黯黑的放浪者–油畫

2017-2020

楊茂林歷來的繪畫作品之所以觸動人心，引起共鳴，不只是他每個階段切入的核心價值、對於意識形態與慣性審美的挑戰，更因其豐饒優異的繪畫性對於人們感知系統的勾引與感動。即使是早年看似大塊面的圖像，近看卻是複雜的肌理、色彩融疊以及變化細微的筆觸，藝術史的學習 讓我們熟悉他的作品在出版品與數位圖片所留給我們的鮮明圖像，引申畫布作為介質，它同時隱含著歷史皺褶的視域迭代，以及藝術家符應時代而求變的形式探索與轉化，若有機會看到原作，更能從中瞭悟（verstehen）楊茂林繪畫性的能力與野心。

楊茂林在畫布上的創作，無論題材為何，習慣先在心中構圖之後，依照心裡的佈局在畫布上打底，不同部位以不同的打底劑，或粗礫、或濃稠、斑剝、細膩、吸水性的、排水性的…做出擦、塗、灑、點等痕跡，即便白色或單色區域，同樣進行打底肌理的處理，經過層疊的築底工序，使得作品具有深邃而韻致渾厚的變化，「黯黑的放浪者」系列所呈現的深海意象，尤其需要多層次的基底。

張力的構圖是楊茂林最擅長經營的手法，他慣習從破格的構圖著手，再以其它逐步進行完成的圖像來創造對峙或是平衡的關係，這種習於險巇不恃安逸的構圖方式，使其作品因冒險而充滿獨特的奇趣。

此外，楊茂林的繪畫，即使在巨大的畫面上也會刻意留下明顯手感的效果，因此除了畫筆之外，亦大量使用油畫棒、油畫條，透過線條與塗擦，留下感性的手跡。這些技法與多種畫法的深海物種：有卡漫鮮豔誇張的畫法、素描線條式的單色畫法、直接把銅塑的魚帶入畫面…，楊茂林率性而又胸有成竹的，回到畫布上進行他步履不停的探求。

 

Wanderers of the Abyssal Darkness–Oil Painting ｜ 2017-2020

The reason why Yang Mao-Lin’s paintings are so moving and resonating is not only because of the core values that he has focused on in each stage of his art career and the challenges he has posed to ideology and conventional aesthetics but also due to the way his rich and extraordinary paintings can entice and move people’s perceptions. Even the compositions with seemingly large planes and blocks from his early years, complex textures, overlapping colors, and intricate brushstrokes are still observed when viewed up close. Art history documents and digital images have allowed the audience to become acquainted with his vivid pictures, and with the canvas as a medium, the folds and creases of history in the repetition of what is seen are suggested, and the artist’s formal exploration and transformation in response to the changes of the times are also conveyed. Upon seeing his original works, one can further understand Yang’s painterly ability and ambition.

No matter which subject he was working on, Yang Mao-Lin’s habit is to conjure up a mental composition first before he paints, and he then applies different primers to different parts of the canvas according to the layout in his mind, and maybe it’s with coarse gravel or perhaps it is a primer that is thick, flaking, delicate, absorbent, or moisture-wicking…and he would then make rubbing, smearing, sprinkling, dabbing, and other assortments of marks. These steps of textural priming are also done on both white and monochromatic areas, and after the multi-layered base-building process, the artwork created can then take on deep and rich textural variations. This multi-layered priming is especially essential for the impression of the deep sea depicted in the Wanderers of the Abyssal Darkness series.

Dynamic composition is an approach that Yang specializes in. He prefers to start with an unconventional composition and then gradually completes the image to create a confronting or balanced relationship. This kind of risky and unsettling approach to composition fills his artworks with an unusual sense of adventure.

Furthermore, Yang deliberately leaves obvious tactile marks on his paintings, even on his large-scale pieces. Therefore, besides using paintbrushes, he also makes extensive use of oil sticks or oil bars to make lines and smears, which leave sensual gestural marks on his paintings. These techniques are used by the artist to paint vivid deep-sea creatures and have resulted in paintings that showcase a variety of styles, including cartoon-like bright and exaggerated colors, monochromatic outline sketches, and the incorporation of bronze sculptural fish in his paintings. Yang Mao-Lin is forthright and bold, and as he shifts his focus back on the canvas, his never-ending quest continues to unfold.

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