24 Nov 2012

To Tammi

杜韻飛的「生殤相」

2011/09/23 12:57pm 台灣某公立收容所 距離安樂死時間:1.1小時
(編按︰台灣攝影師杜韻飛拍攝一系列當地遭遺棄的狗隻照片「生殤相」,受到廣泛傳媒報導,今日我們有幸邀請他進行訪談,詳細講述他拍攝的心路歷程與背後的想法。)
問︰從報紙上讀到有關你拍攝被遺棄狗隻的新聞,可否介紹這個項目,包括你想達到的目標、拍攝的方式、拍攝的對象選擇等。
答︰雖然我只拍攝狗,但事實上這是對於所有非人類動物的影射,一如種族歧視或性別歧視,人類對動物歧視的時間更長久,觀念也更根深柢固:動物的骨肉被食用、皮毛被穿戴、被當成娛樂工具(狩獵、馬戲團、動物園….等等)。動物之於多數人是低等的,所以人類群體對動物的感受也就理所當然的視而不見,這就是人類對於動物的歧視,澳洲倫理哲學家、美國普林斯頓大學生命倫理學教授彼得‧辛格(Peter Singer)稱之為物種歧視。如果從情感的角度進行辯論,喜歡動物的人認為應該保護動物, 不喜歡動物的人認為不需重視動物福利,那麼喜歡與不喜歡動物的人永遠不會形成共識。因此,動物議題不應以情感角度辯思,而是從道德角度辯思,這樣的論述建立在以下的基礎:動物有知覺與感覺,因此不論你喜不喜歡動物,都對動物的生存權負有道德上的責任。
「要否認動物能感受疼痛,無論在科學上、哲學上都沒有堅強的理由,只要我們不懷疑其他人類會感覺疼痛,我們便不該懷疑其他動物同樣會感受到疼痛……只要某種生物感知痛苦,便沒有道德上的理由拒絕把該痛苦的感受列入考量。」──彼得‧辛格(Peter Singer),《動物解放》(ANIMAL LIBERATION)
2011/06/13  11:44am  台灣某公立收容所 距離安樂死時間:40分鐘
這樣的論述對我而言是嚴謹與理性的論述,無法辯駁、也無從辯駁。只是人類長期以來漠視動物的苦難已然成為了一種心態、一種文化,如何讓觀者再次面對動物與生俱來的生命狀態與生存權利, 便是我希望達到的目標。
既然這項議題不只是台灣的議題、亞洲的議題,抽象的來說,也不單只是世界的議題,而是從古至今,以至於未來,全人類必須凝視與關注的議題。因此我必須運用單純與通用的語彙, 這一切的一切取決於題目如何被設定。 攝影術由西方人發明與發展, 使得十九世紀以來攝影棚拍攝的西方古典肖像形式成為大眾習以為常的共通語彙(時尚影像、婚紗照、證件照….等等)。這樣的設定相當適合這項議題的表現方式,中性的灰色背景布隔除了台灣收容所的背景(如果以紀實手法拍攝,拍攝現場的展現標明了特定的時間與地點,會導致影像的閱讀被侷限於當地,影像的討論或許只會被限制在台灣的動物文化與心態或公共政策 ) ,使觀者得以心無旁騖地凝視影像中動物的知覺、感覺、與生命狀態。這樣的表現方式可以讓影像與議題閱讀超越時空,格局更大。影像中受難的狗不只是一隻狗, 牠應該是從古至今,乃至於未來,所有歷史長河中因為人類社會受難與犧牲的動物的象徵 。
2011/03/07 04:17am 台灣某公立收容所 距離安樂死時間:13.2小時
問︰在拍攝過程中,你主要遇到甚麼困難?又如何去解決呢?
答︰「生殤相」既然是影像作品,它必然牽涉了美學與社會性。美學的表現則牽涉技法與技術,創作者必須耗費時間與心力去處理, 這是每位創作者製作作品時都必須面對的,而且這是主觀的選擇。這部分牽涉了個人涵養與生活經驗,我的經驗並不適用於所有人,因此不在此贅述。 我只能說,現在看來如此精簡的表現方式,也是在一開始花費好幾個月才尋找出來的模式。
每次的拍攝就是預告這些動物下一分鐘、或下一個小時的死亡,創作者又如何能置身度外?我又怎麼可能沒有情緒?但是不去凝視不代表這件事情(或任何不公義的事情)沒有發生。創作者思考的重點應該放在如何讓這件事情與這項議題,得以經由個人經驗與美學表現轉化成當代具有社會性、公眾性的表現方式。 創作者所決定的創作形式能否產生共鳴,提高議題的能見度,或是提供新的視角,甚至促成公眾與社會採取行動與改變,這才是當代社會議題創作者靈魂深處真正的挑戰。
2011/11/28 10:54pm 台灣某公立收容所 距離安樂死時間:1.2小時
問︰在這輯作品裏,你最喜歡哪一張?為甚麼呢?
答︰既然想要讓影像中的狗成為所有歷史長河中,因為人類社會受難與犧牲的動物的象徵, 正如史帝夫‧麥凱瑞(Steven McCurry)拍攝的阿富汗少女成為世人眼中所有戰火與災難下無辜平民的象徵,我認知中這樣的影像應該要濃縮與濃郁、寫實與精準,但同時也必須精緻,甚至精緻到一種迷人,讓人無法拒絕面對的地步。
你問我最喜歡那一張照片,事實上我很不願意用「喜歡」這兩個字,我只能說最符合我對這項議題的認知與詮釋的照片是2011年10月24日所拍攝到的這一張照片 (下圖)。這張照片中狗的毛髮幾乎已經全部掉光,很明顯地讓人知道這是一隻沒人照顧與關愛的生命,在面臨安樂死前,經歷過無數的苦難;更重要的是,不同我其他影像中的狗似乎迫切地希望與觀者互動或對話,這張照片的狗是不凝視觀者的。牠不卑不亢,以近乎全然沒有私慾般的宗教狀態存在,使得這張影像很單純地表現了這隻狗的生命狀態。 對我而言,它暗喻與道出了長久以來人類對於動物的歧視的況境。
2011/10/24 12:09pm 台灣某公立收容所 距離安樂死時間:1.9小時
問︰你有否計劃下一步拍攝計劃呢?
答︰我不是傳統的動保人士,也不是動物攝影師,而是一個當代的影像工作者。動物議題只是我眾多議題之一,其他的拍攝計劃也在持續地進行中。
「生殤相」已歷經三十個月的拍攝,也在持續進行中。對此計劃,我對自己的要求是最少五年,為什麼是五年? 那是自己給自己的設定,當初如果設定十年,那就做十年。重點是計劃時間要有一定的長度,五年的投入會帶給我的經驗與感受是創作者的養分,會讓作品的內涵與深度不同。我的第一年與第二年所拍攝出的影像之於我就有相當程度的差異,雖然形式看起來似乎相同。
我覺得藝術是一個分工的世界,我的能力有限 ,所以不會主動、也沒有精神去尋求展覽或推銷自己。我是一個影像工作者,最重要的工作是把作品做好。我們身處的當代不再是梵谷的世代,而是資訊與網路的時代。如果你的作品夠好、值得被重視,那麼你的作品就會被看見;然後策展人、政治人物、藝廊、相關議題的團體、媒體與出版社都會來找你。本來我的作品在台灣只有被部分的人看見,之後《商業周刊》刊登了一篇報導,這一報導讓新北市議員陳儀君看見,進而讓我得以從旁監督新北市安樂死與收容所的制度。我與市議員開了兩次記者會檢討新北市的動物收容狀態與政策,報紙刊出後也讓美聯社(ASSOCIATE PRESS)看到了我的作品。美聯社發稿後,L.A. TIMES、WASHINGTON POST、CBS NEWS、Der Spiegel(Germany)、 MSNBC、DAILY POST(UK)、義大利與美國的YAHOO….等等數十個國家都編譯了美聯社的報導,光是上週我所回信的讀者來函就來自三十幾個國家。
只要將作品做好, 就一定會有人看見。我的下一步拍攝計劃, 就是把下一張相片拍好。

To Tammi


攝影改變命運︰本來領養無望的小狗
大家覺得上圖的小狗肖像如何?拍得不錯吧?而且小狗看起來也相當精神,但也許你不會發覺,其實這裏每一張照片裏的小狗,都被領養中心指為「最不可能被領養」的狗隻,有一些甚至已在中心居住超過半年,隨時會被「人道」毁滅……紐約攝影師 LaNola Kathleen Stone 本身是個愛狗之人,她親身去探訪家裏附近的領養中心,並特別要求替這些最不受歡迎的小狗拍攝照片。
要使一隻小狗被人領養,當中涉及很多因素,狗的年紀、品種、外表,甚至居住領養中心的時期也會影響,而當地官方領養中心對「推銷」遺棄動物其實不太熱心,很多狗隻可能就這樣錯過被領養的機會。
最大的好消息,這名為「Least Likely to Be Adopted: Dog Pound Portraits」的作品,大大改變這裏所有狗隻的命運,這裏每一張照片裏的小狗,最終都被人領養走了。如果相信攝影可以改變命運,這就是一例。(人類果然是視覺系動物!?)







22 Nov 2012

To Christine:

DAYDREAM LIGHTS BY TOMOMI SAYUDA
by Harry / May 22, 2012
Source: http://mocoloco.com/fresh2/2012/05/22/daydream-lights-by-tomomi-sayuda.php

Seen @ICFF, @TomomiSayuda's delicate handcrafted lanterns with flower-like paper blooms.

(Click the images below for full sized images)

daydream_lights_tomomi_sayuda_2b.jpg
There are three sizes of Daydream available in three colours; Sprout (up top), Cherry and Rainbow.

daydream_lights_tomomi_sayuda_3b.jpg
More at Tomomi Sayuda.

daydream_lights_tomomi_sayuda_4b.jpg
Cherry up close

daydream_lights_tomomi_sayuda_5b.jpg

18 Nov 2012

To Cherry:

LEUNG Mei Ping - Mini Flat G, rm 7 - An interactive Project
2011

'Mini House', which is full of Hong Kong local characteristics, is a cooperation project with renowned Hong Kong furniture company Giormani. Apart from the 3 handmade classical Giormani sofa miniatures, other pieces of furniture in the Mini House are all ordinary and characterized. The composition of furniture inside the Mini House is full of local people's wisdom of placing furniture in a small space. Very different from regular doll houses, it represents the typical narrow and small living space in Hong Kong, whereas re-observing Hong Kong people's perception of home.

Audience can arrange pieces of furniture freely inside the unit of Mini House according to their imagination. The audience's activities in the Mini Unit recorded by a hidden camera will be shown live on a projection screen in Giormani shop (where the exhibition takes place). The enlarged images will remind the audience of the real furniture pieces in the shop. The audience can feel and experience the real and the imagined space while wandering from the enlarged space to the reduced space. Participating audience can take photos with their own created 'Mini Block G Unit 7', and the photos will be put on the wall of Giormani shop.

Source: http://www.lmp.hk/workdetail.php?id=88







馬格蘭攝影師給年輕攝影師的建議(下)


LISE SARFATI
Read a lot and create your own universe. Learn how to construct and create a series. Do not be impressed by other works. Try to innovate or simply to be yourself.
廣泛地閱讀,創造你自己的體系。學習如何創造及構建作品系列。不要讓別人的作品影響你。試著創新,或者就簡單地做你自己。
MARTINE FRANCK
My advice to photographers is to get out there in the field and take photographs but also if they are students to finish their course, learn as many languages as possible, go to movies, read books, visit museums, broaden your mind.
我給年輕攝影師的建議是出去拍攝,當然,如果你是學生的話,完成學業。盡可能多學些語言,多看電影,多讀書,去參觀博物館,一句話,開闊你的眼界。
HARRY GRUYAERT
Be yourself, Don’t copy anybody.
做你自己,不要模仿任何人。
HIROJI KUBOTA
Study the works of the greatest photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Andre Kertesz. Try to travel to many parts of the world and understand what a diverse world we live in.
學習歷史上偉大攝影師的作品,比如亨利·卡蒂埃·布列松和安德烈·柯特茲。去世界各地旅行,要理解這個世界的多樣性。
JOHN VINK
Don’t stop questioning yourself (it’ll make you less arrogant). Push. Push, scratch, dig… Push further… And stop when you don’t enjoy it anymore… But most of all respect those you photograph…
時時刻刻向自己提問,這樣會讓你不那麼自大。挖掘自己的內心,挖掘,繼續挖掘……如果你不再享受這個過程,就停下……但最重要的是,尊敬你所拍攝的人……
JONAS BENDIKSEN
Throw yourself off a cliff. Figuratively speaking, I mean. Photography is a language. Think about what you want to use it to talk about. What are you interested in? What questions do you want to ask? Then, go for it, and throw yourself into talking about that topic, using photography. Make a body of work about that.
把你自己扔下懸崖——我只是打個比方。攝影是一種語言。想想你要用它來表達什麼。你感興趣但是什麼?你想問些什麼問題?然後你就去用攝影來談論這個話題,去構建一個主體。
LARRY TOWELL
The camera allowed me to share the lives of others, to walk around in their world, to view their horizons. That’s when I got excited about photography.
相機讓我能夠分享他人的生活,進入他們的生活,了解他們的內心。那是我對攝影感到興奮是開始。
Be yourself and look outside of yourself.
做你自己,並關心周圍的世界。
MARK POWER
Although there are far more people trying to be photographers than there were in those heady days of 1980, there are also far more opportunities. Gone are the days, thankfully, when a commercial assignment, or even a picture in a newspaper, can damage the chance of gallery representation.
Yet what is clear is that a number of good pictures are no longer enough; today it has to be about ideas, and about the intent of the work. If you have something to say, and even better you have an innovative way of saying it then opportunities are out there.
I sense that photography is concerning itself with real issues again. For some time much of photography seemed to be about itself, and while this was fine, and interesting in some cases, it’s not what photography is really good at. Understand this by familiarising yourself with the rich and wonderful history of our medium. Be proud of it, what it has,
and what it can, achieve. Don’t try and reinvent the wheel. Be inspired. Try and copy, if you like (because no one can). Find a subject you care about. Something that moves you. Something which stirs your rawest emotions. And then have patience.
雖然比起轟轟烈烈的二十世紀80年代,現在有更多人試圖要做攝影師,現在也有更多的機會。感謝上帝,那種日子一去不復返了,那時拍攝一次商業圖片、甚至在報紙上刊登一副照片就會喪失進入美術館展覽的機會。
但是,現在越來越明確的是,僅僅拍出幾張優秀的照片是不夠的。現在重要的是整體的思路,以及作品的目的。如果你想表達什麼,最好是你能有新穎的方式來表達,這樣的話你就大有機會了。
我感覺現在攝影終於又開始關注現實話題了。有一陣攝影關注的是它本身,當然這也不錯,有時候也很有趣,但這並不是攝影所擅長的。你要去了解攝影豐富而精彩的歷史,以便理解攝影真正擅長什麼。要為攝影已經取得以及還可以取得的成就感到自豪。不要試圖改變這個工具。保持靈感。試著去複制,如果你可以的話,事實上沒有人能複制。尋找你自己關心的主題,那些真正能打動你的東西,那些引起你發自內心的情緒的東西。然後,你要耐心。
MARTIN PARR
Find something you are passionate about, and shoot your way through this obsession with elegance and you will have potential great project.
找到你熱愛的主題,堅持拍攝下去,即使感到困惑也不要停,然後你會獲得潛在的偉大的專題。
MIKHAEL SUBOTZKY
Stick to one project for a long time. And keep working on it through many stages of learning, even if it might feel finished. Its the only way to break through what I think are some vital lessons that need to be learnt about story-telling and how to combine images.
堅持長時間地拍攝一個主題,邊拍邊學,哪怕它似乎可以完成了,也要接著拍。這是唯一的突破方法,從中你可以學到非常重要的一課,那就是如何講故事,以及如何把影像組合在一起。
OLIVIA ARTHUR
My main piece of advice for young photographers who have just come out of college is to get away from the hubs of photography like London and New York. There are so many photographers touting their portfolios round in places like this that people end up fighting to do jobs that are not what they really want, just to make ends meet. It’s the kind of environment that doesn’t fuel anyone’s creativity (well mostly anyway…). My advice: go out and do the things they really want to before getting tied in…if they don’t take the risk at the beginning they’ll find it much harder to come back and take it later on.
我給年輕攝影師最主要的建議是:畢業之後別去倫敦或者紐約這樣的攝影中心,那兒有那麼多攝影師拿著自己的作品集到處轉,其結果就是大家都很難找到工作,而就算得到了拍攝任務,也未必自己想要拍攝的,他們工作只是為了使收支平衡。在這樣的大環境中,每個人的創造性都很容易被抹殺。我的建議:在被現實生活束縛之前去做自己真正想做的事,如果一開始不冒點險,以後再想回來做自己想做的事就更難了。
PAOLO PELLEGRIN
I believe photography – like many other things one does in life – is the exact expression of who one is at a given moment: every time you compose and release the shutter you give voice to your thoughts and opinions of the world around you. So other than the obvious patience (photography is a complex medium, a voice which requires time to develop) and perseverance and the necessary humility when dealing with others, I would recommend working to become a more developed and informed individual, a more knowledgeable and engaged citizen. This will translate into a deeper more complex understanding of the world around you, and ultimately into a richer and more meaningful photography.
我相信攝影就像一個人會做的其他事一樣,是一個人在特定時刻的自我表達:你每一次構圖、按下快門的過程實際上都表達了你對周遭世界的看法和觀點。所以,除了需要耐心——這是顯而易見的,因為攝影是一種需要時間來參與的複雜的媒體;還有恆心和在和人打交道時必要的謙遜態度,我的建議是要努力成為一個全面的、見多識廣、知識淵博的人,多參與社會活動。這將使你對周遭世界的理解更為深刻和全面,並且最終使你的影像的含義更為豐富而深遠。
PATRICK ZACHMANN
You have to fight for being a photographer! More seriously, my advice for young people is to go to exhibitions, to see books and try to do a personal project which they feel they have a unique approach of it because they are close to the subject and need to express and understand urgently things about it.
Photography has something to do for me, like with Diane Arbus, with oneself through the others and with unconsciousness (sorry for my English: I mean “l’inconscient”) a psychoanalytic approach. I will answer to a third question because it’s linked with above: why did you become a photographer? I became a photographer because I don’t have memory. It took me quite a long time to understand that trough my personal researches (“Inquest of identity or a Jew in search of his memory”, “Chile. The roads of the memory”, “My father’s memory”, etc.), I was looking for the “missing” pictures. Making my book “Inquest of identity”, I found out that my aunt-my father’s sister who was a Nazi camp survivor- had at her home a picture of my grand-parents deported and killed in Auschwitz that my father never showed to us. Thanks photography, I met my father’s parents that I never knew. That’s what I like with photography. It helps me to understand myself and the past through the present.
你得為成為一個攝影師而奮鬥!嚴肅一點說,我給年輕攝影師的建議是,去看各種展覽,多閱讀並去拍攝個人的專題,我指的是對他們自身來說有特殊意義的專題,他們在情感上對這些主題特別接近並且有迫切的表達願望。
像迪安·阿勃斯(Diane Arbus)一樣,對我來說攝影有特別的意義,是通過他人來表達自己、是無意識的——我為我糟糕的英語道歉,我是指“潛意識”、是一個心理過程。我要回答第三個問題因為這與前面兩個是相關的,那就是“我為什麼要成為攝影師?”我當攝影師是因為我沒有記憶,我花了很長時間在我為我的書《Inquest of identity or a Jew in search of his memory》、《Chile. The roads of the memory》和《My father’s memory》等做調查的過程中想明白的(帕特里克·扎克曼Patrick Zachmann是一個猶太裔的攝影師,這幾個專題應該都是他所做的關於自己的種族的調查,補充一點查到的相關訪談),那時我一直在尋找“失去的”影像。在編寫《Inquest of Identity》這本書的過程中,我發現我的姑姑,也就是我爸爸的姐姐,是一個納粹集中營倖存者,她保留了一張我祖父的照片,我的祖父是奧斯維新集中營的遇難者之一。但我父親從來沒有給我們看過這張照片。感謝攝影,讓我看到了我從未見過的祖父,這就是我熱愛攝影的原因,它使我能夠了解自己,以及通過現實了解過去。
PETER MARLOW
Be yourself, get up early, and don’t try too hard, as whatever is trying to come out will come eventually without any effort, learn to trust your instincts and don’t think about what others will think or about the process too much . Work hard but enjoy it.
做你自己。早點起床,但別過分用功,因為你想要表達的東西有時候會毫不費力地自己出現。學會相信你的直覺,別老去想別人會怎麼看,也別去想整個過程是怎麼樣的。努力,但是要享受攝影。
STEVE MCCURRY
If you want to be a photographer, you have to photograph. If you look at the photographers’ work you admire, you will find that they have found a particular place or subject, and then have dug deep into it, and carved out something that is special. That takes a lot of dedication, passion, and work.
如果你想成為攝影師,那就得去拍攝。如果你仔細看你所欽佩的攝影師的作品,你會發現他們都深入地拍攝了一個特定的地方或者主題,並且從中發現了一些特別的東西。那需要勤奮、激情和努力的工作。
STUART FRANKLIN
Follow your heart and never give up.
跟著感覺走,不要放棄。
SUSAN MEISELAS
Dig in and follow your instincts and trust your curiosity.
深入拍攝,跟著你的直覺走,相信你的好奇心。
THOMAS DWORZAK
Try live something intense, at home, abroad… it does not matter. It has to be passionate. And once you know the basics forget about photography.
認真地去生活,無論是在家鄉還是在國外。必須有激情。一旦你掌握了攝影的基礎,就別去多想攝影的技術等東西。
THOMAS HOEPKER
Avoid all photo schools and courses. Most will give you lofty ideas and twist your mind in one direction. Find your own way to photography, nobody will ask you later if you have a diploma. Visit as many museums as you possibly can. The images you see (painted, drawn, etched or photographed) will stay with you for the rest of your life. They will help you to discover good pictures in real life. Suppress any silly ambitions of becoming a great artist. Being a good photographer is difficult enough.
別去讀任何攝影學校或者課程,那些只會讓你產生大而空的理想並把學員的想法變得千篇一律。你得找到你自己的攝影方式,如果你有了文憑,就沒人會再找你。盡可能多地去參觀博物館,你看到的影像,不管是油畫、素描、蝕刻畫還是攝影,都會伴隨你一生,它們會幫助你在真實生活中發現好的影像。別傻乎乎地想著要當一個偉大的藝術家,做個優秀的攝影師已經夠困難的了。
TRENT PARKE
To photograph what is closest to you and the things that you enjoy and have an interest in. Make the whole process as fun and least difficult as possible.
去拍攝你身邊的、你最享受和最感興趣的事物。讓整個攝影的過程盡可能充滿樂趣、不那麼困難。