Nothing Less, Nothing More 简单就有极致的美

November 30, 2020 2020年11月30日

We were first introduced to the work of Korean illustrator and motion designer Minji Moon via her series, 30 Under 30, which featured portraits of different 30-year-old professionals across China. Whether it be doctors, veterinarians, or engineers, vocations of all varieties were equally celebrated in the project, portrayed as androgynous characters in vivid colors and eye-catching patterns. Despite Moon’s bold palettes, there’s an elegant simplicity to her work that feels remarkably original.


初次关注韩国插画和动态图形设计师 Minji Moon,是源于她的系列作品《三十而立》。歌手、医生、猫奴、程序员……她描绘了人们各种各样的身份角色,却用大胆跳跃的颜色消解了传统意义上的人种、性别和肤色。用极简的手法描绘肖像人物,是 Minji 作品中最大的特征。

The creative cornerstone of Moon’s art revolves around a singular question: “What can I remove to simplify the work?” With this philosophy, her artworks are concise. Designed to convey a certain mood or message with the bare minimum, every element that remains in frame serves a purpose. Whether it be a stethoscope, a pair of earrings, or a line of code flashing on a computer screen—her deliberate placements look to deliver the necessary information in a succinct yet playful way.


Minji 独特的风格,来自于她时常扪心自问的问题:“还有没有什么东西要删掉?还能不能更简单?”因而在她的插画里不存在繁复的细节,但每一个代表性的物件都缺一不可,比如医护人员脖子上的听诊器、绕在天鹅脖子上的保暖围巾。Minji 的叙述语言简洁明了,试图邀请观看者以最简单快速的方式直接进入到她画中世界。

Moon’s use of colors is another distinctive aspect of her work. Her color pairings are often unexpected, but she makes them work. Color experiments are nothing new to her though; they can be traced back to her childhood, where she often spent entire afternoons hunched over a coloring book with a set of crayons. Playing around with how colors can be mixed and matched never failed to bring a smile to her face. This early love of color is what led Moon into the art world where she’s now brought to life a range of characters painted in greens, magentas, cyans, and more. “It gives them a fresh look that’s different from real life,” Moon explains of her approach. “The sense of unfamiliarity also allows audiences the freedom to interpret who the person is for themselves.”


而另一个在她作品中异常重要的元素:色彩,则是 Minji 有意用实验性的方式来打破一般物体应该有的颜色的刻板印象。

对从小就喜欢和颜色玩游戏的 Minji 来说,端看不同颜色在不同组合下展现出参差而缤纷的层次,是件异常快乐的事情。而这种激情随之引导着她步入插画艺术这一领域,并一路走来成为了插画师。

在她的好几件作品中,绿色、紫色、蓝色,都可以作为她笔下人物的皮肤颜色。“它给人带来了我们在现实生活中不常见的新鲜感,也带来了多样性,让观众可以自由地诠释这个人物是谁。”她如是说。

With her affinity for peculiar colors and shapes, it’s clear that realism isn’t a top priority for Moon. But at the same time, she has no interest in making art that can’t be easily understood. “If you’re about to paint an apple, painting it with full fidelity isn’t difficult if you’re practicing enough,” she says. “But to me, turning the apple into something simpler by removing unnecessary elements while retaining its essence as an apple is much more creatively challenging. In this regard, I believe simplicity is the ultimate form of beauty.”


简化的形状加之鲜艳的色彩,是 Minji 深受吸引且努力追寻的风格。但她并不想让画面简化得太抽象,“比方说,有一个苹果,你要画它。把苹果画得和你眼睛看到的一样准确,只要你练习得足够多,就很容易实现。但要把苹果画得简单,就需要创造性地去掉你所看到的不必要的东西,但又要保持苹果的概念。”Minji 表示,“我有这样的信念,简单就有极致的美。”

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Website: minjimoon.com
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Contributor: Chen Yuan


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网站: minjimoon.com
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供稿人: Chen Yuan

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Creatures of Avarice “裹上糖衣的苦药更易下咽”

November 27, 2020 2020年11月27日

A bitter pill can be more easily swallowed when it‘s coated with candy; it’s a philosophy that Shafiq Nordin is well aware of. The Malaysian artist broaches difficult topics with colorful paintings featuring comical, albeit unsightly, monsters portrayed with exposed muscle tissue, visible intestines, and bulging eyes. These creatures—coupled with fast-food references and nods to contemporary fashion—have become a way for him to talk about issues that range from quarantine to the commodification of art.


裹上糖衣的苦药更易下咽。马来西亚艺术家 Shafiq Nordin 很清楚这个道理,因为他尤其擅长用鲜艳的色彩和滑稽的角色来探讨复杂的话题。他的绘画作品充满了各种奇特的怪物,这些怪物坦露着肌肉组织和内脏,长着凸出的眼珠,中间还糅合了各种快餐文化和现代时尚元素。Shafiq 借助这些元素,在作品中探讨着各种各样的话题,包括疫情下人们隔离的生活以及艺术商业化问题等等。

In one painting, Godzilla tramples around with a neck ruffle and a pair of Nike sneakers on wooden legs. Elsewhere on its body, similar wooden limbs protrude every which way. One appendage—seemingly growing out of his intestines—holds up a sign that reads, “It’s not art until it’s red dot.” The red-dot sticker, which signifies a sold piece of art, displays the artist’s worries about art’s commercialization. It’s a constant concern across his art. “It’s like you enter this system where artists are expected to just go with the flow,” Nordin says. “We’re simply fulfilling orders from certain groups of people. It makes me feel used.”


在其中一幅作品中,一只哥斯拉脖子上戴着百褶领,木脚上踩着一双耐克运动鞋,正四处游走。木制四肢从它身体其他部位伸出来,其中一只像是从内脏长出来一样,举着一个牌子,上面写着:“贴上‘已售’红点,才称得上是艺术。”(It’s not art until it’s red dot.)红点贴纸是指已售出的艺术品,以此暗含他对艺术商业化问题的担忧。这种担忧贯穿了他的所有艺术作品。Shafiq 说:“整个社会像是在要求艺术家们随波逐流。我们仿佛只是在执行别人下达的命令。这让我感觉自己就像是一个工具人一样。”

Nordin regularly touches on the need to stay afloat in the art world. In many paintings, his characters stand in boxes of water, which he says represent fragility. “It’s a soft reminder that we don’t always stay on top,” he says. “We can drown at any time if we get too comfortable.” Less subtle symbols, such as dollar signs, are also frequently plastered throughout his work.


Shafiq 经常探讨在行业生存的问题。在他的许多作品中,他笔下的角色站在水箱上,以此象征脆弱。他指出:“这其实是在提醒人们,我们不可能永远保持领先地位。如果太得意忘形,也可能随时被淹死。”此外,他的作品中还会用到其他更明显的象征元素,譬如美元的货币符号。

Despite his unease with the business of art, Nordin is also realistic about navigating the industry. “In order to make my dreams come true, I’ll endure it all and maintain a consistent quality in my work.” Often he leverages pop and street culture as a way of making art that resonates with a broader audience. “Brand collaborations between artists and the fashion world open up entirely new venues, and I’m fully embracing that strategy,” he says. “Art enthusiasts can enjoy a piece of artwork outside of the gallery and people who can’t afford an expensive piece of art can buy merch at an affordable price.” Apparel like Vans and Louis Vuitton patterns can often be found scattered throughout his monster portraits.


尽管艺术商业化令他感到不安,但 Shafiq 对于世界的看法很现实。“要实现我的梦想,我愿意忍受这一切,并努力保持作品质量。”他喜欢用流行文化和街头文化元素来创作,吸引更广泛的观众。他说:“艺术家与时装品牌之间的合作开辟了新的可能,我非常赞同这种合作。艺术爱好者可以在画廊之外欣赏艺术品,买不起昂贵艺术品的人们也可以选择价格更实惠的商品。”在他充满怪物的画作中也经常能看到 Vans 和 LV 这类时尚品牌的标志元素。

As Nordin has gained more notoriety he’s also started more explicitly making statement pieces. “I was a bit too cautious when I was still considered a ‘freshie,’ but my recent works have been more open about sharing a message.” In one of these newer paintings, he tackles the topic of misinformation, expressing frustration with the media and stay-at-home orders during the pandemic. A genie floating on a cloud of toxic smoke has a head that’s partially an outdated camera and newspapers protrude from its belly with a headline that reads, “FAKE NEWS.” Intestines featuring the word “PANIC” are wrapped sound the fumes while a gas mask is hung nearby and a bottle of hand sanitizer leaks in its hand. It’s unclear who’s at fault here, but things have clearly gone awry. 


随着自己的知名度越来越高,Shafiq 开始更大胆地在作品中表达自己的态度。“当我还只是一个‘新人’时,我画画时会比较谨慎;但我最近会更敢于表达自己的理念。”在近期一幅作品中,他探讨了关于假新闻的问题,表达了他在疫情期间对媒体的失望,以及居家隔离这种措施带来的沮丧感。在这幅画中,一只怪物漂浮在一团毒烟上,它的头部由一部旧式相机组成,报纸从它的肚子里伸出来,上面赫然写着“FAKE NEWS”(假新闻)几个字。它的肠子缠绕着烟雾,并组成了“PANIC”(恐慌)的字样,而旁边则挂着一个防毒面具,手中还拿着一瓶洗手液。虽然这幅画没有说明过错在哪一方,但毋庸置疑,人们正面临困境。

Nordin still refuses to take himself too seriously. In fact, he thinks no artist should. “What’s symbolic to an artist might only have an effect on their art scene,” he says. “We call this jaguh kampung, someone who feels they’re a hero but in reality, it’s only true on their home turf.” 

Regardless of whether a viewer agrees or can relate with the deeper meanings behind Nordin’s work, they can still appreciate it on a surface level. It’s vibrant and eye-catching, allowing audiences to get lost in the detailed layers. “Sure, there’s heavy content, but the first thing you notice is the eye candy!” he grins. “Even if you do follow my narrative, it’s still pretty sarcastic.”


Shafiq 并不觉得自己有多了不起,事实上,他认为所有艺术家都不应该这样想。他说:“对一个艺术家来说,那些充满象征意义的符号或许只在艺术圈子里有意义。这就是我们所说的’jaguh kampung’,指的是一些自诩了不起的人,但他们其实不过是在自己的专业领域做得还行而已。

无论观众是否认同 Shafiq 作品背后的深层含义,仍然可以欣赏他的画作。充满活力的色彩,令人眼前一亮,同时也不失幽默;丰富复杂的细节引人入胜。“虽然这些画讨论的是一些沉重的话题,但观众首先注意到的是有趣的视觉画面。”他狡黠一笑,“即使你跟上了我的叙事风格,那依然相当讽刺。”

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Instagram: @shafiq.nordin

 

Contributor: Mike Steyels
Chinese Translation: Olivia Li


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Instagram: @shafiq.nordin

 

供稿人: Mike Steyels
英译中: Olivia Li

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⚠️ Typhoon Vamco ⚠️ 强台风来袭!

November 24, 2020 2020年11月24日
Photographer Jilson Tiu is selling prints on Alternative Help, which sells art prints with all benefits going towards local relief operations. 摄影师: Jilson Tiu

After being slammed by a major storm the week before the last, the Philippines is still reeling from the aftermath. Typhoon Vamco (called Ulysses in the Philippines) left over 70 people dead and forced 300,000 people to evacuate. The health department is on alert for a post-typhoon outbreak of diseases. The spread of COVID-19 is also a major concern. There’s additionally been about $210 million in infrastructure and agriculture damage.

The storm made direct landfall over Metro Manila, wreaking heavy destruction in Marikina, a city on its east side. Helicopter footage showed an uninterrupted stretch of inundated homes across 90 seconds of flight. According to the mayor, 40,000 houses in the city had been submerged, and they’re still buried in knee-deep mud. Overall it cost Marikina around $620 million.


遭遇超强台风“环高”(Ulysses)的猛烈袭击后,菲律宾至今尚未恢复过来。这次台风过境,造成了当地 70 多人死亡,30 万人流离失所。当地卫生部门正警惕台风过后可能出现的疾病暴发,新冠病毒的传播也令人担忧。这次台风对当地基础设施和农业造成高达 2.1 亿美元的损失。

这场台风直接登陆马尼拉大都会,严重摧毁其东侧城市马里基纳。一段直升机录像显示,在长达 90 秒钟的飞行拍摄中,被淹没房屋连绵不断。当地市长称,该市有 40,000 间房屋被淹没,至今仍埋在膝盖深的泥土中。这场台风中,马里基纳的损失共计约 6.2 亿美元。

Photographer: Jilson Tiu 摄影师: Jilson Tiu
Photographer: Jilson Tiu 摄影师: Jilson Tiu

Marx Fidel drew a comic strip about the experience of being stranded on a roof surrounded by floodwaters in the dark of night. It ends on a dark note, with the final frame based on actual messages sent during the disaster that reads: “It’s already so dark in here. Our neighbors are gone, and I’ve seen floating bodies around. My battery is almost gone too. If this is my last message to you, please always be safe.”


Marx Fidel 画了一幅连环画,讲述在漆黑的夜晚,人们被困于屋顶上,四周被洪水包围的经历。连环画最后有一段文字,来自台风期间发送的一则真实短信,内容为:“四周黑暗一片。邻居都走光了,浮尸遍地。我的手机也快没电了。如果这条短信不幸成为你我最后的通讯,记得好好保重自己。”

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Neighboring provinces were also hit, especially in Rizal, just east of Marikina, where destruction was nearly just as bad. Cagayan Valley, a region at the northern peak of the country, was also hit especially hard after the local dam opened its spill gates at the height of the storm—despite early warnings—releasing a massive deluge of water into the area. More than 11,000 families were evacuated. The region is also one of the country’s main sources of rice.

Guri Guri, also known as baka, created the below illustrated action item list of how to help out. It’s mainly written in Tagalog but the artwork is universal. He designed it in cooperation with Kwago, a non-profit publishing house.


邻近的省份也深受打击,特别是在马里基纳以东的黎刹(Rizal),那里遭受的破坏同样严重。位于菲律宾北部的卡加延河谷(Cagayan Valley),尽管当地早有预警,但由于大坝在台风最猛烈的时候打开了泄洪闸门,输入大量洪水,对当地造成严重打击,超过 11,000 个家庭被疏散。而当地还是菲律宾主要的大米生产地之一。

Guri Guri(又名 baka)创作了系列插画,列出人们可以向外求援的方式。这是他与非营利性出版社 Kwago 合作设计的。虽然清单是用他加禄语写,但艺术无分国界。

Because of the climate crisis, typhoons are stronger and more frequent now. Although the Philippines has one of the world’s lowest rates of carbon emissions per capita, it’s been hit by the three worst storms in Earth’s recorded history.

This was the fourth storm of the month in The Philippines, and just a week earlier, the capital city was narrowly missed by Typhoon Rolly (locally known as Goni), which was regarded as the most powerful storm of 2020. Although Metro Manila was relatively unscathed by Rolly, other parts of the country were still recovering when Vamco hit, and the soil was still saturated so it couldn’t absorb rainwater. Global heating is undeniable, but issues like waste clogged rivers, mining, and deforestation have further exacerbated the flooding.


由于气候危机,现在的台风变得越来越强烈,也越来越频繁。虽然菲律宾的人均碳排放量是世界上最低的国家之一,但却遭受了地球上有记录以来的三场最严重风暴的袭击。

这已经是菲律宾本月遭受的第四次台风,就在一周前,首都马尼拉才避过了超强台风天鹅(Goni)的袭击。这场台风是 2020 年全球最强烈的台风。尽管马尼拉大都会区逃过一劫,但当台风“环高”袭击时,其他地区仍在恢复中,当地土壤仍处于饱和状态,已经无法吸收更多的雨水。除了全球变暖,被垃圾堵塞的河流、采矿和森林砍伐等问题也进一步加剧了洪水泛滥。

Mikaella Joaquin created this Resiliency / Accountability graphic design to discuss the common complaint that Filipinos are often lauded as resilient people but that their leaders are too infrequently held accountable. Mikaella Joaquin 创作了这幅《韧性/责任感》作品,旨在探讨一个由来已久的问题:即人们常称赞菲律宾人富有韧性,却很少追究当地政府领导人的责任。
Novice Magazine is selling a number of artworks, including this one by Tin Javier. Novice Magazine正在出售多幅艺术作品,包括 Tin Javier的这幅作品。

Before Vamco was even over, local creatives sprung into action. The Filipino artist community, particularly the illustration and design communities, mobilize quickly around causes, using their popularity and skills to help out, and this time it was no different. They used their social media to share disaster hotlines, listing places to send donations, and spreading word of people in need of rescue (who were sometimes stranded on their roofs for 13 hours). To raise funds for victims, a number of artists have been selling paintings and prints, or offering commissions in exchange for donations. Others have been creating work that deals directly with the issues at hand as a means of sparking discussion around government response. This article collects some of our favorites. Please consider purchasing from one of these creatives, or even donating to a cause directly!


台风“环高”尚未结束时,当地创意人士就已经行动起来,利用他们的社交媒体影响力,分享灾难求助热线和捐赠地点,传播需要救援的人们的消息,这些人有的已经被困在屋顶上长达 13 个小时。一直以来,艺术家社区,尤其是插图和设计社区,总是运用他们的影响力和才能来支持各种运动,这次也同样如此。为了给受害者筹集资金,众多艺术家纷纷出售自己的绘画作品,或者提供慈善绘画活动,以换取捐款。还有的艺术家通过自己的创作,讲述当下的社会问题,引发人们的关注和讨论。我们收集了其中一些优秀的作品,欢迎大家踊跃购买,或直接提供捐赠

Artifact Studios is selling risograph-printed postcards designed by Liam Andrew Cura to support Bad Student, a local risograph studio that was flooded in the storm. Artifact Studios 正在 出售 Liam Andrew Cura 设计的 Risograph(孔版印刷)明信片,以支持当地在台风中被洪水淹没的孔版印刷工作室 Bad Student
Bastinoud is accepting commissions in exchange for donations. You can get an illustrated version of yourself, pet, or family member. Bastinoud 提供慈善绘画,以换取捐款。你可以选择画自己、宠物或家人的肖像画。
Abby Banugon is selling her abstract painting Daloy, which she says is an interpretation of the storm itself. Abby Banugon 出售的是她的一幅抽象绘画《Daloy》,画中描画了这场超强台风。
Jo Malinis is selling a font with a design that’s based around the idea of a life vest. Jo Malinis出售的是他以救生衣为灵感设计的字体。
Kurt Lucas, better known as Kurboi, is selling a coloring book. This illustration isn't in it, but we dig it. Kurt Lucas(又名 Kurboi)正在出售一本涂色书。以上是一张他的出色插图作品,但未收录在这本涂色书中。

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Contributor: Mike Steyels
Chinese Translation: Olivia Li


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供稿人: Mike Steyels
英译中: Olivia Li

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Sounds of the Y2K 高嘉丰谁人?

November 23, 2020 2020年11月23日

​​Tucked away under a noisy overpass in Shanghai is Yuyintang, one of the city’s best-known livehouses, and it’s where we met up with musician Gao Jiafeng on his latest tour. His live shows are unlike other musical acts, with parts of his performance dedicated to stand-up comedy and reciting poems. Instead of a VJ, he uses a Keynote presentation as stage visuals. At one point in the show, he even receives a mini bouquet of vegetables onstage as a gift from his fans. There’s an effortless playfulness to both his music and live performances that feels immensely refreshing. 


隐藏在上海嘈杂立交桥下的小角落下的“育音堂”,是这座城市最著名的 livehouse 之一,而我们也在这里见到了音乐人高嘉丰的最新巡演。他的现场演出与其他音乐人不同,一部分表演专门用于脱口秀和朗诵诗词。他没有用 VJ,而是用 Keynote 演示作为舞台视觉效果。在演出中,他甚至有一次在舞台上收到了粉丝送的一束迷你蔬菜。他的音乐和现场表演都有一种毫不费力的俏皮感,让人感觉非常新鲜。

​​Throughout the years, Gao has experimented with a wide variety of genres: noise music, jazz, classical, hip-hop, not to mention pop and electronic music. The expansive range of influences and sounds makes his body of work particularly hard to define. “I don’t want to be tied down by the idea of genres,” he says. “I just want to make music and I feel that ‘genres’ are something that I can use and pull inspiration from. . . I’ve learned that it’s important to embrace things that are new and different and I’ve come to embrace all kinds of genres of music.”

 

Listen to selects track from the album Emotional Dance Music below:


多年来,高嘉丰尝试了多种类型的音乐:噪音、爵士、古典、嘻哈,流行音乐和电子音乐更是手到擒来。这些广泛的影响和声音使得他的作品体系特别难以定义。“我不想被流派的概念所束缚,”他说,“我只是想做音乐,我觉得‘流派’是我可以使用和汲取灵感的东西……我了解到,拥抱新兴内容和不同的东西是很重要的,我已经开始接纳各种类型的音乐。”

 

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It’s a philosophy that Gao clearly demonstrates throughout Emotional Dance Music, an album that sees the talented artist tapping into disparate influences, with the most prominent being the early 2000’s electro & Japanese pop sounds, which are underlined by Eurobeat rhythms that harken back to the videogames of that era, such as Dance Dance Revolution. Not limited to only the sound design of the album, the video-game thematics also extends to the album art, lyrical content, and even a DDR-like dance game that can be purchased on his website. Together, the LP feels like the sonic equivalent of Wreck-It Ralph.


在《Emotional Dance》中,高嘉丰清晰地展现了不同流派的风格影响,最突出的是 2000 年早期的电音和日本流行音乐,而欧洲节拍(Eurobeat)的节奏则让人联想到那个时代的电子游戏,比如《劲舞革命》。不仅仅是专辑的声音设计,电子游戏的主题也延伸到专辑的艺术、歌词内容,甚至可以在他的网站上购买类似《劲舞革命》那样的舞蹈游戏。所以听这张 LP 的感觉,犹如步入《无敌破坏王》里的卡通世界一样。

The LP is Gao’s contemporary take on the sounds of the Y2K era, yet its jubilant and hurried melodies can be deceptive. As the album name suggests, Gao looks to convey different emotions with this project, with melancholy as one that sits at the forefront. “My past work was more flamboyant and gimmicky,” he notes. “But with my more recent work, I wanted to create music that was more personal, music that people could connect with.” He says he was inspired by music that uses “fake and cheesy pop sounds in an intentional way, like someone made it sounds like that on purpose for some reason… Stuff built of cliches… Beautiful, trashy cliches. Compared to [other artists], I tend to different grab cliches of a different time, like the 80s, 90s, 2000s and from a different context, to make a different end product.”


这张专辑是高嘉丰对千禧时代声音的当代演绎,那些欢快而匆忙的旋律,却显得极具欺骗性。正如专辑名字所暗示的那样,高嘉丰希望通过这个项目传达不同的情绪,而忧郁在其中位列前茅。“我以前的音乐比较张扬一点,比较有噱头一点, 然后近期的音乐会做一些比较内心的东西吧。”他说,他的灵感来自于那些“造假的、俗气的流行音效,就像有人出于某种原因故意让它听起来像那样……这些建立在‘陈腔滥调’上的东西,美丽、廉价而老套。与其他艺术家相比,我倾向于不同的抓取不同时代的老套内容,比如 80 年代、90 年代、00 年代都有,从不同的背景下,做出不同的最终产品。”

Throughout the album’s 10 tracks, Gao explores how technology has made our relationships surface level, contradictory, and ultimately complicated. The album takes the listener on a journey through Gao’s relationship with a romantic partner. It begins with elation, but as their relationship becomes more convoluted, the story takes a depressing turn. In “Everyday With You”, Gao proclaims that love is ultimately a game with no clear prize, a sad reality in today’s world. It’s a sharp contrast with “Facetime Love,” a song where their affection peaks before the eventual decline. As the LP progresses, Gao dives deeper into his meditations on heartbreak and inner conflict as well as the superficiality of love today.


在整张专辑的 10 首歌曲中,高嘉丰探讨了科技如何让我们的关系变得流于表面且矛盾重重,最终变得复杂不已。这张专辑带着听众踏上了高嘉丰与他伴侣的浪漫关系之旅。一开始是欣喜若狂,但随着他们的关系变得越来越复杂,故事的走向也越来越压抑。在《和你的每一天》中,高嘉丰宣称爱情终究是一场没有明确奖品的游戏,这是当今世界的悲哀。这与《Facetime Love》形成了鲜明的对比,在这首歌中,他们的感情先达到顶峰,再最终走向衰落。随着 LP 的进展,高嘉丰更深入地思考了心碎和内心的冲突,以及当今时代爱情的肤浅。

For Gao, it’s been a long journey to his debut album. Throughout his career, he’s experimented with music from every possible angle, from studying classical and modern composers to auditioning for the reality TV show The Rap of China. He’s also faced his share of controversy, whether it’s from Taiwanese pop star Yoga Lin performing one of his songs at a festival without Gao’s permission to criticism of Gao buying lyrics from Taobao.


对于高嘉丰来说,他的首张专辑诞生之途可谓漫漫。他在职业生涯中会从各种可能的角度尝试音乐,从学习古典和现代作曲,到参加真人秀节目《中国新说唱》的试音。他也面临着不少争议,比如台湾流行歌手林宥嘉未经允许在音乐节上演唱他的一首歌曲,以及不少人抨击他从淘宝购买歌词的行为。

Through it all, Gao has managed to carry himself with a carefree and fearless spirit, which perhaps is his greatest asset, one that’s allowed him to experiment at the intersection of so many genres and enabled him and his newest album to truly exist in a lane of his own.


一路走来,高嘉丰都是带着无忧无虑的精神去面对一切,这也许是他最大的财富,让他能够在众多风格的交叉点上进行尝试,且最终能够坚守在自己风格的道路上愈走愈远。

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Contributor: Jesse Chow
Photographer: Mathieu Rabary
Chinese Translation: Olivia Li


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供稿人: Jesse Chow
摄影师: Mathieu Rabary
英译中: Olivia Li

Orbs of Waste 球球了,别消费了

November 20, 2020 2020年11月20日

Behemothian orbs hovering above landfills are more than a recurrent sight in the works of Japanese artist Masakatsu Sashie; they’re the singular subject matter of his art. Since 1996, he has shown these mysterious spheres in countless paintings and sculptures. Its symbolism, however, remains the same, rooted in concepts of havoc and time. “The orbs represent humanity—they represent us,” he says.


悬浮于垃圾填埋场上空的巨型球体是日本艺术家 Masakatsu Sashie(指江昌克)作品中最常见的元素;更准确地说,这是他的艺术作品唯一的主题。从 1996 年以来,他在无数幅绘画和雕塑作品中展示了各式各样的神秘球体,其象征意义也始终如一,讲述地球浩劫与时间变迁的概念。“这些球体代表着人类——也就是我们自己。”他解释道。

The large three-dimensional globes dominate his paintings, an intrusive object that feels utterly out of place. They’re assemblages of man-made components, such as televisions, vending machines, and advertising signs, elements that appear old and unsightly, unwanted trash that belong in landfills absorbed by some sort of otherworldly energy to form the orb.


巨型的三维球体占据大部分的画面,像是贸然闯入的异次元物体,有种格格不入的感觉。这些球体由各种破旧的人造零部件组成,如电视机、自动售货机和广告招牌,仿佛是垃圾填埋场的废物被某种奇异的力量吸聚在一起,从而形成这个巨型的球体。

In the background, under polluted skies, a gloomy Tokyo skyline is often present, recognizable by iconic landmarks such as the Tokyo Tower and the Sky Tree. There’s a conspicuous absence of natural elements in his paintings. Not even Mount Fuji, commonly seen in depictions of Tokyo’s skyline, makes an appearance.


画面的背景通常是灰暗的天空与东京城市天际线,可以看到东京的地标建筑,如东京塔和天空树。在他的绘画中完全没有一点自然的元素,甚至也看不到东京标志性的富士山的踪影。

Only in rare instances are organic life forms shown in his works, such as a lone mouse gazing up at the ominous globe hovering overhead. Still, there’s a constant allusion to human existence just outside of the frame—the rubbish and debris of his work, seemingly a critique of modern consumption habits and wasteful practices.


只有在极少数情况下,才会在他的作品中看到生命体,譬如一只老鼠正在眺望悬浮球体。尽管如此,你仍能从他的画面中,看到对于人类的暗示——各种垃圾和废墟,似乎是在批判现代社会的消费习惯和铺张浪费。

The concept of time is another prevalent theme in Sashie’s art. “The landfills are full of man-made objects, representing the accumulation of time,” he says. The notion of time is also expressed by the juxtaposition between dated objects, alluding to the past and the city’s modern skyline, indicating the present, while the post-apocalyptic settings seem to be his prophecies of the future.


时间概念是 Masakatsu 作品的另一个常见主题。“垃圾填埋场里充斥着各种人造物品,寓意着时间的累积。”他说道。此外,过时的物体与现代化的城市天际线并列在一起,暗指过去与现在,而世界末日般的环境仿佛是他对于人类未来的预言。

Sashie often includes logos of Japanese and American corporations in his paintings. Notably, in one of his few pictures without an orb, Sashie depicts a fleet of warships that—similar to his planet-like orbs—mash together familiar signs and structures, but instead of trash, American fast-food chains, such as McDonald’s and Starbucks, have been melded together. The fleet maneuvers through a sea of waste, flying the flag of global consumerism, as if on its way to conquer other lands.


Masakatsu 经常在画中描绘一些日本和美国企业的标志。值得注意的是,在他为数不多没有球体的作品中,Masakatsu 描绘了一支战舰队伍,将各种人们熟悉的品牌标志和招牌糅合在一起,包括美国快餐连锁品牌,如麦当劳和星巴克。这支舰队带着全球消费主义的旗帜,飞过一片垃圾的海洋,仿佛正要前往征服其他地域。

His musings on humanity and time started in his hometown, Kanazawa. “Kanazawa is like a miniature garden, where the obsolete and the modern coexist,” he says. “Because of its distance from other urban centers, there’s a sense of isolation that allowed me to consider the tide of times.” Sashie was also drawn to the art of bonsai and dioramas from a young age and, today, his art appears as his own miniature world of sorts. “I start my creations by making a story; it’s like creating a world.”

Sashie asserts that his works are impartial, in that they’re neither negative nor positive outlooks. But the paintings speak for themselves, and like crystal balls, his orbs give a glimpse of a possible future, however frightening it may be, warning us of the risks of rampant consumerism and neglectful waste. “I’m glad if my works serve as a clue for the viewer to start thinking about how they see the future,” he says.


他对人性和时间的思考源于他的家乡金泽(Kanazawa)。他说:“金泽就像一个微型花园,一个过去和现代共存的地方。因为远离城市,这种隔离感让我能够好好思考时代的变迁。”此外,Masakatsu 从小就对艺术盆景和立体模型很感兴趣,他的艺术作品仿佛是他自己打造的一个微型世界。“我在创作前会先想好一个故事,就像是在创造一个世界。”

Masakatsu 坚称自己的作品代表中性的立场,对未来的展望既非悲观也不是乐观。但是这些画作的意思不言而喻,就像魔法水晶球一样,他的球体让观众瞥见了一个可怕的未来,警告着人们肆无忌惮的消费主义和铺张浪费所带来的危险。“如果我的作品能让观众开始思考未来,我也挺高兴的。”他说道。

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: @masakatsusashie
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Contributors: Tomas Pinheiro, Lucas Tinoco
Chinese Translation: Olivia Li


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供稿人: Tomas Pinheiro, Lucas Tinoco
英译中: Olivia Li

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Jellied Happiness Q弹一下,饶有姿色

November 18, 2020 2020年11月18日

There’s no shortage of joy in the works of Korean artist Myungsik Jang. In his animations, jello characters strike poses and strut dance moves all for your viewing pleasure. These adorable doofuses—with their glossy skin, gelatinous shape, and an eagerness to jiggle to good music—are almost too good to be true. Those who’ve met Jang’s colorful characters can’t seem to get enough.

The 3-D animated project, Surrealjelly, is a rabbit hole that burrows deep into Jang’s vivid imagination. “I don’t like being controlled by reality,” he says. “And so, I’d like to do everything in my power to make a digital universe that defines beauty as I understand it.”


在任何时候观看韩国艺术家 Myungsik Jang 的作品,都能带来无比舒适的体验。快看!画面中的小人正在镜头前卖弄身姿,它们身体柔软,像是一颗颗会动的糖果,欲要融化在你的视线里 —— 晶莹剔透的质感、可爱的果冻造型、鲜艳的颜色、随音乐鬼畜的身体,这些元素单是听起来就令人捧腹,更会产生一种时不时想翻出来看看的冲动。Myungsik 将这一系列作品取名为《Surrealjelly》(不真实果冻),他希望可以借助 3D 动画形式,通往心中的魔法幻境。他说:“我不喜欢被现实操纵,所以渴望尽全力在自由的数字世界里创造美丽。”

Jang has loved animation since childhood. Stop-motion shows such as Wallace and Gromit and Pingu captivated his imagination. The mischievous characters, quirky narratives, and jerky frames were all part of their enduring charm. Even years later, after graduating with a degree in industrial design and working full-time as a designer at Vogue in Seoul, the itch to create his own animated works never quite subsided. Surrealjelly was born out of this steadfast love.

YouTube was instrumental in helping Jang learn the ropes. The online tutorials he scoured gave him the know-how to begin making animations in his free time. “The digital world offered a lot of possibilities,” he says. “I got tired of the limitations in industrial and commercial designs; in animation, the new workflow and textures of the medium felt reinvigorating.”

After countless trials and errors, Jang settled on the gelatinous characters of his now-signature works. Their jello forms appealed to him because, well, it looked delicious for one. But more importantly, the malleability of gelatin allowed him to mold each character as he saw fit. “Jello is flexible, and there’s room for error if I mess up,” he laughs. “It allows me to shape them in strange and unique ways.”


Myungsik 在童年时期便对动画片产生了浓厚兴趣,尤其像《超级无敌掌门狗和《企鹅家族等类似的粘土动画片,其中顽皮的造型、风趣的叙事方式,以及粘土动画特有的顿挫感,常常勾起他的一心向往。虽然出身于工业设计专业,并投身于韩国时尚杂志《Vogue》设计工作,但动画却是他一直的偏爱。这样的好爱,也让他善于发现生活中有趣的细节,并以一种幽默的方式表现出来。

YouTube 上的动画制作教学视频开始,Myungsik 在工作之余尝试创作属于自己的动画,他说:数字世界给予更多可能。我对工业和商业设计中的约束感到疲倦,而在动画制作里,新颖的材质和轮廓都会令我异常兴奋。在经过一系列尝试之后,Myungsik 选择以类似胶状、果冻的材质作为创作的中心,他认为果冻材质看起来秀色可餐,软糯的造型看起来更不会受到现实条框的限制,他接着说道:果冻材质本身带有一定的灵活性,没必要太过追求精准,但可以设计出足够独特的形状。

Elephants, dogs, giraffes, and even polar bears are all equally likely to appear in jello form in Jang’s works. Dialing up the absurdity, some of these animals are even deliberately designed to look like unfinished 3-D models. And the goofballs that populate his work—a rotating cast of yellow and pink creatures—happily frolic alongside the wildlife in the fairytale universe that Jang has lovingly crafted.


大象、小狗、长颈鹿、北极熊,这些动物以某种奇妙的形态呈现,一些甚至像是半成品,看起来过分滑稽与可爱。还有一些黄色或粉色的小人,它们的造型更加夸张,嘟起的小嘴好像很享受这片幻想的境地。这些小人的造型来自 Myungsik 的手稿,在 3D 渲染的过程中,他刻意让小人的造型看起来不那么具体,希望把更多想象的空间留给观众。

Jang’s works are often based on his most joyous memories. Each fantastical scenarios and the dreamy color palettes beckon viewers to set aside their troubles and get lost in his gelatinous universe. “The jello characters are me, in a way,” he says. “They’re manifestations of my ideals of happiness, speaking for me in these digital realms. I want audiences to meet these characters, share a laugh with them, and maybe even dance alongside them.”


Surrealjelly》中每一幅作品都有自己的主题,这些主题往往来自 Myungsik 日常生活中关于快乐的体验。结合丰富的场景与暧昧的色调,让观众暂时放下烦恼,去遥想画面里的意境,他说:果冻就是我本人,它们实现了我对于快乐的想象,为我在数字的世界里代言。同时,我也希望观众可以随动画中的角色一起微笑,一起舞蹈。

Surrealjelly is still in its infant days, and Jang plans on building the series out in more ambitious ways. In his most recent endeavors, he’s looking to bring his characters to life with motion-tracked AR, which will make his dreams of seeing people dancing and sharing a laugh with his surreal jello characters that much closer a reality.


对于 Myungsik 来说,《Surrealjelly》的幻想之旅并不仅限于动画,在未来,他还希望自己的作品以 AR 的形式呈现,并制作成镜头滤镜,让这些可爱的角色真正进入到现实生活中。目前,他正尝试将动态追踪的技术运用在这帮小可爱的创作中。

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Contributor: Pete Zhang


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供稿人: Pete Zhang

The Winds of Change 从天而降的垃圾!

November 16, 2020 2020年11月16日

It was raining trash! It fell in slow-mo, adding to the growing heap on the ground. With the stage lighting, it looked almost pretty. This is Synesthesia—a theatrical indictment about a not-so-pretty subject: trash, trash, trash, and how humans and corporations can be so callous and careless about something they started. In a 15- minute-long performance that premiered at Gerak Angin, Malaysia’s first virtual performing-arts festival, which took place from September 16th to October 2nd, viewers were presented with a powerful enactment of a battle between Mother Earth, humans, and corporations.


天降垃圾了!掉落的垃圾就像慢动作一般,渐渐在地上堆积;因为有了舞台灯光的映衬,这个场景竟然还带着一丝美感……这是《Synesthesia》,一个以“垃圾”为主题的戏剧表演,以此控诉人类和一些企业对自己造成的环境问题的漠不关心。这场长达 15 分钟的表演在 9 月 16 日至 10 月 2 日举办的马来西亚首个虚拟表演艺术节 Gerak Angin 上首演,通过震撼人心的表演,向观众展示了地球母亲、人类与企业之间的战斗。

 

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From a broader perspective, what Gerak Angin offered was a look at the ethnic soul of Malaysia from an arts-centric point of view. The Malay phrase gerak angin, literally translates as “move wind.” It originated from the Malaysian state of Kelantan and was aligned with the healing rituals and opening ceremonies of traditional performances like Mak Yong and Main Puteri. It was the term used to describe a musical overture intended to evoke spiritual energy among the musicians, dancers, the space, and the audience.


从更宏大的角度来看,Gerak Angin 通过其艺术表演,向观众演绎了马来西亚的民族灵魂。在马来语中,“gerak angin”意为“移动风”,起源于马来西亚吉兰丹州,指的是一些治疗仪式和玛蓉舞(Mak Yong)、Main Puteri 等传统表演中的音乐序曲,据称这种音乐可以唤醒音乐家、舞者、空间和听众的精神能量。

Things happened very fast for Sabera Shaik of Masakini Theatre Company and Vivek Menon of Surprise Ventures when they came up with the idea of a virtual arts festival. The two got together with Ramli Ibrahim of the Sutra Foundation to present a proposal to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture (MOTAC), which secured the funding they needed for performers and videographers. By August 2020, production began with the challenging deadline of an online premiere on Malaysia Day, September 16.


来自 Masakini Theatre 剧院公司的 Sabera Shaik,和 Surprise Ventures 的 Vivek Menon 从一开始有了举办虚拟艺术节的想法后,很快就将其付诸行动。他们找来 Sutra 基金会的 Ramli Ibrahim,一起向旅游、艺术和文化部(MOTAC)提出了这个想法,最终获得了邀请表演者和摄像师所需的资金。从 2020 年 8 月起开始制作,他们迎来的首个挑战就是要在马来西亚日(9 月 16 日)前完成,并于线上首映。

Viewers from Malaysia and around the world caught a diverse range of performances, including Chinese (Chinese Dance Odyssey) and Indian dance (Sangraha – A Tapestry of Bharatanatyam) steeped in the traditions of the respective country but given their own unique Malaysian flourishes; a music and dance performance by Sape musician Alena Murang and the Mupun Tauh Dance Troupe took viewers to the Kelabit highlands where Sabah and Sarawak are located, and where more than 50 different ethnic groups originate from.


这个艺术节为马来西亚和世界各地的观众呈献了丰富多样的表演,包括中国舞(《Chinese Dance Odyssey》)和印度舞(《Sangraha – A Tapestry of Bharatanatyam》),这些表演既别具各国的传统特色,又融入了独特的马来西亚元素;沙贝琴音乐家 Alena Murang 和 Mupun Tauh 舞蹈团的音乐和舞蹈表演带领观众领略了加拉毕高地风情,这里是沙巴州和砂拉越州所在地,生活着 50 多个不同的民族。

There was a reimagining of the children’s story Sang Kancil (How Beruang Lost his Tail). In another performance, giant drums and drummers with practiced choreography (Ju4Ji2) provided a stunning visual treat. And a powerful and poignant Malay drama (Sugeh) was cleverly accompanied by live music. The performers were mainly seasoned professionals from Kuala Lumpur. The performing space was their world, but now there was much to learn, with this move from offline to online


另外还有对童话故事《Sang Kancil:How Beruang Lost His Tail》的改编演绎。在另一场演出中,鼓手带着巨型的鼓和精彩编舞(《Ju4Ji2》),为观众带来一场视觉盛宴。另外还有生动有趣的马来语剧本(《Sugeh》)表演和现场音乐。表演者大多数是来自吉隆坡的资深艺术专业人士,对他们而言,舞台是他们熟悉的世界,但如今从线下走到线上,他们还有很多东西要学习。

Neil Nilson Felix, video director of the theatre segment, says, “What video offers is going where no member of an audience can go, with the accepted premise that the performance is still a “staged” performance. Synesthesia was a case in point when we got the camera point-of-view of trash falling from the top.” 


戏剧部视频总监 Neil Nilson Felix 说:“视频录像的优势在于能够为观众提供一个他们无法企及的角度,前提是表演仍然是‘舞台上的演出’。《Synesthesia》就是很好的例子,观众可以从摄像机的角度,看到从天而降的垃圾。”

It took a pandemic with its lockdowns and mandatory regulations to impel the Malaysian government to back a performing arts festival that would not only assist the Malaysian art scene but also establish a platform that would be authentically and organically Malaysian. The fact that two of the organizers were prolific theatre practitioners added to the festival’s credibility. With this precedence, the hope for financial assistance from the private corporations as well may not be that far out of reach.


疫情的爆发和各种随之而来的封锁措施,促使马来西亚政府支持这样的表演艺术节,这不仅能推动马来西亚艺术界的发展,同时还能打造一个展现马来西亚特色的艺术平台。这次艺术节的两名主办者均为经验丰富的戏剧从业者,这无疑令艺术节更令人期待,这也证明了艺术活动要获得私营企业的资助也并非遥不可及的事情。

 

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For Shaik, the artistic director for the theatre segment of the festival, it was a learning experience in many ways. “While working in this cauldron of mixed genre and untested professionals, many stage performers still struggle to translate their works into the blinking red-light of a recording camera,” she notes. “It is important to walk them through what is required because the camera is so unforgiving. This festival, I believe, can help develop a fully fledged arts festival that can give all Malaysian performers their time on the world stage through the eyes of a camera, and in this way, show the world what Malaysia and Malaysians are all about.”


负责戏剧部分的艺术总监 Sabera Shaik 认为,从很多方面来说,这都是一次获益匪浅的经历。她说:“和来自不同领域的人员一起合作时,许多舞台表演者仍在努力学习如何在镜头前呈现自己的作品。在镜头前表演会有更多挑战性,所以重要的是让他们充分了解所有要求。我相信这次的活动可以发展成为一个成熟的艺术节,通过镜头,让所有马来西亚表演者获得一个世界性的舞台,并通过这种方式,向世界展示马来文化和马来人的一切。”

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Contributor: Jennifer Rodrigo
Chinese Translation: Olivia Li
Images Courtesy of S. Magendran


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供稿人: Jennifer Rodrigo
英译中: Olivia Li
图片由 S. Magendran 提供

Good Vibrations 雷鬼树下的繁茂声场

November 13, 2020 2020年11月13日

The history of sound system reggae in the Philippines is closely tied to Red-I, a Marikina-raised DJ and producer promoting the Jamaican vibrations as a mission. He may not have brought the culture to the island nation, but he’s certainly been involved with its growth at nearly every step of the way. And with the release of Word Sound Power In Dub, he’s produced the country’s first dub reggae LP pressed to vinyl.

 

Listen to select tracks below:


行走在菲律宾雷鬼音乐的声场中,Red-I 是一个你绝对绕不开的名字。他是菲律宾马里基纳土生土长的唱片骑师(DJ)和制作人,并一直致力于推广当地的牙买加音乐文化。虽然他并不是菲律宾牙买加音乐第一人,但他的足迹遍布当地雷鬼乐发展的每一个烙印上。他最新发行的专辑《Word Sound Power In Dub》,则被认为是菲律宾第一张回响雷鬼(dub reggae)唱片。

注:雷鬼乐(Reggae),是西印度群岛的一种舞曲,被认为是牙买加的多种舞曲的总称。

点击即可试听:

Reggae has been present in the Philippines since the 70s, when the culture first began making its way around the world from Jamaica, but it’s always been a live-band affair in the Southeast Asian island country. The concept of a DJ playing reggae music over a sound system or artists producing it in the studio has remained stubbornly foreign. It took a while for Red-I, whose given name is Red Lintag, to circle around to it as well. He got his musical start in the late 90s in a rock-rap band. But once he discovered raves, his idea of what music could be changed forever. “There were some great warehouse parties back then, it was pretty wicked,” he recalls. “We’d go to a party and collect flyers on the floor to find the next party and follow the map to get there.”


雷鬼音乐从上世纪七十年代起开始从牙买加传播至世界各地,其中便包括菲律宾。地处东南亚岛国,雷鬼音乐在菲律宾仅作为一种现场的表演形式公示于众。人们似乎难以料想以 DJ、音响系统、电脑制作等形式表演的雷鬼乐是怎样一番景象。对于 Red-I(原名 Red Lintag)来说,他也摸索了相当长一段时间才有了这种想法。Red-I 在 90 年代末曾是一名摇滚乐手,直到接触了锐舞(Rave)音乐,他对音乐的想法彻底发生了转变。他回忆道:“当时有一些很棒的地下仓库派对,非常有意思。去参加派对的人会收集散落在地板上的活动传单,看看下一次派对在哪里,然后跟着地图找到下一场目的地。”

注:锐舞,又称锐舞派对和狂野派对,是八十年代末在美国和欧洲由 Acid House 舞曲兴起的一种派对形式,早期通常在地下俱乐部、废弃仓库和荒郊野外举办。

Raves had a moment in Manila from the mid- to late-90s, with The Consortium parties in particular, which brought famous house and techno DJs from the West, such as Derrick May and Richie Hawtin. But sometimes promoters also booked jungle artists, a style of music started largely by the children of Caribbean immigrants in the U.K., blending chopped-up percussion breaks and electronic sounds with reggae samples and basslines. “I would just stand beside the subwoofer, that’s when I first felt a real sound system,” Red says. “I remember being at a Goldie event and being blown away by the power of the bass. People were going crazy because they didn’t know what to do, how to act.”


九十年代中期到后期,锐舞派对在马尼拉盛行一时,其中 The Consortium 曾是最著名的派对活动,他们经常会邀请来自欧美著名的 House 和 Techno 音乐人,譬如 Derrick May 和 Richie Hawtin。有时主办方也会拉来 Jungle 舞曲艺人(Jungle 起源于英国加勒比移民后代,将切分、零散的打击乐与电音,与雷鬼样本和贝斯相混合)。Red 说:“我站在低音喇叭旁边,那是我第一次亲身见识到真正的声响系统。我记得在英国电子音乐人 Goldie 的演出上,现场低音的声场深深地震撼了我。所有人都疯狂地手舞足蹈起来,甚至不知道该以怎样的舞步来应对这种音乐。”

In the early 2000s, when Red was about 20 years old, he started to make beats with his Playstation, using MTV Music Generator. “It was just for fun but it’s how I first learned to put music together,” he laughs. Despite that early exploration of music production, it was live DJing that provided the biggest lessons for him. “At the time, second-hand vinyl was really cheap because people were just throwing them out. CDs were still new here.” As his interest in music grew, he began practicing turntablism, scratching and juggling records, while also exploring other genres. He also began collecting used music magazines like Urb and Wire at steep discounts by visiting local book fairs. “I became really eclectic, that was my style,” he says. “I loved hip hop, U.K. stuff like dubstep and grime. Filipino disco and funk. I’d play it all. It wasn’t until I got older when I pieced together that a lot of this had roots in reggae.”


千禧年初,二十岁的 Red 开始用 PlayStation 和 MTV Music Generator 上的音乐制作软件进行创作。“一开始只是为了好玩,但那其实是我第一次学习制作音乐。”他笑着说道。尽管很早便开始摸索音乐制作,但现场 DJ 却对他启发最大。“那时候,二手黑胶唱片真的很便宜,因为当时 CD 突然出现,黑胶唱片开始逐渐没落。”随着对音乐的兴趣越来越大,他开始钻研 Scratch、Juggle 等唱盘主义艺术 (Turntablism),并尝试接触更多音乐流派。另外,他还会去当地的书展,低价收集《Urb》、《Wire》等二手音乐类杂志。他说:“我喜欢将不同音乐风格揉捻在一起,不拘一格是我的风格。从 Hip-Hop、Dubstep (回响贝斯)和 Grime(英国车库饶舌),到菲律宾迪斯科和 Funk (放克音乐),我全都喜欢。直到后来,我才发现,这里面很多音乐都源于雷鬼。”

By the mid-2000s, Red was DJing at bars around Manila, playing a range of styles but none of his own music besides the occasional remix or edit. “They were great nights out but it became a problem when I tried to play the heavier stuff,” he says, referring to more aggressive styles with bigger bass. “We could play it once in a while but the manager would always pop up and ask us to play something else.” In order to spin more bass-heavy music, he started the Dubplate parties alongside PJ Martinez, featuring reggae, dubstep, stuff from the L.A. beat scene, and more. “Then one night we got lost while driving the wrong way down a one-way street and passed this truck for sale,” he recalls. “We had extra cash from playing a corporate gig so we bought it and turned it into the Red-I Mobile Sound System.” They began throwing parties, DJing out of the back of the truck and setting up speakers beside it. The bass was so loud once that the vibrations once broke plates inside a nearby restaurant. But there was a lot more space in Manila at the time, so they could just set up in a random parking lot and play (after asking permission, of course).


2005 年左右,Red 在一些马尼拉酒吧里担任 DJ,播放各式各样的音乐。他很少播放自己的音乐,通常是对别人的音乐进行混音或再编辑。他说:“当时氛围是不错的,但当我尝试播放一些低音较快较重的音乐时,反响好像不是特别好。”他接着说道:“偶尔也会试着放一下,但酒吧经理会马上出现,要求我们换成别的音乐。”为了播放这些有着浓重的贝斯节拍的音乐, 他开始和 PJ Martinez 合作举办一场名为 Dubplate 的派对, 专门播放雷鬼、Dubstep 和其他洛杉矶 Beats 场景音乐等。他回忆道:“某天晚上,我们开车走错到一条单行道,偶遇到有辆卡车在出售。我们那时候刚参加完一场公司演出,有一些现金,于是当机立断买下了那辆卡车,打算将把它改造成一台移动声音系统。” 卡车后车厢成了他们的派对场地,摆放着音箱和设备。强烈的贝斯甚至将附近餐厅里的盘子震碎过。当时马尼拉有很多地方,所以他们可以随机找一个停车场进行派对(当然,事先会取得许可)。

“It was hard work; I was DJing seven days a week,” Red says. But it paid off. For the one-year anniversary of Dubplate, they flew Gaslamp Killer out from Los Angeles and rented a warehouse. “It was so mad, I knew it was the next big thing.” It caught the eye of Eric Ong, who had a history of running clubs and used to DJ with Red. “After a few months, he came to us with this raw warehouse space. They regularly started booking big acts from L.A. and the U.K. like Samiam, Kode 9, and Addison Groove. The space would eventually become B-Side, home to a revolving cast of events and central to the music scene in Manila before its closing in 2018 due to gentrification.


Red 说:“那时候其实挺累的,因为我每周七天都在 DJ。”但这是值得的,Dubplate 活动一周年的时候,他们邀请了洛杉矶大名鼎鼎的 Beats Maker ——  Gaslamp Killer,并为此租下一座仓库。“当时现场太疯了,引起了不小的轰动。”这次活动引起了 Eric Ong 的注意,他曾也营过俱乐部,经常和 Red 一起 DJ 过。“几个月后,他带我们找到了这个原始的仓库。”他们开始定期邀请洛杉矶和英国的著名音乐人,如 SamiamKode 9Addison Groove。这个空间取名为 B-Side,后来成为一个举办各种活动的场地,是马尼拉地下音乐的聚集地,直到 2018 年因为旧城区的城市化改造而关闭。

B-Side became the beginning of a mini-empire. They launched several clubs and bars, featuring some of the most progressive bookings in the capital. “B-Side became a live music space, it was just fitting for the open floor plan. It was good for the scene so we kept supporting it, but we wanted something else.” Eventually, the Dubplate parties became more and more electronic focused, so they pulled back and tried to recreate the earlier, more laid-back vibes by launching the Irie Sunday parties, which focused specifically on reggae. Later, at another one of their venues called Black Market, they hosted Dancehall Manila, creating space for yet another reggae subgenre.  

Throughout all this, Red never stopped producing his own music. He was dropping hour-long beat tapes, instrumental hip-hop projects released on labels like Shanghai’s Svbkvlt and Australia’s Dub Temple. Each tape was built around specific sonic themes, such as Vietnamese or ethnic Filipino samples.


B-Side 标志着一个迷你音乐帝国的开始,其相继推出多家俱乐部,向当地发射最为前卫的音乐现场。“B-Side 后来成为一个做 Live 的开放式空间。利于当地音乐场景的发展,所以我们会继续做下去,但同时我们又想要一些不同的东西。”后来,Dubplate 派对越来越专注于电子音乐,但他们又试图倒退回去,创办了专注于雷鬼音乐的 Irie Sunday 派对,希望能重现雷鬼文化早期那种悠哉的状态。后来,他们在另一个场所 Black Market 举办了 Dancehall Manila,专注于 Reggeaton 和 Dancehall 舞曲(两者同样是由雷鬼衍生的音乐形式)。

自始至终,Red 从未停止制作自己的音乐。他分别在上海先锋电子音乐厂牌 SVBKVLT 和澳大利亚舞曲厂牌 Dub Temple 上发行了长达一小时的音乐磁带和器乐嘻哈音乐项目。每张作品都围绕特定的音乐主题,如越南或菲律宾特色音乐的采样。

With this year’s Word Sound Power In Dub, Red is focusing purely on dub; taking his reggae production and injecting it with even deeper bass, cutting out much of the vocal tracks, and replacing it with healthy helpings of reverb and delay. There’s also a roots version—the original, classic style of reggae—with a collection of vocalists from Jamaica to Cebu, many of whom he met through bookings at B-Side. “Reggae is about truth and life, consciousness,” he says. “I want to focus on more of these positive vibrations. I guess I’m getting old, but it makes sense to me.”

Since quarantine, Red hasn’t been doing much beyond making music and building his first DIY sound system, which holds 10 cabinets, including four subwoofers. He’s building the wooden casing by hand, and sourcing all the speakers and electronics himself, which he then tunes to his preference, specifically geared towards the frequencies of reggae. “It’s always been a goal of mine, so now I’m doing it,” he grins. I’m excited to introduce that. You can tell people about a sound system but you really need to hear it.”


Red 在今年发布的《Word Sound Power In Dub》是一张纯粹的 Dub 风格专辑。整张专辑在雷鬼音乐中加入更为深厚的贝斯,去掉大部分人声,反而将注意力放在混响(reverb)和延迟(delay)上。同时还融入了根源雷鬼(Roots Reggae,经典的雷鬼风格) ,囊括了一众来自牙买加和菲律宾宿务岛的歌手,其中许多人都是他在 B-Side 演出活动上认识的。他说:“雷鬼在于真理、生命和意识。我想专注于更多积极的音乐。可能因为年纪大了吧,但我觉得这样的音乐才是有意义的。”

今年疫情爆发以来,Red 大多时间都在创作音乐和搭建他的第一个 DIY 声音系统,这个声音系统由10 个音箱组成,包括 4 个低音喇叭。他还在手工建造一个木制外壳,亲自采购所有的音箱和电子设备,然后根据自己的喜好和雷鬼音乐的中、高、低频进行调整。他笑着说:“这是我一直想做的事情,现在终于实现了。我很期待将它公诸于世。但关于声音系统,说再多也没用,要现场听了才知道。”

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Bandcamp: red-i.bandcamp.com
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Contributor: Mike Steyels
Photographer: Jilson Tiu

Chinese Translation: Olivia Li


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Bandcamp: red-i.bandcamp.com
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: ~/red-i

 

供稿人: Mike Steyels
摄影师: Jilson Tiu

英译中: Olivia Li

Hibanana Studio 真・趣・园

November 11, 2020 2020年11月11日
From ZPTPJ 来自《ZPTPJ.初》

In 2005, at a live set by American DJ D:fuse in Chongqing, Miao Jing—then a young animator with a degree in oil painting—experienced the visual impact of VJing for the first time. The real-time manipulation of visuals in sync with music captivated her, inspiring her to begin a VJ career of her own in Chengdu.

Meanwhile, in New York City, a college student by the name of Liu Chang just started getting into video production. His studies led him into the world of video art, and eventually into VJing.

When the two met in 2008, something clicked. Their mutual interest in VJing led to the launch Hibanana Studio, a new media art atelier where their shared love of moving images could be fully realized.

Marking the launch of Hibanana Studio in 2011, the duo debuted an audiovisual installation titled Manufactured Landscape – Dreamland for a gallery in Shenzhen. They took over the entire space, transforming the entire venue into an immersive experience where viewers could walk amongst spheres of moving light and undulating shadows. This was the first time they saw people interact with their art in person, and it left a lasting impression. The experience convinced them to explore the potential of digital art.


差不多在 2005 年的时候,苗晶接触到了美国的 DJ D-fuse 在重庆的表演,学油画出身的他感受到音画视觉上的同步带来的强烈冲击,最终从架上绘画转向了 VJ 实践。与此同时,正在纽约读书的刘唱因为专业课题接触到了影像装置,也渐渐对 VJ 这种创作方式产生了浓厚兴趣。

2008 年,两人相识,一拍即合。一个新媒体艺术工作室即将萌芽,这将融合他们俩对动态影像的热爱于一体。

2011 年,Hibanana Studio 成立。同年,二人合作的第一部声音影像空间装置作品《人造风景境》在深圳展出,画廊空间被作品改造成一个“沉浸式的盒子”,观者可以步入光影装置中与其互动。这让他们也对交互式和可参与的数字艺术也越来越感兴趣,并最终深入创作出众多令人惊艳的数字作品。

From Manufactured Landscape Dreamland 来自《人造风景-境》
From Manufactured Landscape Dreamland 来自《人造风景-境》

Nowadays, Hibanana Studio remains focused on new media art. Though much of their work is now done on a more scaled-down capacity, there is no compromise on their level of production. Each project requires a staggering amount of time and research before anything can begin, but considering how long the duo has worked together, the collaborative process is without many hiccups. The two artists, coming from different creative backgrounds, often have their own takes on the meaning of a project and how it may take shape. But this creative friction has ultimately furthered the boundaries of their imagination. “Liu Chang is more philosophical, and is much more sensual,” Miao laughs. “Under her touch, a certain gentleness is added to the work. Me, on the other hand, I’m more focused on aesthetic impact and technical execution.”


其实现在 Hibanana Studio 专注小而精的创作项目,这需要用大量的时间和研究来打磨项目。刘唱与苗晶分别来自不同的教育背景,对作品理解的方式也有差异,多年合伙下来,却为作品带来了更丰富的东西。“刘唱是喜欢文学且感性的那种人,每次合作的艺术项目在她的提炼下都会变得柔软,我相对比较注重造型的精美与技术的结合。”苗晶如是说。

 

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One of the most essential ingredients in a Hibanana Studio project is the music. Liu has a rather different take on what music is though—he sees music as nothing more than audio waveforms. “Everything has a sound of its own, and the thought of that alone is enough to captivate the imagination and spawn an array of abstract or literal visuals,” he says. “I believe every note, melody, and sound can be associated with a character, material, light, or even be more nuanced.”


作为 Hibanana Studio 作品中一种不可或缺的元素,音乐,苗晶的观点显得很超脱。他认为音乐就是声音。“万物都是有她自己的声音的,这点已经给你带来非常多的视觉想象,不管是抽象还是写实。我认为每个音符、旋律、音效,都可以链接到一个角色、材质、灯光,还可以分得更加细致。”

 

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Still from "Amnesia" video 来自《[忘] Amnesia》
Still from "Amnesia" video 来自《[忘] Amnesia》

For Hibanana Studio, every project is a chance to exercise new creative muscles. Despite the nature of their work, with visuals only appearing for a few fleeting seconds or milliseconds, each frame is given a painstaking amount of attention. The duo also almost never strays far thematics based on distant cultures and olden traditions, which they’ve long considered as a font of inspiration. Take, for example, ZPTPJ, an audiovisual project that revolved around  Zep Tepi, an Egyptian creation myth about the origin of the universe. “We never want to appropriate culture, but we are interested in tapping into its essence,” Liu says. “We’re keen on reorganizing and reimagining it, through a process akin to a sculptor reshaping a stone block into something brand new. That’s our favorite part of the creative process.”


Hibanana Studio 的每个项目都会经历种种不同的淬炼,那些哪怕仅有几秒钟的图象也都是“有原始美学出处的”,大多来自不同文明的古代美学经典。比如《ZPTPJ.初》,这个曾在上海保利时光里展出的巨幅新媒体作品,就用到了象征宇宙鸿蒙、开天辟地之时的图景,也运用了远古部落的奇异符号,以传达古埃及神话中“Zep Tepi”(初始之时)年代的图景。“我们不希望直接挪用,而是提取精华概念,重组、再造,这个过程特别像工匠在造像,这是我们喜欢的过程。”

From ZPTPJ 来自《ZPTPJ.初》
From ZPTPJ 来自《ZPTPJ.初》

The ability to embrace different perspectives is crucial in producing a fleshed-out piece of work, and this is also an area Hibanana Studio shines. Aside from Liu and Miao, the studio collaborates with a wide variety of artists across a slew of creative fields, whether it be designers, musicians, or engineers. Input from these different disciplines injects life into an idea, and Liu believes that working in this manner will result in works that have more longevity than a one-off video or installation piece. A willingness to work with unfamiliar creative disciplines and new technology also means their idea evolve and transform into something that’s completely different from its original form.


难能可贵的是,一件成熟的作品必然需要不同的维度和角度,Hibanana  Studio 的每件作品几乎都有不少艺术家协作参与。他们会根据项目的属性邀请不同的艺术家、设计师、音乐人、工程师等不同角色参与项目的合作,作品就会在各个层面都汲取到养分,从而达到饱满的生命状态。刘唱觉得,这样出来的一部作品不单单是一部短片或一个装置,更像是一个可以不断延伸的系列和组合,在每一次有新的观点出来都能以新元素的方式融入进作品,甚至每次新技术的更新迭代都可以成为作品的新版块或者新版本。

From ZPTPJ 来自《ZPTPJ.初》

This connection between sound and matter, between the tangible and the conceptual, may seem to lend the duo’s art a certain spiritual slant. Though Liu and Miao aren’t particularly religious, they admit that they’ve long been riveted by the philosophy and aesthetics of different religions. In fact, in their latest project, a passage from the Diamond Sutra, which proposes that all appearances should be seen as illusions, served as the key inspiration.

“‘Form is idea and idea is form’ is something we keep in mind when we create,” Miao says. “First, we try to get a good understanding of the concept, and then we ask more questions. This is how we work. Visuals are nothing if it doesn’t touch the heart, but there’s a lot of involved in the processing of sensory information—whether it be a person’s sense or the actual nerves and neurons between the eyes and the brain. Time and an effort to meditate on the concept are also crucial. In this age of restlessness, being an attentive viewer isn’t easy.”


音乐与万物之间的整合化一、意象与思想的交融输出,让 Hibanana Studio 的作品颇具一些宗教意味。但二人都没有某个具体单一的宗教信仰,吸引他们的,更多是宗教和玄学中的美学和哲理。“凡所有相,皆是虚妄”,是新作中绕不过去的关键句,却也可以看作是 Hibanana Studio 创作的主旨之一。

形式即观念,观念即形式也是我们创作中会思考的东西。先去感受它,然后再问问题,这才算完成了一个作品走到心里的过程,从眼到心,需要很多感知的触角和神经,也需要凝视的时间和思考的沉淀。”苗晶说道,毕竟,“这在当下这样一个浮躁社会,做一个认真的观众都很难了。”

 

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In July 2019, Miao released So Fun Garden, a project broken up into different segments. “It’s an amusement park of sorts,” she says. “The different areas are based on the different mediums and involved artists.” This ambitious animation enlists the help of Seattle-based artist and designer Yi Chengtao, New York-based artist W.Y. Huang and designer Li Siman, LA-based new media artists Yan Jing and Chen Mengyu, and Chengdu-based screenprinting studio Happy Town. The result is an animation that takes viewers into two virtual temples overloaded with absurdities and veiled metaphors. The first is a traditional Chinese garden, filled with figurines and statues of unrecognizable deities, all of which are steeped in an impenetrable mystique. The latter temple feels more like a pachinko machine, colorful and playful, representing the excessive consumerism that’s become baseline for modern society. So Fun Garden is simply the opening chapter of the ongoing project, which looks to cast a critical gaze on the deluge of information today. Within these digital riptides, how do we find safe harbor? How do we differentiate truth from falsehood?


去年 7 月,苗晶发起了一个企划项目《真趣园》,企划分几个版块,“可以理解为一个园区地图的概念,不同的版块对应不同的媒介分类,同时邀请对应的合作者”。这次 Hibanana Studio 就邀请了在西雅图工作的艺术家兼设计师易承桃,纽约音乐人W.Y.Huang 与交互设计师李思曼,洛杉矶新媒体组合严菁和陈梦豫,以及成都丝网工作室解忧堂 Happy Town 合作,共同创作了这般荒诞幻境又充满隐喻的虚拟庙宇——一座是中式园林,图腾散落、玄机万处;另一座则如自动贩卖机,折射着消费主义盛行的当下风气。虽然后续创作还在进行中,但《真趣园》作为企划项目的开篇之作,它已然试图去诘问在这个流媒体信息爆炸的眼下,人们怎样寻找“真实”和“有趣”呢?曾经有过的妙义丛生的哲思,与现如今唾手可得的消费品,究竟孰真孰假、孰是孰非?

Still from So Fun Garden 来自《真趣园》
Still from So Fun Garden 来自《真趣园》
Still from So Fun Garden 来自《真趣园》
Still from So Fun Garden 来自《真趣园》
Still from So Fun Garden 来自《真趣园》

“The new media art we work with are all departures from our original areas of study, and it in itself is an intersection of art and technology, a new lexicon that draws from the best of both worlds,” Liu says. “The term ‘new’ in new media isn’t relative to time. Rather, the ‘new’ is about continuity. There’s a halo-shaped curve, and every generation leaves their mark on this curve, but that mark eventually fades, swallowed by time.” Like a Möbius strip, the ongoing evolution of new media art is part of what impels Hibanana Studio to innovate, ever so eager to leave a mark that they can call their own.


“我们从事的媒体创作的本质就是跨学科的,自然也跨越艺术与科技,并从着两个领域中获取新兴语言。”刘唱说道,“媒体的这个不是时间上的前后新旧,而是一种相对的持续性。每一次新的迭代都在它的光环曲线上起复前行,又很快似乎消逝在时间轴上。”这个犹如莫比乌斯环一样的轮回迭代,恰恰赋予了 Hibanana Studio 最为重要的生命驱动力,好让它们在新媒体作品层出不穷的大环境下,葆以一种独特的风格。

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Website: hibanana.work
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Contributor: Chen Yuan


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网站: hibanana.work
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供稿人: Chen Yuan

Masterpieces, Reinvented 古典主义朋克

November 9, 2020 2020年11月9日

An appreciation of craft runs through the paintings of Joel Chavez. His art references classical painters, woodworkers, and machinists. His painting style is studied, full of fine detail and raw, expressionist marks that reveal the Filipino artist’s pride in how he’s refined his own skills.

Chavez’s reimagining of neoclassical paintings, particularly those of William-Adolphe Bouguereau, started in 2017. An angelic couple on a swing, a partially naked mother of four, a disreputable doctor performing unwanted experiments. To him, the works of these master painters are an homage to the progress of humankind, representing a push for reason and rationality over religion and power.


在菲律宾艺术家 Joel Chavez 的绘画作品中,满是对传统工艺的赞美:从古典主义画家,到木工和机械师的作品,这些元素为他的创作提供着源源不断的灵感。细节之精美、表现力之大胆,无不在彰显他对自己画技的自信,以及他对绘画风格的细致考究。

2017 年,Joel 便开始尝试重绘新古典主义风格,尤其是威廉·阿道夫·布格罗(William-Adolphe Bouguereau)的作品:一对坐在秋千上的天使夫妇、四个孩子的半裸母亲、声誉卓著的医生正在实验台前做着无用功。他认为布格罗的画曾经推动了一场重要的艺术运动,能够在致力提升画作质量的同时,也表达了追求理性的人性光辉,而非宗教和权力。

“My early works were portraits of the distinguished men of history; real people from our society,” the 28-year-old painter says. He explains how he was focused on celebrating these individuals who he considered as great men. But as a means of showing appreciation to Bouguereau and his peers, he chose to depict their paintings rather than their faces. He points out that Bouguereau was one of the most productive artists of his time, with over 800 completed masterpieces to his name.


“我早期的作品都是一些杰出历史人物的肖像画,是真实存在过的人物。”这位 28 岁的画家解释道,他当时的创作主要是为了缅怀历史上那些有过重要贡献的伟人。特别的是,为了致敬布格罗和其他画家,他选择临摹他们的作品,而不仅仅是他们的面孔。他指出,布格罗是那个时代最多产的艺术家之一,曾创作了 800 多幅画作。

Beyond his ode to great painters, Chavez also looks to celebrate the skilled worker, doing so by populating his pieces with intricate woodwork and machinery. “I am grateful to them as they contributed a lot to the art industry,” he says. “Their expertise was very significant to civilization, producing essential furniture and tools.” Society may not consider them as artists, but Chavez certainly does.


除了致敬著名画家之外,Joel 还希望通过画作中错综复杂的木制品和机械细节来赞颂工匠们的精湛工艺。他说:“我非常感谢他们为艺术行业做出的巨大贡献。他们为人类文明付出了巨大贡献,生产出我们生活中不可或缺的道具。”虽然普世观念没能将他们归在艺术家范畴之内,但在 Joel 看来,他们也是不折不扣的艺术家。

The steampunk-esque contraptions that appear throughout his work were introduced as Chavez sought to define himself beyond the painters he revered. Originally, his work revolved around floral motifs, but one day, while cleaning out his family’s stock room, he came across some old machine parts and he found himself marveling at the beauty of these man-made gadgets. “Since then I’ve been scrutinizing the physical components of machinery closely.”


抛开这些经典的元素之外,Joel 也在作品中增添了属于自己的个性烙印 —— 一些带有蒸汽朋克式的奇特风格贯穿在他的画作中。创作初期,他描绘的大多都是花卉之类的图案,直到一天,在清理家里的储藏室时偶然发现一些老旧的机器零件,这些精巧的人造机器呈现出一种独特的美感,并对他产生了深深的触动,“从那时起,我就沉迷于观察机器的复杂组件。

Chavez’s work is rooted in realism as a foundation, but is stretched into different realms by bold abstract shapes and distressed brush strokes, with faces of his subject matters occasionally washed away. “I want people to be able to appreciate beauty in all its forms, not just in humans or established fields,” he explains. “I hope people can think more freely.” His experimental brushstrokes also emphasize movement and depth. The bright, warm marks bounce off the somber colors of the realistic depictions and hover above the cavernous burnt umber backgrounds.

Although the defaced features and brash marks may, at first, give off a hint of aggression, Chavez says his work is tranquil, both in the result and act. Painting is meditative for him. “I find nothing but joy through immersion in my painting and the themes I work with,” he says. “I’m happy that I’m able to express myself through these means.”


Joel 的作品扎根于现实主义绘画,却又加入大胆的抽象造型和粗野笔触,有时甚至会将人物的面孔完全模糊,带给人一种不修边幅的脱羁感受。他解释说:“我希望人们能够接受美的各种形式,而不仅仅是身边或印象中熟悉的事物。我们的思考过程本应该更加自由。”此外,充满实验性的笔画强调着某种动感和深度,明快、温暖的细节与写实画作的沉重色彩形成对比,从深褐色的背景中脱颖而出。

人物五官上大胆的表达方式看上去可能有些激进,但在 Joel 看来,他的作品其实是一种“平和”的表达。这种平和不仅是指最终作品的氛围,也是指他的创作过程,对他而言,绘画本身就是一种修炼与冥想。他说:“沉浸于绘画和创作中,我唯一的感受便是喜悦,我也很庆幸能够通过绘画来表达自己。”

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Contributor: Mike Steyels
Chinese Translation: Olivia Li


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供稿人: Mike Steyels
英译中: Olivia Li

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