【台北·敦仁】 意识惊奇 – Peter Krauskopf 彼得．克劳斯科夫 亚洲首个展 9.11-10.31

Fernando Castro Flórez

西班牙哲学家、知名策展人、教授、作家、与艺术评论家，现任马德里自治大学美学与艺术理论教授，目前是该校的终身教授，同时也是索菲娅王后国家艺术中心博物馆咨询委员会成员。自1980年代以来，他定期为多间报纸的文化副刊撰稿，更于马德里最古老媒体阿贝赛报担任文化艺术评论家逾十年，也与众多艺术文化杂志有合作机会。 Fernando Castro Flórez 费尔南多．卡斯特罗．弗洛雷斯拥有丰富策展经历，曾参与策划上百场展览，经历包括2000年汉诺瓦世界博览会、智利三年展、委内瑞拉卡拉卡斯双年展、巴西库里提巴国际当代艺术双年展。

强烈的自在氛围

(欣賞Peter Krauskopf彼得．克勞斯科夫畫作之感)

Fernando Castro Flórez 費爾南多．卡斯特羅．弗洛雷斯

繪畫頌揚著可見性所帶來的謎團，引起了一場本質上為視覺呈現的狂熱。眼見為憑、遙遙擁有；畫作將這種想像的擁有感延伸至人的各種層面，而這些層面需要以繪畫的方式使擁有變得可見。Peter Krauskopf彼得．克勞斯科夫即是這種「貪婪視覺」的例子；它超越了「視覺揭露了存在的紋理，而其中那離散的感官訊息僅成為標點符號或頓點。眼睛浸潤於這樣的紋理之中，猶如人獨居於自己的房子裡」。關於這位藝術家的實踐，我們必須看看John Berger約翰．伯格的觀點：畫作是對我們週邊不斷出現又消失的可見事物的確認：「沒有消失，也許就沒有繪畫的衝動，為此，那可見性本身將擁有繪畫時力求尋找的保證 (意即持久性)。繪畫比任何一類藝術都來得直接，是對於人類被拋入其中的存在與物理世界的一種肯定。繪畫的實體性具有比其他任何事物都難以比擬的表現力。據推測，繪畫的狀態是一種表達人格與特質的地方；如同我之前提到的，那是一種可能是由於其深刻的有形狀態而形成的層面。因此，最終，繪畫就像是一種隱喻、甚至等同於一種性行為；當然，它也是一種投射巨大精神能量的空間。

Peter Krauskopf彼得．克劳斯科夫的一些迷人画作能产生一种镜相效果，将观赏者的影子囚禁在这个空间之中。如果说他那些较小的作品在某种程度上具有准备作用，帮助他拓展色彩范围；那么他的大型画作会与观众产生一种微妙的互动。他画作上的美丽色彩会催眠般地捕捉那些想要冒险思考它们的人，然后有节奏地将我们从迷雾的氛围景象带入壮丽的夜空、从灰色进入虹彩与明亮。即使在我们认为只看到一种颜色的地方，也总会有其他色调的回荡、混合与暗示，这些色调带入了一种有节奏感的细致差异、或者从整体感知上来说，是一种音乐性的细微变化。

這些藝術作品的強烈存在產生了一種情感漂移與一種喚起夢幻體驗記憶的感覺、或對自然的一種寓言式喚起。沒有流於字面意義或帶入美麗的形象意涵，Peter Krauskopf彼得．克勞斯科夫重新審視了推動精神游牧美學的浪漫旅行故事。浪漫旅行總是關於尋找自我：一場對內的長途旅行，永無止境的飛行與逃脫。它可以是一場透過經歷痛苦的自我探索，也可以是一場感受自我痛楚的冒險或者是進入危險地帶的旅行。對Caspar David Friedrich卡斯帕．大衛．弗雷德里希來說，船是浪漫游牧主義的卓越象徵，是航海生涯的化身。而Peter Krauskopf彼得．克勞斯科夫的美麗畫作標記著一個充滿熱情色彩的空間，就像是喚起對水的「物質流動性」那般，可以根據Gaston Bachelard加斯東．巴舍拉的著作《水與夢》來解釋。浸入水中意味著回歸前一形式，具有死亡與解體的雙重意義，但也代表著重生、新的循環、與生命的強化。如同Sigmund Freud西格蒙德．佛洛伊德所指出的，夢境通常以水來象徵出生。水暗示著所有短暫的事物，卻也代表著無限。水是透明的深遂，一種使淺薄與深奧相互溝通的元素。從這個意義上來說，我們可以因此解釋，水穿越了繪畫。

材料在Peter Krauskopf彼得．克勞斯科夫的畫作上流動。他將繪畫的動態縮減成為一種「塗抹」或掃掠顏料的過程。這樣的技術類似於Gerhard Richter葛哈・利希特的技巧；但不同之處在於他試圖建立的秩序，以及他支配機會與危險的努力。他的一些畫作傳達出一種清新的氣質；材料感覺似乎繼續滴落。幾滴顏料從畫作邊緣流出，顯現著藝術的生命力與脆弱，這種強烈的失誤也挑戰著我們採取沉思的立場。Krauskopf克勞斯科夫解釋說，這樣的過程之中，他使用多層的色料，旨在製造像面紗那般的薄膜；這不只具有裝飾的功能，而是他「觀看世界的方法」。

Peter Krauskopf彼得．克勞斯科夫透过绘画来彰显自我，他的抽象畫作總是暗示著有形的存在。正如同Paul Valery保羅．瓦勒里所說的，畫家帶著自己的身體，「沉浸在自身的可見事物之中，本身是可見的，然而，先知者並不侵吞自我所見；他僅僅透過凝視的方式接近它，然後打開了世界」。Paul Cezanne保羅．塞尚說：「自然存在於內部」，迫使我們思考畫體的謎團。「呈現在我們眼前的品質、光線、色彩、深度之所以會存在，是因為它們與我們的身體產生了一種迴響，因為我們的身體歡迎它們。這些事物在我體內產生內在等價；它們在我的身上喚起了存在的肉慾公式。為何這些關聯不應該反過來引起一些再次變得可見的踪跡，使其他人的眼睛可以從中找到一個潛在的中心思想來維持他們對世界的審視？」可見性的化身，從拉斯科洞窟壁畫上的野獸直至今日，不應被視為其他地方某物的代表，而是作為它在繪畫的具體空間中所顯現出光芒四射的存在。我從來沒有見過事物的本身；我只看到現象學家所說的「存在的光環」：我根據它或隨著它一起看見，而並非實際看到它。

Peter Krauskopf彼得．克勞斯科夫更近期的畫作顯示了一種雙重過程：首先以各種顏色微妙「塗抹」的方式建立表層，然後添加能夠配置成為「中心」的線條團塊。他高超且清楚地表達這兩種不同的雕塑性脈衝，產生一種崇高莊嚴的氣質，將我們的視線移近的同時，矛盾的是，又將我們的距離拉開。如同Walter Benjamin瓦特．班雅明將靈光（Aura）描述為無論距離多近，都能表現出距離特徵的形式已經實現。Peter Krauskopf彼得．克勞斯科夫表示他的作品除了繪畫行為本身以外，並未假裝成「任何東西」。他的創作過程本質上依賴於保持他的心胸開放並堅持他對於抽象產生视觉强度区域的可能性之信念。

Peter Krauskopf彼得．克劳斯科夫的抽象画以及上面优雅的色彩过渡，让我想起Mark Rothko马克．罗斯科的作品，他延续了北方浪漫传统并确立了现代的絕美情感；这在康德主义的层面上，与理性的痛苦以及感知的强化确定性有相同的关联。正如Barnett Newman巴内特．纽曼所强调的，这样的绝美意境现在是一种愉悦之感，当无事之下发生了某事时，该情况便被证实为一件处于可表达极限的事件，因为这样的事件便成为焦虑散逸的开口，而这样的形式超越了物质形态。 Peter Krauskopf彼得．克劳斯科夫最近的一些画作带有色彩世界的神秘调性，看似融化成虚无，即使我们应该清楚其意图既非去物质化、也不是提出一个旨在耗尽或达成虛無歸零的主张。相反的，他的作品描述了物质的丰富与视觉的力量。他的绘画，如同中国画作那般，寻求着一个能够表达一切的空白空间。

这些画作强化了它们的存在并覆盖了我们，如同大气那般，以它们非凡的微妙诱惑我们，透过强烈的轻盈，迫使我们思考「可见性的层次」。 Valéry瓦勒里说得对，他说「最深层的是皮肤」；这句话完全适用于Peter Krauskopf彼得．克劳斯科夫那让我们我们用目光爱抚的绘画涂抹。这位艺术家用画作感动了我们，矛盾的是，也让我们停止感动。他骚动我们的情感、敦促我们停止时间并试着与他作品中所关注的世界奇迹融为一体。有一次，作家Vladimir Nabokov弗拉基米尔．纳博科夫被问到生活中是否有什么使他感到惊讶。他回答「意识的惊奇—在了无生气之夜，有扇窗突然打开在阳光普照的风景上」。 Peter Krauskopf彼得．克劳斯科夫透过他神秘宁静的画作，打开了那扇惊奇之窗。面对弃绝光明的虚无喜悦，他绘制了一个让我们可以找回最强烈美感的空间。他寓言式地标记了使我们能够进入其中并产生救赎的路径：诗意。

Atmospheres of intensive ease

(Thoughts on Peter Krauskopf’s paintings)

Fernando Castro Flórez

Painting celebrates the enigma of visibility, giving rise to a frenzy that is, in essence, vision itself. Seeing is be-holding, possessing at a distance; and painting extends this fanciful possession to all aspects of a being that somehow must become visible to become painting. Peter Krauskopf is an example of this “voracious vision” that, beyond “visible givens opens upon a texture of Being of which the discrete sensorial messages are only the punctuations or the caesurae. The eye lives in this texture as a man lives in his house.” Regarding this artist’s practice, we must look to John Berger’s idea that painting is a confirmation of what visibly surrounds us and constantly appears and disappears: “Without the disappearing, there would perhaps be no impulse to paint, for then the visible itself would possess the surety (the permanence) which painting strives to find. More directly than any other art, painting is an affirmation of the existent, of the physical world into which mankind has been thrown.” The corporeity of painting has an expressive potential that is hard to compare to anything else. Presumably, the condition of painting is a place to express personhood and individuality, an aspect, as I mentioned before, likely due to its deeply corporeal nature. Ultimately, therefore, painting works like a metaphor, even as an equivalent to sexual activity and is, of course, a space for the projection of tremendous psychic energy.

Some of Peter Krauskopf’s fascinating paintings produce a mirror effect trapping the shadow of the onlooker within this space. If his smaller artworks to a certain degree have a preparatory function, where he develops his colour ranges, then his larger works create a subtle interaction with the spectator. The beautiful colours of his paintings hypnotically capture whoever ventures to contemplate them and rhythmically take us from atmospheres inducing visions of fog to the splendour of evening skies, from grey to iridescence and brightness. Even where we believe we see only a single colour there are always reverberations, blends and hints of other tones that introduce a rhythmic nuance or, synaesthetically speaking, a musical nuance. The intense presence of these works of art produces a drift of emotion and a kind of sense that invokes the memory of dreamlike experiences or an allegoric evocation of nature. Without becoming literal or introducing figurative-picturesque connotations, Peter Krauskopf re-examines that romantic travel narrative which drove the aesthetic of spiritual nomadism. Romantic travel is always about the search for oneself: a long journey inwards, a never-ending flight and escape. It can be a search for identity by delving into pain, an adventure into one’s own suffering as much as a trip into dangerous zones. For Capar David Friedrich, the boat was the symbol par excellence of romantic nomadism, the incarnation of the navigatio vitae. Peter Krauskopf’s beautiful paintings mark as much a space of passionate colours as an evocation of the “material fluidity” of water that could be interpreted based on Gaston Bachelard’s Water and Dreams. Immersion into water means the return to the pre–formal with the double meaning of death and dissolution, but also rebirth, a new cycle, a strengthening of life. As Freud pointed out, dreams usually express birth through water. Water alludes as much to all that is transitory as to what is infinite. Water is transparent deepness, an element that enables the superficial and the profound to communicate. In this sense, one could say, therefore, that water traverses painting.

Materials flow in Peter Krauskopf’s paintings. He reduces the dynamic of painting to a process of “smearing” or sweeping pigments. His technique provides analogies to Gerhard Richter’s technique, but differs from it in the kind of order he seeks to establish, as well as in his effort to dominate chance and hazard. Some of his paintings transmit a sensation of freshness; the material seems to continue to drip. A few drops go over the edge of the painting in a manifestation of the life force and the fragility of art, of this intensive lapse that challenges us to adopt a contemplative stance. The process during which he applies several layers of colour and aims to create films that work as veils, Krauskopf explains, does not simply have an ornamental function, rather, it is his “way of seeing the world.” Peter Krauskopf asserts himself through painting; his abstract paintings always imply corporeal presence. The painter, as Paul Valéry said, takes his body with him, “immersed in the visible by his body, itself visible, the seer does not appropriate what he sees; he merely approaches it by means of the gaze, he opens onto the world.” “Nature is on the inside”, stated Paul Cézanne, forcing us to contemplate the enigma of the body of painting. “Quality, light, colour, depth, which are there before us, are there only because they awaken an echo in our body and because the body welcomes them. Things have an internal equivalent in me; they arouse in me a carnal formula of their presence. Why shouldn’t these correspondences in turn give rise to some tracing rendered visible again, in which the eyes of others could find an underlying motif to sustain their inspection of the world?”? The incarnation of that, which is visible, from the beasts painted on the walls of Lascaux until today, should not be seen as the representation of something that is somewhere else, but rather as the radiant presence it represents within the concrete space of a painting. I never see the thing itself; I see what the phenomenologist would call the “halos of Being”: I see according to it, or with it, rather than that I see it.

More recent paintings by Peter Krauskopf display a double process: of first creating a surface through subtle “smears” of individual colours, then adding lumps of lines that configure a “centre”. He masterly articulates these two different sculptural impulses, generating a sensation of sublimity, moving our gaze close in whilst, paradoxically, simultaneously making us take a distance, as if Walter Benjamin’s characterisation of the aura as a manifestation of distance no matter how close one is, had been fulfilled. Peter Krauskopf states that his work does not pretend to be anything” else than the act of painting. His creative process fundamentally relies on keeping his mind open and upholding his belief in the possibilities of abstraction to generate zones of visual intensity.

The abstract paintings by Peter Krauskopf, with their elegant colour transitions, remind me of the works of Mark Rothko, who in turn continued the northern romantic tradition and settled the modern i sublime sentiment, which, in the Kantian sense, was related as much to the misery of reason as to the intensified certainty of sensations. As Barnett Newman remarked, the sublime is now, a feeling of delight, when something happened instead of nothing, an event at the limits of the expressible that is testified, because it becomes an opening to escape anxiety and the form in which transcendence materialises. Some recent paintings by Krauskopf have the mysterious tonality of a world of colours that seem to melt into nothingness, even though it should be clear that the intention was neither to dematerialise nor to present a proposition aimed at exhausting or achieving nihilist reduction. To the contrary, his work speaks of material plentifulness and the power of visions. His painting seeks, much like Chinese painting, an empty space with the ability to articulate everything.

These paintings impose their presence and cover us, as if they were atmospheres, they seduce us with their extraordinary subtlety and, through their intense lightness, compel us to contemplate the “layers of the visible”. Valéry was right when he said “what is most deep is the skin”, a phrase completely applicable to Krauskopf’s pictoral smears that we caress with our gaze. This artist moves us with his paintings, and paradoxically, makes us stop moving. He mobilises our emotions urging us to halt time to try to become one with the wonder of the world his work focusses on. Once, the writer Vladimir Nabokov was asked whether there was something in life that surprised him. He answered, “the marvel of con sciousness – that sudden window swinging open on a sunlit landscape amid the night of non-being”. Through his paintings of enigmatic tranquillity, Peter Krauskopf opens that marvellous window. Faced with the nihilist delight that renounces light, he draws spaces with which we can recover the most intense sense of beauty. He allegorically marks pathways that enable us to enter into that which can save us: poetry.