One person is always a mystery to another. Art is the same. To outsiders, art is like an unknown land.
The rapid advancement of information and technology has made people into time fragments. Every modern person is searching for a way to make up for that sense of loss in life. Art just happens to be one of them.
When I introduce someone and say, "This is so-and-so; he's an artist," some people don't listen, some laugh and sneer, while still others look on in amazement.
Actually, all I want to say is that an artist dreams or wonders about things more than the ordinary person; it's just that his dreams are not necessarily confined to reality, that's all.
Musicians share what they hear with others. Likewise, a painter or photographer shares what he sees with others. What I mean is that an artist likes to dream more than others, and he knows how to turn his dream into a concrete work of art for others to enjoy.
An artist analyzes human life on an imaginary operating table. While others pour out their emotions of love and hate uncontrollably, the artist on the other hand is always able to turn life into some kind of symbol, causing it to transcend the short-term physical faculties.
Artists share the same bad habit. They like to interpret everything, and then somehow make all the nonsense seem logical.
I think I do too.
Note:
The young artist Ore Hock Chai has captured domestic art activities on film, and produced one artistic work after another. Below are samples of his work on various artists who have visited the R.O.C. in recent years.
[Picture Caption]
Conceptual art/Overseas Chinese artist Hsiung Ping-ming/1986.
Percussion music/ Japanese Kodo Orchestra/ 1983.
Chinese classical music/Two-string violinist Huang An-yuan, and songwriter Li T'ai-hsiang/1986.
Piano/ The Spanish "Queen of the Piano," Alicia de Larrocha/ 1983.
Mass media creation/Chinese-American artist Chou Chou/1985.
Pantomime/American artist Nora Rae/1984.
Conducting/ French conductor and songwriter, Paul Mauriat/ 1982.
Percussion music／ Japanese Kodo Orchestra／ 1983.
Chinese classical music／Two-string violinist Huang An-yuan, and songwriter Li T'ai-hsiang／1986.
Piano／ The Spanish "Queen of the Piano," Alicia de Larrocha／ 1983.
Mass media creation／Chinese-American artist Chou Chou／1985.
Pantomime／American artist Nora Rae／1984.
Conducting／ French conductor and songwriter, Paul Mauriat／ 1982. （Photos and text by Ore Hock Chai／tr. by SMR）
