們人生的regret list上將會少一項。

無憾就是他們的燦爛。

Friday, November 17, 2006

The LEGO Land

上回忘了提及「黑鑽」背後原來有間小小的猶太博物館,出自當紅建築師Daniel Libeskind的手筆。

好像香港城大的創意媒體學院也找來他設計校園,確實拭目以待!

Daniel Libeskind, The Jewish Museum
The Royal Library Garden
(Photo credit: Jens Lindhe)
* * * * * * * * * * * *

一直心儀北歐的獨特氣質,尤其是那簡約設計,線條流暢之餘卻不失方便實用,完全演繹了"less is more"的精神。

除了設計,這種迷戀可能是源自早年所看的北歐電影如Ingmar Bergman的"Fanny & Alexander"或Aki Kaurismäki那連對白都省着用的影片。

不過更有可能是因為兒時父親不知從那裏找來給我的LEGO玩具。

總相信,丹麥人的建築智慧一定與LEGO有關。

Henning Larsen, IT University of Copenhagen
(Photo credit: Copenhagen X)
Nordlyset
Tietgenkollegiet

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Black Diamond

The biggest diamond ever found in the world. Also the most "accessible" diamond that need no extra surveillance to keep it away from theft. It's of zero degree of portability :)

Black Diamond safekeeps a lot of treasures (both literature and art) inside nonetheless. It is meant for all rather than just rich ladies. This gem glows in amazing charm along the river bank of Sydhavnen.

Architect: Schmidt Hammer Lassen
The Royal Library (alias Black Diamond)
Copenhagen, Denmark
(Photo credit: The Royal Library)

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Cat(ch) If You Can



This is just a no win situation. The kitten can never catch the fish swimming around it. Isn't it a reflection of our life sometimes? Can never win the heart of those decision makers no matter what we did? Or there is always one (or more) unrequited love in our life.

Just one more step or a few more seconds we would have been there. The gap separates us from the life that we would have otherwise lived.

What's left over, could it be a beauty too?

未竟全功確實難受,但半步之差每每已是另一個天涯。

可憐的小貓永遠吃不到眼前魚兒,卻成就了一個出色設計。

吊詭不正就是我們的人生嗎?

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

A Big Fish from HK

I did mention Frank Gehry a few times in this blog. Friends have a gut feeling that he must be my most admired architect. Well not exactly. . . sorry hee :)

But there is really an aspect of his creative career that I admire. Boldness? Uncomprising attitude or aggressiveness? Not really certain but sort of close when seeing his masterpieces such as the titanic-like Guggenheim Bilbao. Uncontestably it is a stunning piece on one hand and a highly contextual piece on the other hand. Its form reminds people of the ship-building root of the Bilbao city. Either because of this or the numerous materpieces housed inside it, it has succeeded in creating a cultural mecca or else a modern myth that constantly draws visitors to this once lesser known Spanish city.

Last Friday night, I finally had the chance to listen to someone from the office of Gehry Partners. Edwin Chan, who worked with Gehry on many terrific projects like the Guggenheim Bilbao, the Weisman Museum, the Corcoran etc., has a Hong Kong origin indeed. One of the reasons for his early departure from HK at the age of 13 or so, according to him, is the absence of any museum or cultural institution alike in HK at that time. A lack of inspiration here nurtured another big fish elsewhere. A living example of "limitations create motivations". Hong Kong, you are the best of places, you are the worst of places.

A most touching remark from Edwin: from time to time he'll go back to Guggenheim Bilbao as though the museum itself were a good old friend or a family member of his.

Today many artists don't even bother to take another glance of their work right after (or even earlier than) its launch. No comment here.

You can still be great if you got a talent. But if you got a talent and a big heart, your artwork will certain glow from within. That's what I believe when seeing Edwin show his final slide with himself smiling in front of the museum giant in the golden glow of sunlight. That's a precise statement of a man's allegiance to his own passion.

Friends we really have to love the arts we create or help to create. Artworks gonna cry if their creators abandon them in a split second.

Monday, November 13, 2006

Kuromi

My new throne now ~.~

When I passed by a market in Wan Chai after lunch today, I found this awesome cushion. Vaguely knew she's called Kuromi, the nemesis of Sanrio's My Melody.

In fact I bought a pair of her, creating a sense of "double evilness" as against "double happiness". A sinister side of mine here *o^

The Long March

A long march from the 20th to the 21st century. An instant prompt to the rise Mao Zedong? Now it is the rise of Lu Jie (the brain of this project) nonetheless.

Personally I think the presentation on the
Long March Project is by far the most impressive at the Asia Cultural Co-operation Forum 2006.

Just the aspiration, faith and perseverance are rarely paralleled by many other contemporary art projects, reminding me somehow of Christo & Jeanne-Claude.


Who can say it won't catch up with the Venice Biennale one day? Or else, it has already outstripped the Italian paradigm on the conceptual level ?!

In Western culture there is pilgrimage while in our Chinese history we have the Long March. In life as in art, rather metaphorically, it's always like a bold or unequivocal journey to the eternal land.

My Cup of Tea

(This glass is a classic beauty!)

Definitely a hectic week *.*

In and out of several openings, forums, important meetings and social gatherings . . . take a breath of relief for a moment before another week starting with loads of work.

Life is sometimes life. While I envy those who have showed me marvelous photos of travel when I still have to continue with my drudgery at both office and home, I shall be glad that I am still able to have a job, to pay my rent, to live my life, or even to have the energy to complain.

Needless to mention, on a lovely sunday afternoon, I was lavishly rewarded by a delicious cup of hazelnut milk tea served with homemade muffins and scones prepared by gourmet friends.

If a stitch in time saves nine, a cup of tea saves my life >.<

Merci la vie !!

Saturday, November 04, 2006

各有各髮

從來都是三分鐘熱度,這刻興之所至, 隔一陣子便感索然無味。

一直渴望蓄一頭長髮,從小到大,不知試過多少次了。毎毎在過渡期難忍那黏答答的感覺。畢竟,打理長髮也較麻煩。空氣污染嚴重,不想髒兮兮或蓬頭垢面的話,便要勤於理髮。洗髮後又必定一、二、三立即吹乾它,皆因濕漉漉的感覺很難受。但由於本人天生頭髮濃密,都頗費時-_-!!

所以. . .最後還是引剪一快。沒過多久,又總會有點後悔。就這樣,蓄短髮的時間總比長髮的多。看看多年來舊照便一目了然。

但這次真是狠下決心了。相信咁大個女頭髮最長算這趟!

還想多持續一陣子。

也許是時候把那三分鐘熱度保溫。學會沉著應戰。許多事情才有出路吧?

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

徘徊於龐比度與齊白石之間

** 其中兩幅心頭好^.^ **

左: 馬蒂斯《在紅色背景前的白衣少女》
右:齊白石《五童紙鳶》

「妙在似與不似之間,太似為媚俗,不似為欺世」 ─齊白石

「我們不能設想,齊白石畫蝦,在看一眼畫一筆的情況下,能畫出今天這些作品來。而是對蝦的精神狀態熟悉極了,蝦才在畫家的筆下活起來的。對客觀對象不熟悉或不太熟悉,就一定畫不出好畫。」 ─齊白石徒弟、著名山水畫家李可染《意境是山水畫的靈魂》

白石大師這句金石名言,不止為是次精選自遼寧省博物館的展覽畫龍點睛,更概括古往今來、放諸東西的藝術課題。似與不似,形神俱存,雅俗共賞。如何取捨與平衡?


為了畫蝦,他特意在家中養蝦,以便觀察及熟悉蝦的特性與動態。因此,即使畫中看似無水,但墨蝦那跳脫的動態,全然把活蝦暢游於水中的感覺呈現看官眼前。正如台灣雕塑家朱銘老師常掛於口邊的箴言「修行」,那正正是耗盡畢生心血修煉得來的藝術成就。難怪畢加索亦讚嘆齊氏水墨畫筆法雖簡約意境卻深遂。這是連他自己也不能及的藝術境界吧!

看齊白石筆下的題材毋分等級,即使卑微如老鼠、蟑螂或蒼蠅,一樣躍然紙上,栩栩如生,那是藝術家對萬事萬物的尊重,誠然是雅俗共賞。

曾聽過一些人(多數是藝術家)說雅俗共賞只是痴人說夢話或滑頭、欠立場的想法。大義凜然似的…但說我刁民也好,總覺言者空有狂妄,未見氣魄。

看看齊白石將雅俗共賞一詞發揮得淋漓盡致,便證明那是「可為/不可為」與「能為/不能為」之別。

雅俗共賞,不是江湖賣藝的油腔滑調或雕蟲小技,那是一種胸襟也。

藝術家固然毋須扭曲自己以討好世人,但光是單向表達(express)而不設溝通(communicate)的橋樑,意義便喪失在展覽場地的半空。那何不時光倒流至文人畫時代,相約有識之士雅聚品評? 開宗明義,閒人免問,坦白爽快得多。

* * * *

巧妙地,似與不似,亦可作為欣賞《大師對象 - 巴黎龐比度中心珍藏展》的一個切入點。

似與不似,具象與抽象,不論放眼東西那一方的藝術風格,都象徵着pendulum的兩端。沒有絕對的好壞與美醜,也許只是一個時代衆生的體驗、回憶與價值觀。

誰可斷然說,Michelangelo那如雕刻刀勾劃的天使輪廓,比Monet以簡快而朦朧的筆觸所描繪妻子Camille的肖像較寫實? 或更美? Monet恐怕沒見過天使,但面對有血有肉有感情的妻子,要讓她活現畫布上,他應該更得心應手吧?

模特兒,可能是藝術家的繆斯。

「模特兒與藝術家的創作有著微妙的關係,他們可能是無名的專業模特兒,有些卻是藝術家的親友、詩人、作家,又或是委托製作肖像者,甚至是藝術家本人。這些模特兒的身份和角色,每每牽引著創作者的思緒、靈感與演繹方法,背後還帶出一段段讓人細味的故事。」 ── 香港藝術館展覽介紹

這次展覽的主題真好,巧妙地道盡藝術家徘徊於具象與抽象之間的掙扎。



不論藝術館是否早有預謀安排龐比度與齊白石兩個展覽同期上映,徘徊於兩者之間,得益的一定是我等觀眾。

再看看周遭的悉心佈置與誠意安排,不知恁地,感覺香港藝術館前所未有的精彩過 !