華裝舞會
Le bal costume (The Costume Ball)
文｜傅作新 Article by Fu Tso-Hsin
那個人在哪裡？ 找的到嗎？在綻放華彩的花蔭下，或追著四處翻飛的鳳蝶，或隨著翠鳥鳴叫的方向，還是跟著河馬與狗留下的足印？尋尋覓覓沒有結果。
Where is that person? Can we find him?
Is he chasing the colorful fluttering swallowtail butterflies, following the sound of birdsong, or tracing the footprints of hippopotamus and dog under the flowers?
We seek, but cannot find.
黑森林的深處有一場華裝舞會，慶祝一個新生命的到來。光從樹梢間灑落照亮舞池，嬰兒沈沈地睡著…寂寂無人影，四處靜悄悄。
There is a costume ball in the middle of the black forest, celebrating new life.The baby is sound asleep as light falls from the treetops.There is no one around, and not a sound is to be heard.
微風吹來，花葉動了，鳳蝶起飛了，翠鳥囀了，河馬探起頭來，狗兒來回奔走著…花語、蝶翅拍打聲、鳥啼聲、河馬吼聲、狗吠聲，異口同聲：「噓！安靜… 請不要吵醒嬰兒！」
A breeze arrives, the flowers and leaves move, butterflies take flight, and birds start to sing. The hippopotamus and dog start roaring and barking, saying: “Shush! Don’t wake the baby!”
舞池又恢復寧靜，嬰兒依舊安詳地睡著。
The dancing pool becomes silent again. The baby remains sound asleep.
天色漸漸昏黑，月亮緩緩升起，林間籠罩濛濛月光。嬰兒突然動了，揮舞著手腳，睜開烏黑晶亮的雙眼，左左右右轉側，環顧四週圍，笑了！
As the night ascends and moon rises, the trees are covered with glistening moonlight.The baby stirs and waves his or her little hands and feet, opening his or her black shiny eyes, looking left and right. The baby smiles.
「他醒了！」花葉、鳳蝶、翠鳥、河馬、狗兒交頭接耳，手舞足蹈，歡聲雷動地呼喊：「華裝舞會開始了！」「來吧！請賓客們換上最華麗的裝扮，一起加入我們的迎新生！」
“The baby is awake!”The flowers and leaves, swallowtail butterflies, birds, hippopotamus, and dog gather together, dancing and shouting cheerfully
“Let the costume ball begin!”“Come! Put on your best costumes and join us in the celebration of new life!”
可是那個人究竟在哪裡？還是找不到啊！
Where is that person?He is nowhere to be seen!
花葉、鳳蝶、翠鳥、河馬、狗兒齊聲說：「找到了！我們就是那個人！」畫家說。
The flowers and leaves, swallowtail butterflies, birds, hippopotamus, and dog say in unison:“We have found the person! We are that person!”The painter says.
木末芙蓉花，山中發紅萼。澗戶寂無人，紛紛開且落。
—王維「辛夷塢」The magnolias on the top of the trees
Sprout red buds in the mountain.
In the cottage by the gully no one sees
They have blossomed and already fallen.
Magnolia Village by Wang Wei
如此豪華的場面熱鬧非凡，充滿盎然生機，卻是遍尋不著人的蹤影！森林舞會究竟為誰而開呢？
在最新的畫作中，畫家構思著裝華麗的化裝舞會作為主題，他粉墨登場，務求每件作品都是自己一場場變裝發表會，邀請觀賞者欣賞他純熟的「粉墨」技巧。然而遍觀畫作卻不見他的蹤跡，只有林樹、花、鳥、蝴蝶、動物而已！畫家的變裝在哪兒呢？
This is a forest ball filled with color and glamour. The tall trees and branches create a dancing pool with their elegant posture. As the ball is lit by the sun and moon, the Spring flowers and Autumn leaves drift toward the ground, while birds with beautiful feathers chirp to the occasion. Charming butterflies flutter, and the grand hippopotamus and dog guard the surroundings…The ball is glamorous and lively, but the person is nowhere to be seen! Who is this forest ball for?
This new series is centered around the costume ball. The artist turns each piece of work into his own masquerade, inviting viewers to see his camouflage. However, only trees, flowers, birds, butterflies, and animals appear in the paintings; the artist is nowhere to be seen. Where is the artist?
樹林，是畫家目前創作階段中最常描繪的形象，對他而言也是深具意義，代表著幼年成長的山林，一種對大自然的戀慕之情，受傷心靈的庇護所，喧囂世界外的美善之地，是他創作內在心靈空間的構築支柱。葉脈網絡，猶如外在現實世界，社會的形象縮影，也象徵人與人之間錯綜複雜的連結關係。
花，象徵生命的最璀燦的時刻，同時亦是衰亡的開始。人生貴即時，無花空折枝也是枉然。畫作上繪出朵朵連綴成行的小小落花，或是特寫細描綻放的花瓣，都是畫家賣力地讚頌人生旅途每個精彩段落，叮嚀世人要珍惜當下。
鳥，是喚醒幼時美好記憶的象徵，與之對應的是成長的無奈，美好的逝去。
蝴蝶，稍縱即逝的美，短暫的生命。
河馬，是畫家自己的替身，表示他存在畫中的見證。
上述幾種形象都具有生命既美麗又短暫的主要涵義，所以在「華裝舞會」創作中的出現便旨在強調：生命從出生開始隨著時間每分每秒的流動，轉瞬間已消亡殆盡！要珍惜生命的得之不易，要完全的活著，努力活在當下，精彩而美麗。
The forest often appears in recent paintings of the artist. For the artist, the forest has significant meaning, representing the mountain forests of his childhood and his love for nature. The forest is a refuge for wounded hearts, a haven from the bustling world, the core of his inner world. The leaf veins are like the outer world, a miniature representation of society, and a metaphor of the complex relationships between people.
Flowers represent the most glamorous stages of life and the beginning of decline at the same time. We should all cherish the present, and avoid regretting missed beauties and happiness. The small flowers and detailed depictions of petals are the artist’s praise on the exciting moments in the different stages of life, reminding us to cherish the moment.
Birds symbol the awakening of childhood memories, as opposed to the sense of helplessness of adulthood and the fading of beauty.
Butterflies are fleeting forms of glamour and life.
The hippopotamus is the artist himself, a witness to his works.
The symbols mentioned above all represent the beauty and transience of life. The series of Le Bal Costume emphasizes the concept the fluidity of life since the moment of birth and the imminence of death. Cherish life and live to the fullest; treasure each moment and live your best self.
畫家此次不同以往的嚐試，將自己放入畫面中，侃侃地訴說著生命前所未有的感觸… 但這並非如照相寫真般的自我記實，因為直接面對、近距離接觸始終不是他自創作以來所喜好的表現視角。冷眼旁觀、保持適當距離，才是他看待主題的作法。然而，促成畫作開始展現自我存在的原因是什麼？竟讓他的「改變」是如此地自然而然？那是一股暖流從內心底層逐漸滿溢出來，心境的轉換讓創作的思維不同了，讓自己願意像個孩子般地在花、鳥、動物的形象間遊戲奔走，在畫中時而徜徉於密林、樹稍間，時而佇立在葉脈網紋上，或在表面突起猶如沙丘的背景上攀爬登高… 對於不惑之年的畫家來說，這樣的創作方式讓人驚艷、好奇，而造就改變的原因即是：新生命的到來。
The painter experimented with new methods and included himself in the works as he expresses his thoughts on life. However, these works are not realistic documentations of the self, since direct and close-range methods have never been a preference of the artist. Instead, the artist chooses a cool and distant perspective. What is the reason for the artist’s decision to include himself in such a natural way? The origin of this is a stream of warmth rising from the depth of the heart, transforming the mindset and allowing the artist to change into flowers, birds, and animals, roaming freely between the trees, on the vines of leaves, or on top of dunes, which is surprising and interesting for an artist in his forties. The reason for this transformation is the arrival of new life.
迎新生 Welcoming New Life
作新初為人父，有種讓人無法形容的喜悅從內心而來。新生的來到，柔化了過去始終帶著疏離、冷漠的觀點看待世界，從理性自我探索虛、實空間的交界中走出，迎向光亮充滿慈愛的國度。現在的每一刻，都會是更加充實地生活著，對未來的希望，已非昨日僅只是自我的期許，而是多添了父親無止盡的祝福。
這是一場別開生面的「華裝舞會」，作新穿戴花朵、或遍飾著鳥羽、或披掛獸毛，手舞之足蹈之，以喜悅之心迎接慶賀新生兒的降臨人世！
The heart of a new father is filled with ineffable joy. The arrival of life softens all previous distant and cold attitudes towards the world, guiding one from rational self-discovery and the blurry state between reality and illusion towards a land filled with light and love. From now on, each moment is filled with meaning, and the future is filled with hope. Life is no longer occupied with expectations of the self but added with a father’s blessing.
This is a costume ball that is never seen before. With flowers, bird feathers, or animal fur as adornments, dance and welcome the arrival of new life with a joyful heart!
