七月盛暑的一個週六傍晚，十幾個吱吱喳喳的四十幾歲女人，從我六樓的新家走出來，擠在電梯裡，按了一樓，有人突然說：頂樓還沒去看一看，大家就又從一樓坐到頂樓。奇怪！怎麼有兩個女孩在頂樓騎腳踏車？原來是我家女兒和朋友的女兒，我們大人談得太開心，把小孩都忘了。
這裡是北台灣淡水鎮的「理學苑」住家大樓。社區約有一百戶，只有七層樓高，位在淡水古蹟區，從頂樓就能看到淡水河景。而在美國定居了十六年的我，又怎麼會出現在那裡呢？
淡水是我的故鄉，今年決定在淡水築個小窩，每年寒暑假就可以回來度長假，因為新屋才完工，我索性就帶女兒回來住上半年，一方面可以佈置裝潢，另一方面可與親友團聚，第三方面可讓八歲的女兒學中文。
女人們、小孩們和兩個爸爸面帶微笑，仰望開闊的天空，清風徐徐吹來，淡水暮色真美好，觀音山和大屯山環繞，像慈母的手臂，還有各式摩天大樓爭艷。這一刻，沒有煩惱、比較、過去和未來，只有大學畢業二十四年後的喜相逢！
同學會在台灣似乎非常蓬勃，例如我的大姊就是個「同學會達人」。她剛從中學教職退休，我經常聽說她要去參加同學會，她也常留意適合開同學會的餐館，因為她可以建議地點，不用說，大台北區的大小雅緻餐館，她當然都吃遍了。
我雖然移居美國，也不落人後，每年仍然回台參加一次大學同學會。我朋友比較少，保持聯絡的，就只是住在台北的五六位大學同學，每次返台時，大家總會見見面，說是歡迎我，其實是她們平日太忙碌，雖然都住在台灣，一年也只能見這一次面。
因為離鄉背井，讓我特別珍惜老朋友，深體人生無常，必須即時把握。最近幾年，拜科技之賜，住在美國的我反而成了主辦人。當我快要回台前，我就會發出電郵通知大家，那些不用電郵的同學，就有勞台北的同學以電話通知，有時也會邀到外縣市的同學來參加。
今年停留的時間較長，當然更義不容辭挑起主辦的責任，還要有家人和朋友的團隊協助，有人要負責聯絡，有人要帶路，才能找到位在半山腰的寒舍。美酒佳餚更是不可少，正巧妹妹開了家韓國餐館，就在我家附近，我們包下餐廳全場，可以盡情喧嘩。餐後，大家到頗具建築特色的淡江中學ˋ真理大學漫步、拍照，再散步到寒舍，繼續第二回合的敘舊。
在客廳中，我為大家朗讀一篇報紙上的文章：「…一年又一年，許多人過了中年，開始懷念老友，開始想念故鄉，甚至開始回想起童年的一切，懷舊的心情，期盼老朋友各自安好，不管物換星移海枯石爛，大夥驀然回首之際，仍能相互問候：噢！你還在這裡！」多麼貼近我們的心情啊！文章標題叫「相見亦無事」，作者是王瓊慈。
「相見亦無事」是上句，我更喜歡下句：「不來常思君」，尤其是看到兩位闊別二十四年的老同學，共有的往事又浮現腦際，別後的生活經驗也是大家的借鏡。朋友見面，並不需要「有事」，但要有時間，在網路上看過一句話：「再忙，也要和你喝杯咖啡。」
你最近去喝咖啡了嗎？對我而言，再忙，也要開個同學會。
改寫于聖荷西二○○九年八月二十七日
10/09/2009
Immorality and Art
CAN “IMMORAL” PEOPLE CREATE GREAT ART?
My answer is YES. I will analyze it from three different perspectives and explain why the artworks are great.
From a spiritual perspective, these great artworks were God’s work; these artists were just channels to express them. Why choose them? I don’t know. Their flaws or crimes committed are the living proof that we humans are imperfect. I guess Caravagio (1573-1610) killed someone in a spur of rage. Bernini physically disfigured his mistress out of jealousy. Jacques-Louis David acted according to his belief: “arts must …contribute forcefully to the education of the public,” and must be in the service of revolution. (p. 847 Gardner’s)
From a psychological perspective, I wonder if the moody unfriendly Michelangelo was the same great sculptor Michelangelo who created David. Was he happy when he was creating? Or was the furiously jealous Bernini the same Bernini who created the Saint Peter’s Cathedral? What I mean is people behave differently at different times of their lives and when interacting with different people. I have come to realize that we all have “multiple personalities”. During any given day, we can go through different thoughts, moods and feelings. I confess that sometimes I was very unkind to my own family.
Also, we don’t know if some of these artists suffered from bi-polar, depression or other mental or mood problems. Some studies show that genius and psychosis are just separately by a fine line. We know Van Gogh is a good example. It seems that the strong emotions combine with good art skills generate great artwork.
From the perspective of art technique and its influences, to reach mastery, each and every artist has to study and work hard.
In the case of Caravagio, his art style “injected a naturalism into both religion and the classics, reducing them to human dramas, played out the in the harsh and dingy settings of his time and place.” (p. 700, Gardener’s) This was a brand new style and influenced artists then and later greatly. How courageous and ingenious! His use of perspectives and chiaroscuro (contrast of light and dark) was especially significant.
Bernini was a great architect, sculptor, and painter in Baroque period. Until old age, he would work with his chisel for seven hours virtually without pause, throughout a long, hot day. According to the book Art: A New History by Paul Johnson, Bernini “believed that God had endowed him with unusual gifts and that, in return, he must make exemplary use of them to glorify his Maker and to make the world share his faith.” He was the creator of David, the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. He was more than just a violent lover.
Jacques-Louis David also studied past artwork very careful and was considered to be a great artist in neoclassical period. His artworks include The Death of Socrates (1787), Oath of the Horatii (1784), the Death of Marat (1793). The latter was most controversial because he depicted Marat as a martyr instead of a terrorist murderer in the French revolution. A naked man in a bathtub looked so innocent. However, the artwork itself was very convincingly real in a neoclassical style, and the composition was considered to draw reference to the Pieta by Michelangelo. Its value lies on that it is moving to the viewers and it shows us that a painting can be deceptive.
My answer is YES. I will analyze it from three different perspectives and explain why the artworks are great.
From a spiritual perspective, these great artworks were God’s work; these artists were just channels to express them. Why choose them? I don’t know. Their flaws or crimes committed are the living proof that we humans are imperfect. I guess Caravagio (1573-1610) killed someone in a spur of rage. Bernini physically disfigured his mistress out of jealousy. Jacques-Louis David acted according to his belief: “arts must …contribute forcefully to the education of the public,” and must be in the service of revolution. (p. 847 Gardner’s)
From a psychological perspective, I wonder if the moody unfriendly Michelangelo was the same great sculptor Michelangelo who created David. Was he happy when he was creating? Or was the furiously jealous Bernini the same Bernini who created the Saint Peter’s Cathedral? What I mean is people behave differently at different times of their lives and when interacting with different people. I have come to realize that we all have “multiple personalities”. During any given day, we can go through different thoughts, moods and feelings. I confess that sometimes I was very unkind to my own family.
Also, we don’t know if some of these artists suffered from bi-polar, depression or other mental or mood problems. Some studies show that genius and psychosis are just separately by a fine line. We know Van Gogh is a good example. It seems that the strong emotions combine with good art skills generate great artwork.
From the perspective of art technique and its influences, to reach mastery, each and every artist has to study and work hard.
In the case of Caravagio, his art style “injected a naturalism into both religion and the classics, reducing them to human dramas, played out the in the harsh and dingy settings of his time and place.” (p. 700, Gardener’s) This was a brand new style and influenced artists then and later greatly. How courageous and ingenious! His use of perspectives and chiaroscuro (contrast of light and dark) was especially significant.
Bernini was a great architect, sculptor, and painter in Baroque period. Until old age, he would work with his chisel for seven hours virtually without pause, throughout a long, hot day. According to the book Art: A New History by Paul Johnson, Bernini “believed that God had endowed him with unusual gifts and that, in return, he must make exemplary use of them to glorify his Maker and to make the world share his faith.” He was the creator of David, the Ecstasy of Saint Teresa. He was more than just a violent lover.
Jacques-Louis David also studied past artwork very careful and was considered to be a great artist in neoclassical period. His artworks include The Death of Socrates (1787), Oath of the Horatii (1784), the Death of Marat (1793). The latter was most controversial because he depicted Marat as a martyr instead of a terrorist murderer in the French revolution. A naked man in a bathtub looked so innocent. However, the artwork itself was very convincingly real in a neoclassical style, and the composition was considered to draw reference to the Pieta by Michelangelo. Its value lies on that it is moving to the viewers and it shows us that a painting can be deceptive.
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