In the inverted reflections of the world

Perfect Instrument: Primary Comment on Hsu Yu-Jen

By Hsu Hui-Chih

In March 2013

In spring 2011, it was rainy and wet in Sanzhi. When the curator, Hu Yung-Fen, and several artists, collectors, reporters and I went to Hsu Yu-Jen’s house and painting studio to visit the artist couple, Hsu Yu-Jen and his wife, Chang Jin-Lieng, the inner space was as wet as outside.

I have seen many works of Hsu; however, that is the first time I saw numerous his works completely, including those painted when he was young. Hsu always says that his works can be classified into two general categories: Thick touch and thin touch. There are diverse ink painting skills, and Hsu has them all in his mind and builds his own style.

Among my friends of collectors, many of them hang Hsu’s works in the best place of their house, including Kuo Hsu-Yuan and his wife Huang Hui-Mei. They all have thick tough ink paintings, which painted plants and trees. The touches of these paintings are like painting by stone on paper. Every time when I went to their house, I always looked deeply to the touch, and every time I could see the touch like water reflection.

In that day, Hsu showed us a silk painting, so we can take a close look on the painting. We found the painting was faded because of the wet weather in Sanzhi, like a fading dream. There are some words on the painting, “a dead branch like a lonely boat drifting by no one and lingering on the water.” I looked at the painting for a long time and feel a sense of sorrow.

Every touch of the painting was about the same length, like the rain in Spring. The painting is like a stubborn attitude, or an obsessive compulsion, which remind me of Book of Kell and the Romania pianist Dinu Lipatti.

In around 800 AD, Irish priests write out Bible in Latin with the images of Irish legends. They concentrated on writing out Bible respectfully, like writing a love letter to God: Please spare me! Please love me! Please show your great love to me!
When I was young, I had visited Dublin. I can feel the sense of exciting when I can the Book of Kell exhibited in Trinity College.

The elegant thin touches by Hsu are like repetitive notes, forming a musical movement with great self-discipline. In the highly standard, he created the musical mathematics in his work; in other words, he used the highly mathematics to precisely complete the painting like a musical movement.

In the musical record of Dinu Lipatti, my favorite is Walzer by Frederic Chopin. The flow of notes is perfect and elegant. Audience may think that Dinu Lipatti played that movement leisurely. However, Dinu Lipatti practices over times chapter by chapter to decide the performance format. His great self-discipline complete his creation and made the boring repetition into pure and beautiful possibility.
 

He is the perfect instrument created by God.

For me, Hsu Yu-Jen is the perfect instrument. What kind of spirit and mental condition can make him complete this silk painting stubbornly? This silk painting is like mourning in a lonely walk. The touches are so thin and light, like fading music. The picture is so elegant, but it also spread a sense of death. The spirit is like “dumb as a wooden chicken” said by Zhuangzi. Afterwards, I knew that Hsu and his wife had a thin, good looking son but died when he was very young. I felt really sorry for their loss.

Those thin touches were the spiritual condition of Hsu, and the thick touches were the efforts that he wanted to break through the current status. Those thin and thick touches are complementary and balanced, affecting each other and resulting in the same path.
The moon lights spread on the dead branch, like long mourning. Whether they were thin or thick touches, they present the spirit of Hsu Yu-Jen.

In February 2013, I went the sole exhibition of Hsu Yu-Jen in Taipei National University of the Arts and saw many his works done when he was young. There was a thin tough silk painting hang from the second floor to the first floor in the exhibition place. It was mountain reflection. I suddenly realized that these thin touch paintings were the images and reflection of Hsu – Tangka – meaning a scroll or btlddha painting.

There is one saying goes that the origin of Tanka of Tibetan Buddhism is from the water reflection of Buddhism. However, the creation of Hsu is not the Tanka which worship Buddhism, but the Tanka of human reflection.There are many difficulties in real life and diverse paths can choose from. Nothing but true heart will stay.
 

Being a perfect instrument, Hsu has his own movement in his heart: The sky and earth are big and boundless, and the sun is going down. Old house and dead branches, birds are flying home. What do I want to do? I hold a pipa covering half side of my face.

When Hsu was in high school, he practiced to write the table inscription of Wei Dynasty diligent. He never thought that the hard work became the solid foundation of his creation. Hsu never knew what task God would send to him. The works by Hsu present the sentimental like an ancient Chinese instrument, as like understanding the meaning of Sky and Earth, instead of thinking of what is good and bad.

The unique geometry and abstract are the sign marked by Hsu’s mind.

In the unexpected and no self-nature of human work, the talent artist becomes a perfect instrument and paly the musical movement to enjoy and live his life. It is his choice, or perhaps, it is his destination.

Rains in spring are like needles. Humanity raises everything in the great world.