『 奇幻 - 特殊造型展 』
2019.2.22 - 3.23
在奇幻的世界裡，我們總是不清楚自己是在現實：還是在夢裡...奇幻的魅力一直不斷地在各領域注入新的可能帶來新的想像，不論是20世紀的藝術大師還是當代藝術與非洲部落對話總帶來特別的視覺感受。
在部落作品的背後感受到文化內涵的溫度，象徵形象的詮釋，從寫實的、具象的到半具象、抽象的表現，熟練地變換和運用，形式繁多，令人佩服的是，他們將自然資源與他們自己的想像力結合起來，創造出獨有的原始力量的作品，造型直覺式的表現，永遠充滿著無限可能。
這次的奇幻-特殊造型展，小巴廊精選出12件造型亮眼的作品，例如:剛果的三頭雕像、布吉納法索的人面獸身雕像、以及與經典米其林寶寶相似造型的象牙海岸夫妻雕像....等，期望大家能一同開啟充滿天馬行空想像的非洲部落藝術世界。
象牙海岸的賽奴佛族夫妻雕像，像層層的馬卡龍堆疊出身體，簡化雙臂轉換幾何柱體呈現，深色的礦物色料讓雕像顯得沉穩，堆疊狀的造型令人聯想到"米其林寶寶" - 胖嘟嘟的白色身軀、歡樂可愛的形象，標誌性的米其林寶寶自 1898 年起成為米其林的品牌大使，在世界各地廣為人知。美國塗鴉藝術家，KAWS 2016年作品Chum的靈感來自米其林人。這位藝術家利用虛 構的流行文化特徵，將它變成了一種獨特的創作，結合本身的藝術特徵形成視覺詞彙的完美體現。
罕見且造型特別的剛果守護雕像，簡化身軀以橢圓空心體的形式表現，期望從空洞可以預知未來與回顧過去，嵌入眼睛的貝殼，面部和底部上的金屬嚴謹的排列，除了代表聲望和力量的象徵也為作品帶來非凡的氣質與細膩。
Henry Spencer Moore（1898 - 1986）是一位英國藝術家。最出名的是半抽象紀念青銅雕塑，他的形式通常是抽象的人物，身體形狀通常看起來有點像山坡上的洞穴一個空心的表現。通過這種方式將人體與景觀聯繫起來。
剛果Lega族作品代表的是美麗，知識與權力交織一起的呈現。 Lega 作品童趣樸拙的造型，相較於其它部落作品風格，例如: 多貢族的抽象、包勒族的華麗、喀麥隆的權力....等等，Lega作品較精巧且帶有可愛療癒的幽默感。雕像: Lega的小雕像很少超過35公分高，大部分用木頭或象牙雕刻而成。 它們有喚起記憶的功能，在一定的範圍內幫助記憶先人流傳下來的故事和諺語描述的事物，例如許多頭部組成的小雕像，是用來喚起獵大象的獵人在看見獵物的同時能夠及時呼喚同伴的幫忙的能力。
剛果Lega 族 三頭雕像
此件作品是一個層級組織的最高級別，從一種知識狀態前進到另一種知識狀態。代表了公平，智慧和洞察力，能夠看到問題的各個方面，並了解周圍發生的一切事情。由一塊木材雕刻而成，一個大的頭部連結主體，兩個較小的頭部從肩部突出。每個頭部都有一個雕刻的臉，三個面中的每一個都是橢圓形的，有小孔眼和一個較大的口。奇幻精靈般的模樣相當具童趣感。
The enchanting charm of fantasy continually infuses new possibilities into various fields, bringing fresh imaginations. Whether it is the 20th-century art masters or the contemporary dialogue between art and African tribal art, it always offers a unique visual experience. Behind tribal artworks, there is a warm cultural depth, an interpretation of symbolic images, ranging from realistic, figurative to semi-figurative and abstract expressions, skillfully shifting and using various forms. What is truly admirable is how they combine natural resources with their own imagination to create works that possess unique primal power, with intuitive shapes that are always filled with infinite possibilities.
In this special fantasy - unique shapes exhibition, the gallery has carefully selected 12 striking works, such as the three-headed sculpture from Congo, the human-animal hybrid sculpture from Burkina Faso, and the Ivory Coast couple sculpture, which resembles the classic Michelin Baby figure. The hope is for everyone to step into the fantastical world of African tribal art full of limitless imagination.
The Ivory Coast Senufo couple sculpture features bodies stacked in layers like macarons, with simplified arms forming geometric columns. The dark mineral pigments give the sculpture a steady and grounded feel, and the stacked form reminds one of the "Michelin Baby" – the round, white body with a joyful and cute image. Since 1898, the Michelin Baby has become the mascot of Michelin and is widely recognized worldwide. The American graffiti artist, KAWS, in his 2016 work Chum, was inspired by the Michelin character. The artist used the fictional pop culture icon and transformed it into a unique creation, combining his own artistic traits to form a perfect visual vocabulary.
The rare and uniquely shaped Congo guardian sculpture simplifies the body into an oval hollow form, suggesting that from the emptiness, one can foresee the future and reflect on the past. The embedded shell eyes and the strict arrangement of metal at the face and base not only symbolize prestige and power but also bring extraordinary temperament and delicacy to the piece.
Henry Spencer Moore (1898-1986), a British artist, is most famous for his semi-abstract bronze sculptures, often depicting abstract human figures. His forms usually resemble hollow representations of bodies, linking the human form to the landscape. The Congo Lega tribe's works represent the intertwining of beauty, knowledge, and power. The Lega works, with their childlike simplicity, are more refined and carry a humorous, healing charm, unlike other tribal works, such as the abstract styles of the Dogon tribe, the ornate designs of the Baule tribe, or the power representations of Cameroon.
The Lega tribe's small sculptures rarely exceed 35 cm in height, and most are carved from wood or ivory. These sculptures have a memory-evoking function, helping recall the stories and proverbs passed down by ancestors. For example, many small head sculptures are meant to remind elephant hunters to call for help from their companions when spotting their prey. The Congo Lega three-headed sculpture represents the highest level of knowledge and wisdom, advancing from one state of knowledge to another. It symbolizes fairness, wisdom, and insight, enabling one to see all aspects of a problem and understand everything happening around them. Carved from a single piece of wood, it features a large head connecting to the main body, with two smaller heads protruding from the shoulders. Each head has a carved face, all three faces are oval-shaped, with small eyes and a larger mouth. The whimsical, elf-like appearance is quite endearing.
