ICAC ART CRITICS
BY ICAC
Flow and Endurance in the Art of Iutian Tsai
A lighthouse of innovation, artist Iuian Tsai adeptly bridges the vast expanse between the revered philosophies of ancient East Asia and the dynamics of modern aesthetics. His oeuvre, while progressive in spirit, is a testament to the enduring relevance of the scholarly pursuits of ancient China and classical traditions.
Tsai’s artistic lexicon is deeply imbued with the essence of ink painting, a discipline he meticulously honed at Tunghai University under the tutelage of Chiang Hsun. This foundational experience not only sharpened his skills but also steeped his creative consciousness in the tenets that have historically animated Chinese art. His paintings, whether they exude tranquillity or dynamism, reflect a deep engagement with the dualities that permeate traditional thought—Yin and Yang, stillness and motion, simplicity and complexity.
Tsai’s canvases and silk screens are arenas where ink and water dance in harmony, creating landscapes that transcend their material confines to evoke the principles of nature. The ink, derived from pine soot, becomes more than a medium; it is a metaphor for the artist’s connection to the natural world, echoing the Daoist pursuit of harmony between humanity and the cosmos. This connection is further illustrated in his depiction of water, not just as a physical element but as a symbol of life’s ever-changing flow, reminiscent of the belief in water’s formless strength, as espoused in the Dao De Jing.
Transitioning from two-dimensional forms to the realm of sculpture, Tsai’s artistic narrative takes a bold leap, embodying the fluidity and resilience of water in three-dimensional space. His sculptures, characterised by their flowing lines and rhythmic dynamism, stand as modern totems that embody the wisdom of the past. His sculpture, Galloping Ox, was recognised at the London Art Biennale in 2023 and captivated the international art community.
Here, Tsai encapsulates the collective yearnings and tribulations of a society confronting unparalleled challenges, offering solace through the ox’s emblematic steadfastness. Conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period marked by global upheaval and uncertainty, this piece transcends its representational form to become an inquiry into resilience and hope, a theme that finds echoes in the work of Italian artist Umberto Boccioni.
Boccioni, a notable Futurist, similarly explored the dynamism of form and the interconnection of objects and their surroundings, albeit through the lens of early 20th-century industrialisation and modernity. Tsai’s sculpture dialogues with Boccioni’s fascination with movement and transformation, suggesting a continuum of artistic inquiry from the Futurist exploration of kinetic energy to Tsai’s contemplation of endurance. Through Galloping Ox, Tsai not only pays homage to the Year of the Ox but also offers an icon of hope through stoic endurance.
In synthesising traditional techniques with contemporary themes, Tsai’s work exemplifies the vibrancy of cultural heritage as a source of inspiration for modern artistic expression. His journey from the disciplined study of ink painting to the creation of public art and striking sculptures reflects a broader narrative of evolution—where ancient philosophies provide the bedrock for new forms of creativity. As such, Iuian Tsai paves the path for future generations to explore the rich intersections between tradition and innovation, the scholarly spirit of ancient China and the boundless possibilities of contemporary art.
Dalia Hashim
International Confederation of Art Critics
《蔡育田的藝術中的流動與耐久性》
作為創新的燈塔，藝術家蔡育田熟練地橋接了古老東亞崇高哲學和現代美學之間的巨大鴻溝。他的作品，雖然在精神上是先進的，卻是對中國古代學術和古典傳統耐久重要性的見證。
蔡的藝術詞彙深深浸透了水墨畫的本質，這是他在東海大學在蔣勳的指導下精心磨練的一門學科。這種基礎經驗不僅磨練了他的技能，也讓他的創造意識浸潤在歷史上激發中國藝術的原則中。他的畫作，無論是散發寧靜還是動感，都反映了他與貫穿傳統思想的二元性的深刻互動，如陰陽、靜止和運動、簡單和複雜。
蔡的畫布和絲網是墨水和水在和諧中舞動的場所，創造出超越物質界限的風景，喚起大自然原則的共鳴。從松煙中提煉出的墨水不僅僅是一種媒介；它是藝術家與自然界的聯繫的隱喻，呼應了道家追求人類與宇宙和諧的追求。這種聯繫在他對水的描繪中進一步顯示，水不僅是一種物理元素，還是生命流動不息的象徵，讓人聯想到《道德經》中對水無形力量的信仰。
從二維形式轉向雕塑的領域，蔡的藝術敘事有了大膽的飛躍，體現了水在三維空間中的流動性和韌性。他的雕塑以流暢的線條和韻律感而聞名，作為現代圖騰，體現了過去智慧的現代形式。他的雕塑作品《奔馳的牛》在2023年倫敦藝術雙年展上獲得認可，贏得了國際藝術界的讚譽。
在這裡，蔡概括了一個社會面臨無與倫比挑戰的集體渴望和磨難，通過牛的象徵性堅定為人們提供安慰。在COVID-19大流行期間構思，這是一個充滿全球動盪和不確定性的時期，這件作品超越了它的表象形式，成為對韌性和希望的探討，這個主題在義大利藝術家翁貝托·博奇奧尼的作品中也有所響應。
博奇奧尼，一位著名的未來主義者，同樣通過早期20世紀的工業化和現代性的鏡頭探索形式的動態和物體與周圍環境的相互聯繫。蔡的雕塑與博奇奧尼對形態和變換的迷戀進行對話，暗示了從未來主義對動能的探索到蔡對耐力的思考的藝術探究的連續性。通過《奔馳的牛》，蔡不僅向牛年致敬，還通過堅忍不拔提供了一個希望的象徵。
在將傳統技術與當代主題相結合中，蔡的作品展現了文化遺產作為現代藝術表達靈感的生命力。他從對水墨畫的細緻研究到創作公共藝術和引人注目的雕塑的過程中，反映了更廣泛的進化敘事——古代哲學為新型創意提供基石。因此，蔡育田為未來世代探索傳統與創新之間豐富交匯的道路鋪平了道路，中國古代學術精神與當代藝術的無窮可能性。
達莉婭·哈希姆
國際藝術評論家
Flow and Endurance in the Art of Iutian Tsai
A lighthouse of innovation, artist Iuian Tsai adeptly bridges the vast expanse between the revered philosophies of ancient East Asia and the dynamics of modern aesthetics. His oeuvre, while progressive in spirit, is a testament to the enduring relevance of the scholarly pursuits of ancient China and classical traditions.
Tsai’s artistic lexicon is deeply imbued with the essence of ink painting, a discipline he meticulously honed at Tunghai University under the tutelage of Chiang Hsun. This foundational experience not only sharpened his skills but also steeped his creative consciousness in the tenets that have historically animated Chinese art. His paintings, whether they exude tranquillity or dynamism, reflect a deep engagement with the dualities that permeate traditional thought—Yin and Yang, stillness and motion, simplicity and complexity.
Tsai’s canvases and silk screens are arenas where ink and water dance in harmony, creating landscapes that transcend their material confines to evoke the principles of nature. The ink, derived from pine soot, becomes more than a medium; it is a metaphor for the artist’s connection to the natural world, echoing the Daoist pursuit of harmony between humanity and the cosmos. This connection is further illustrated in his depiction of water, not just as a physical element but as a symbol of life’s ever-changing flow, reminiscent of the belief in water’s formless strength, as espoused in the Dao De Jing.
Transitioning from two-dimensional forms to the realm of sculpture, Tsai’s artistic narrative takes a bold leap, embodying the fluidity and resilience of water in three-dimensional space. His sculptures, characterised by their flowing lines and rhythmic dynamism, stand as modern totems that embody the wisdom of the past. His sculpture, Galloping Ox, was recognised at the London Art Biennale in 2023 and captivated the international art community.
Here, Tsai encapsulates the collective yearnings and tribulations of a society confronting unparalleled challenges, offering solace through the ox’s emblematic steadfastness. Conceived during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period marked by global upheaval and uncertainty, this piece transcends its representational form to become an inquiry into resilience and hope, a theme that finds echoes in the work of Italian artist Umberto Boccioni.
Boccioni, a notable Futurist, similarly explored the dynamism of form and the interconnection of objects and their surroundings, albeit through the lens of early 20th-century industrialisation and modernity. Tsai’s sculpture dialogues with Boccioni’s fascination with movement and transformation, suggesting a continuum of artistic inquiry from the Futurist exploration of kinetic energy to Tsai’s contemplation of endurance. Through Galloping Ox, Tsai not only pays homage to the Year of the Ox but also offers an icon of hope through stoic endurance.
In synthesising traditional techniques with contemporary themes, Tsai’s work exemplifies the vibrancy of cultural heritage as a source of inspiration for modern artistic expression. His journey from the disciplined study of ink painting to the creation of public art and striking sculptures reflects a broader narrative of evolution—where ancient philosophies provide the bedrock for new forms of creativity. As such, Iuian Tsai paves the path for future generations to explore the rich intersections between tradition and innovation, the scholarly spirit of ancient China and the boundless possibilities of contemporary art.
Dalia Hashim
International Confederation of Art Critics
《蔡育田的藝術中的流動與耐久性》
作為創新的燈塔，藝術家蔡育田熟練地橋接了古老東亞崇高哲學和現代美學之間的巨大鴻溝。他的作品，雖然在精神上是先進的，卻是對中國古代學術和古典傳統耐久重要性的見證。
蔡的藝術詞彙深深浸透了水墨畫的本質，這是他在東海大學在蔣勳的指導下精心磨練的一門學科。這種基礎經驗不僅磨練了他的技能，也讓他的創造意識浸潤在歷史上激發中國藝術的原則中。他的畫作，無論是散發寧靜還是動感，都反映了他與貫穿傳統思想的二元性的深刻互動，如陰陽、靜止和運動、簡單和複雜。
蔡的畫布和絲網是墨水和水在和諧中舞動的場所，創造出超越物質界限的風景，喚起大自然原則的共鳴。從松煙中提煉出的墨水不僅僅是一種媒介；它是藝術家與自然界的聯繫的隱喻，呼應了道家追求人類與宇宙和諧的追求。這種聯繫在他對水的描繪中進一步顯示，水不僅是一種物理元素，還是生命流動不息的象徵，讓人聯想到《道德經》中對水無形力量的信仰。
從二維形式轉向雕塑的領域，蔡的藝術敘事有了大膽的飛躍，體現了水在三維空間中的流動性和韌性。他的雕塑以流暢的線條和韻律感而聞名，作為現代圖騰，體現了過去智慧的現代形式。他的雕塑作品《奔馳的牛》在2023年倫敦藝術雙年展上獲得認可，贏得了國際藝術界的讚譽。
在這裡，蔡概括了一個社會面臨無與倫比挑戰的集體渴望和磨難，通過牛的象徵性堅定為人們提供安慰。在COVID-19大流行期間構思，這是一個充滿全球動盪和不確定性的時期，這件作品超越了它的表象形式，成為對韌性和希望的探討，這個主題在義大利藝術家翁貝托·博奇奧尼的作品中也有所響應。
博奇奧尼，一位著名的未來主義者，同樣通過早期20世紀的工業化和現代性的鏡頭探索形式的動態和物體與周圍環境的相互聯繫。蔡的雕塑與博奇奧尼對形態和變換的迷戀進行對話，暗示了從未來主義對動能的探索到蔡對耐力的思考的藝術探究的連續性。通過《奔馳的牛》，蔡不僅向牛年致敬，還通過堅忍不拔提供了一個希望的象徵。
在將傳統技術與當代主題相結合中，蔡的作品展現了文化遺產作為現代藝術表達靈感的生命力。他從對水墨畫的細緻研究到創作公共藝術和引人注目的雕塑的過程中，反映了更廣泛的進化敘事——古代哲學為新型創意提供基石。因此，蔡育田為未來世代探索傳統與創新之間豐富交匯的道路鋪平了道路，中國古代學術精神與當代藝術的無窮可能性。
達莉婭·哈希姆
國際藝術評論家
Chinese brush strokes frozen in space: The Sculpture of Iutian Tsai
By David Frazier
Though a tech-age modernism of minimalism, expressionism and abstraction are apparent in the work of Taiwanese sculptor Iutian Tsai, the artist prefers to speak of his sculptures with Buddhist riddles. The Heart Sutra states that “form is emptiness, and emptiness is form," and the Diamond Sutra tells us: “So you should view this fleeting world: A shooting star, a bubble in a stream, a flash of lightning in a summer cloud, the flickering of a lamp, a shadow of the mind, a dream.”
There is nothing in Tsai’s works, he claims, that derives from the “artistic imagination,” “individual creativity,” or other ideals of the Western tradition of the avant-garde. His sculptures rather concern the “problem of finding balance” and of “creating meaning” within a public space. His role as not that of an aesthete, he says, but rather that of a Chinese literati or perhaps a fengshui master; he produces art not out of a quest for beauty but rather a mission “to guide, groom, purify and strengthen the positive chi” of social, inter-relational space.
Tsai’s public sculptures are mirror-finished abstractions of stainless steel, three to eight meters in size, which curl and dance like flowing water, wisps of smoke or Chinese brush strokes frozen in space. Like protective talismans, they have been installed in architectural settings throughout Taiwan – at the head offices of multinational tech companies, public pavilions and centers of scientific research, like the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center. He also produces non-monumental sculptures, Chinese brush paintings and installations of natural materials like wood and bamboo.
For his work Flow with the Spirit of Water (2019), in 2020 he became the first Taiwanese to garner the Platinum A' Design Award – a Milan-based competition known as the “Oscars of the Design Circle” – in the Arts, Crafts and Ready-Made Design Category. Versions of the sculpture are now installed in a reflecting pool at the Chang Yih Science and Industrial Park in Zhubei, Taiwan and the natural setting of New York’s Crystal Park, a mid-Hudson Valley private retreat featuring dozens of sculptural installations by Asian and Asian-American artists. Described by the A’Design competition as “calming and invigorating at the same time,” this exploding silver wave frozen in space was inspired by lines from a poem by Tsai’s teacher and mentor, the Taiwanese painter Chiang Hsun:
The spirit of water, the soul of jade
The emptiness of moon and mountain, the watery tracks of tears
I once saw these splendors in a dream
Yet in the world of men, not a speck of dust was disturbed
Tsai says the work represents a “flow of inner vitality” that is brought into harmony with “the circulation of natural energy.” Drawing on Buddhist thought, he explains, “It is through the flow of our intentions that we are able to discard impurities, and only thus are we able to return to life in its bare essence.”
Tsai (his given name “Iutian” is pronounced Yew-tian) was born in 1968 in the north Taiwan city of Taoyuan, the oldest of four children. His father was a regional distributor for a major brand of Japanese motorcycles, who frequently traveled overseas on business. His schooling years came amidst Taiwan’s breakneck economic growth of the 1980s, when the island became a world leader in the manufacture of Air Jordans and Barbie Dolls. At the same time, farmland was paved over for shed factories and science parks, and cities agglomerated in dystopian sprawls. During his early teen years, he arose each morning at 4am to commute to junior high school, traveling via a train and two buses to Taipei. His grades were poor and in the faces he saw each morning on his way to class, he could only discern worry and unhappiness. “Everyone was under pressure, and this pressure was also transmitted from adults to their children and instilled our whole process of education. I began to question, why was everyone so unhappy? It was the problem of the entire society.”
When Tsai was finally exposed to art at a vocational high school for arts and design, the Fuhsin Art and Trade School, his grades soared and he easily tested into the art department at Donghai University, where he encountered “the first teacher to make me feel that studying was not about passing a test, but about myself.” The teacher was Chiang Hsun, a senior figure in Taiwan’s art world, who had studied in France, applied post-impressionistic technique to oil paintings of local scenery, and later became a well-known arts commentator on radio and TV. Tsai studied Chinese brush painting with Chiang, who encouraged his students to travel, explore and learn from foreign encounters.
The curriculum at that time covered both Chinese masters and Western modernism. “We were more familiar with Picasso, Vermeer and Van Gogh than Taiwanese contemporary artists of the day. But it was just a theoretical understanding. It did not directly strike the chords of the lives we were living,” says Tsai.
But Chiang also imbued his students with the approach of Chinese literati, who, according to Confucius, should “be slow in his words and earnest in his conduct.”
Following graduation and two years of military service, Tsai was hired as a curator at Tsinghua University Arts Center in Hsinchu, the city fast becoming Taiwan’s major hub for production of semiconductors and other high tech manufacturing. There he engaged with the question of how to attract engineers into arts spaces, bringing him for the first time face to face with the question of art’s social function within a community. Later, he opened a private studio, winning bids at community planning projects for repurposing the derelict structures of abandoned Air Force bases and military dormitories to restaurants and community spaces.
His first public commission for a sculpture was Sword of Technology (2000), a trio of curling silver strips which emanate from a single point at Taiwan’s National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center. He chose stainless steel because a mirror finish would endow the work with an immaterial sense, unlike color, which would emphasize the solid mass of the sculptural object, creating an opposition between the work and its surroundings. A highly reflective surface would however create a continuum between the work and its environment, whether sky, nature, or manmade structures, and make it ever changeable and reactive to its surroundings.
“At that time,” recalls Tsai, “I had identified the problem I wanted to solve through these public projects, but not yet the solution. The solution only came to me later, and that was to use the natural energy present in the environment.”
More than 20 commissions for public artworks have followed, with recent highlights including the reflective mass of a flowing “comma” shape laid on its side, Magnificent Waves (2019) at the Chang Yih Science and Industrial Park, and land art projects of bamboo and cut logs for a nature-based public art project in the Hsinchu foothills, Gentle breeze on an ancient path (2019) and Wooden Fish Zen Chanting (2019).
The intention behind Tsai’s art draws on Taoist philosophers like Laozi and Zhuangzi but especially the holy texts of chan Buddhism, a Chinese forerunner of Japanese zen. Yet Tsai was hardly the first artist in Asia to apply Chinese philosophy to Western formalism. Zhao Wu-ki, a Chinese expatriate in Paris, began merging abstract expressionism with Chinese brush painting by the late 1950s; in 1970s Taiwan, the Zodiac Sculpture Group advanced East-meets-West ideas in monumental sculpture, including Ju Ming’s expressionist taichi figures and the minimalist angular steel constructions of Lee Tsai-chien. Unlike Western avant-garde artists, which emphasized disruption, transgression and a teleological notion of progress, Chinese and Taiwanese artists underpinned these aesthetic approaches with traditional Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian concepts like “balance” and “harmony.” Though Tsai denies direct inspiration from earlier Asian artists, he admits their works were known to him.
Among the Buddhist canon, Tsai takes special inspiration from three sacred texts, the Heart Sutra, the Diamond Sutra and the Surangama Sutra. These discuss the question of why we live, reveal the source of human suffering as the world of illusion, and offer a means to transcend suffering via the road to Buddhahood. Tsai, who exhibits a natural modesty and embrace of simplicity, deepens his Buddhist practice through vipassana meditation. This technique of internal examination involves sitting in silent contemplation, sometimes for days at a time.
If there is an avenue towards discussing Tsai’s work, and a reason he shies from talking about his sculpture in aesthetic terms, perhaps it is in Buddhist attitudes of renunciation and acceptance. For him, his sculptures are an antidote to a world in which “our minds are full of information but our hearts are empty.” And the act of creation is not a god-like act of the ego, but rather a moment of becoming and transience. It is as the Surangama Sutra states, "In birth one gains awareness, in death one sheds one’s form.”
In early 2020, Tsai was given a chance to return to the starting point of his artistic journey – Chinese brush painting – through an invitation for a one-month residency in Chishang, a village amidst the rice paddies in the far remove of Taiwan’s eastern Rift Valley. He described the experience, writing:
“Living in an old farmhouse at the farthest edge of the paddy field path, my solitary dwelling faced the towering mountains of the Rift Valley and an expanse of farmland. The cold of deep winter had passed, and the rice paddies were untended and flooded with water in preparation for the spring planting. In the early morning, birds chirped to announce the dawn and sunlight streamed through cracks in the window shutters. Clouds and mists of the Rift Valley enshrouded distant peaks, and sunlight slanted onto the mist-covered rice paddies. In this land of shifting clouds, winds and sunlight, balanced between heaven and earth, between mountains and streams, brimmed with an immense and harmonious flow of natural energy.
“I received a type of nourishment from the spirit of the land, and this flowed back into the works I created there. Ink and brush, simple and devoid of pretension, was the fitting medium for this place. For my paintings, I used clear mountain spring water and light ink of smoked pine. The ink bled through the paper’s fibers, and thus unguided produced ‘rhymes in ink’ with the natural scenery. There was little control employed in this process, so that beyond the points of contact between brush and paper, the ink spread uncontrolled. Between these objects and the feelings of my heart, I was able to forget myself within the flow.”
As with the centuries-old tradition of Chinese literati brush painting, Tsai sees ink painting as emotive rather than literal. Drawing a parallel to calligraphy, he says, “the appreciation of calligraphy is not about the literal meaning of the words, it is an appreciation of the attitude and emotion of the calligrapher.” He then invokes the saying, zi wai you zi, which literally means “the words are outside the words” and implies that the true meaning of an inscription is more than its literal contents. I ask him if it is appropriate to compare his public art to Chinese calligraphy – to view sculptures as brush strokes frozen in three-dimensional space, their meanings produced not out of notions of beauty, but through a resonance between physical forms and the healing intention of the artist. “Yes,” he smiles. “I like that very much.”
____________________________
David Frazier is an independent critic and writer based in Taipei since 1995. He has served as Taiwan Desk Editor for Art AsiaPacific and written on culture for the New York Times, Art in America and other publications. This monograph was commissioned by the CRYSTAL PARK FOUNDATION.
By David Frazier
Though a tech-age modernism of minimalism, expressionism and abstraction are apparent in the work of Taiwanese sculptor Iutian Tsai, the artist prefers to speak of his sculptures with Buddhist riddles. The Heart Sutra states that “form is emptiness, and emptiness is form," and the Diamond Sutra tells us: “So you should view this fleeting world: A shooting star, a bubble in a stream, a flash of lightning in a summer cloud, the flickering of a lamp, a shadow of the mind, a dream.”
There is nothing in Tsai’s works, he claims, that derives from the “artistic imagination,” “individual creativity,” or other ideals of the Western tradition of the avant-garde. His sculptures rather concern the “problem of finding balance” and of “creating meaning” within a public space. His role as not that of an aesthete, he says, but rather that of a Chinese literati or perhaps a fengshui master; he produces art not out of a quest for beauty but rather a mission “to guide, groom, purify and strengthen the positive chi” of social, inter-relational space.
Tsai’s public sculptures are mirror-finished abstractions of stainless steel, three to eight meters in size, which curl and dance like flowing water, wisps of smoke or Chinese brush strokes frozen in space. Like protective talismans, they have been installed in architectural settings throughout Taiwan – at the head offices of multinational tech companies, public pavilions and centers of scientific research, like the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center. He also produces non-monumental sculptures, Chinese brush paintings and installations of natural materials like wood and bamboo.
For his work Flow with the Spirit of Water (2019), in 2020 he became the first Taiwanese to garner the Platinum A' Design Award – a Milan-based competition known as the “Oscars of the Design Circle” – in the Arts, Crafts and Ready-Made Design Category. Versions of the sculpture are now installed in a reflecting pool at the Chang Yih Science and Industrial Park in Zhubei, Taiwan and the natural setting of New York’s Crystal Park, a mid-Hudson Valley private retreat featuring dozens of sculptural installations by Asian and Asian-American artists. Described by the A’Design competition as “calming and invigorating at the same time,” this exploding silver wave frozen in space was inspired by lines from a poem by Tsai’s teacher and mentor, the Taiwanese painter Chiang Hsun:
The spirit of water, the soul of jade
The emptiness of moon and mountain, the watery tracks of tears
I once saw these splendors in a dream
Yet in the world of men, not a speck of dust was disturbed
Tsai says the work represents a “flow of inner vitality” that is brought into harmony with “the circulation of natural energy.” Drawing on Buddhist thought, he explains, “It is through the flow of our intentions that we are able to discard impurities, and only thus are we able to return to life in its bare essence.”
Tsai (his given name “Iutian” is pronounced Yew-tian) was born in 1968 in the north Taiwan city of Taoyuan, the oldest of four children. His father was a regional distributor for a major brand of Japanese motorcycles, who frequently traveled overseas on business. His schooling years came amidst Taiwan’s breakneck economic growth of the 1980s, when the island became a world leader in the manufacture of Air Jordans and Barbie Dolls. At the same time, farmland was paved over for shed factories and science parks, and cities agglomerated in dystopian sprawls. During his early teen years, he arose each morning at 4am to commute to junior high school, traveling via a train and two buses to Taipei. His grades were poor and in the faces he saw each morning on his way to class, he could only discern worry and unhappiness. “Everyone was under pressure, and this pressure was also transmitted from adults to their children and instilled our whole process of education. I began to question, why was everyone so unhappy? It was the problem of the entire society.”
When Tsai was finally exposed to art at a vocational high school for arts and design, the Fuhsin Art and Trade School, his grades soared and he easily tested into the art department at Donghai University, where he encountered “the first teacher to make me feel that studying was not about passing a test, but about myself.” The teacher was Chiang Hsun, a senior figure in Taiwan’s art world, who had studied in France, applied post-impressionistic technique to oil paintings of local scenery, and later became a well-known arts commentator on radio and TV. Tsai studied Chinese brush painting with Chiang, who encouraged his students to travel, explore and learn from foreign encounters.
The curriculum at that time covered both Chinese masters and Western modernism. “We were more familiar with Picasso, Vermeer and Van Gogh than Taiwanese contemporary artists of the day. But it was just a theoretical understanding. It did not directly strike the chords of the lives we were living,” says Tsai.
But Chiang also imbued his students with the approach of Chinese literati, who, according to Confucius, should “be slow in his words and earnest in his conduct.”
Following graduation and two years of military service, Tsai was hired as a curator at Tsinghua University Arts Center in Hsinchu, the city fast becoming Taiwan’s major hub for production of semiconductors and other high tech manufacturing. There he engaged with the question of how to attract engineers into arts spaces, bringing him for the first time face to face with the question of art’s social function within a community. Later, he opened a private studio, winning bids at community planning projects for repurposing the derelict structures of abandoned Air Force bases and military dormitories to restaurants and community spaces.
His first public commission for a sculpture was Sword of Technology (2000), a trio of curling silver strips which emanate from a single point at Taiwan’s National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center. He chose stainless steel because a mirror finish would endow the work with an immaterial sense, unlike color, which would emphasize the solid mass of the sculptural object, creating an opposition between the work and its surroundings. A highly reflective surface would however create a continuum between the work and its environment, whether sky, nature, or manmade structures, and make it ever changeable and reactive to its surroundings.
“At that time,” recalls Tsai, “I had identified the problem I wanted to solve through these public projects, but not yet the solution. The solution only came to me later, and that was to use the natural energy present in the environment.”
More than 20 commissions for public artworks have followed, with recent highlights including the reflective mass of a flowing “comma” shape laid on its side, Magnificent Waves (2019) at the Chang Yih Science and Industrial Park, and land art projects of bamboo and cut logs for a nature-based public art project in the Hsinchu foothills, Gentle breeze on an ancient path (2019) and Wooden Fish Zen Chanting (2019).
The intention behind Tsai’s art draws on Taoist philosophers like Laozi and Zhuangzi but especially the holy texts of chan Buddhism, a Chinese forerunner of Japanese zen. Yet Tsai was hardly the first artist in Asia to apply Chinese philosophy to Western formalism. Zhao Wu-ki, a Chinese expatriate in Paris, began merging abstract expressionism with Chinese brush painting by the late 1950s; in 1970s Taiwan, the Zodiac Sculpture Group advanced East-meets-West ideas in monumental sculpture, including Ju Ming’s expressionist taichi figures and the minimalist angular steel constructions of Lee Tsai-chien. Unlike Western avant-garde artists, which emphasized disruption, transgression and a teleological notion of progress, Chinese and Taiwanese artists underpinned these aesthetic approaches with traditional Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian concepts like “balance” and “harmony.” Though Tsai denies direct inspiration from earlier Asian artists, he admits their works were known to him.
Among the Buddhist canon, Tsai takes special inspiration from three sacred texts, the Heart Sutra, the Diamond Sutra and the Surangama Sutra. These discuss the question of why we live, reveal the source of human suffering as the world of illusion, and offer a means to transcend suffering via the road to Buddhahood. Tsai, who exhibits a natural modesty and embrace of simplicity, deepens his Buddhist practice through vipassana meditation. This technique of internal examination involves sitting in silent contemplation, sometimes for days at a time.
If there is an avenue towards discussing Tsai’s work, and a reason he shies from talking about his sculpture in aesthetic terms, perhaps it is in Buddhist attitudes of renunciation and acceptance. For him, his sculptures are an antidote to a world in which “our minds are full of information but our hearts are empty.” And the act of creation is not a god-like act of the ego, but rather a moment of becoming and transience. It is as the Surangama Sutra states, "In birth one gains awareness, in death one sheds one’s form.”
In early 2020, Tsai was given a chance to return to the starting point of his artistic journey – Chinese brush painting – through an invitation for a one-month residency in Chishang, a village amidst the rice paddies in the far remove of Taiwan’s eastern Rift Valley. He described the experience, writing:
“Living in an old farmhouse at the farthest edge of the paddy field path, my solitary dwelling faced the towering mountains of the Rift Valley and an expanse of farmland. The cold of deep winter had passed, and the rice paddies were untended and flooded with water in preparation for the spring planting. In the early morning, birds chirped to announce the dawn and sunlight streamed through cracks in the window shutters. Clouds and mists of the Rift Valley enshrouded distant peaks, and sunlight slanted onto the mist-covered rice paddies. In this land of shifting clouds, winds and sunlight, balanced between heaven and earth, between mountains and streams, brimmed with an immense and harmonious flow of natural energy.
“I received a type of nourishment from the spirit of the land, and this flowed back into the works I created there. Ink and brush, simple and devoid of pretension, was the fitting medium for this place. For my paintings, I used clear mountain spring water and light ink of smoked pine. The ink bled through the paper’s fibers, and thus unguided produced ‘rhymes in ink’ with the natural scenery. There was little control employed in this process, so that beyond the points of contact between brush and paper, the ink spread uncontrolled. Between these objects and the feelings of my heart, I was able to forget myself within the flow.”
As with the centuries-old tradition of Chinese literati brush painting, Tsai sees ink painting as emotive rather than literal. Drawing a parallel to calligraphy, he says, “the appreciation of calligraphy is not about the literal meaning of the words, it is an appreciation of the attitude and emotion of the calligrapher.” He then invokes the saying, zi wai you zi, which literally means “the words are outside the words” and implies that the true meaning of an inscription is more than its literal contents. I ask him if it is appropriate to compare his public art to Chinese calligraphy – to view sculptures as brush strokes frozen in three-dimensional space, their meanings produced not out of notions of beauty, but through a resonance between physical forms and the healing intention of the artist. “Yes,” he smiles. “I like that very much.”
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David Frazier is an independent critic and writer based in Taipei since 1995. He has served as Taiwan Desk Editor for Art AsiaPacific and written on culture for the New York Times, Art in America and other publications. This monograph was commissioned by the CRYSTAL PARK FOUNDATION.
凝固空中的書法藝術：蔡育田的雕塑
By David Frazier
雖然臺灣雕塑家蔡育田的作品具極簡主義、表現主義和抽象主義的現代主義等的風格，但他更喜歡用佛教謎語來形容他的雕塑。《般若波羅蜜多心經》說：“色即是空、空即是色。”《金剛經》則告訴我們：“一切有為法如夢幻泡影”。
蔡育田表示，他作品中並非來自「藝術想像力」、「個人創造力」或其他西方前衛傳統理念的東西，他的雕塑關注的是在公共空間中「尋找平衡」和「創造意義」。他的角色不是做一個美學家，而更像是中國的「文人」哲學，也可以說是風水大師；他的創作不只是為了追求美，而更是為了在社會和人際間的空間裡去「引導、修飾、淨化和強化正面的氣場」。
蔡育田的公共雕塑是不鏽鋼的鏡面抽象作品，大小為三至八米，猶如流水、煙霧或繪畫中凝固的中國書法筆觸，輕盈優雅。它們像護身符一樣，被安裝在臺灣各地的建築物中——跨國科技公司的總部、公共空間和科學研究中心，國家同步輻射研究中心等。他的創作還包括非紀念性的雕塑、中國水墨畫和以木材和竹子等自然材料製作的裝置藝術作品。
蔡育田的作品《水作精神玉作魂》（2019）在2020年贏得米蘭A’設計獎【鉑金獎】的最高榮譽。這個競賽被稱為「設計界的奧斯卡」，他成為此類別獎項第一位獲獎的臺灣人。該作品現在已經被安裝在竹北昌益科技產發園區會館前的水池中以及位於紐約上州Chrystal Park 公園的湖泊中。該公園展示了許多亞洲和亞裔藝術家的戶外雕塑裝置。A’設計比賽評價該作品為「既能夠使人平靜又能夠使人振奮」。這個凝固在空間中的銀色爆裂波浪的靈感來自於蔡育田的老師、台灣畫家與美學家蔣勳的詩句。
水作精神玉作魂，空山月中淚浥痕，
夢中繁華夢中過，不惹人間一點塵。
蔡育田表示，這個作品代表著一種「內在生命力的流動」，與「自然能量的循環」的相互調和。他引用佛教思想解釋道：「正是通過意念的流動，我們才能夠排除雜質，才有可能回歸生命的本質。」
蔡育田出生於1968年，台灣桃園市，家中四個孩子中最年長的一個。他的父親是日本摩托車大品牌的地區經銷商，經常出國出差。他的求學歲月正值台灣在1980年代的高速經濟成長期，當時台灣成為Air Jordans和Barbie Dolls的製造業世界領先者。同時，農地被鋪設工廠和科學園區的建設，城市也呈現出醜陋的擴張。在他十幾歲的早期，他每天早上四點起床通勤到台北上學的國中，期間需要搭乘一班火車和兩班公車。他的成績很差，每天上學的路上，他只能看到擔憂和不快樂的臉龐。「每個人都感受到壓力，這種壓力也從成年人傳到了孩子身上，滲透了整個教育過程。我開始質疑，為什麼每個人都這麼不快樂？這是整個社會的問題。」
當蔡育田終於在一所藝術和設計職業高中—復興藝術職業學校—接觸到藝術，他的成績一飛沖天，並輕鬆考入東海大學美術系，那是他遇到的「第一位讓我感覺到學習不是關乎通過測驗，而是關乎自己的老師」。 這位老師就是蔣勳，他是台灣藝術界的資深人物，曾在法國學習，將後印象派技法應用於畫本地風景的油畫，後來成為著名的電台和電視藝術評論家。蔡育田跟著蔣勳學習中國水墨畫，蔣勳鼓勵他的學生們去旅行、探索和學習外國經驗。
當時的課程涵蓋了中國大師和西方現代主義。「我們對當代台灣藝術家不太熟悉，卻對畢加索、維米爾和梵高更加熟悉。但這只是理論上的了解，並沒有直接觸動我們生活的和弦」， 蔡育田表示。
但是蔣老師也賦予他的學生中國文人的觀念，根據孔子的說法，文人應該「言之適道，行之謹慎」。
畢業後，經過兩年的兵役服務後，蔡育田在新竹的清華大學藝術中心擔任策展人，該城市迅速成為台灣半導體和其他高科技製造的主要樞紐。在那裡，他探討了如何吸引工程師進入藝術空間的問題，這第一次讓他面對藝術在社區中的社會功能問題。之後，他開設了一個私人工作室，在社區規劃項目中贏得了多項競標，將廢棄的空軍基地和軍宿重新利用為餐廳和社區空間。
他的第一個公共雕塑委託作品是「科技之刃」（2000），這是一個由三條捲曲的銀色帶子組成的作品，從台灣國家同步輻射研究中心的一個單一點發出。他選擇不鏽鋼，因為鏡面效果賦予了作品一種非物質的感覺，不像顏色會強調雕塑物體的實體質量，創造了作品和周圍環境之間的對立。然而，高度反射的表面將在作品和周圍環境之間創造一個連續體，無論是天空、自然還是人造結構，使其變化多端且對周圍環境做出反應。
「當時」蔡育田回憶道：「我已經通過這些公共藝術項目確定了我想解決的問題，但還沒有解決方案。解決方案後來才來到我身邊，那就是利用環境中存在的自然能量。」
其後，他陸續接下20多個公共藝術委託，近期的亮點作品包括在昌益科技產發園區的「波瀾壯闊」（Magnificent Waves，2019），是一個靠側放的反光「逗號」形狀，以及在新竹丘陵地帶的以竹子和木材為素材的自然主題公共藝術作品： 「古道微風」（Gentle breeze on an ancient path，2020）和 「木魚禪音」（Wooden Fish Zen Chanting，2020）。
蔡育田的藝術意圖借鑑了老子、莊子等道家哲學家，尤其是中國禪宗的聖典。然而，蔡育田並非第一位將中國哲學應用於西方形式主義的亞洲藝術家。早在1950年代末，身居巴黎的中國僑民趙無極開始將抽象表現主義與中國水墨畫融合。在1970年代的台灣，十二生肖雕塑團體推進了東西方交融的巨型雕塑概念，包括朱銘的表現主義太極人像和李再鈐的極簡角鋼構造物。相比之下，西方前衛藝術家強調的是破壞、越矩和一種目的論的進步觀念，而中國和台灣藝術家則以傳統的道家、佛家和儒家概念，如「平衡」和「和諧」，作為這些美學方法的基礎。儘管蔡育田否認受到早期亞洲藝術家的直接啟發，但他承認曾經了解他們的作品。
在佛教經典中，蔡育田特別從三本經典——《般若波羅蜜多心經》、《金剛經》和《大佛頂首楞嚴經》中獲得靈感。這些經典探討了為什麼我們存在的問題，揭示了人類苦難的根源是幻象的世界，並提供了通往佛道的方法以超越苦難。蔡育田展現了天然的謙遜和擁抱簡單的態度，透過毗婆舍那禪修加深了自己的佛教修行。這種內省的技巧涉及靜坐冥想，有時需要持續好幾天。
如果有一條可以討論蔡育田作品的途徑，以及他避免以美學術語來談論自己的雕塑的原因，也許在於佛教的修行和接受態度。對他來說，他的雕塑是一種對世界的「解毒劑」，因為「我們的思想充滿了信息，但我們的心是空虛的」。而創作的過程不是自我造神之行為，而是一種變化和瞬息萬變的時刻。正如《楞嚴經》所說：生因識有，滅從色除。
在2020年初，蔡育田獲得了一個機會回到他藝術之旅的起點——中國水墨畫，透過在位於遠在台灣東部裂谷的稻田中的村落池上進行為期一個月的駐村計畫的邀請。他描述了這次經歷，寫道：
「我住在一棟老農舍，處於稻田邊緣最遠的位置，孤獨地面對著崢嶸的花東縱谷山脈和一大片農田。深冬的寒冷已過，稻田尚未耕作，被淹水準備春季種植。清晨，鳥兒鳴叫著報告黎明，陽光從窗戶的縫隙中射進來。縱谷的雲霧籠罩遠處的山峰，陽光斜照在被霧氣籠罩的稻田上。在這片雲氣變幻、風光明媚的土地上，在天地、山川之間，充滿了巨大而和諧的自然能量。」
「我從這片土地的精神中獲得了一種滋養，這種滋養流回到我在那裡創作的作品中。水墨畫，簡單而不做作，是這個地方合適的媒介。對於我的繪畫，我使用清澈的山泉水磨合松煙墨。墨水滲透了紙張的纖維，在自然風景中自由地產生了『水與墨的韻律』。在這個過程中，我沒有太多的控制，所以除了畫筆和紙張之間的接觸點，墨水是自由流動的。在這些物體和我的內心感受之間，我能夠在這個流動中忘卻自我。」
正如中國文人畫的幾百年傳統一樣，蔡育田認為水墨畫是情感表達，而不是文字的逐字逐句的表述。他引用了書法，說：“欣賞書法不只是關於文字的字面意思，而是欣賞書法家的態度和情感。” 然後他引用了“字外有字”的說法，意思是銘文的真正含義超出了其字面內容。我問他是否適合將他的公共藝術與中國書法相比 - 將雕塑視為凝固在三維空間中的筆劃，其含義不是來自美感的觀念，而是通過物理形式和藝術家的治癒意圖之間的共鳴產生的。 「是的」，他微笑著說，「我非常喜歡這個比喻」。
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David Frazier自1995年以來一直居住在台北，是一名獨立評論家和作家。他曾擔任《Art AsiaPacific》的台灣桌編輯，並為《紐約時報》、《Art in America》和其他出版物撰寫有關文化的文章。
By David Frazier
雖然臺灣雕塑家蔡育田的作品具極簡主義、表現主義和抽象主義的現代主義等的風格，但他更喜歡用佛教謎語來形容他的雕塑。《般若波羅蜜多心經》說：“色即是空、空即是色。”《金剛經》則告訴我們：“一切有為法如夢幻泡影”。
蔡育田表示，他作品中並非來自「藝術想像力」、「個人創造力」或其他西方前衛傳統理念的東西，他的雕塑關注的是在公共空間中「尋找平衡」和「創造意義」。他的角色不是做一個美學家，而更像是中國的「文人」哲學，也可以說是風水大師；他的創作不只是為了追求美，而更是為了在社會和人際間的空間裡去「引導、修飾、淨化和強化正面的氣場」。
蔡育田的公共雕塑是不鏽鋼的鏡面抽象作品，大小為三至八米，猶如流水、煙霧或繪畫中凝固的中國書法筆觸，輕盈優雅。它們像護身符一樣，被安裝在臺灣各地的建築物中——跨國科技公司的總部、公共空間和科學研究中心，國家同步輻射研究中心等。他的創作還包括非紀念性的雕塑、中國水墨畫和以木材和竹子等自然材料製作的裝置藝術作品。
蔡育田的作品《水作精神玉作魂》（2019）在2020年贏得米蘭A’設計獎【鉑金獎】的最高榮譽。這個競賽被稱為「設計界的奧斯卡」，他成為此類別獎項第一位獲獎的臺灣人。該作品現在已經被安裝在竹北昌益科技產發園區會館前的水池中以及位於紐約上州Chrystal Park 公園的湖泊中。該公園展示了許多亞洲和亞裔藝術家的戶外雕塑裝置。A’設計比賽評價該作品為「既能夠使人平靜又能夠使人振奮」。這個凝固在空間中的銀色爆裂波浪的靈感來自於蔡育田的老師、台灣畫家與美學家蔣勳的詩句。
水作精神玉作魂，空山月中淚浥痕，
夢中繁華夢中過，不惹人間一點塵。
蔡育田表示，這個作品代表著一種「內在生命力的流動」，與「自然能量的循環」的相互調和。他引用佛教思想解釋道：「正是通過意念的流動，我們才能夠排除雜質，才有可能回歸生命的本質。」
蔡育田出生於1968年，台灣桃園市，家中四個孩子中最年長的一個。他的父親是日本摩托車大品牌的地區經銷商，經常出國出差。他的求學歲月正值台灣在1980年代的高速經濟成長期，當時台灣成為Air Jordans和Barbie Dolls的製造業世界領先者。同時，農地被鋪設工廠和科學園區的建設，城市也呈現出醜陋的擴張。在他十幾歲的早期，他每天早上四點起床通勤到台北上學的國中，期間需要搭乘一班火車和兩班公車。他的成績很差，每天上學的路上，他只能看到擔憂和不快樂的臉龐。「每個人都感受到壓力，這種壓力也從成年人傳到了孩子身上，滲透了整個教育過程。我開始質疑，為什麼每個人都這麼不快樂？這是整個社會的問題。」
當蔡育田終於在一所藝術和設計職業高中—復興藝術職業學校—接觸到藝術，他的成績一飛沖天，並輕鬆考入東海大學美術系，那是他遇到的「第一位讓我感覺到學習不是關乎通過測驗，而是關乎自己的老師」。 這位老師就是蔣勳，他是台灣藝術界的資深人物，曾在法國學習，將後印象派技法應用於畫本地風景的油畫，後來成為著名的電台和電視藝術評論家。蔡育田跟著蔣勳學習中國水墨畫，蔣勳鼓勵他的學生們去旅行、探索和學習外國經驗。
當時的課程涵蓋了中國大師和西方現代主義。「我們對當代台灣藝術家不太熟悉，卻對畢加索、維米爾和梵高更加熟悉。但這只是理論上的了解，並沒有直接觸動我們生活的和弦」， 蔡育田表示。
但是蔣老師也賦予他的學生中國文人的觀念，根據孔子的說法，文人應該「言之適道，行之謹慎」。
畢業後，經過兩年的兵役服務後，蔡育田在新竹的清華大學藝術中心擔任策展人，該城市迅速成為台灣半導體和其他高科技製造的主要樞紐。在那裡，他探討了如何吸引工程師進入藝術空間的問題，這第一次讓他面對藝術在社區中的社會功能問題。之後，他開設了一個私人工作室，在社區規劃項目中贏得了多項競標，將廢棄的空軍基地和軍宿重新利用為餐廳和社區空間。
他的第一個公共雕塑委託作品是「科技之刃」（2000），這是一個由三條捲曲的銀色帶子組成的作品，從台灣國家同步輻射研究中心的一個單一點發出。他選擇不鏽鋼，因為鏡面效果賦予了作品一種非物質的感覺，不像顏色會強調雕塑物體的實體質量，創造了作品和周圍環境之間的對立。然而，高度反射的表面將在作品和周圍環境之間創造一個連續體，無論是天空、自然還是人造結構，使其變化多端且對周圍環境做出反應。
「當時」蔡育田回憶道：「我已經通過這些公共藝術項目確定了我想解決的問題，但還沒有解決方案。解決方案後來才來到我身邊，那就是利用環境中存在的自然能量。」
其後，他陸續接下20多個公共藝術委託，近期的亮點作品包括在昌益科技產發園區的「波瀾壯闊」（Magnificent Waves，2019），是一個靠側放的反光「逗號」形狀，以及在新竹丘陵地帶的以竹子和木材為素材的自然主題公共藝術作品： 「古道微風」（Gentle breeze on an ancient path，2020）和 「木魚禪音」（Wooden Fish Zen Chanting，2020）。
蔡育田的藝術意圖借鑑了老子、莊子等道家哲學家，尤其是中國禪宗的聖典。然而，蔡育田並非第一位將中國哲學應用於西方形式主義的亞洲藝術家。早在1950年代末，身居巴黎的中國僑民趙無極開始將抽象表現主義與中國水墨畫融合。在1970年代的台灣，十二生肖雕塑團體推進了東西方交融的巨型雕塑概念，包括朱銘的表現主義太極人像和李再鈐的極簡角鋼構造物。相比之下，西方前衛藝術家強調的是破壞、越矩和一種目的論的進步觀念，而中國和台灣藝術家則以傳統的道家、佛家和儒家概念，如「平衡」和「和諧」，作為這些美學方法的基礎。儘管蔡育田否認受到早期亞洲藝術家的直接啟發，但他承認曾經了解他們的作品。
在佛教經典中，蔡育田特別從三本經典——《般若波羅蜜多心經》、《金剛經》和《大佛頂首楞嚴經》中獲得靈感。這些經典探討了為什麼我們存在的問題，揭示了人類苦難的根源是幻象的世界，並提供了通往佛道的方法以超越苦難。蔡育田展現了天然的謙遜和擁抱簡單的態度，透過毗婆舍那禪修加深了自己的佛教修行。這種內省的技巧涉及靜坐冥想，有時需要持續好幾天。
如果有一條可以討論蔡育田作品的途徑，以及他避免以美學術語來談論自己的雕塑的原因，也許在於佛教的修行和接受態度。對他來說，他的雕塑是一種對世界的「解毒劑」，因為「我們的思想充滿了信息，但我們的心是空虛的」。而創作的過程不是自我造神之行為，而是一種變化和瞬息萬變的時刻。正如《楞嚴經》所說：生因識有，滅從色除。
在2020年初，蔡育田獲得了一個機會回到他藝術之旅的起點——中國水墨畫，透過在位於遠在台灣東部裂谷的稻田中的村落池上進行為期一個月的駐村計畫的邀請。他描述了這次經歷，寫道：
「我住在一棟老農舍，處於稻田邊緣最遠的位置，孤獨地面對著崢嶸的花東縱谷山脈和一大片農田。深冬的寒冷已過，稻田尚未耕作，被淹水準備春季種植。清晨，鳥兒鳴叫著報告黎明，陽光從窗戶的縫隙中射進來。縱谷的雲霧籠罩遠處的山峰，陽光斜照在被霧氣籠罩的稻田上。在這片雲氣變幻、風光明媚的土地上，在天地、山川之間，充滿了巨大而和諧的自然能量。」
「我從這片土地的精神中獲得了一種滋養，這種滋養流回到我在那裡創作的作品中。水墨畫，簡單而不做作，是這個地方合適的媒介。對於我的繪畫，我使用清澈的山泉水磨合松煙墨。墨水滲透了紙張的纖維，在自然風景中自由地產生了『水與墨的韻律』。在這個過程中，我沒有太多的控制，所以除了畫筆和紙張之間的接觸點，墨水是自由流動的。在這些物體和我的內心感受之間，我能夠在這個流動中忘卻自我。」
正如中國文人畫的幾百年傳統一樣，蔡育田認為水墨畫是情感表達，而不是文字的逐字逐句的表述。他引用了書法，說：“欣賞書法不只是關於文字的字面意思，而是欣賞書法家的態度和情感。” 然後他引用了“字外有字”的說法，意思是銘文的真正含義超出了其字面內容。我問他是否適合將他的公共藝術與中國書法相比 - 將雕塑視為凝固在三維空間中的筆劃，其含義不是來自美感的觀念，而是通過物理形式和藝術家的治癒意圖之間的共鳴產生的。 「是的」，他微笑著說，「我非常喜歡這個比喻」。
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David Frazier自1995年以來一直居住在台北，是一名獨立評論家和作家。他曾擔任《Art AsiaPacific》的台灣桌編輯，並為《紐約時報》、《Art in America》和其他出版物撰寫有關文化的文章。
Written by Lily Kostrzewa
"In the Flow of the Spirit": Iutian Tsai's sculptures balance people's inner souls and outer lives, bringing them back to their original intention of being human.
Iutian Tsai is a sculptor who uses his art to help people find their inner balance. His oversized sculptures can be seen in many significant buildings in Taiwan. Tsai's creations are inspired by water, which in Eastern philosophy represents natural healing, harmony, and calm. Water possesses a quiet power endowed by nature, awakening the world to return to its original pure heart.
In the Western world, people also seek the tranquility of water. They go to lakefront cottages for vacations, suspend all distracting thoughts, and focus on the peace that water brings. Some people have ponds in their backyards, and others buy Japanese-style interior decorations with flowing water. One of the most famous buildings in the United States, Fallingwater, is a Frank Lloyd Wright design that brings the waterfall of nature into the Kaufmann family home's living room. Water energy is believed to make people most peaceful, aiding in recovering from a complicated and busy life to a state of harmonious enjoyment. There is also a power to water in Eastern philosophy, such as the power of flexibility and the magic of gentleness. When there is no way across, water finds a way around. Hence, we often see Japanese-style gardens with the tranquil sound of water flow.
Iutian Tsai is an artist hailing from Taiwan. After graduating from the Fine Arts Department at Tunghai University, he dedicated himself to public construction management. In Taiwan, the government encouraged the integration of public art into building construction and development. This led him to enter the field of large-scale public art sculptures. His aim was to bring the beauty and energy of nature back to people living in urban areas. He hoped that people could rediscover a spiritual realm and enjoy his sculpture designs in their busy working lives. He also wanted those who worked or lived in the buildings to have a peaceful rest and find enjoyment through engaging with his sculptures. In doing so, he believed they could return to their original, innocent selves, caring for those around them, and treating each other harmoniously.
Tsai's designs incorporate positive "chi" (energy) by using water flowing into space to encourage viewers to feel a sense of harmony in their souls. His design concepts are based on water flow, with the smoothness of the flow being the original intention. Through the streamlined tension, viewers can be moved by the water's movement towards a soul-searching kind of release. He uses stainless steel, a mirror-like steel material, to reflect the coolness and clarity of water. As a result, his public art has been an unprecedented success, with many builders coming to him to order large public sculptures.
Viewers can feel the transformation of negative energy into positive energy through his creations, gaining the balance and tranquility necessary in life.
Just like recharging the soul, appreciating his works allows us to experience the beauty of water. Mr. Tsai also applies the concept of water flow to manufacture wicker furniture. The artificial vine sofa he designed can provide a pleasant warmth to those sitting on it, generating positive communication and promoting good relationships.
His stainless steel water sculpture models will be displayed at Artexpo New York in Pier 36 from March 30 to April 2, 2023. This exhibition in New York City will provide an opportunity for New Yorkers to enjoy his art.
In the flow of his creation, I experience the connection between man and nature and appreciate the positive energy his designs bring. In this often chaotic world, don’t we all wish to experience healing, harmony, and calm?
You can find more of his work on his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/iutiandesign/ and on his website at https://www.iutiantsai.com.
Iutian Tsai, booth 302 at Artexpo New York
March 30 - April 2, 2023
Pier 36
299 South St.
New York, NY 10002
"In the Flow of the Spirit": Iutian Tsai's sculptures balance people's inner souls and outer lives, bringing them back to their original intention of being human.
Iutian Tsai is a sculptor who uses his art to help people find their inner balance. His oversized sculptures can be seen in many significant buildings in Taiwan. Tsai's creations are inspired by water, which in Eastern philosophy represents natural healing, harmony, and calm. Water possesses a quiet power endowed by nature, awakening the world to return to its original pure heart.
In the Western world, people also seek the tranquility of water. They go to lakefront cottages for vacations, suspend all distracting thoughts, and focus on the peace that water brings. Some people have ponds in their backyards, and others buy Japanese-style interior decorations with flowing water. One of the most famous buildings in the United States, Fallingwater, is a Frank Lloyd Wright design that brings the waterfall of nature into the Kaufmann family home's living room. Water energy is believed to make people most peaceful, aiding in recovering from a complicated and busy life to a state of harmonious enjoyment. There is also a power to water in Eastern philosophy, such as the power of flexibility and the magic of gentleness. When there is no way across, water finds a way around. Hence, we often see Japanese-style gardens with the tranquil sound of water flow.
Iutian Tsai is an artist hailing from Taiwan. After graduating from the Fine Arts Department at Tunghai University, he dedicated himself to public construction management. In Taiwan, the government encouraged the integration of public art into building construction and development. This led him to enter the field of large-scale public art sculptures. His aim was to bring the beauty and energy of nature back to people living in urban areas. He hoped that people could rediscover a spiritual realm and enjoy his sculpture designs in their busy working lives. He also wanted those who worked or lived in the buildings to have a peaceful rest and find enjoyment through engaging with his sculptures. In doing so, he believed they could return to their original, innocent selves, caring for those around them, and treating each other harmoniously.
Tsai's designs incorporate positive "chi" (energy) by using water flowing into space to encourage viewers to feel a sense of harmony in their souls. His design concepts are based on water flow, with the smoothness of the flow being the original intention. Through the streamlined tension, viewers can be moved by the water's movement towards a soul-searching kind of release. He uses stainless steel, a mirror-like steel material, to reflect the coolness and clarity of water. As a result, his public art has been an unprecedented success, with many builders coming to him to order large public sculptures.
Viewers can feel the transformation of negative energy into positive energy through his creations, gaining the balance and tranquility necessary in life.
Just like recharging the soul, appreciating his works allows us to experience the beauty of water. Mr. Tsai also applies the concept of water flow to manufacture wicker furniture. The artificial vine sofa he designed can provide a pleasant warmth to those sitting on it, generating positive communication and promoting good relationships.
His stainless steel water sculpture models will be displayed at Artexpo New York in Pier 36 from March 30 to April 2, 2023. This exhibition in New York City will provide an opportunity for New Yorkers to enjoy his art.
In the flow of his creation, I experience the connection between man and nature and appreciate the positive energy his designs bring. In this often chaotic world, don’t we all wish to experience healing, harmony, and calm?
You can find more of his work on his Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/iutiandesign/ and on his website at https://www.iutiantsai.com.
Iutian Tsai, booth 302 at Artexpo New York
March 30 - April 2, 2023
Pier 36
299 South St.
New York, NY 10002
李立婷 撰寫
蔡育田是一個幫你找回內心平衡的雕塑家，他的超大型雕塑就來自於水的靈感。水是一種天然的療癒，和諧，與平靜。 他是自然界賦予我們的一種沈靜的力量， 喚醒世人回歸到純淨的初心，所以人們總喜歡到湖前的小屋度假享受大自然的寧靜，放空自己，暫停所有的雜念，專注在水所帶給我們的心靈滋養，有人喜歡在住家庭院中有池塘，有人購買日式的水流聲的室內裝潢， 美國最有名的建築之一 Fallingwater就是Frank Lloyd將大自然的瀑布帶入住家的客廳中， 因為那是一種能量的轉動使人否極泰來，從複雜繁忙的生活中恢復到和諧的享受狀態。 這也是東方哲學中的一種水的力量，所以我們常看到日本式的建築都有許多水流的聲音，蔡育田是位來自台灣的藝術家，東海大學美術系畢業後就投入的公共建設管理的領域，當年在台灣提倡大樓建設開發需要與公共藝術連結，於是他無意間走入了大型公共藝術雕塑的領域，起初他只是希望在大樓建設當中將自然界的美與能量找回給人們，讓人們在繁忙的工作生活中也可以重新找回人之所以為人的心靈境界，他希望在大樓裡工作或生活的人們能藉著觀賞他的創作雕塑而有所沈靜安息進而進入到享受的狀態，也能回到純真的初心去關心周遭的人事物，進而互相彼此和諧對待， 他也希望藉著水流般的能量 ，讓觀者產生從心靈裡來的一種和諧感，所以他的設計理念都是以水流的順暢為初心， 然後藉著流線形的張力帶領觀眾從水流的感動到心靈的感動，應而得著心靈裡面的釋放。他的材質使用是鏡面不鏽鋼，一種如鏡子般的鋼金材質來反應出水的清涼剔透， 結果他的公共藝術是空前的成功，讓許多的建商找上他為他們訂做大型的公共雕塑。 觀者從他的創作當中多能感受到將負面的能量轉換成正面能量，因此得到生活中所需要的平衡與安靜。就像是心靈充電一樣，因著欣賞他的作品使生活體會到水的美好。他也將這種水流的概念用在人工籐的家俱製造上，他設計的人工籐沙發椅能讓坐在上面的人感受到一股和諧的温情， 因而產生正面的溝通，促進良好的關係。如今他的白金水流雕塑模型將搬到紐約市Artexpo New York, Pier 36, 3/30 - 4/2, 2023 來展覽，使紐约市的人民也有機會享受到他藝術的心流，從他的作品中體會到人與大自然的連結，進而享受由他的創作所帶來的正能量。 蔡育田的雕塑，平衡了人的內在的心靈與外在的生活， 使人回到了人之所以為人的初心。
蔡育田是一個幫你找回內心平衡的雕塑家，他的超大型雕塑就來自於水的靈感。水是一種天然的療癒，和諧，與平靜。 他是自然界賦予我們的一種沈靜的力量， 喚醒世人回歸到純淨的初心，所以人們總喜歡到湖前的小屋度假享受大自然的寧靜，放空自己，暫停所有的雜念，專注在水所帶給我們的心靈滋養，有人喜歡在住家庭院中有池塘，有人購買日式的水流聲的室內裝潢， 美國最有名的建築之一 Fallingwater就是Frank Lloyd將大自然的瀑布帶入住家的客廳中， 因為那是一種能量的轉動使人否極泰來，從複雜繁忙的生活中恢復到和諧的享受狀態。 這也是東方哲學中的一種水的力量，所以我們常看到日本式的建築都有許多水流的聲音，蔡育田是位來自台灣的藝術家，東海大學美術系畢業後就投入的公共建設管理的領域，當年在台灣提倡大樓建設開發需要與公共藝術連結，於是他無意間走入了大型公共藝術雕塑的領域，起初他只是希望在大樓建設當中將自然界的美與能量找回給人們，讓人們在繁忙的工作生活中也可以重新找回人之所以為人的心靈境界，他希望在大樓裡工作或生活的人們能藉著觀賞他的創作雕塑而有所沈靜安息進而進入到享受的狀態，也能回到純真的初心去關心周遭的人事物，進而互相彼此和諧對待， 他也希望藉著水流般的能量 ，讓觀者產生從心靈裡來的一種和諧感，所以他的設計理念都是以水流的順暢為初心， 然後藉著流線形的張力帶領觀眾從水流的感動到心靈的感動，應而得著心靈裡面的釋放。他的材質使用是鏡面不鏽鋼，一種如鏡子般的鋼金材質來反應出水的清涼剔透， 結果他的公共藝術是空前的成功，讓許多的建商找上他為他們訂做大型的公共雕塑。 觀者從他的創作當中多能感受到將負面的能量轉換成正面能量，因此得到生活中所需要的平衡與安靜。就像是心靈充電一樣，因著欣賞他的作品使生活體會到水的美好。他也將這種水流的概念用在人工籐的家俱製造上，他設計的人工籐沙發椅能讓坐在上面的人感受到一股和諧的温情， 因而產生正面的溝通，促進良好的關係。如今他的白金水流雕塑模型將搬到紐約市Artexpo New York, Pier 36, 3/30 - 4/2, 2023 來展覽，使紐约市的人民也有機會享受到他藝術的心流，從他的作品中體會到人與大自然的連結，進而享受由他的創作所帶來的正能量。 蔡育田的雕塑，平衡了人的內在的心靈與外在的生活， 使人回到了人之所以為人的初心。
LILY LIHTING LI KOSTRZEWA
Education
1997 MFA, Central Michigan University (Outstanding Graduate Student of the year '96)
1992 MA, Central Michigan University
1990 Studies at Ohio State University and Columbus Art Center, Ohio
1987 BFA, National Taiwan Normal University
Residencies
• Cultural Affairs Comebeck Limited, Saaland, Germany, ‘19
• Lansing Art Gallery, Lansing, MI (Chinese Painting and Talk) ‘16
• Riverside Art Center, Ann Arbor/ Ypsilanti, MI (Chinese Painting and Talk) ‘12
• Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, MI (Asian Art) ‘95, ‘96
• Kremser Literaturforum Summer Arts Residency, (summer) Krems, Austria (Painting) ‘94
• Lake Forest College, (summer) Lake Forest of Chicago area, IL (Chinese Painting and Chinese Calligraphy) ‘92
• World Youth Conference, (summer) San Antonio, TX (Chinese Painting) ‘88
Education
1997 MFA, Central Michigan University (Outstanding Graduate Student of the year '96)
1992 MA, Central Michigan University
1990 Studies at Ohio State University and Columbus Art Center, Ohio
1987 BFA, National Taiwan Normal University
Residencies
• Cultural Affairs Comebeck Limited, Saaland, Germany, ‘19
• Lansing Art Gallery, Lansing, MI (Chinese Painting and Talk) ‘16
• Riverside Art Center, Ann Arbor/ Ypsilanti, MI (Chinese Painting and Talk) ‘12
• Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, MI (Asian Art) ‘95, ‘96
• Kremser Literaturforum Summer Arts Residency, (summer) Krems, Austria (Painting) ‘94
• Lake Forest College, (summer) Lake Forest of Chicago area, IL (Chinese Painting and Chinese Calligraphy) ‘92
• World Youth Conference, (summer) San Antonio, TX (Chinese Painting) ‘88