我的碩士畢業展 : My MA Degree Show

我的碩士畢業展從今天開始了，8月21日～8月29日，於ECA愛丁堡藝術學院(Edinburgh College of Art)的Evolution House二樓展出！

昨天剛經歷了Private View，今天也顧了展場一個早上，真的是一個很有趣的經驗，加上大家可以在我的展示區跟我的珠寶sample留下照片，就整個很興奮！還有一個拍立德牆可以讓大家釘上自己的照片，看著牆面的照片不斷增加，心情也越來越好～之後會把展場每天增加的內容也慢慢放到blog上，除了是我的project的延續以外，也是我的degree show留下來的珍貴紀念！

謝謝所有參觀我的畢業展與留下照片的熱情的人們，有大家的參與，我的project才更有意義。


My MA work is displaying on the 2nd floor at Evolution House, the ECA Postgraduate Degree Show 2010, from 21st-29th August.

I had a good time at Private View last night. Many people came to visit the exhibition and left their comments to my work. It is a very interesting experience and good chance to show my work and idea to people. I have a 'Touch Zone' for people to try my jewellery samples and they can also take their photos at space. These photos will be the important development of my project. I will document them after this show. I hope my project will keep going in the future and give people more ideas to their discard garments. The Polaroid wall is growing up and getting more and more interesting photos. I am really happy to see people using and playing my jewellery. It is the interaction I attempt to do for this show.

Many thanks to people who have visited and left their creations to me. It helps my project more solid and meaningful.

值得慶賀的一件事 : Congratulations to me!

今天終於把這學年要審查的畢業製作+畢業佈置展完成了，這一年來的辛苦幾乎就在這一天告一個段落了，心裡百感交集，身體萬分疲累，所以剩下的許多關於作品和設計過程，只能等之後慢慢分享了！先放上ECA畢業展的網站連結，可以看到我的作品介紹（英文）。詳細的介紹跟更多作品會慢慢補上。

等著迎接一個禮拜後的畢業展！

>> ECA Postgraduate Degree Show 2010 Website
>> My page


I just finished my degree show display today, and I really feel so pleased with what I have done for this year and the results of my works. Everything represents myself and the journey I took from the start of my project. I wish I could talk more about my works when I took a break then.

The link is my degree show website which shows my introduction. I can't wait for the degree show coming after one week! Hopefully everything will be alright!

再撐一下 / So close

八月底就要迎接最後的審查-畢業展(Degree Show)了！這一個月以來只能用水深火熱來形容，但我相信成果一定是甜美的！！

再撐一下吧！！

日前去Glasgow散心遇到的酒鬼三人組，非常搞笑~
Three drunks and me in Glasgow, 2010

By the end of August is the time of Degree Show. I have been working on my work hardly this month. I believe I will go through this and present my work brilliantly and proudly.

It is so close!!

我的偶像(二) / My Idols(2)

最近因為課業進入尾聲，要為畢業展做準備，所以很久一段時間都沒有更新部落格了。但是自己並沒有因為忙碌所以放棄任何出遊和增加見聞的機會，利用了復活期的假期，到了倫敦跟湖區(Lake District)一趟；在倫敦看了許多的展覽，去了很多博物館跟美術館，也在美麗的湖區感受了大自然的魅力。從二月到四月這段期間有好多事情想要分享，但真的苦無時間，希望等我畢業展結束再好好把一切都記錄下來！






Self Portrait as an Artist, 1888. Oil on canvas.
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam


而這段時間最讓我印象深刻的收穫，除了德國之旅、讓人驚豔的湖區以外，就是我在倫敦看到的梵谷的展覽(The Real Van Gogh: The Artist and His Letters)。很幸運的我在4月7號看到了這個展覽，它是從2010年的1月23日展到4月18日，在皇家藝術學院(RAA,不是RCA)展出。我大約下午一點到，就看到了滿滿的人龍，一排就是一個半小時，才進到展場看了一個半小時的展。展場相當的大，總共展出超過35件的梵谷信件，與65幅油畫，30幅素描(詳情可上展覽官方網站)。

從小我就一直都很愛梵谷，我愛他畫裡斑斕繽紛的顏色，充滿了生命力與滿滿的熱情。是他讓我幻想過有一天，我也要當個畫家。也許現在我已經放棄這個念頭了，但是我卻不放棄任何可以看到他作品的機會。從愛丁堡、慕尼黑到倫敦，我看到了許多他的真跡，包括了兩幅他最知名的向日葵(Sunflowers)。從沒想過自己可以如此幸運，可以近距離的深深地被他的畫感動。他一直是我的偶像，也是我最愛的畫家。

在這個展覽中，我不但認識了他的生活與背景，也認識到了他的決心與性格。從他寄給弟弟的信件中可以瞭解到，他並不是一個我過去以為的狂人，而是一個認真看待作品與職業的實踐家。從他決定當畫家到過世，短短的十年間，他就創作了超過800幅的油畫與1200幅的素描。每一幅畫，他都認真的思考與實踐，不斷的超越自己，試圖以新的手法表現。

他是這樣一個努力的畫家，就算是一個藝術家，也從不鬆懈。

我也不由得思考自己是不是夠努力，有沒有像他一樣努力？如果我像他一樣努力，會不會有不同的結果？所以我想是時候，開始更認真的研究自己的作品，不管代價多大，這樣也許會有機會留下一件滿意的作品。

It's a long time I haven't updated my blog. These days, I'm busy working with my project and was looking for some information for my project book. However, I still used my time to have a short trip in London and Lake District in April. I really had a good time! I've seen many museums, galleries, exhibitions and amazing scenes.. I'd like to share everything but I don't have enough time doing this. I hope I can write more in the future!!

Nonetheless, I choose to post the great exhibition I've seen in London - 'The Real Van Gogh: The Artist and His Letters'. This is Van Gogh's exhibition at Royal Academy of Arts (RAA) in London from23 January to 18 April 2010, and I was so lucky I can see it on 7th April. I spent about 1.5 hours waiting for buying ticket in the queue, and another 1.5 hours to look at his creations and letters. This exhibition includes over 35 original letters, around 65 paintings and 30 drawings. (for more details please go to this website)

I love Van Gogh since I was a child. I love the colours he uses in his paintings - vivid and glaring. It's full of energy and passion. I dreamed about being a painter because of his influence. Maybe I gave it up now, but I never miss any chance to see his work. I've seen so many his paintings in different places, like Edinburgh, Munich and London, including two of his famous 'Sunflowers'. It's so unbelievable I could be so lucky seeing his work in person. I can't help being touched and motional. He is my idol and the first love painter ever.

In this exhibition, I know more about Van Gogh - not only the history of his life and paitings but his personality and determination. I thought he is a crazy and insane but talented painter before, but now I think he is not only like that, he also spent his life in a very serious way. From his letters to his brother, I could realise he considers about his work in different process and pushed himself every day. He has only being an artist for only 10 years since he decided when he was 27-year-old, but has left an abundant body of work of more than 800 paintings and 1,200 sketches.

He's a painter and works very hard. I couldn't help thinking - am I work hard enough like him? Can I work as hard as he did? If I do so, will everything be different - especially my work? I would like to try working harder. Even maybe It will cost a lot, I still could have a chance to leave great work in the world.

那天剛好下雨，人還是非常的多！
It was a raining day but still so many people!

只有兩個現場售票窗口，網路預定票前一天查都被買光了！
All tickets in advance have been booked, and only two windows for sale in that day

展出的信件真跡
The original letters from Van Gogh

展出的畫作 - Cypresses, June 1889. Oil on canvas.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

Designers can do more / 設計師能做的更多

美麗的雪景
Pollok Country Park, Glasgow, Uk / Dec.2009

這篇其實是12月中就想寫的，但之後遇到期末..放假（出去玩）..趕開學作業..開學..到現在，就變成晚了一個月的文章了！

話說12月中，所有的碩士生都將自己要做的研究，做成了一張A3的海報，以向大家說明自己的設計和已經進行的研究過程。很高興的，我看到了很多學生都將自己的研究往環保的目的設計，而這也是自己一直努力的方向之一。

反觀自己，其實要做的主題跟環保也有那麼一點點關係，並不是為環保而環保，而是相信地球只有一個，其他生物都有生存的權利，也異常的美麗，如果自己可以多做一些些，每個人都多做一些些，就可以變成很大的力量。所以在生產Miss Maru®商品時，就開始投入這樣的概念，包括不過量與適度生產（接訂單後再行製作）、避免電鍍、注重設計品質與效果，而非只講時效的推陳出新..等等。

這禮拜也剛好聽了一個講座（Ethical Fashion Symposium），討論關於時尚與生產道德相關的議題，有一位學校的老師、兩位校外團體與一位有機服飾布料生廠者的演講。每位演講者都提出了自己的意見與現在正在進行的努力，不管是從監督者的角度、生產者的角度，還有提供問題和意見的學生角度，都可以得到相當多的資訊；包括棉花與棉布的生產如何造成土壤雨水污染..有機羊毛布料的生產流程..到超時工作的服飾勞工與資方的給付問題..以及正在就讀時尚與布料相關設計學院的學生，對自己能力所及的疑惑，都給了我很多不同的啟發。就我來說，其實有些建議只能在理想的狀況下才能完整的實現，或是根本不可能實現，畢竟這是資本主義的社會，很多狀況不僅僅是勞資糾紛或是生產程序的問題而已，放大來看可能是階級、種族、甚至資本主義社會與人類資源分配的問題。如果要完全改變，必須靠相當強大的力量，推翻現有問題的狀態，以達成完全平等或是有限資源使用的目標。

但是，難道因為不能改變就放棄或是停止努力？

我想不是的。

因為設計師可以做的更多..任何人都可以做的更多！

雖然要使用昂貴的有機材料做設計並不是那麼容易，設計師也無法控制資方給予勞方的待遇，第三世界的勞工也無法得到合理的工作時數（或是擺脫貧困），但是我相信從設計師的角度，還是可以做許多事；包括思考產品的再利用度、提高產品的品質與資源使用程度、把設計與環保概念結合、尋找環保或是永續性素材、減少同類型與款式設計..等等。我想都可以幫助自己，也幫助地球～

而同樣生為消費者的我，也努力的做回收（英國竟然沒強制垃圾分類...）、去二手市場買東西與材料（省錢又環保！）、在台灣夏天也可以不開冷氣..等等。也許跟更多環保人士相比，我做的並不多，但是多做一點是一點，資源就多剩一點，美景就可以多留一點點。



This article is what I liked to write about last month, however, it became a late article because of my assessment by the end of semester, holiday and assessment of the beginning of second semester.

In the middle of December, all masters had to make an A3 poster contains their idea of project and the process they have done. I was so glad to see many students are focus in eco issues that I try to put my effort in my work as well.

And my project has a little relevant of eco idea; it is not for a purpose, it is for our earth, creatures and lives. If I can do a little, everyone can do a little, and then this can become a big power. I also put this idea in the making process of Miss Maru. I try to produce the product after I received the order to avoid over producing, not do the plate unless customers asked and not ask for efficiency but quality and design.

In this week, I joined a symposium about ethical fashion. There were one ECA teacher, two speakers from society groups and a producer from an organic garment design company presented their ideas and efforts. They pointed out different ethical ideas as an adviser, producer or designer, including what is the influence to earth by making cotton fabrics, what is the process of producing organic wool fabric and the labour issue by fashion industry. There are also some students asked them some interesting questions, like what student can do. I can not help wondering after this symposium, maybe most problems could not be solved, and some suggestions only can be put into practice in ideal situation. The true reasons causes these problems actually are the levels, races and capitalism in societies or the earth resources we can not divide equally. If we really want to change this situation, that means we need to reverse this world in many ways.

However, should we stop trying because we can not change?

I think it is not. We designers can do more, everyone can do more!

Maybe it is not easy using organic materials as designed products, designers can not decide the benefits for labour and labour could not get reasonable working hours or rid of poor, but I believe as a designer we can still do many things good for earth. We could think about how to reuse the designed products, combine designs with eco ideas, search for recycle materials or reduce similar designs, etc. It is not good for earth also our lives.

Furthermore, as a consumer, I try my best doing recycling, buying materials from second hand stores and living without air condition in summer, etc. Maybe it is not as much as environmental people do, nevertheless, more people put their efforts in this part, more resources and beautiful scenes will be saved. I really hope I could do more and more in the future.

How to design / 如何做設計

九月往St. Andrews小鎮路上的風景（很喜歡不期然動態的效果）
On my way to St. Andrews (I like the unexpected moving effect)

如何做設計，既是一個問題，也是一個教學綱目，但對我現在來說，他是一個沒有答案的問題，我也會學著先不要去回答它。因為自從來到這個新的環境，我開始瞭解到了另一種製作／設計的作法。我愛設計，但其實在設計之前，還有許多可以嘗試的可能性，能夠試著去做出許多更廣泛或是更瘋狂的想法。而我真的覺得這個階段非常有趣，就像人生可以有不同的可能性一樣！就算最後畢業前我還是需要完成一件作品，把成品交出來，但我的未來也因此改變了，我能夠在做到設計的步驟之前，拓展更多的方向，而這是跟以前在台灣學的方法，非常不同的地方。當然台灣的方法不一定是好或壞，但我已經多了一扇通往另一條路的門，而我也非常高興可以有這樣的學習。

在剛開始的課程中，CVCS（論文指導部（自我認定的說法））的老師就給我們播放了一個從Ted.com（集合許多知名人士演講的網站）上Elizabeth Gilbert的演講。她講到了如何跟創意相處，並與平衡自己的心理狀態，不應給自己太大的壓力。我也經由朋友的介紹，看了Ken Robinson的演講，闡述他對現今創意設計和教育現狀的想法。而對我來說，我經由這樣的學習跟從不同人的觀點得到的關鍵想法是，其實我並不需要經由設計去真正達成某樣特別的成就，而是要將自己的創意實踐，並帶到這個世界，無論是用何種方式。

兩天前學校有一個題目為'Touch'（接觸）的演講，請到了三位包括藝術家、愛丁堡大學研究3D的團隊、和開發3D軟體等不同領域的人來幫我們做作品介紹。最後的發問時間，一個同學問到他們："我真的需要去學那麼多新方法來做作品嗎？我真的對這些新科技相當困惑，他們似乎讓大家都用同樣的方法做作品。"雖然他的問題並不能改變任何現狀，或是阻止科技向前邁進，同時也有太多相關的議題可以討論，但是這卻是一個我不曾思考過的問題。我總是很樂意去知道任何新的方法或技術，並思考是否有我可以學習與應用的地方。我們真的需要這個方法去製作作品嗎？難道不能用傳統的方式嗎？是否有必要用這樣的技術去生產如此多的產品來販賣呢？也許答案是肯定的，也許是否定的，但我真的對於這位同學會問這樣的問題十分感興趣，是因為國外的教育所致嗎？那他又是用怎樣的方法在做他的作品呢？

很高興自己可以知道各種不同的想法，大家都有權表達意見，沒有誰對誰錯的同時，世界也變得比較寬廣了。在真正開始做設計之前，我還有許多想法跟事情可以做，而這正是創意可以發揮的地方。大膽嘗試，不管成功與否，是一件非常有趣的事，也真的對我很有幫助呢～

演講中文字幕連結：
Elizabeth Gilbert
Ken Robinson



The title is a question or a taught issue, but for me now, it is a no answer question and I will not try to answer it. Through the journey I have in a new country, I have started realising a fresh way doing my work/design. I love doing design, however, before design I could do a lot of wide or wild thinking about my idea. It is totally interesting to me. Life can have more possibility, even in this study, I need to finish a piece of work. Nevertheless, I can explore a new world after this, and try to create my work in a new way unlike the education I had before. I can not say the education I had is bad, but now I had opened a new door for my life and mind. Sometimes the process and test could bring different ideas (or not), but I do enjoy this and I am so happy to have this.

In the beginning of study, our CVCS tutor showed master group this talk, addressed by Elizabeth Gilbert from Ted.com (an interesting website collected talks from remarkable people). She talked about what we can think about our creativity, and how to deal our emotion. I also saw Ken Robinson's talk today from my friend's message. He discussed the relationship between creativity and education nowadays. Maybe the key point to me, is not achieving anything through my creativity, yet how to do what I love and bring my creativity to the world, no matter what it is.

Two days ago, I listened a lecture about 'Touch'. School asked three people talked about their work, including artist's work, 3D software and 3D research work. One student asked them: 'Do I really need to know so many skills or technique to create my work? I am so confused about new technology. They all bring us to do our work in the same way.' Actually, his opinion can not change anything at all, new things and technology will keep going forward, and there are too many ideas for these issues. But I really think, this question is what I never thought before, I always love to learn new skills and technique, and try to use them wisely to achieve my goal. Do we really need them? Can we create our work in a traditional and simple way? Do we really need to produce so many works for sell? Maybe, or maybe not. But I am interested in why he thinks in that way, is it because of education? And how does he make his work instead?

I am really glad to know different ideas and thinking. Everyone can express their idea directly. Nothing is totally right and wrong and has so many possibilities in it. I am thinking, before design I have so many things can do and develop, and that is where the creativity is. Trying without thinking is good for me, I do enjoy it, no matter what it is.

Busy Week 3 :: 忙碌的第三週

在開學的第三個禮拜，變得異常的忙碌，有一個作業、一個報告跟兩個小短文的閱讀，幫朋友慶生，外加訂車票跟鐵路卡（young person railcard）。不過因為課堂上的討論，開始瞭解到外國的教育跟台灣的是如何的不同。他們並不會告訴我應該怎麼做，或是何時要做，甚至是做的好不好，一切都是自己來，自己找方法。我想這樣開放的態度對我現階段來說是很有用的，尤其自己在設計了那麼久的時間之後，應該讓想法更廣闊，努力打破自己的設限。

其中有個必聽課叫CVCS（其實還不是很瞭解它的功用..），老師要我們介紹一件自己很有興趣或是喜愛的作品。我介紹了藝術家Dorothy Cross在2000年的影片創作-'eyemaker'。這是我在2002年的台北當代藝術館看的展覽-「科技禁區」的作品之一，總共是22分鐘的影片，影片全程都是在拍攝玻璃工藝師如何從零，用拉絲技法，製作出一顆栩栩如生的玻璃眼珠。影片的最後，藝術家要求工藝師將作品吹破，一瞬間眼球破裂成千千萬萬個碎片，化為無形。

我想在這件作品中，藝術家傳達了從無到有，從無形到具體，從人工到自然，和從完美到破碎的過程。另外這件作品給觀看者的衝擊，也是相當強烈的，我總期待著眼球完成的時刻，一件作品完美呈現的時刻，然而在最後，眼球卻是破碎的，一瞬間化為虛有，那種從期待到失落的感覺，是相當奇妙的，也不同於以往藝術作品所傳達單一或是完美的概念。我也從那時開始思考，我的作品是否也可以給觀看者或是配戴者一些感受，除了美麗以外的感受。於是2008我做出了「森之夜想」系列，將自己的恐懼轉換到作品上，相信也讓一些觀看者感受了相當的恐懼感，而那正是我想表達的一部份。我也希望未來能繼續把這樣的概念加到作品上。

Eyemaker - Dorothy Cross, 2000

這是我一直忘不掉的作品之一，而我一向喜愛不完美的美麗，就像電影「美國心玫瑰情」的故事，縱然最後留下一抹淡淡的憂傷，但其實那就是人生最美的片刻。


In third week, I finished my first project, one presentation and two short reading in school, celebrated my friend's birthday, applied for railcard and booked the tickets. It is quite a busy week, however, I really learned a lot thought these experiences.

I have realised how different the education in UK and Taiwan is. I have to find out what I can do and need to do for my study, and never limit myself at first. Then I can have more possibilities and gain more knowledge from different sources.

In one of my lecture, the teacher asked us to introduce a work I like or I am interested in. I selected a piece of video art created in 2000 by Dorothy Cross, an Irish artist. I saw this work in an exhibition called 'TECH/NO/ZONE' at Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei in 2002. It's a 22-minute video, projected on a screen. It presents a process of making a glass eye that made by ocularist by using lampworking skill. You can see how the ocularist creates a glass eye from glass rods to an artificial eye, and how real it is. At the end of video, she has directed the ocularist to destroy his work – blowing apart the eye. Suddenly, the eye becomes a thousands pieces.

In this work, I think the artist tried to display the journey from empty to concrete, artificial to natural, and perfect to broken. In addition, the feeling of audience follows the making process. At first, I am very expected what will happen next, and I also can feel the eye almost done and is so beautiful and perfect. But it just broken in a second and nothing left. I was astonished at that moment. I started to think what kind of art work can brings such emotional feelings to audience, and keep all the images in my mind. Can I achieve this result in my work? That is a question I thought about at that moment, and I would like to explore in every piece of my creations. Then I created 'Forest Fantasy' in 2008, the first attempt, and wish I can do more about it in the future.

It is the one of the most unforgettable creation I have seen. I really love the broken/imperfect beauty, like the movie 'American Beauty', the sadness left in the end of life is the most beautiful moment.

Two trips in the first week! :: 第一個禮拜的兩個校外教學

在ECA(Edinburgh College of Art)開學的第一個禮拜，我就參觀了蘇格蘭的兩間博物館跟一間美術館。博物館分別是St Andrews Musuem與National Museum Scotland，美術館叫做Dovecot Studios。

St Andrews Musuem

在9月24日，我們整個系先參觀了St Andrews Musuem，博物館就位在小鎮St Andrews裡，那是一個非常可愛的小鎮。我們參觀的展覽叫做Marzee Collection，由位於荷蘭的Marzee美術館（Galerie Marzee），展出他們的珠寶收藏。令人感到不可思議的是，美術館的擁有者（Marie Jose）也在現場，讓我們聆聽她的故事與提問。

St Andrews Musuem 樓梯

Marzee Collection

小鎮 St Andrews

小鎮 St Andrews（是個有陽光的好天氣～）

隔天一早我們參觀了National Museum Scotland，參觀博物館並不稀奇，神奇的是我們是從後門進去的，看到的是他們博物館收藏的所有珠寶，從古埃及到現代都有。那些我在書上看到的古董珠寶、皇冠，通通都在眼前，還可以讓我觸摸，真的是讓人感動萬分～下午則是到了Dovecot Studios美術館，看他們的展覽。其中一個展覽叫做Jerwood Contemporary Makers，裡面有一位設計師的作品讓我感到印象非常深刻，她叫做Linda Florence（剛被提名British Design Award），作品名稱叫做Sugar Dance，她將她設計的圖案用糖粉撒在地上，並請到舞者於其上跳華爾茲，將圖紋用不同於一般的方式展現，糖粉就像雪花般紛飛，氣氛十分的唯美浪漫。

National Museum Scotland (蠻大的，應該要花一天來看)

Dovecot Studios Gallery

Beautiful 'Sugar Dance'

真的覺得自己超級幸運，可以得到這些在台灣都沒有的體驗，而這些竟然只是開始呢！


Ref. Links:
St Andrews Musuem
Galerie Marzee
National Museum Scotland
Dovecot Studios
Linda Florence



In the first week of my study, I have been traveled two museums and one gallery. One museum is St Andrews Museum, another is National Museum Scotland, and the Dovecot Studios gallery.

On 24th Sep., we took the trip at St Andrews outside Edinburgh and visited the Marzee Collection at St Andrews Museum. This exhibition shows the collection of Galerie Marzee, and the most amazing thing is the owner of gallery - Marie Jose is there. We can talk to her face in face. That is an opportunity that I never have in Taiwan. The showing way of this exhibition is also well. After the visiting, we took lunch in St Andrews, which is a really lovely town. There are so many cute shops!

In the next day, we visited National Museum Scotland, we saw the jewellery collection of the museum and have an unbelievable chance to see the jewelleries from Egypt time to now. The 19th century jewelleries I saw on the books all become real and I can touch them as well!! That is truly a great experience, and I am so grateful to that. Then we visited Dovecot Studios - a gallery in the city. I also saw a modern art exhibition called Jerwood Contemporary Makers and have many inspirations in there. The most impressive one is from Linda Florence, a textile designer, shows her video of her work called 'Sugar Dance' in this exhibition. I really love the way she shows her works and the atmosphere in it.

How can I be so lucky to see these? However, it is just the beginning.