論林 About Lin
林勤霖是一位默默從事抽象繪畫創作的青年畫家。十餘年來，雖然面對各種新藝術的衝擊和洗禮，他仍一直堅持著抽象藝術的創作理念。一九七九年以前，他的早期作品泰半以深沈蒼鬱的藍或紫藍色的基調，來構成其形、色的韻律與節奏感，塑造了抒情的寧靜畫面。這一時期的作品、造形雖然是抽象，然其意象與自然緊密結合，是傾向於「非形象主義」的抽象繪畫風格。一九八二年開始，他的畫風邁入了新階段，他不再追求過去以中國傳統山水畫為表現內涵的抽象風格，而選擇更純粹、更直接的抽象造形，用白色也比以前更單純、更強烈。他用純白的樹脂厚塗或倒進畫面，讓材質之特性凸顯，締造了強烈的視覺畫面──白色的世界，令人有一種聖潔、儒雅的感覺。
一九八七年，他開始作進一步的突破與探索，畫面上的強度與空間感逐漸增強，他運用噴槍、畫刀將壓克力系烤漆厚塗、噴灑、擦刮或堆砌於木板或畫布之上，而塑造凹凸有致、肌理變化豐富的畫面，頗有彫鏤之美、沈鬱、悲壯的內在世界。其近作畫風的改變，除了色彩之外，技法採用「自動性技法」，暢所欲言。因此，造形及色彩的濃淡變化較前強烈，顯示他對媒體與技巧駕馭力較前精鍊。他將抽象的概念與對音樂的感性和宗教的冥想一併揉入畫裡，創造了獨特的繪畫語言。我們不但可從他的黑色系列作品中感覺出空間的巧妙安排，而且還會感受到生命的苦悶與悲壯。
Oliver Lin, a young artist who has devoted his time to the creation of abstract paintings for more than ten years. He has never changed to keep pace with what is popular, though he has faced the impact of other new arts.
Before 1979, Lin mostly applied gloomy blue or purple as key tone to shape the poetic and tranquil composition with rhythmic harmony. At this stage, his canvases were abstract in style, but the images went closely with nature, and had a tendency toward ‘non-figurative’ paintings. Ever since 1982, Lin’s painting entered into a new stage. It is a harbinger of a new phase in his artistic development. He has no longer interested in questing for the expressive contents of traditional Chinese ink painting. He developed a pure and direct form in abstract. The heavy impas to produced by white making the painting in a state of elegance and serenity.
From 1987, Lin’s works represented a smooth transition of his abstract style from its early development to a new phase. His works began to reveal the intensity and space by using spray gun and knife. He sprayed and piled up heavy impasto on the wooden board or canvas as to make a strong and solid surface. The appearance of the painting was then well expressed Lin’s inner world of solemnity and melancholy with its embossment-
like texture. Aside from coloration, his recent works applied ‘automatism’ to liberate color and form, which reveals a better skilful command of media and technique than ever before. He has intended to concretize abstract concept by absorbing musical sensitivity and religious meditation to form his own painting language. From the series of ‘TRACKS OF TIME’, one can experience the subtle spatial arrangement and the tragic
heroics of life.
王哲雄 (Wang Joseph C.H.)
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縱橫掃塗，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。
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 been ruined, 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 (1923-2012 ). 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 “unplanned scheme." 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 interested portion(s) by his imagination and discernment. 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. Besides the piling technique, he also employs 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.
Annie Wong
但他也恐怕放棄傳統將會使自己成了無根的孤兒而失去了創作的動能，因此他選擇了一條介於東西文化之間的偏僻小徑而拒絕被某種特定的領域所框限。這個困難的選擇使他達到一個比較成熟的見地而實踐了高標的雄心去調和這兩種不同的思想。
接著他學到了這個珍貴的課題：差異不在於形式，藝術以精神為本而統領全局..終於他體悟到藝術必須植根於更深更廣的土壤，諸如文學、音樂、倫理學和其他的文化領域。最後藝術家所得到的回報必定大於局部的總和—–一種嶄新的表現。
But he fears also abandoning tradition and becoming a “rootless orphan", for he is wise enough to know that cutting off roots is sure death to the creative impulse. So he chooses to wend his solitary way, treading a delicate path between two conflicting schools, refusing to be restricted by the particular, narrow territory of either. By electing to follow the harder path he has attained a greater maturity and scope, and, fulfilled his lofty ambition to blend the two ways of thought.
And so he continues learning this valuable lesson: that diversity is not caused by form at all. Rather, that art is rooted in the spirit, which originates internally and dominates all….
Finally he realizes that art should be rooted in the deeper and wider soil of literature, music, ethics and other cultural dimensions. In turn the artist receives a gift greater than the sum of its parts—- a new mode of expression.
羅清雲 (Luo, Chin- Yun)
記得第一次見面，勤霖手中握著二十幅作品攤開在我的面前時，我頓感驚訝，一名初學者怎會如此具有圓熟的表現法？畫面美極了，雖然風格受立體派的影響，但又找不出究竟受那一位名家的影響。
I remember when I first met him in my office. I was amazed at the 20 pieces of work he had unrolled before me. I was wondering how a beginner can reap such a technical mastery. Apparently, I can sense a flavor of Cubism, but I found no trace of any certain artist in it!
謝銀玲 (Sabina Hsieh)
在完完全全的鞭打、洗煉後，我們在「黑色叢林」的畫布上竟也覓得間或流竄的微薄自許。那小小的不卑、不亢、自省、自許帶領林勤霖逃出杜斯妥也夫斯基的「地下室」，從理性的巨浪中冒出頭，初嚐快意的詩心，忘情的馳騁於柔情蜜意的浩野鄉居，這就是我們在九二年的畫中領略到的林勤霖。
大塊的披刮，層層掩映，抑入的沉厚著實繞富堅定異趣，偌大畫面的磅礡氣勢因而愈形峭瀚。面畫，心神之撼盪較之過往的畫作竟也有增無減。
After exhaustive lashings and washings, we can find a bit of self-expectation out of the previous “black jungle.” The un-humble self-reflection helped Lin to escape from the “Underground of Dostoyevsky.” Now, he buoys up from the immense surges of rationalism and with poetic pleasure he gallops in the realm of his rural living. This is what we savor from his 92’s series.
Huge brush strokes, layer on layer, create an astonishing momentum on the canvas. The increasing mental shocks are even stronger than ever before.
杜若洲 (Duh,Ruoh-Jou)
他的畫，大體上是抒情抽象表現（Lyrical abstract expressionism），以絢爛多姿采的語詞傾訴（或暢述）他溫柔敦厚的內在（空間），所以，怎麼讀怎麼耐，足可比美唐宋詩心。這說來倒是抽象畫欣賞上的餘事，於茲不贅。這裡特就「空間」主題替他的成就分三層一表，來做結尾：（1）幻覺具體，深度感宛然，而略不假借透視之暗示；（2）張力飽和，平面性實有而透明清澈，不稍落於平衡、和諧、變化之陳套；（3）密度亦即內容充分真實，脫出構成說的簡單邏輯。
Generally speaking, Lin’s work can be classified as Lyrical Abstract Expressionism. Based on a kind of brilliant narration out of his affectionate and inmost virtue, we appreciate the poetic atmosphere, to a certain extent, it is able to compete with those of Tang and Sung. As for the painting itself, I would like to mention a few in terms of visual spaces:（1.） Concretized vision and vivid depth are shown without the hint of perspective. （2.） Color field depicts of saturated tension and transparency without any stereotyped expression.（3.） Composition exhibits great intensity and is alien from logic of conventional structure.
Peter Hornung
林勤霖的抽象畫充滿了奇異的音樂與宗教冥想。像似難解的謎
但它所呈現的卻是一個精微的中國。
Lin’s abstract is a fantastic mixture of musical sense and religious meditation⋯..
subtle Chinese character is clearly revealed though it is puzzling.
蘇文彬 (Su, Wen-Bin)
他承襲了古典中國士人的傳統，使用的是西方現代的媒材，卻成功地調和了兩者的歧異。經常流露的強烈內省性格反映在他喜歡沉思的一面：「形式不是外鑠，而是誠於中而形於外」，古人常以畫品論人品，道理即在於此。林勤霖一向喜好閱讀，據我窺知，他涉獵甚廣，除了藝術，舉凡文學、哲學、歷史、宗教、心理學都是他汲取養分的源泉，古典音樂更是陪伴他多年的知交。如此深厚的涵養，從他作品韻味脫俗、內蘊豐富可見一斑。
Inwardly, he inherited the Chinese literati tradition, but he chose the Western media to create. Though it is challengeable, he successfully harmonized those differences. Oftentimes, his introspection character flows from his meditative practice. He emphasized: “Form is not built by prearrangement. It is an outflow of collective cultivation.” This has parallel likeness with our ancient motto: “Excellent works comes from unspotted morality.” So, Lin tended to read a considerable variety of courses such as art, literature, philosophy, history, psychology and religious text. It nourished his artistic mind abundantly. With the intimate company of music, the impact is so significant that rhyme, tone, sonance, and intensity become ingredients of his elegant “aural vision.”
江敏甄(Jiang, Min-Jen)
在藝術的道途上，已然熱烈走過近半世紀的時光，林勤霖默默而堅定地投入抽象繪畫的實驗與探究數十載，其成果猶如不斷向內裡延伸的豐繁景致，教人一時難以窺盡，也如跌宕曲折的樂章，來回激盪著心靈深處。
林勤霖自認是「苦力型」、「思考型」的畫家，必得在不斷的嘗試、思考中發現新意，淬煉出自己的語彙。當他發現面臨「重複」的瓶頸時，便循著相反的方向去尋找突破之道，試過講求規律、節制的幾何抽象（1979），很快地覺察非己之志；也在不作預期、控制的自動性技法（1981）中，發現「任意」與「無為」所成就的機遇之美，有著更高的自由度和可能性；乃至吸收「後繪畫性抽象」（Post-Paintly Abstraction）（1983）對材質本質性之呈現的理念，而致力於揭露材質的本相彷彿時間之流裡的心靈活動在畫布上一一顯影，林勤霖對畫面明暗的處理，有著耐人尋味的演變。明暗色面的互動，經常形成一種光和影的對話效果，不同的光影更映照出色面肌理之間的不同關係。初始是畫面透入微弱的光，映出晦暗中的棘刺歷歷或烙痕般的點狀序列，反覆敲打成對稱的圖式（如「時光的刻痕」、「時光的詩趣」、「時光的省思」系列）；接著是明暗色面之間的相互撞擊頡頏，使得光與色不可抑遏地瀰漫成一片，絢爛而飽含力量（如「凝視生命」系列）；繼之以明色層疊薄塗於暗色之上，筆觸肌理交錯間彷彿造就了一種極細微的分子震動，有如沐浴在煦光中的宇宙深處，也如凝止的剎那永恆（如「重返伊甸——「榮光系列」」。這樣一種內在生命的回歸之旅，在「重返伊甸」系列臻至另一高峰，甚而有如重生交替的尋常裡。含融著生與死、哀與樂、晝與夜，生命得以完整而圓滿。永恆是過去、現在、未來的連成一片。
On the thorny path of art, Lin has spent half a century with enthusiasm. He chose abstract as his career and paid extremely attention on art theory and experimental work. He reaped ample and unfathomable harvests inwardly like undulating symphony penetrating the soul and motivating rapture. Lin defines himself as a hard-working and thought-exploring artist. He always discovers new ideals by continuous study and try. As a result, his personal language was refined. When a bottleneck of repeat came in 1979, he decided to choose an opposite way by trying the rigid and restrained Geometrical Abstraction. After a short time, he gave it up and confessed that it is not his style. Fortunately, then, he found the a-logical and unplanned automatic method. From then on, Lin enjoyed the “beauty of chance” achieved by inactive and emancipated discoveries. It opened up fresh possibilities with wide freedom. Afterward, he absorbed the idea of Post-Paintly Abstraction in 1983. This enabled him to reveal the actuality of the artistic materials in his works.
It seems that his spiritual activities were brewing in the stream of time and exhibited vividly on the canvas. The way Lin treated the light and shade was so intricate that the observers can savor the subtle transformation of it. The brightness and shade of the color field opened conversation between themselves and the differences revealed sharp contrasts when they reacted with textures. At the beginning, the dim light was shed and it lightened the gloomy tracks of spike and sear. These repeated strikes shaped a symmetrical form. (as shown in TRACKS OF TIME, POETIC OF TIME and THE REFLECTION OF TIME) Later on, the brightness and shade of different color fields interacted mutually. The fusion of light and color pervaded an unrestrained, brilliant and powerful atmosphere.(as shown in GAZE INTO LIFE) Afterward, Lin applied the bright color on the dull surface and when brush strokes mingled with the texture it created a subtle molecule vibration like bathing in the glimmering depth of the Universe or manifesting the eternality in an instant.(as shown in RETURN TO EDEN—THE GLORY OF GOD)
Such internal trip of returning reached the summit of his evolution in RETURN TO EDEN. It is a kind of rebirth to open up a new era so powerful as to shift the moaning of dark night to the praise of broad day. After such an ecstasy, life comes back to commonness—–a perfect cocktail of life and death; joy and sorrow; day and night. Then eternity is a linear integration of past, present and future.
吳桃源 ( Wu, Tao-Yuan)
不斷從「死」得出「生」的啟示的林勤霖，個人的創作生命亦是不斷放掉外在的羈絆，從具象轉向抽象，從無象可抽轉向自我心靈，從放棄自我轉向自然，每一階段都是他不同時期的心靈告白。一直對抽象繪畫懷抱著一種發掘、探險樂趣的林勤霖，儘管外在生命有如忘歸魚與失音鳥般，必須藉由層層地脫胎換骨、抽絲剝繭，才能建立自己的藝術風格；但每一次新的冒險跋涉都帶給他內心無比的寬闊與自由，因為留下了創新的腳步與感恩的讚頌。
The realization of life and death changes Lin’s art dimension—to cut off the old and graft onto the new. This foundation enables Lin’s transformation from realism to abstract. His new scope of abstraction is mostly derived from the spirit when he confronts a dilemma. The act of giving up the old self and immerses him in new identity heralds a new stage of creation, i.e. every different series is welling from his innermost thoughts respectively. In spite of the tough living like THE PEON FISH and THE FORSAKEN FOWL, Lin enjoyed the unpremeditated discovery to create. He believes that an artist must suffer like the spinning and shedding of a silkworm toward its cocoon.
After the struggling a new life is continuing. Likewise, every new adventure leads him to a territory of spiritual freedom and peace of mind. And as a result, the creative footprints and songs of praise remained.
孫旗 (Sun Chyi)
如果要問林勤霖的繪畫是那一類？恐怕只能說中國的現代繪畫，因為它具有西方現代主義的外表，而其內涵則是中國哲學的靜觀之美；他是重視後者的，對於外表不過是媒介的構成而已。
作為一位中國現代藝術家，站在中國文化立場，能不能追隨西方呢？如果沒有此一深切認識，稍一不慎，能不流於滿足視覺悅樂的形式主義嗎？我想林勤霖是有此認識的，他沒有一直追隨下去，他取其造型多變，仍以其意念的表達為基準⋯貝多芬的座右銘：「出自內心才能進入內心！」與林勤霖的不著一念的內心，是很相似的。他的畫毫無故意要表現什麼，一切都出乎自然之美的流露。
If you ask me how to define Lin’s work, my answer must be CHINESE CONTEMPORARY PAINTING for it holds an appearance of Western Modernism and the Chinese philosophic beauty of contemplation in the core.He sees important of the latter for outward form is nothing but a constructive medium to him.
With the deep rooted traditional culture, can a Chinese contemporary artist decide not to follow the West movement? If he does not stand firm, it is too easy to wash away by swift current of Epicurean Externalism. I am sure Lin was aware of it so he chose not to follow except the ever-changing pattern. He always targets the spiritual aspect by following his heart.
Beethoven wrote: From the heart⋯May it go to the heart. This could be a rule that Lin follows throughout his career. He worked in such a nature way that constant inspiration sprang up like abundant living water.
陳世長+賴威嚴 ( Chen, Shyh-Charng + Lai,wei-Yan)
藝術專業所需要的正是領域外的其他要事，就像他所畫的抽象，是一組框外的心理意象，濃烈的個人主張和發現諸多元素交錯密疊的潛在符碼。他極端冷靜和極端感性的性格交融，除了顯現作品中的精確度，也清晰顯現在畫歷上。
也許我們很難用一種方式來界定這位藝術家的作品，但毫無疑問，黑白陰陽相生隱喻著當代藝術的另一些可能：游離於西方鴉的脈絡，並掌握著中國式圖繪的精妙內蘊。我們驚嘆於畫面塗中暗含的睿智感懷⋯⋯那些練達、絕倫的形式突圍、現代時效，撰寫出了絕色的當代浮世寓言。他的作品讓我們駐足。凝視作品中神祕的東方元素，色澤似協奏曲般傾瀉而下，他的每一組色塊微妙且耐人尋味。是晝？是夜？是虛？是實？是陰？是陽？帶著這一切懸而未決的神祕，我們走進他的藝術世界。更重要的是通過藝術，他還刻意營造一種二十一世紀新形態的文明智性。
A career artist needs something outside of art. Just like Lin’s abstract—a set of “psycho-images” with latent symbols that were orchestrated by his many personal discoveries and balanced by blending his belief and two extreme strains, rationality and emotionality. As a result, this complex vividly exhibits in the precision of his work and definite history.
Maybe it is difficult to define his work, but it provides clues to a possibility for modern art in a way by its reciprocal interaction of black (Ying) and white Yang), i.e. to shuttle in thread of the Western graffiti and handle the subtle connotation of Chinese image. We are amazed by the wise and hidden implication⋯.Those dexterous and eminent shapes inscribe a timely accomplishment of eloquent fable. We are attracted by his works and gaze into the mysterious element of the Orient colors which flow down like a piece of concerto. The color field is so intriguing that we can’t stop wondering to what it relates. Is it Day, night, vanity or reality? With those pending mysteries, we step into his artistic world which he intends to construct an intelligent civilization of 21st century through art.