位於邊緣的思索：蘇旺伸繪畫中的政治性策略

Abstract

本論文的問題意識環繞藝術家蘇旺伸作品中的政治性。本論文所謂的「政治性」意指蘇旺伸在藝術中展現他對台灣政治、社會、在地文化的高度關懷，並以「視角轉移的藝術手法」之策略，以個人化的方式詮釋出政治批判的意義。其政治性的深度表現於，在表面的政治批判之外，亦使用各種有關「視角轉移」之策略，此種策略充分反映他的政治反思性。本論文試圖深化我對蘇旺伸藝術政治性的理解。 我研究蘇旺伸1975至2008年的作品，區分出「政治批判」與「在地風景」等兩類議題，發現他於大學末期展開抽象表現主義的畫風，當時已頻密地透過創作去紀錄日常觀察並針砭時政。解嚴之後他的畫風丕變，但他政治思考的強度卻未曾稍減。但由於解嚴後續的民主化及其倒退，他選擇保持距離去觀察政治發展，概括性地批判全部的亂象；另一方面他仍持續對於在地事物持有高度的關懷。形式分析上，我分析出他透過異時異地的觀察、處於邊緣的位置、異度空間的呈現與暗示、圖像與畫題的辯證、灰色幽默等「視角轉移」的藝術手法，透露他位置的游移。 本論文提出「蘇旺伸作品具有政治性」之論點，此論點主要來自於洪席耶(Jacques Rancière)、拉庫拉霸(Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe)、儂曦(Jean-Luc Nancy)對於以哲學路徑反思政治的議論。 我經由理論對話，梳理出政治性的兩個層次：第一，思考政治現象應具備政治反思的能力，在批判的同時應避免因太靠近政權的邏輯而受特定政權之論述所吸納；第二，必須保持個人化的異議，不建構全體的共識，以免使政治(politics)的內涵淪為對抗性(politics)，而落入不同陣營的對立，導致政客利用機會將對立激化。是以，政治性(the political)不應流於表面的政治對抗批判，而應含有更深度的反思政治的意義，使人能自由地發言。 藉由議題探討、形式分析、理論對話三股軸線的交織，我深度理解了蘇旺伸個人的「政治性」詮釋。蘇旺伸將其藝術作為一個概念性場域，部屬了他的思想裝置，然此思想是他個人的「政治性」：思想上，他不拘於特定政治立場，因而能脫離政黨政治的對立；藝術上，他以其藝術中的的政治性策略「視角轉移的藝術手法」透露出他的思考「無政治立場，但永遠站在反對立場」之複雜位置，因而得以針對政治議題自由地發言，使其政治藝術具有真正的政治性。

This thesis aims to analyze “the political” in Taiwanese artist Su Wan-Shen’s paintings. Here, the political points to Su Wan-Shen’s high concern for Taiwanese politics, society, and local culture which is displayed in his art works. Furthermore, he applies the strategy of “diverse perspective” and personalizes the interpretation of the meaning of political criticism through this strategy. The depth of the political does not only show itself in a superficial criticism of politics but also in various strategies related to the diverse perspective. This strategy does fully reflect his political self-examination. This thesis aims to deepen the understanding of the political in Su Wan-Shen’s art. I have researched Su’s art works from 1975 until 2008 and divided them into the two categories of “political criticism” and “local landscape”. I discovered that from his late university years when he started his career as an artist, he displayed an abstract expressionist painting style. Already at this time he intensively undertook giving his account of daily observations and sharp political criticism. After the lifting of martial law his style changed dramatically but the strength of his political thinking did not diminish. However, during the following period of democratization and its backslide, he chose to keep a distance and observe the political development, generally criticizing the political pandemonium. On the other hand he continued to have a deep interest in his “local” Taiwanese environment. As for form analysis, I show that through his artistic techniques of “diverse perspective” (1. shifting perspectives, 2. locating on the margin, 3. suggesting weird spacing, 4. debating on image vs. title, 5. gray humor) he reveals his floating, unfixed position of observation. This thesis puts forward the argument that Su Wan-Shen’s art works possess the political. This argument refers to the philosophical approach of “retreating from politics” that Jacques Rancière, Philippe Lacoue-Labarthe, and Jean-Luc Nancy have put forward. Through the aforementioned theoretical dialogue, I come to identify two dimensions of the political. First, thinking about political phenomena requires the ability to step back and rethink the political. When criticizing one should avoid getting too close to the logic of the regime in order to avoid being co-opted by the regime’s discourse. Second, it is necessary to keep individual dissensus and not build a consensus of the whole population. This way it should be avoided that politics becomes politics in the sense of a rotten conflict between two opposing camps giving politicians opportunities to escalate the conflict. Therefore, the political should not become a superficial criticism of political conflict. It should contain a deeper meaning of introspecting the political and lead people to freely speak out and express themselves. Through issue and theory discussion and form analysis I come to a deep understanding of Su Wan-Shen’s personal interpretation of the political. Su Wan-Shen makes his art a field of conceptualization into which he projects his thinking. This thinking in Su Wan-Shen’s paintings is what I call the political. With regard to his thinking he is not confined to any political position. Therefore he can transcend the conflicts of party politics. In his art he reveals his complicated standpoints of “no political position but always opposition” through his “diverse perspective”. In this way he is able to address political issues, freely express his opinion and imbue his political art with the political.