象征（symbol）与隐喻(metaphor)    

MJ 美术馆 首席执行长 金玉烈

2008-03-18

现今活跃于中国乃至国际画坛的李继森其作品是通过自身与现实社会间的关系所呈现出的信念为媒介来呈现历史对其自我本身所带来的影响。在历史影响力之下经过不断的持续发展、切深的审视、反省、批判之过程酝酿出带给他创作经验上巨大的影响而牵引导出他对当今社会的深刻体验感受让观者看到他表现在其作品中的象征与隐喻之独特创作法。

通过创作过程他将在作品中登场的人物之象征性—现实与非现实相互的关系非常融洽的融合于一起的主要关键点即是将生活在现实社会中的人其在为要适应现实社会心理活动下已变形的自我，亦即是沉浸在不断在变化、发展的历史里的自我不只藉着有着歪斜的头部及有着夸实的大眼、耳朵、嘴的脸型来表现多样多变的心理活动外还通过手指头的模样、与历史背景有关的人物构成的具体背景和通过色彩的各种变化等方式来呈现象征性。

从作品中亦可剖析出李继森他利用个人与集体间的社会关系来表现出象征与隐喻的特性，这特性即是他使用现实与非现实两种社会角度来看的。他所看到的现实与非现实里和个人与集体间的社会关系是相互共存的，并且这两者亦同时进入一定的社会环境里同时反映出自我意识与自我批判。

李继森在作品中各种人物类型表现的特性可归纳出：倾斜着颈项睁着眼若有似无地凝望着前方的脸部及用细长纤细的手指头勾勒出优雅感性的氛围；再如象征拥有一定社会身份的人物斜着45度至90度的头井然有序的排列着，纤细优雅的手指感性的指向同一方完美无瑕地充分诠释出艺术家所要传达的隐喻意境。像这样的象征与隐喻可说是通过艺术家具有特定的社会背景及个人持有的天生感性间所产生的因果关系。这也无疑是李继森他对于充斥于当今社会环境中一般人具有的独特精神及处于为着顺应社会潮流身不由己无奈现实间的媒介所反映出的象征。这象征是否也正是暗示出他内心暗藏的真实自我与现实社会集体中的现实自我两者间所表现出的披着现实社会外表却同时显现出的内心真实的那个自我呢？肯定的这暗示同时也会给予他人对画家本身投入自我怜悯的视线，另面，各样倾斜的脸部像带着面具似的意味着集体与个人间存在着的现实生活中种种的人格面具（persona）[1]。

省视李继森作品中呈现的人格面具象征性有两种意味重复交叠着一是暗示着活在现实社会中其本身人格面具的自我，二是隐喻经过自身省察后而深陷其中的忧郁（melancholy）。这两种意味是画家将自身洞察现实及自身所具备的图案造型观念融合而成为画家心理活动下的产物。亦即阐释出现代人生存于现代社会的自我是以集体精神下产生的人格面具去生存的，所以，我们也是在集体无意识中忘记个人的整体性而活着的。

C.G.jung[2]说人格面具是个人跟社会两者根据人对于所“看到的”相互妥协下而产生的结果。这虽然是现实状态，该可说是居于次要的现实。假如自我与第三者关系中对于和社会沟通较接近现实状态的话可称为次要现实。这次要现实所显现的假面人格并不是现存在的真实的我而是能让别人在看待我时能把我看成更具有特征的对象来看待。这假面人格亦即是通过外表的华丽包装来与现实社会共生存所衍生的适应现实社会的不二法则。假面人格在社会中也扮演着象征意味的角色亦即能与真实社会要求相呼应的脸孔即是假面人格。

李继森的作品就是像这样把潜藏于个人的真实自我与浮现在现实社会中的自我很融洽的融合在象征与隐喻里来做贴切的诠释；现实社会把个人分化使得人人在现实社会中扮演着多样的角色，但实际上若从充斥着假面人格的现实社会中跳脱出来的话那么隐藏在其背后的自我意识（ego）随即会浮现而出。

一般来说，自我意识（ego）若是太过于自恋的话（narcissism）会形成忧郁（melancholy）。忧郁（melancholy）是许多哲学家认为用来研究人性的神秘与秘密是最直接最有效的渠道。李继森的作品将自己个人与现实社会关系中所经历所熟知的假面人格运用象征与隐喻的手法来做了完美的诠释说明，作品中的人物充满着明朗的自恋却稍带着怜悯氛围的忧郁，用隐喻社会空间的色彩语言来将存在于现实社会的自我表现得一览无遗而完美无疵！

 

 

 

金玉烈

毕业于岭南大学美学美术系获学，硕，博士学位 

至 France,Caen university 留学

1995-2003在各大专院校讲授“现代美学论与美学”

策展韩，法国海内外美术界有名人士的各种大小国际美术展览活动几十余回

著有《现代美术的表情与交感》

担任<大学新闻>《趣谈美学》《美术直通车》，<岭南日报>《漫游文化》等报社专栏笔者

在韩国各大美术报刊杂志社上发表专门评论文不下三十余篇

现为韩国美术协会大邱美术评论分科会员，韩国美术教育协会理事, MJ美术馆首席执行长

 

 

 

 

Symbol and Metaphor in the Work of Li Jisen

 

MJ Gallery,

CEO, Kim Ok-real

2008-03-18

 

Presently a fixture in Beijing art circles, Li Jisen’s view of the

relationship between himself and society reveals the historic influence

at work on his own person.  And under this historic influence his

work continues to develop.  Through continual introspection, reflection

on the past, and self-criticism, his work has gradually acquired a

distinct style that reveals the important influence of history.  This has

brought about his profound understanding towards today’s society,

which allows him to show the viewer the unique symbol and metaphor

expressed in his creative work.     

 

During his act of creating, he is able to harmoniously incorporate the

symbol of the human figure that he is going to paint, together with the

relationship between reality and fantasy, into his painting.  The key

method he employs is to portray a man from real life, one whose self

has been deformed by adapting to the different psychological states

imposed on him by his participation in social activities.  This man’s ego

has been immersed in the constant flux of history.  Not only is the

changing state of his mind revealed in the angle of a tilted head,

unduly large eyes, ears, or mouth, their symbolic nature can also be

found in the shape of their fingers, as well as the background

consisting of historic figures and a variety of colors.   

 

From Li Jisen’s work, one discovers that by means of rendering the

social relationship between individuals and groups, Li is able to reveal

the characteristics of symbol and metaphor, and these characteristics

represent his view towards social reality and fantasy.  He perceives that

the relationship between individuals and groups is one of co-existence,

and in a certain environment, they simultaneously reflect the aspects of

ego and self-criticism.     

 

    The various expressive forms found in Li Jisen’s work are as follows:

tilted faces, open eyed, seemingly looking into the distance; long and

slender fingers emit a sensation of elegance; people of social status,

lined up in order, heads tilted 45 to 90 degrees; lean and elegant fingers

delicately point in one direction.  These images perfectly express the

symbolism the artist is trying to convey.  Symbols and metaphors of this

nature are derived from the artist’s singular social background and his

personal innate sensitivity.  Undoubtedly, this symbolic imagery

represents the unique spirit each ordinary individual possesses in

today’s society, as well as a reflection of the helplessness people feel

when they are compelled to follow social trends.  Do these symbols

suggest that under the appearance of everyday reality, both the true self,

hidden in one’s heart, and the realistic self, living among social groups,

symbolize an inner self?  For certain this implication will cause the

viewer to look upon the artist with compassion.  Moreover, all these

tilted faces resemble masked individuals.  They symbolize the variety of

personas that exist among individuals and social groups. [1]         

 

Close examination shows that the symbolic personas in Li Jisen’s work

embody two overlapping meanings: one is the self living in the society,

the other is the irrepressible melancholy derived from self-reflection. 

These two personas are the mental product of the artist who fuses his

Insights towards reality and his concepts regarding image patterns.  In

other words, they reveal the “self” of modern man living in today’s

society, exists under the persona imposed by the group consciousness.

Thus, we live amidst the collective unconsciousness, ignorant of

individual identity.

   

According to C.G Jung[2], “the persona is a complicated system of

relations between individual consciousness and society, fittingly enough

a kind of mask, designed on the one hand to make a definite

impression upon others, and, on the other, to conceal the true nature

of the individual”.  Although this is reality, it is a secondary reality.  If

the relationship between the self and a third party is closer to reality in

their communication, this is regarded as a “secondary reality”.  The

persona appearing in public is not a man’s true self, but it helps to

distinguish one person from another.  A magnificently adorned persona

is the only way for a man to co-exist with social reality.  Moreover, the

persona also plays a symbolic role in society.  In other words, a face

that can meet social requirements is a persona.   

 

Li Jisen achieves this in his creative work.  He accurately interprets the

hidden true self and the self revealed to the public, and ingeniously

incorporates them into his work by means of symbol and metaphor.

Social reality splits a person into several roles.  If one can break free

from the many personas that infest society, his concealed ego will

surface.  

 

Generally speaking, if the self (the ego) becomes too self-absorbed

(narcissism) a sense of melancholy will inevitably emerge. 

Many philosophers consider melancholy to be the most effective way to

study the mystery and secrets of human nature.  By means of symbols

and metaphors, Li Jisen successfully deciphers the many personas he

has encountered in his life.  His human figures are obviously

narcissistic but somewhat shrouded with an aura of melancholy.  As a

symbol of society, his idiom of color perfectly conveys how the

persona conducts itself.    

 

Kim Ok-real

Bachelor’s degrees of Fine Arts, YeungNam University, Korea

Master's degree in 'History of Art and Aesthetics' YeungNam University, Korea

Ph. D in 'History of Art and Aesthetics' YeungNam University, Korea

 

Studied at Caen University, France

 

1995-2003 Lecturer on “History of Art and Aesthetics” at various colleges

 

Independent curator in both Korea and France; organized a dozen 

international art exhibitions of varying sizes for prominent artists.

 

Publication: Expression and Communication on the Contemporary Art

 

Columnist for University News, Lighthearted Aesthetic Discussions, Art Express, YeungNam Daily, Roaming among Cultures.  Published more

than 30 critiques in various art journals and magazines in Korea.  

 

Presently a member of the Korean Art Association, art criticism section of

the Daegu Branch; board member of the Korean Art Education Association;CEO for MJ Gallery 

E-mail : postgallery@naver.com  / Homepage: www.postgallery.co.kr

 

 

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[1] Persona is that aspect of a person as they appear to others.  Its purpose is to give a good

Impression and receive recognition from society.  It is a personality that gets along with

people, whether you like them or not, and a means to realize one’s goal. 

[2] Carl Gustav Jung (1875 ~ 1961) was a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, and the founder of

Analytical Psychology.  His intellectual ability developed early, and though eccentric he was gifted

with great imagination.  In his teens, he had read books written by Greek and Roman

philosophers, Scholastic Theologians from the Middle Age, and modern philosophers, such as

Hegel, Kant, Schopenhauer, and Nietzsche.  He initially worked with S. Freud but finally they

parted ways because of Jung’s different point of view.  His analytical psychology is known for its

theory of Collective Unconsciousness and Archetypes.   

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[1]

 

 

作者：金玉烈