李光裕空身幻影般的深刻心境

文/廖仁義

李光裕的雕塑銜接了台灣雕塑家前後兩個時期的寫實思維與抽象思維。在李光裕之前，從日治時代以來，台灣就已經呈現出極為成熟的寫實雕塑，例如黃土水、蒲添生與陳夏雨；而在二次大戰結束以後也已經發展出非常前衛的抽象雕塑，例如陳庭詩、楊英風與李再鈐。而做為一個在1950年代出生的雕塑家，李光裕雖然跟他們並沒有師承關係，但是在他的造形思維的發展過程中，我們依然可以看出他一方面延續了極為嚴謹的寫實功夫，另一方面卻也積極地在開拓抽象語彙。

李光裕在1954年出生於台灣高雄，1975年畢業於國立藝專（國立台灣藝術大學前身）雕塑科。隨後在1978年前往西班牙繼續雕塑創作的研究，1982年畢業於聖費南多（Ｓ．Fernando）藝術學院，又在1983年獲得西班牙馬德里大學美術學院碩士，返台後任教於國立藝術學院（現在的國立台北藝術大學）美術系，直到2006年退休，迄今繼續潛心創作。

抒情寫意

回視李光裕接受雕塑養成教育的1970年代中期台灣，那是傳統與現代、本土與西化正在激烈纏鬥的一個年代。年輕的李光裕當時已經意識到這個衝突，也曾經備受困擾，但是這一切紛擾，在他負笈西班牙求學而後返國任教以來，似乎都已消解；他的創作已經完全自主地走出他自己的道路，所有關於東方與西方、或者傳統與現代的糾葛，都已不再是困擾。一方面這是因為１９８０年代以來，台灣已經逐漸轉變為一個藝術觀點多元並存的社會，二方面也是因他的創作既是現代雕塑，卻也融合了傳統元素；既有來自西方的技法，卻也蘊含東方的意境。在被界定為現代雕塑的台灣藝術家之中，李光裕已經成為以抒情與寫意做為中心思想的代表人物，他的美學選及其出路，值得我們持續關注。

得意忘象

李光裕早期雖也接觸過各種雕塑媒材與技法，但近年來專政塑造，主要是因為泥塑最能讓他表現造形的各種活動狀態，及其豐富的情感與情境。

從年青時代，李光裕就已專注於身體的塑造，遍及人類與動物的身體。不論是身體的全部或局部，都能表現出栩栩如生的生命力。在1980年代中期前後，李光裕對身體造形的掌握己經達到純熟，也以寫實的技法完成許多至今膾炙人口的作品。他以人體為題材所完成的幾件作品，不論是處在任何姿勢與動作，都能維持身體的合理性：也就是說，不論是多麼誇張的姿勢或動作，都符合以身體的整體結構與運動原理為依據的合理狀態，例如1988年的《蛻變》。他也曾經以貓做為題材，依其不同姿勢與動作，完成多件作品。這些作品，不僅能透過身體的外型與運動，讓物質媒材釋放出生命的表情，而且也讓我們能從動物的身體外型，彷彿觀看到身體內部那些看不到的生命機能；更確切地說，他塑造出動物的情感與心境，例如1988年的《聽動》。

這個時期，他也開始探索身體局部的造形，開始研究手掌與腳掌。但是，這些作品已經出現不同於寫實的思維特色，它們不再固守寫實的形狀，開始流露形上學的觀點。或許一方面，這是因為他開始講究造形的神韻多過於造形的形象；或許另一方面，這也是因為他自己的身體在這時期開始出現體力與心力的危機，他正在尋求改造自己身體的途徑，因而在作品中明顯流露出藝術家探索自己生命難題的痕跡。例如1986年的《手非手》與1990年的《幽蘭》，一隻手掌飽滿地撐起了一個世界，那是堅挺的巨峰，也是豐饒的大地；它那圓實的手心與每一根手指的關係，除了凸顯出凝聚的生命力整體，也表達出肢體形象之外更深遠的意境；既是佛手的傳統意象，亦是眾生覺悟的手象。

其實年輕時期的李光裕好讀老莊，返國後又涉佛學以解生命艱難，所以我們不會驚訝他這時期作品呈現形上學性格。也因此，我們可以發現，他的作品名稱從描繪形象與動作的詞彙，逐漸轉變為營造意境的詞彙。例如1986年的《湧泉》，雖是一隻孤立腳掌，但是它寬厚的體型與撲拙的肌理，卻充滿著沛然莫之能禦的自然生機。這種形上學所要探索的不是物體背後的原理，而是近乎魏晉文人所說的：「得意忘象，得象忘言」。這既是李光裕的美學立場，也是他的生命立場。

借景造境

或許也是為了表達這種立場，李光裕作品中講究意境的營造。自1980年代後期與1990年代初期以來，他採用中國傳統園林建築所說的借景，透過門窗的設計，使建築實體經由空間虛體，創造出更多層次的空間結構，一則內外穿透，二則前後相通，三則有無相依。

在李光裕作品中，借景被運用於許多創作表現。首先，李光裕將借景運用於身體的結構表現。例如1990年的《妙有》，作品實體是一尊靜坐的僧人，但是在僧人的上半身卻挖空一個正方形，形成一個虛體。如此一來，身體便失去內外之分，他的空間亦無前後之隔，而其生命的存在狀態也就不需有無之辨。

這種結構表現，既有視覺結構，亦有審美觀點，更有生命境界；從此，也就成為李光裕日後作品的一大特色，一再被運用於不同的作品中。

其次，他將借景運用於手掌的結構表現。例如1991年《臨風》與1996年的《幽谷》，雖然一隻手掌在其五指之間，原本就有指縫為其虛體，不需另外挖空，但是李光裕卻在手掌上原本飽滿的部位留下裂口，讓手掌上彷彿乍現山水；也就是說，手掌不再只是手掌，而是山水妙境，亦是心門已無執著。

第三，他也將借景運用在身體結構中，進而轉換為空間象徵。例如1996年的《山隱》，先是在手掌中挖空一個方形，然後在挖空處一人靜坐。此一手法除了延續前述各個層次的空間結構，也將手掌轉換為修行空間的象徵，彷彿意味著山林近在掌心，立地即可成佛。

其實，在李光裕的作品中，借景並非是只是為了建立空間結構，而是為了造境；所謂境，既是意境，也是心境。也因此，在近年的作品中，更多的時候，他不見得把借景運用於空間結構，而是運用於心境的描繪。例如在這次展出的新作《無逝歲月》中，一名女性身體無憂無慮徜徉在一片荷葉之中，便是在描寫一種心境；雖然青春短暫、歲月無情，宛如一片荷葉之茂盛與凋萎，但在生機盎然的此刻，美麗與歡愉既可以是剎那、也可以是永恆。藝術家的巧思與巧手已經把這個片刻化做永遠，關鍵在那片荷葉所提供的借景作用，增添了整件作品的視覺性、文學性與戲劇性，充滿著情感張力，使觀者產生想要置身其中的意念。

空身幻影

雖然我們說李光裕的作品在於探索與表現境界，但是當我們近身去看他這幾年的作品時，卻不忍心

去說這只是一個藝術家為了創作而去表現的一個形式，那好像是指他是為賦新詞強說愁。事實上，人生已到坐五望六的李光裕，創作能力雖已飽滿成熟，卻日漸面對生命之殘缺與有盡。也就是說，李光裕的作品之所以表現豐富的意境與深刻的心境，其實是為了面對生命的殘缺與有盡。他是一位以藝術創作來安頓生命困惑的藝術家，試圖安頓的或許是他個人的生命困惑，也或許是芸芸眾生都會遭遇的困惑。例如《不知年》與《頑童》這樣的作品，雖然帶著趣味，卻也是一種對年少輕狂的眷戀；例如《故鄉》，雖是一間瓦窯，其實卻道出藝術家的傷逝；例如《雨》，雖然表現性愛歡愉，卻也只不過是對肉身的讚美與感嘆。即使如此，這些以生活點滴為題材的近年作品，一方面證明了李光裕是一個擅長抒情的好手，他生動地記錄了每一個即將消逝的片刻；而另一方面，更重要的是，他這種重回生活場景的尋訪，說明了他作品所要表現的境界不在遠方，而在眼前──即使眼前的這一切瞬間就會消逝，卻都可以靜觀。

李光裕的創作思維中，一方面是對身體的讚美，另一方面是對身體的煩惱。《飛天》是讚美身體的經典，充滿由內至外的激情，彷彿隨即就要離地飛舞。動靜之間，準確掌握了造形每一個瞬間的姿勢與動作；動靜相隨，並無間斷，形成一個完整的情節。至於他對身體的煩腦，其實也瀰漫在許多作品中，此次的展覽便是一個最佳例子，它訴說一種滄桑。

這次的展覽，李光裕自己給了一個標題《空身幻影》，可以說是他近年心境的寫照。做為一個一邊禮佛一邊創作的藝術家，面對著身體帶來的觀樂與煩惱，他努力放空身體 ，一旦空身，便也看到生命悲也好喜也好，盡是幻影，無掛無礙 。其中《荷畔》這件作品，一方面標題引領著視覺，似乎是在描寫人體與荷葉合而為一，但作品中人的身體亦實亦虛，遁入荷葉殘影之間，似乎是在透過造形的正負虛實結構，描繪身體的虛幻，洞察生命似有似無的奧義。

在李光裕的創作思維中，滿也是空，實也是虛，有也是無。從他的作品中，我們可以看到一個藝術家為了安頓生命困惑的一個轉身，從有執到無執的那一轉身；那既是一個造形的轉身，亦是一個生命的轉身。一轉身，悲喜已成幻影。

Life Illusion of Bodies-A Solo-Show

Lee, Kuang-Yu

Lee Kuang-Yu’s sculptures connect the realism period and the abstract period of Taiwan sculpture. Since the Japanese colonization period, Taiwan sculpture showed a very mature realism style. The works of Huang Tu-Shui Pu, Tian-Sheng and Chen Xia-Yu exemplified the style of this period. After WWII, a very avant-garde abstract sculpturing style was formed, represented by the works of Chen Ting-Shi, Yang, Ying-Feng and Li Zai-Qian. As an artist born in the 1950’s, Li Kuang-Yu did not have a student-teacher relationship with the above artists, but through the progression of his creative methodology, we can see that he has continued on the meticulous realism style in his work while also actively expanding his methods of abstract expression

Lee Kuang-Yu was born in Kaohsiung in 1954 and graduated in 1975 from the National Arts School, which is the predecessor of the National Taiwan University of Arts. In 1978, Li went to Spain to continue his studies on sculpture, and in 1982 he graduated from the S. Fernando Royal Academy of Fine Arts. In 1983, Li received his master’s degree from the College of Arts at Madrid College, and returned to Taiwan to teach at what is now the Taipei National University of the Arts. He retired in 2006 and continues to sculpt to this day.

Expressing emotions and meanings

In mid 1970’s, which is the time period in which Li was receiving his art education, there was a fierce struggle between traditional and modern ideals and also between local and Western ideals in Taiwan. Back then, Li was aware of these conflicts, and he was confused by all the arguments and conflicts. But all his confusion disappeared once he returned to Taiwan from Spain, and by then there was already a distinct personal style in his works. All the confusion and conflict between East and West as well as between traditional and modern ideals did not bother him anymore, mainly because of two reasons. One is that in the 1980’s, Taiwan had already become a society with diverse artistic viewpoints. The other reason is that Li’s works integrate traditional elements into modern sculpture, and he combines Western techniques with Eastern concepts. Before becoming a modern sculptor, Li was already a representative figure for artists that focus on expressing emotions and meanings. Thus, we should pay close attention to his aesthetic choices and artistic direction.

It has been 25 years since Li returned to Taiwan, and he is still creating new sculptures to this day. Like other artists whose styles have matured, Li never pays attention to the debates on the time characteristics of art. In recent years, Li has created many works, but has not held many personal art exhibits. Thus, every one of his personal exhibits is an important art event and can provide clues to let us see his progression as he explores art modeling. The “Life Illusion of Bodies” exhibit, jointly organized by the Taipei National University of The Arts, Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts and the Impressions Art Gallery, is the biggest exhibition that Li has held. 50 sculptures will be shown in this exhibit, and they include works Li created over the past 20 years as well as the works he made after his retirement. This exhibit allows viewers to see the representative works in each of Li’s creation periods and also examine how his attention to detail and modeling concepts progressed over the years.

Understanding the meaning, not the form

In his early days, Li tried out many types of art mediums and techniques, but in recent years he has focused solely on sculpture because clay sculptures allow him to best express movements, diverse emotions and various settings.

Li has focused on making sculptures of human and animal bodies since he was a young artist. He was able to sculpt vivid and realistic body parts as well as whole bodies. In the mid to late 1980’s, Li’s body sculpting techniques matured, and he created many works that are still highly praised to this day. His sculptures of the human body maintain a logical posture no matter what position they are in or what movement they are doing, meaning that all body positions and movements, no matter how exaggerated, still comply with the logical overall body structure and motion principles. In the series “Metamorphosis” of 1988, Li used cats as a theme to create many works that showed cats in various positions and movements. These works not only used the exterior shape and motion of bodies to show the life and emotional expressions of the art medium but also allows viewers to seemingly see the biological functions inside the body by viewing the exterior. To put it more precisely, Li is able to create emotions and feeling in his animal sculptures. One example of such a work is “Listening, Hearing”, which was made in 1988.

Li also started to explore the shaping of body parts in the mid 1980’s, starting from the feet and hands. However, at this time, his works also started to deviate from realism. His works no longer adhered to real shapes and started to show elements of metaphysics. This change of style may have been because his body started to show signs of breaking down, both physically and mentally, and in the process of finding ways to rehabilitate his body, his works started to show how he dealt with this crisis in his life. Examples would be the works “Hand not hand” in 1986 and “Secluded Orchid” in 1990. In these works, a hand is supporting a world in its grasp, representing giant mountains and fertile lands. The relationship between the round and full palm and the fingers serve to show the galvanizing life force as well as a deeper meaning beyond the visual exterior. These tow works show the traditional meanings of the hand in Buddhist culture and also represent the hand signs that signify awakening of the people.

In his younger days, Li liked to read works by Laozi and Zhuangzi. After he returned to Taiwan from Spain, he started to delve into Buddhism to solve difficulties in his life. Thus, it is not surprising that his works in the 1980’s show a strong metaphysic style. The names of the works during this period went from describing the form and movement of the work to names that creates an artistic conception. An example of a name that signifies an art concept is the work “Flowing Spring” in 1986. The lone and isolated foot in the work shows an undeniable natural vitality through its wide and thick shape as well as its plain and dull skin texture.

Metaphysics does not explore the principles behind objects, but tries to find what the intellectuals of the Wei and Jin dynasties refer to as “The meaning, not the form; The message, not the words.” This phrase sums up Li Kuang-Yu’s aesthetic and life views.

Using scenes to create an artistic conception

In order to express his aesthetic and life views, Li’s works stresses the creation of artistic conceptions. Since the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, Li started to use the “borrowed landscape” method of landscape architecture in his works. He used this method, which is seen in traditional Chinese traditional landscape architecture, to design doors and windows to give a multi-layered spatial structure to buildings via virtual space. Through this method of “borrowing landscapes”, the inside and outside of works are intermingled, the front and back are connected, and the virtual and the real are integrated.

In Li’s works, the method of borrowing landscapes is used in many areas. First, Li uses this method to show the structures of the bodies in his works. For example in the work “Mysterious Existence” created in 1990, a monk is show sitting quietly. There is a square hollowed-out portion in the upper body of the monk, forming a virtual body. Thus, there is no difference between the inside or outside of the monk’s body and no differentiation of the front and back within the space he dwells in. As a result, there is no need to distinguish whether his life truly exists or not. This type of structural expression combines visual structures, aesthetic views and life experiences. This form of expression is a main trait in Li’s works and is used in many of his works.

Li also used the borrowing landscape technique in expressing the structure of hands. In the works “In the Wind” in 1991 and “Secluded Valley” in 1996, Li put gaps in the palms of the hands in these works, even though there are already gaps between the fingers of a hand to serve as virtual body parts. This makes it look as if there are mountains and rivers on the palms, meaning that these palms are not merely parts of a hand, but also mountains and rivers and other landscapes, showing that the heart is pure with no worries.

Finally, Li uses the method of borrowing landscape to express body structures and to transform these structures into symbolizations of space. An example would be the work “Hidden Mountain” done in 1996. In this work, a square-shaped area is hollowed out of the palm of the hand, and a person sits within this hollowed-out area. This method of expression continues the layered spatial structure described before and also transforms the palm into a symbolic place for meditation, seemingly saying that mountains and forests can be found in one’s palm, and that one can become a Buddha whenever and wherever one wants to.

In Li Kuang-Yu’s works, the borrowing landscape method is not only used to establish a spatial structure but also to create an artistic conception. A conception can be a meaning or a state of mind. Thus, in Li’s recent works, he uses the borrowing landscape method not to create a spatial structure but to describe a state of mind. An example is the new work in this exhibition “Stopped Time”. In this work, a woman lies on a lotus leaf, seemingly without a care in the world. This work depicts a state of mind: although youth is short-lived and the passage of time relentless, much like the growth and withering of a lotus leaf, in this moment of vigor and vitality, beauty and happiness can happen for an instant and last forever. The ingenious thoughts and dexterous hands of the artist has forever engraved the moment of happiness onto a work of art, and the lotus leaf fully brought out the borrowed landscaped effect to enhance the visual, literary, dramatic and emotional effect of the work, making viewers want to become as one with the work.

Empty Illusions

In the above paragraphs, we see that Li Kuang-Yu’s works focus on exploring and expressing meanings and state of minds. However, when we look at his works in recent years, we know, but don’t want to admit that those works were made because he needed to make new things, because that is akin to saying that he is creating for the sake of creating. In reality, Li, who is nearly sixty years old, has a matured creative ability, but he is gradually starting to face the incompleteness and limits of life.

This means that the reason Li’s works show abundant artistic conceptions and emotions is because he is faced with the incompleteness and limits of life. Li is an artist that uses art to help settle his confusions in life. What he is trying to settle may perhaps be his personal confusion or perhaps questions that confuse everyone. For examples, the works “Unknown year” and “Naughty Child” have an element of fun, but also represent a longing for the carelessness and unbridled freedom of youth. The work “Hometown” is a kiln, but it actually represents the artist’s sadness. The work “Rain” shows the joyfulness of sex, but it is actually merely praise and longing for youthful bodies. Whatever their meanings may be, these works, which uses bits and pieces of Li’s life as creative themes, show that Li Kuang-Yu is an expert at expressing emotions because he vividly recreated every moment that lasted for only an instant. What’s more important is that through depicting the scenes in life, it shows that the artistic concepts his works want to express lie not in the distance, but is right in front of us. Even if everything in front of us vanishes in the blink of an eye, it can still be viewed from his works.

Li’s creative methodology incorporates praise and worry for the body. The work “Flying in the Sky” is a classic work about praise for the body. In the work, passion flows from the inside to outside, seemingly about to take off and dance at any time. The work accurately depicts body positions and movements in every moment. Movement and stillness within the work are integrated together into a complete scene. His worry for the body also embodies itself in a number of works, especially in the works at this exhibit, which tells of the vicissitudes of life.

Li chose “Life Illusions of Bodies” as the name for this exhibit, and this phrase represents his state of mind in recent years. As an artist that believes in Buddhism and who continually creates new works, Li has tried to let go of his body when faced with the happiness and worries that it has brought about. Once he was able to let go, he saw that the happiness and sadness that life brings are all illusions, and thus he is not worried anymore. The work “Beside the Lotus Pond” shows this state of mind that Li has reached. The name of the work seems to show us that the work is about the human body and lotus leaf becoming as one, but the human body in the work is both virtual and real, floating in the shadows of the lotus leaves. Li seems to use positive negative, virtual and real shapes to depict the illusory body and observe the deep meanings of life that may or may not exist.

In Li Kuang-Yu’s creative methodology, full is empty, and something is also nothing. From his works, we can see an artist’s turning point in settling his confusion about life, going from being confused and worried to not worrying at all. It was a turning point for his art creation as well as his life. From that point on, happiness and sadness became illusions.