Vanishing Point 消失點｜Luke M Walker 路克沃可
2024 / 10 / 12 - 11 / 03
Luke M Walker 是來自英國倫敦的當代藝術家。在這次與 ZASSO 首次合作推出的個展中，他嘗試透過全景的手法來探討城市的本質。Walker 發展出一種在畫布上創作大型炭筆畫的技術，主要聚焦於描繪自身居住的城市。在此次的展覽中，他也嘗試將這些技術應用於其他城市。他走訪倫敦、巴黎和舊金山的多處制高點，並重新彙整了 2019 年來到台北時所拍攝的影像。憑著雙腳攀登數百階的古老台階與高速電梯，他試圖找出每座城市的最佳視角。
倫敦擁有兩千多年的歷史，許多街道仍然依循著中世紀時期蜿蜒曲折的路徑，穿過彎曲的河流，與後期興建的鐵道網路相互交織。相比之下，巴黎的奧斯曼大道經過莊嚴正式的規劃，舊金山的網格狀道路覆蓋於丘陵景觀之上，而在台北或東京這樣的現代城市中，舊時的城跡則依然在新建的高層建築之間隱約可見。時間、地景與基礎建設等元素之間的內在連結，以及由道路、鐵路、河川和地貌所創造出每座城市獨特而多元的空間地圖，在在都令他著迷。
Walker 受過建築系的基本訓練，曾經擔任切爾西藝術學院 （Chelsea College of Arts）的設計講師，因此他在進行正式教學與從事藝術創作的過程中會帶入透視系統的技術。憑藉這些知識，他也意識到透視規則的侷限性，因而懂得靈活變通，為自由的詮釋與想像的空間保留餘地。
Luke M Walker is a London, UK based British Contemporary Fine Artist. For his first solo show with ZASSO he was keen to explore the nature of the Panoramic City. Walker has developed a technique for making large scale charcoal works on canvas and although the work has focussed on his own home city, for this show he was keen to apply some of the techniques he has developed to other cities. He visited as many high views in London, Paris and San Francisco as well as collating images from his last visit to Taipei in 2019. Climbing 100’s of ancient steps and taking advantage of high-speed elevators in search of the best vantage points in each city.
Being over 2000 years old, many of London’s streets still conform to a medieval pattern of winding paths and roads, that navigate the meandering river and the later rail networks threaded through it. Comparing and contrasting with Hausmann’s boulevards and formalities of Paris, the over laid grids onto the hilly landscape of San Francisco, or the more modern cities of Taipei or Tokyo where traces of the older cities still survive amongst the newer high-rise buildings. It is the interconnecting elements of time, landscape and infrastructure that intrigue him, with roads, rails, rivers and topology that create the unique, spatial multi-dimensional map of each city.
Architecturally trained, and as a former Design Tutor at Chelsea College of Art, Walker used perspectival systems both in more formal training with his students and now in his own Art practice. With this knowledge he is also aware of their limitations and so can bend the rules accordingly and allow for freer interpretations and space for the imagination to wander.
為了理想的呈現炭筆的材質及創作的筆觸，Walker 的作品不採用玻璃裝裱，而是透過多層塗佈的抗紫外線保護劑，直接將作品定色於畫布上。展題《Vanishing Point》也反映了創作過程中，炭筆繪的脆弱性以及軟橡皮擦所抹消的痕跡。
He is keen that the materiality of the charcoal and the making of the works can be appreciated so avoids presenting the work behind glass, developing instead a method for fixing the work onto the canvas with layers of UV protective fixative. The title Vanishing Point also references the making of the pieces with both the fragility of charcoal and its removal with a putty eraser.
在此次展覽中，Walker 也首次嘗試創作了一系列的單刷版畫。每一幅作品都是以濕潤的石墨墨水在印版上繪製，然後通過壓印完成（這也是另一項關於「消失」的參照）。每次印刷的成品都是獨一無二的，有時候經過第二次或第三次墨色較為輕薄的印刷成果，反而會成為最終的作品。隨後，印版會被擦拭乾淨，不留一絲痕跡。這次展出的其中兩幅作品也運用了蝕刻的技法，這兩幅作品分別記錄了 Walker 在倫敦和巴黎徒步行走的過程；他在步行時收集數據，記錄速度、爬升高度和步數，並使用這些數據創作出「數據景觀」（Datascape） 系列。
由此形成的作品，成為了藝術家在工作室及城市中生活的另類記錄。它們本身就是探索的過程，並且暗示了在地平線之外等待著被發現的事物。
For this show Walker has also created a series of Monotype prints for the first time. Each is made by drawing into wet Graphite ink, on a plate (another reference to removal) before going through the press. Each imprint is unique, sometimes a second or third fainter pass will create the final piece. Then the plate is wiped clean, leaving no trace of its making. For two pieces he has also included an etching, each one documenting a walk made across the associated cities; London and Paris. He collects data as he walks, recording his speed, elevation (height) and steps, he uses this data to construct his ‘Datascapes’ series.
The resulting work becomes another documentation of the Artist’s activity both in the studio and out in the cities that inspire him. They act as explorations in and of themselves and offer hints at what lies waiting to be discovered just beyond the horizon line.
創作者│Luke M. Walker 路克沃可
Luke M Walker 於 1969 年出生於英國，現居倫敦。他擁有建築專業背景，曾在倫敦的切爾西藝術設計學院（Chelsea College of Art and Design）教授室內和空間設計，並於 2012 年到 2014 年完成了倫敦城市行業藝術學院（City and Guilds of London Art School）的美術碩士學位，目前也是該校的美術客座講師。Walker 在英國與德國有多次的展覽經驗，並曾與藝術家張婉琳在 ZASSO 共同舉辦過兩次聯展。他在 2015 年榮獲標誌性風格藝術獎（Signature Art Prize）
中的繪畫類獎項，並於 2018 年參加了英國皇家藝術研究院（Royal Academy of Arts）舉行的夏季展覽。他也是 荒野藝術團體（Wilderness Art Collective）的聯合創辦人，這是一個由藝術家所組成的團體，作品多著重於探討自然環境。除此之外，他還是一名登山愛好者，同時是英國皇家地理學會（Royal Geographical Social）的會員，曾在該學會展出作品，舉辦講座與演講。
Luke M Walker was born in 1969 in the UK and lives and works in London. Architecturally trained and working professionally and teaching Interior and Spatial Design at Chelsea College of Art and Design, London. He completed a Master of Fine Art at City and Guilds of London Art School in 2012-14, where he also now a Visiting Tutor of Fine Art.
Walker has exhibited extensively around the UK, Germany and has had two joint shows with ZASSO with Wan Lin Chang. He was winner of the Signature Art Prize for Painting in 2015 and Exhibited in the Royal Academy of Arts Summer show in 2018. He is also Co-Founder of the Wilderness Art Collective, a group of artists whose work explores the natural environment. He is also a keen climber and mountaineer and Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) in London where he has also exhibited and given talks and presentations.