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Solo Exhibition: Embroidered Emotions Project, Absence Theater, Taipei, Taiwan
刺字計劃
Embroidered
 Emotions Project
2020-2023

The Embroidered Emotions Project is an on-going project that began at the beginning of 2020. It discover how the structure of “words” and “language” can transform when the shape of them is being used as an abstract visual material. This work explores the relationship between verbal thinking and visual thinking and the possible clashing of the two. The goals are to keep investigating the content of language and visuals with various possibilities of subject matters and to explore the performativity of this concept through the different stages of development.

This project started with the title of another project

"I want to grow flowers on your wounds". The change of direction started with the realization of the title being powerful enough to be the work itself. As a bilingual person living in the United States and working with a second language, the artist is constantly experiencing two languages, the visuals linked with the languages, and the cultural difference behind the languages constantly switching and translating between one another in her brain every second. The anxious feeling of having different communication forms running in her head at high-speed all at the same time makes her want to focus on the essence and true nature of language and communication. With the time-intensive labor nature of embroidery, the artist not only trying to slow things down,but also, she is trying to ruminate the importance of words. The artist aim to use the energy from the abstract visual dimension to grasp the words and stop them from elapsing with time. While contemplating on the essence of language, the artist is also trying to detach the language and explore and reach the essence of communication.

 

After the artist started to develop the work, she discovered more interesting concepts from using words as material for abstract visuals. Before language was invented by humans, images and symbols were the way of communication. Since hieroglyph was a language that was transformed from images, the artist realized her decision of using the line of words to make abstract images, might be a way to push language further into visuals. Mankind developed image to language. Even though the ways of communication continue to get more complicated and accurate, they still have so many miscommunications when using languages. The fact that definition of abstraction is: a conceptual process where general rules and concepts are derived from the usage and classification of specific examples, literal signifiers, first principles, or other methods. Since abstracting is the process of extracting true meaning from literal things, it might be representing a most honest and direct way of communication.

《刺字計劃》源起於創作者鄒宗芮另一件作品的標題。意識到作品標題比作品本身更加具有能量,甚至那句話本身就可以成為一個作品。I Want to Grow Flowers on Your Wounds這個標題的力道,啟發創作者將文字本身的藝術性與直接將文字當作創作素材的可能。在完成 ”I Want to Grow Flowers on Your Wounds” 和“我知道我有一個可貴的靈魂只是我有時無法把她招喚出來” 第一幅英文和第一幅中文刺繡作品後,創作者將其概念延伸成為《刺字計畫Embroidered Emotions Project》,持續刺繡文字於布料上。

創作者在紐約生活的兩年期間,在連鎖服裝店打工。在帶著對講機的情況下隨時聆聽與回應,必須同時回答好幾個問題,得與人閒聊,開玩笑,與聽懂別人的玩笑。專注與分注交替運作,在這樣的語言使用狀態下,約五分鐘會學到一個新的英文單字,並且同時思考中文的字義。時常會花長時間思考翻譯的邏輯與語言構造產生的溝通落差。語言使用的落差,也影響到思考邏輯(對於這些稱謂差異的在乎程度),造成一些瑣碎的文化認知差異。

生活和工作體感緊湊,環境流動速度快,並且接觸的人群範圍極廣,需要不停地說話的日常,使創作者經歷速度極快的雙語言和圖像的切換。不止語言,包括思考都需雙軌急速靈活切換,語句在腦中同時用兩個語言飆速行駛的狀態造成創作者的不安。經由「刺繡」的體感與時間感,試圖將語言放慢,也試圖重複感受話語的重要性。在雙語日常中,試圖用圖像維度的能量抓緊並放慢語言流逝的速度。反覆思考「語言」的本質的同時,甚至嘗試抽離語言,盡可能地觸及「溝通」的本質。

 

開始發展作品,使用文字作為素材的抽象構圖經驗下,鄒宗芮從中得到更多思考與渴望探索的動機。在文字被人類發展出來之前,圖像和符號是人類溝通的方式。文字由象形而來,而運用文字做為視覺素材,發展出文字線條抽離意義形成的抽象圖像,是否也是一種更往未來推進的「象形」?人們從圖像發展至語言,溝通的樣態愈加複雜和精準,然而人類至今使用語言時卻還是存在著各種樣態的溝通失誤。

而「抽象」的定義正是:從眾多的具體事物中,抽取共同的、本質的屬性,捨棄個别的、非本質的屬性,從而形成概念。抽象為抽取具體事物的本質的過程,是否是一種最純粹、直面的溝通?由此意識到將文字構成抽象素材的行爲,是在同時輸出多重維度的訊息。

 

經歷上述探索旅程,鄒宗芮渴望持續透過創作這系列作品,實驗並探索文字與圖像之間結合的可能與關係。

所有的隱隱作痛都挺好的 (All of the dull aching are kind of nice) Medium: Embroidery thread on muslin Dimensions: 20" x 20" (50.8cm x 50.8cm) Date: 2021
畫畫 (Draw draw) Medium: Embroidery thread on muslin Dimensions: 20" x 26" (50.8cm x 66.04cm) Date: 2022
Words of wisdom Medium: Embroidery thread on muslin Dimensions: 20" x 33" (50.8cm x 83.82cm) Date: 2022
Words of wisdom Medium: Embroidery thread on muslin Dimensions: 20" x 33" (50.8cm x 83.82cm) Date: 2022
可是 (But) Medium: Embroidery thread and wool felt on cotton  Dimensions: 38" x 38" (96.52cm x 96.52cm) Date: 2022
I want to grow flowers on your wounds Medium: Embroidery thread on muslin Dimensions: 28" x 48" (71.12cm x 121.92cm) Date: 2020
我沒有辦法 Medium: Embroidery thread on mesh Dimensions: 47”x12” (119.38cm x 30.48cm)  Date: 2022
我沒有辦法 Medium: Embroidery thread on mesh Dimensions: 47”x12” (119.38cm x 30.48cm)  Date: 2022
我知道我有一個可貴的靈魂只是我有時無法把它召喚出來 (I know I have a precious soul, I just sometimes couldn’t summon it out) Medium: Embroidery thread on cotton canvas Dimensions: 17" x 24" (43.18cm x 60.96cm) Date: 2020
我知道我有一個可貴的靈魂只是我有時無法把它召喚出來 (I know I have a precious soul, I just sometimes couldn’t summon it out) Medium: Embroidery thread on cotton canvas Dimensions: 17" x 24" (43.18cm x 60.96cm) Date: 2020
我沒有辦法 Medium: Embroidery thread on mesh Dimensions: 47”x12” (119.38cm x 30.48cm)  Date: 2022
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