悲 愴 之 美
巴黎大學西洋美史博士/
台灣師大美術研究所教授
王哲雄
自從一九一二年康定斯基（Wassily Kandinsky）出版了一本「藝術的精神性」（Du spirituel dans l’art ）抽象繪畫理論著述之後，抽象藝術被視為是一種內在精神需求最直接的表達形式。繪畫也就不再是純視覺領域的「能見世界」，它寧為藝術家發自心窩深處的「精神層面」的寫照。
林勤霖的作品之「精神層面」是凝聚在對「時間的關懷」，然而他不是以未來主義所強調的「速度」（vitesse）及動力論（dynamisme）來詮釋時間因素在繪畫作品中的重要性，相反的，他是以「永恆性」（permanence）來反映時光的流逝，就像他的雜記所寫：「一具銷耗的石磨，一方破敗的墓碑；斷坦殘壁，落葉飄零。」所以在某些方面，他與西班牙畫家安東尼 .塔畢耶斯Antoni Tapies (1923~） 對時間的關注有類似的感受。這種辛棄疾式的憂戚、這種莎士比亞式的悲劇美，正是林勤霖新浪漫主義心緒的源泉。
基本上，林勤霖作畫的態度是建立在「不事先營設」的原則上，以超現實主義的「自動運作論」（l’automatisme），將顏料快速地在畫布上緃橫掃塗，讓「偶然意外」效果達到最高極限。等到他再度看到那「不經心」的畫面之時，「想像力」與「省視力」兩種相互制衡的常態心理，開始就既成的圖式，找尋他所需要的形，這是「發現」的過程。顏料不斷地往畫面堆疊，形與色卻越來越趨於單純和協調，最後漸漸地變成黑、灰、藍灰為主調的畫面。藝術家為了使「時間」因素更能透過材質的斑剝、突現或隱晦，表達他那一份悲愴的情懷，他不惜使用堆砌、噴灑、擦刮的技法，讓材質美有助於感情的駕馭。
就畫面的結構來說，林勤霖喜歡採用水平並列、垂直對稱、十字構成的架式，即使是浮凸在畫布表面而略成三角形的白色塊，依舊是循此原則排列。然而，林勤霖非常巧妙地利用噴槍噴霧的方法，將這種近乎機械式的結構，混溶成比較抒情的畫面，好比面對風雨蝕刻下的殘牆老壁，令人勾起一股染上淡淡憂愁的思古幽情。
如果在層次變化的處理上能夠更豐富、更周詳；該露骨的筆觸絕不保留，該含蓄的色塊就得深藏不露，其次，色彩方面也可以做某種程度的彈性調整，不要使每一張畫的感覺太接近，那麼林勤霖的抽象繪畫當可以為國內的現代藝術添上異彩。 －Feb.1989
THE BEAUTY OF MELANCHOLY
by Wang Joseph C.H.
Doctor of Western Art History Sorbonne Paris IV University
Professor of Arts Research Institute, National Taiwan normal University
Since the publication of ‘Du Spirituel dans l’art’ regarding the theory of abstract painting by Wassily Kandinsky in 1912, abstract art has been viewed as the most direct means to express one’s internal spiritual essentiality. Painting is no longer a ‘physical world’ of visual scope. Rather it is the exploration of spiritual realm deep in artist’s heart.
The spiritual aspect of Lin’s work focuses on the ‘solicitude of time.’ Yet, he does not intend to interpret the importance of time element by means of ‘vitesse’ and ‘dynamissme’ emphasized by Futurism. On the contrary, he makes use of permanence to reflect the passage of time as seen in his essay: “A worn-out grindstone, a fragment of an old tombstone, the cornerstone of a house long destroyed, a falling leaf with no place to rest…. .” Hence, in certain aspect, he cherishes a similar feeling on the solicitude of time as Spanish painter—Antoni Tapies (1923- ). Such melancholy of Chinese poet Hsin Ch’i-Chi and beauty of Shakespearean Tragedy are precisely the source of Lin’s Neo-Romanticism.
Fundamentally, Lin paints on the principle of ‘non predetermination." Based on theory of Automatism initiated by Surrealist , he spreads colors swiftly and works wildly on canvas to maximize ‘accidental happenings." When facing the aimless form on the canvas has been made, he selects and keeps the desired part(s) by his imagination and discerning power. This accomplishes the stage of “Discovery." With continuously piling up of colors, the appearance becomes more simplified and harmonious. Such procedure is repeated until the work dominated by black, grey and bluish grey. The artist strives hard to enable ‘time’ element to express the stain, bulge and obscurity of materials to create his specific melancholy. In order to attain such effect he employing the technique of piling up, spraying, rubbing and scrapping to allow the beauty of materials to work under the command of his emotion.
Lin likes to use parallel arrangement, perpendicular symmetry and cross shape in forming his structure even the white triangular patches are similarly arranged on the canvas. Lin is nevertheless, able to dexterously handle spraying gun to turn a nearly mechanical structure into a poetic grace to motivate the nostalgia of the viewer as to face a time-worn wall. If he can treat his painting in more variable and better planned manner to show what should not be hidden and to well conceal what should not be brought to light and if he can in some extent to adjust the coloration with flexibility to avoid possible sameness, Lin’s abstract painting would yield brilliant results on the nation’s modern art circle.