小風景 Small Landscape

不一樣的小風景

 早於二百多年前，著名藝術家錢納利便透過他的畫筆將澳門小漁村的明媚風光和風土人情一一記錄，往後多年，史密羅夫‧屈臣、迪美、譚智生、陸昌，以至近代的廖文暢、黎鷹、吳衛鳴都善於透過寫生畫作，見證著澳門從昔日小漁港演變成今天繁華的都市，把不同時期的澳門面貌保留於畫作中。  年青一代的藝術家，也許對傳統的風景寫生不大感興趣，但他們都極力尋找自己的視覺語言去表現他們眼中所看到不一樣的風景。  是次參展的三位本地藝術家，他們學習與成長的背景各異，在北京中央美術學院完成油畫碩士的黎小傑，早年便以“天台”主題系列嶄露頭角，經過多年的思考與發展，形成了現時的“秘密花園”系列，用鳥瞰的角度去窺探一個個秘密的天台花園，將高高在上、難以看清楚的景致變成在腳下一覽無遺的明信片式風景，不管是真是假，都是澳門獨有的另類風光。  成長及受教育於香港的陳佩玲，以最爲人熟悉的香港牛棚及其附近一帶的社區作爲創作背景，蒙太奇式的拼貼並不單只是視覺元素的滿足，其創作還用最原始的陽光直照曬圖方式，出來的作品不單是眼前的城市景觀，還有時間長短、陽光強弱等外在元素，在創作中表現社區日常的小風景的同時，進一步讓人深入思考時間的流逝、風景的變遷。  而本地著名藝術家王禎寶的版畫創作，更早以超越眼前日常的風景，達到“見山不是山”的境界，從其早年旅居英國的創作開始，不同國度的“風景”已被豐富的人生經歷所“看透”，一幅幅小品式的版畫佳作，更像古代抒發情感的文人畫作，感性而耐看。  在漫長的人生旅程中，美好的風光多的是，正如澳門美高梅一樣，精彩的細節無處不在，如其宣傳標語一樣：“見微. 藏品味”，人生何嘗不是？希望大家都能好好欣賞身邊美好的小風景！ 

策展人
朱焯信

Distinctive Scenery

 About 200 years ago, the renowned artist George Chinnery recorded the beautiful scenery and local customs and culture of Macao with his paintbrush. Many years later, George Vitalievitch Smirnoff, Thomas Boswall Watson, Luís Luciano Demée, Tam Che Seng, Lok Cheong, and modern artists Lio Man Cheong, Lai Ieng and Ung Vai Meng captured through their accomplished sketches and paintings Macao’s transformation from a small fishing port of the past to today’s prosperous city, in their depictions of Macao in different eras.  Artists of this generation may not focus on sketching scenery but they also strive to find some kind of personal language to express what they see in visual form.   The three local artists participating in this exhibition have different learning and growth backgrounds. Lai Sio Kit, who graduated with a Master’s Degree in oil painting from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, has risen to prominence with his Rooftop series. After reflecting and developing for many years, he has formed the current The Secret Garden series, snooping around for every secret rooftop garden with an aerial perspective, he has turned the scenes from up high that are difficult to be seen clearly into postcard scenes that can be taken in at a glance. Whether or not it is true they are the unique alternative scenes of Macao.   Having grown up and been educated in Hong Kong, Peggy Chan Pui Leng created her most familiar Cattle Depot Artist Village work in Hong Kong, with its neighbourhood community as background. The use of a montage style in her work not only creates a visual effect but also adopts the most original way – exposing the work under the sun – enabling the exposing time and sunlight add more effect to the work, reflecting not only current city life but the life a city associates with memory. In the process of depicting the distinctive scenery of this small community, the artist enables viewers to further trace the passage of time and the changing scene.  The printmaking creations of famous local artist James Wong Cheng Pou have even gone beyond the realistic level, what he draws is actually not the same thing he sees in the physical world. Starting from Wong’s works created during the early years living in the United Kingdom, the ‘landscapes’ in different countries have already been ‘understood thoroughly’ by Wong through his rich experiences. Every printmaking masterpiece is more like the literati paintings of ancient times that express feelings that are both sentimental and worthy of appreciation.   Life is like a long journey where you can enjoy much more beautiful scenery; it is similar to MGM Macau where you can find wonderful details everywhere. The slogan of MGM is ‘Finding good taste in a small place’（見微．藏品味）. But the same could be said of life’s journey, could it not? I hope every one of you can enjoy the wonderful little landscapes around you!

Curator
James Chu 