Perfection as if being refined with heat –Appreciating Hsu, Yung-Hsu’s Success in ceramics
In a competitive era, an attitude deriving from its influence is the “Outlook on Effectiveness,” which means the less effort you make, the more effectiveness you obtain. So-called “Contents of Endeavor” includes time, how absorbed the will is, whether or not the work is in succession, the capital of the materials consumed, and the sizes of the instruments, etc. Due to the meticulous essence of “Outlook on Effectiveness,” nowadays people are able to enjoy purchasing the exquisite daily product cheaply. It is so easy and timely to get those things that people get used to abandoning them in order to get the more useful stuff. The relationship between people and the “things” appears to be the exclusive utilization. In fact, such is not exact the way they used to be.
As my past impression of my childhood, we dried the gourds in the sun, cut them off, took the seeds out, and then used them as ladles to get water. The relationship between the gourd and water inspired us to try some creative ways and revised the ideas while in practice. The ladles are the products created by human beings; in other words, people manipulate the things creatively, thus, there is a subordinate connection between them. We not only require that the ladle will not leak and be handy, but also expect that its appearance is good-looking. According to the statement above, it is possible to assert the spirit of the Outlook on Effectiveness might exist right in it. On the other hand, we may definitely describe this phenomenon as a sort of excellent viewpoint, which consistently makes people strive for perfection. To be more specific, we are supposed to accept the limitations of the instruments or materials, attempt to meet the consumers’ requirement by rescheduling the procedure and revising the techniques while creating, and tolerate the infinite possibility of artificiality.
Progress is usually employed to define “ the increase of effectiveness.” This statement is approved when the factor – technique is involved in the effectiveness of industrial process. M. Weber states that progress is the concept, which can only apply to deal with the technical problem. In addition, it will not actually be able to improve anymore the aesthetic value of a piece of artwork by applying some specific progressive techniques. He continues to emphasize that the discovery of a new technique usually result in the lack of the sympathetic impression on the figures and styles. Neither regarding the aesthetic history as a simple procedure of the gradual evolution nor the progress on the methodology and techniques will not increase the value eventually. In summary, the aesthetic history remains the evolution and development instead of progress. Modern arts, which overuse the materials, prevent the artwork from the possibility of the artificial creativity. As a result, the artwork seems to lose its original creativity.
Creativity is indescribable. However, what has the arts created? Apparently, the painters do not create canvas or pigment, while the musicians do not create any musical instruments or stereo. They just utilize them to create something more valuable than themselves either on the styles or the appearances. Materials are like the referenced-criteria for an artwork, but the final product of creativity yields the realistic value. That is the reason why we still use clay the primitive material nowadays.
If it is certain that practicability was earlier than aesthetic appreciation and clay shaping was earlier than painting, and then both using clay to shape and using the pigment to draw are primitive. In the past, there were some people bantering “painting" as a “color play" or “Pigment game," in fact, no one can “play" the “color" instead manipulating it by using a paint brush to create their artwork. Clay shaping allows people to handle their work freely and thoroughly and it is more flexible than painting from this point of view. Strictly speaking, this is actually so-called “freedom, “because of its attributes such as directness and individualism. Of course, we can also enjoy the thorough sense of achievement by employing different substances to create; whereas clay shaping will provide much fun and the unexpected surprise – the probability of creativity. The difficulty of ceramics is when we anticipate the ceramic work in the kiln to become the way we expect. Clay-shaping work should be refined with the heat to be a piece of ceramic artwork finally. The space of the kiln will limit the artwork on its size, including the altitude, and width, etc. This is another difficulty of ceramics. I believe that the limitation of creativity is unpredictable forever, and there is no circumstance for one who wants to challenge and suppress his/her own. Observing Hsu’s latest works, I think that he is ambitious to overcome the difficulty of size, width, or altitude.
Hsu’s ceramic work is always attempting to get rid of the regular conventions. The original shape of ceramics is used as a practical container, and it is formed perfectly by a symmetrical machine under control. As H. Reed addresses, “Symmetrical matter is apt to be lackluster and result in the mechanical reiteration.” The structure of Hsu’s work often forms a closed or near-closed figure, thus, the difficulties of this sort of structure are: first, no way to mend the imperfect part, second, it won’t allow any portion of the work to be an independent one. That is, the whole work is supposed to be in a whole. Furthermore, considering the work size will shrink in the high heat, Hsu evenly arranges the clay on the surface of his work.
From 1994 to 1995, a series of Hsu’s work named in “Dance" displayed the natural figure by applying both simple and abstract skills. The figure of his work is subject to the styles. He combined the organic with organized principles to create his work, which looks obvious and representative. The figure of his work gives people the impression – emptiness and caves, which divided and shaped the figure, and increased its quantity and quality in its depth and spatial organization. The balance of external and internal force in his work developed an impression of rotation and endless circle. This is the combination of practical matters (clay) and artistic substances.
Like cooking, we usually cut the old and tough part of materials out. Similarly, we incline to overlook the branches of the figure while appreciating a piece of artwork. Visually, the artwork seems to be shrunk. The series of work – “Dance" have the bases on the bottoms, thus, the base supported the work to decrease this visual convention. Although Reed thinks that the base will make the work lose its focus, different from a plat base, Hsu’s reflective base will make an effect to increase the visible direction and confirm the visible zone, afterwards, it presents its forceful atmosphere.
After 1996, Hsu continued to create a series of work named “The Dramatic Life," which is been derived from the idea of “Dance," and remained the structure of “Dance," thrust the cone shaped clay into the work, and put on the mask to increase the mysterious sense and representative impression. The whole figure is displaying the balance of the upward and the plummet force. Nevertheless, the diversity of structure lacks the sense of balance as presented in “Dance."
Recently, Hsu is creating a series of “sitting people," which figures display the sense of humor as if they are seated steadily or they are inviting others to be seated. For instance, some of them named “As a King," “As a concubine," “Vigor, and “Challenge," are all excellent. Some of Hsu’s gigantic masterpieces combining upper and lower portions are basically following the idea of the “Sitting people," and present more significant impression. Instead of square, the circle base enhances the sense of condense and conciseness. Looking back to Hsu’s artwork in earlier and comparing with " Dance," and “Sitting People," it is obvious that its philosophy is from emphasis on the balance of motion to static balance. “Dance" series looks steady because their figures are shaped in a symmetrical way; whereas the body, dimensions, and surfaces of the “Sitting People" are limited in a sort of individual and independent situation.
Whether or not the artwork conveys Hsu’s care for Human Culture, or even represents the insecurity and intensiveness of our society, Hsu’s artwork is focusing on their structures purely and they possess its own life, not necessarily depends on the association with other related matters. To be more specific, Hsu manages to control shapes and materials successfully. He presents the tough appearance to enhance the importance of the figure. On the contrary, if he polishes the tough surface of his work, then the indescribable and profound attribute will not come out.
Transferring the passion on playing zither to ceramics, Hsu’s devoted passion always makes him be absorbed in his job. It is not doubtable that he is patient and tolerates the troubles he might encounter. Due to his absorption, the new ideas are coming into his mind endlessly and he tries to combine them in numerous ways. Perhaps, that is the source where his interests are from. We will anticipate seeing more and more of his masterpieces in the near future.