木箱裡的詩意旅行：《Joseph Cornell Wanderlust》Exhibition

文/ Polysh 特約編輯 翁浩原 Eric Hao-Yuan Weng

想像力並不是一個能夠輕易描繪或是可以被感受出來的東西，但是美國藝術家 Joseph Cornell（約瑟夫．康奈爾），卻能夠透過巧手創造各式各樣的超現實劇場，讓觀眾可以在小小的木箱中，隔著玻璃，看著想像力恣意飛翔，就像是某段旅程的縮影。但很難想像的是，這些和歐洲情懷的物件，是他在美國收集得來—因為他從未離開過美國，終其一生和母親以及身體受到挑戰的弟弟住在紐約，在小小的地下室慢慢拼湊出他的宇宙。

Joseph Cornell Habitat Group for a Shooting Gallery, 1943 Mixed media, 39.4 x 28.3 x 10.8 cm Purchased with funds from the Coffin Fine Arts Trust; Nathan Emory Coffin Collection of the Des Moines Art Center, 1975.27 Photo Collection of the Des Moines Art Center (c) The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation/VAGA, NY/DACS, London 2015 — Habitat Group for a Shooting Gallery, 1943, Joseph Cornell. Mixed media, 39.4 x 28.3 x 10.8 cm. Purchased with funds from the Coffin Fine Arts Trust; Nathan Emory Coffin Collection of the Des Moines Art Center, 1975.27. Photo Collection of the Des Moines Art Center. © The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation/VAGA, NY/DACS, London 2015. Image Courtesy of Royal Academy of Arts

英國皇家美術學院（Royal Academy of Arts），今年夏天舉辦替康奈爾舉辦《Joseph Cornell: Wanderlust》展覽，一共搜羅了 80 件作品，拼湊出近 35 年來在歐洲最為完整的展覽。他擅長以各式各樣物品，像是維多莉亞時期的古玩、密封的藥罐、紙做的鸚鵡、陶瓷玩具等等，透過精細的組合和巧妙的設計，讓這些物品不僅僅只是被放在那裡，而是佔據著某些空間，創造不同立體，並充滿流動感的視覺饗宴。被放入的每一件物品，憑藉著和個人不同的情感關聯，間接構築出一個獨特的世界，彼此聆聽著對方的故事。

一些他喜歡使用的素材 — 一些 Joseph Cornell 喜歡使用的素材。 Image Source: The Joseph Cornell Box.

Joseph Cornell, Untitled (Tilly Losch), c. 1935-38 Box Construction, 25.4 x 23.5 x 5.4 cm Collection of Robert Lehrman, courtesy of Aimee and Robert Lehrman Photo The Robert Lehrman Art Trust, courtesy of Aimee and Robert Lehrman. Photography: Quicksilver Photographers, LLC (c) The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation/VAGA, NY/DACS, London 2015 — Untitled (Tilly Losch), c. 1935-38, Joseph Cornell. Box Construction, 25.4 x 23.5 x 5.4 cm. Collection of Robert Lehrman, courtesy of Aimee and Robert Lehrman. Photo The Robert Lehrman Art Trust, courtesy of Aimee and Robert Lehrman. Photography: Quicksilver Photographers, LLC © The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation/VAGA, NY/DACS, London 2015. Image Courtesy of Royal Academy of Arts.

Joseph Cornell, Pharmacy, 1943 Box construction, 38.7 x 30.5 x 7.9 cm Collection of Paul SchÃ¤rer Photo Dominique Uldry (c) The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation/VAGA, NY/DACS, London 2015 — Pharmacy, 1943, Joseph Cornell. Box construction, 38.7 x 30.5 x 7.9 cm. Collection of Paul SchÃ¤rer. Photo Dominique Uldry. © The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation/VAGA, NY/DACS, London 2015. Image Courtesy of Royal Academy of Arts.

用特殊或是日常生活物件，拼貼或是組合而成藝術作品，在今日的當代藝術依然是熱門的創作手法之一，像是英國藝術家 Damien Hirst 的許多成名之作，多少受到類似的影響。可見在 6、70 年前，康奈爾就將撿到的東西或是現成物，結合當時盛行的超現實主義表現手法，加上各式各樣的拼貼，影響了許多後世的藝術家。其影響甚巨，甚至被認為是歷史上美國唯一的一位超現實主義藝術家，被達達主義大師杜象所稱讚—雖然康奈爾不願被貼上標籤，間接地讓他的作品多少和超現實主義有些關聯。綜觀他的作品，還能發現他的許多創作手法，也引領了後來的抽象表現主義、普普藝術和極簡藝術，幾乎是 20 世紀前半葉藝術風潮的縮影。

Joseph Cornell Object (Soap Bubble Set), 1941 Box construction, 46.4 x 31.4 x 9.5 cm The Robert Lehrman Art Trust, Courtesy of Aimee and Robert Lehrman (c) The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation/VAGA, NY/DACS, London 2015 — Object (Soap Bubble Set), 1941, Joseph Cornell. Box construction, 46.4 x 31.4 x 9.5 cm. The Robert Lehrman Art Trust, Courtesy of Aimee and Robert Lehrman. © The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation/VAGA, NY/DACS, London 2015. Image Courtesy of Royal Academy of Arts.

不過，最讓人訝異的是康奈爾並沒有受過專業的藝術訓練，他在上班擠出剩餘時間從事創作，後來受到經濟大蕭條影響，進而完全地投入藝術，都是全然自學而成。也因為他鮮少和商業畫廊來往，雖然他和當時許多藝術家是好友，也一起展覽，但要發現他的作品並不是件容易的事。由於他手下的作品多為歷時已久的物件所拼組，作品相當脆弱，運送也不容易，更突顯這次在 RA 的展覽相當難得。有興趣的朋友千萬別錯過，展期直到 9 月 27 日。

Joseph Cornell Naples, 1942 Box construction, 28.6 x 17.1 x 12.1 cm The Robert Lehrman Art Trust, Courtesy of Aimee and Robert Lehrman (c) The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation/VAGA, NY/DACS, London 2015 — Naples, 1942, Joseph Cornell. Box construction, 28.6 x 17.1 x 12.1 cm. The Robert Lehrman Art Trust, Courtesy of Aimee and Robert Lehrman. © The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation/VAGA, NY/DACS, London 2015. Image Courtesy of Royal Academy of Arts.

Joseph Cornell, Palace, 1943 Box construction: Glass-paned, stained wood box with photomechanical reproduction, mirror, spray-painted twigs, wood and shaved bark, 26.7 x 50.5 x 13 cm The Menil Collection, Houston Photo The Menil Collection, Houston. Photography: Hickey-Robertson (c) The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation/VAGA, NY/DACS, London 2015 — Palace, 1943, Joseph Cornell. Box construction: Glass-paned, stained wood box with photomechanical reproduction, mirror, spray-painted twigs, wood and shaved bark, 26.7 x 50.5 x 13 cm. The Menil Collection, Houston. Photo The Menil Collection, Houston. Photography: Hickey-Robertson. © The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation/VAGA, NY/DACS, London 2015. Image Courtesy of Royal Academy of Arts.

《Joseph Cornell: Wanderlust》Exhibition
Royal Academy of Arts, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BD
展期：2015/07/04 至 2015/09/27
開放時間：Sat-Thu: 10:00-18:00/ Fri: 10:00-10:00
想了解更多，請瀏覽 Royal Academy of Arts 網站。

Images Courtesy of Royal Academy of Arts & The Joseph Cornell Box.