開創二十一世紀琉璃顏色新境界

Introducing a New Palette for 21st Century Liuli

在人類漫長的雕塑歷史上，幾乎沒有一種雕塑材質能隨藝術家創作色彩。法國自17世紀開始許多藝術家思考著，如何讓作品更有生命力，顏色變成一個很重要的層面，因為「色彩」是表達美感的元素之一。

19世紀，法國雕塑家亨利．克羅斯Henri Cros和羅丹Auguste Rodin透過大量的實驗，不斷的摸索，最後在「琉璃」中找到答案。琉璃是少數可以融入色彩，又能永久保存的一種雕塑材質，但高溫中的琉璃呈液態流動，如何精準「定色」，成了藝術家新的探索旅程。仔細觀察歐洲新藝術時期中有關「定色」的創作，有蜜蜂，有昆蟲，有蜥蜴，偏偏唯獨沒有花。

Sculptors never thought to or could not alter a material’s intrinsic color until artists in 17th century France began toying with the possibility of using color to add motion and life to a static object.

In the 19th century, French sculptors Henri Cros and Auguste Rodin’s experimentation led them to glass. Glass is one of few mediums that can absorb color. Yet in its molten state its fluidity makes the application of color a challenge. This is why experimentation with color placement in glass is one of the greatest journeys a glass artist can take.

EMILE GALLÉ說過，花朵的顏色，是上帝創造的顏色。

Colorful bees, insects, and lizards were commonly represented during the 20th century Art Nouveau period. But what about flowers? Artist Emile Gallé, one of the major forces of French Art Nouveau once said that the colors found in flowers were God’s creations.

琉璃藝術，對楊惠姍來說，是雕塑；也是繪畫。她相信琉璃的顏色可以如繪畫一樣，揮灑自如。然而，1400多度的高溫中，滾燙的琉璃漿彷彿有自己意志，隨機流動的過程中，影響色彩的位置與變化。32年來，無數次慘烈的挫折，絕望的失敗，楊惠姍在脫蠟鑄造的基礎上，一點點的，摸索粉燒定色的技法，最終，突破琉璃雕塑和顏色的束縛，為盛大的花朵揮灑上豐富的色彩。

雕塑藝術的顏色從材質表面進到材質，隨著光影的改變，顏色也隨之變化；琉璃、光、色彩三者的融合，為雕塑藝術帶來前所未有的豐富生命力。21世紀的「定色」，在藝術家楊惠姍手上，發展出一個全新的境界。

Loretta H. Yang approaches liuli art as both sculpture and painting. She believes that color can be applied to liuli the same way it is used in painting. Yet in a 1,400C kiln, what was once solid becomes liquid and what was once defined loses definition as glass and color move through each other. For thirty-two years Yang has experimented with color placement through the pate de verre technique. Breaking through the confines of color limitations in liuli sculpture, Yang has mastered the application of color in her large-scale floral blooms.

The color found in sculpture is not on the surface, it is incorporated into the material itself. Transforming as it interacts with light, sculptural art reaches another dimension through the elements of liuli, light and color.  In the 21st century, color finds new life under Yang’s skilled hands.