Seats—Hsu Yung-Hsu Open Air Ceramics Sculpture
Since prehistoric age there were wall paintings in caves. Between art and the history of human life there is an inseparable relationship. And pottery is closely bound up with human life. It even cannot escape from the fate of its practical functions. After World War II, the artistic activities of human beings developed prosperously like the springing up of mushrooms. People’s disagreement to the social phenomena, the release of their mental wounds after war and the emotional reaction of their unrest minds were all expressed through various kinds of artistic forms. Thus, ceramics works were also released from the shattered shackles of practicality. In recent years, the exhibition of ceramics works, no matter the practicality-oriented or for decoration performance, are presented in diversified appearance.
Since the ability and brilliance of Hsu Yung-Hsu（He is a ceramics artist of Taiwan） was started being seen in the circle of ceramic art, he did not want to jump into the traditional muddy mire of ceramics works, in which artists repeatedly made the same chemical experiments and same work of stylistic changes. All along he hopes that he is an observer of social pulses. He wants to use his eyes to understand the interaction between man and society. Therefore, no matter on the themes of “dance,” performance of “drama,” or simulation of “seats,” he has been holding a consistent idea – to transform clay to a living organism, and let it speak out what he wants to say.
“ceramics” has a fragile property. In the process of making, heating and delivery, any mistake in any step might bring about a re-making. This is where Hsu Yung-Hsu is fascinated at. Through the sense of uncertainty, he can express his views and feelings. Today the social status has changed drastically from an agricultural society to a modern society. People can achieve new information more and more speedily than before. The so-called “e” generation is commonly heard in our ears. Gradually people’s lives lose their selves in the idea of self-hedonism. Trust, suspicion, enjoyment, decadence, power, reputation, benefits, contribution can be by their sides. The interaction and intermingling between man and man, man and things, man and space seem to be tense and uneasy. This superficial situation appeared is just like a symbol of peaceful and harmonious society. Behind the scene, there are lots of people trying to cheat or outwit other people, or calculating other people gains and loss. But sometimes through human concerns of traditional society, everybody seems to be wearing hypocritical mask. While they are hoping to share other people’s secrets, they are afraid that those people would see through them as well. These paradoxical plots have been performing in all corners of the society. They are also abundantly found in the language of the works of Hsu Yung-Hsu.
In the very beginning Hsu Yung-Hsu made use of the unstable property of ceramics to create the body language of dancers’ rhythmic acts, and present them in the virtual and realistic space. He brought out the intimate and threatening tension language incisively and vividly. Then in 2000 one of his works, “seats,” Hsu Yung-Hsu has a more amazing performance. He hides his astonishing skill of high degree of difficulty. Instead, he used exaggerating foot, and adopts his dream-making tools to simulate the busy life of people. He presents how people walk in fast paces and stop by in the human journey full of busy, indistinct and blind realms. Human bodies are carved by him into various kinds of chairs, symbolizing the different roles played by the public in the society. No matter the king’s features, the fatal citizens, the wanderers by the street, the cautious ones, free-willed ones, and hegemonic ones can be found in the exhibition hall. When you trace and appreciate his works carefully, you will find it not difficult to understand the artist’s careful arrangement. You can also figure out which role suits you well, or which seat you should sit on.
All the time Hsu Yung-Hsu is not satisfied with the current situation. This time he put his pottery work, “seats” at the open air exhibition area of Ju Ming Museum. This is an exclamation mark of the circle of ceramics arts at the end of the century! From traditional to pioneering, from practical use to collection, from daily-life container to precious artistic work, no matter it is a large or small work, no matter it is modernistic or post-modernistic, each of his ceramics works has a fragile property. The stage for presentation of them can never escape from the protection of buildings. Therefore, there appears a protective screen between artists and audience. But this time Hsu Yung-Hsu turns to break through the frame of building. He brings his performing stage to outdoors and gives an experimental performance.
Through this opportunity of open air exhibition, Hsu Yung-Hsu hopes to shatter people’s myths towards ceramics arts for a long time. He also wants to stay away from the traditional burden of ceramics works. Through ceramics, which is a kind of material being most intimate with human beings, he hopes to extend his meditation, understanding and his uneasy mood towards the social phenomenon, to infinity. The internalized minds and feelings of Hsu Yung-Hsu are transformed to magnified works. Through his works, he intends to arouse and bring about the audience’s another kind of shock, sympathy and new visual feelings of audience. Let the four dimensions, i.e. the viewers, works, artists and space in exhibition hall, create an interaction. He combines the internal spiritual thinking with the external presentation forms, and send them out to audience so as to achieve the overall internal artistic qualities of the time. Then the artist, his works and the audience can have an interaction to reach a sympathy and self-examination, which become the life bodies of spirit. This will be a main subject os artistic activities in the next century. The open air exhibition of Hsu Yung-Hsu is an unprecedented exhibition of him. But I think this is absolutely not an unique one. In the next century he must give a more surprising performance. Just let us wait and see!