吉莉安?韋英 (Gillian Wearing)

吉莉安?韋英1963年出生于英國(guó)伯明翰。1985-1987年，在倫敦切爾西藝術(shù)學(xué)校學(xué)習(xí)，1987-1990年，就讀于哥德史密斯學(xué)院。1993年，獲英國(guó)電信青年當(dāng)代藝術(shù)獎(jiǎng)；1997年，獲特納獎(jiǎng)；2005年，獲阿爾勒國(guó)際藝術(shù)節(jié)的發(fā)展獎(jiǎng)。如今在倫敦生活和創(chuàng)作。

韋英的作品展示的是對(duì)日常生活中那些交互更迭著的悲喜經(jīng)歷的多元理解。她利用記錄性攝影、電影和電視技術(shù)，通過對(duì)情景的微妙處理，來構(gòu)建普通老百姓在日常生活中的憂慮、言語(yǔ)和行為。這種使觀眾置身于經(jīng)過微妙處理后的情景中的作品，使觀眾感覺到不安：面對(duì)韋英的作品，我們不得不對(duì)自己固有的一些偏見提出質(zhì)疑。

她對(duì)個(gè)人與集體概念也很有興趣。在錄像作品《60分鐘的沉默》[Sixty Minute Silence，1996]里，26個(gè)警官為她擺好了一個(gè)姿勢(shì)并保持一個(gè)小時(shí)。乍一看，這個(gè)作品像一張普通的正式集體合影，但走近一些，仔細(xì)觀察，你會(huì)發(fā)現(xiàn)其中有著微微的動(dòng)彈。警官們?cè)噲D保持靜止不動(dòng)，但身體的緊張與疲勞，會(huì)在這一個(gè)小時(shí)中，隨著時(shí)間的慢慢增加而漸漸增強(qiáng)。雖然警官們穿的是制服——他們地位的象征，但一個(gè)小時(shí)內(nèi)他們都必須保持這種被約束的姿勢(shì)。事實(shí)上，韋英通過暫時(shí)的約束，把警官置身在一中不舒服的狀態(tài)中，賦予觀眾成為一個(gè)偷窺者的機(jī)會(huì)，從而實(shí)現(xiàn)了角色的反串。

韋英對(duì)社會(huì)中的個(gè)體始終很關(guān)注。這一點(diǎn)體現(xiàn)在她的作品《能說出你真實(shí)想法的標(biāo)語(yǔ)，而不是讓你言不由衷的標(biāo)語(yǔ)》[Signs that Say What You Want Them To Say and Not Signs that Say What Someone Else Wants You To Say，1992-1993]中，創(chuàng)作這一系列作品時(shí)，韋英隨機(jī)選擇過往的行人，問他們是否愿意在紙上寫下他們的想法并舉起這張紙讓她拍下來。與記錄性的攝影新聞工作相反，她這么做是試圖讓這些參與者積極地參與進(jìn)來，向社會(huì)陳規(guī)和假態(tài)提出挑戰(zhàn)。系列作品之一，《世界上的一切都是有聯(lián)系的，關(guān)鍵是你要意識(shí)到它并且理解它》[Everything is connected in life the point is you know it and understand it]，展示的是一位年輕人以一種非常友善的態(tài)度，和觀眾分享他對(duì)存在的理解。通過這樣的作品，韋英在為社會(huì)中的個(gè)體提供一個(gè)表達(dá)自己觀點(diǎn)的平臺(tái)，該作品也證實(shí)了她個(gè)人對(duì)社會(huì)歸屬問題的關(guān)注。

韋英的首次個(gè)展是1993年在倫敦競(jìng)賽城畫廊舉辦的。其他精選個(gè)展有：蘇黎世美術(shù)館，1997年；Serpentine畫廊，倫敦，2000年；Fundacion la Caixa基金會(huì)，馬德里，2001年；慕尼黑藝術(shù)協(xié)會(huì)，2001年；巴黎市立現(xiàn)代美術(shù)館，2001年；法蘭斯哈爾司博物館，荷蘭哈勒姆，2004年；克雅斯瑪當(dāng)代藝術(shù)博物館，芬蘭赫爾辛基，2004年；Bloomberg Space空間，倫敦，2005年；澳大利亞當(dāng)代藝術(shù)中心，2006年。

與歌德史密斯學(xué)院的其他同學(xué)們一樣，韋英的作品參加過很多重要的群展，包括：“’精彩！’來自倫敦的新藝術(shù)”，明尼阿波利斯和休斯頓，1995-1996年；“滿堂紅：英國(guó)青年藝術(shù)”，沃爾夫斯堡現(xiàn)代美術(shù)館，以及Van Abbemuseum博物館，艾恩德霍芬，1996年；“感覺：薩奇收藏的英國(guó)青年藝術(shù)家作品”，倫敦、柏林和紐約，1997-1999年。

Gillian Wearing

Gillian Wearing was born in Birmingham, England in 1963. She studied at Chelsea School of Art, London, 1985-7 and at Goldsmiths College, London, 1987-90. She won the BT Young Contemporaries Prize in 1993, the Turner Prize in 1997 and the Outreach Award at the Rencontres d’Arles Festival in 2005. Wearing lives and works in London.

Wearing’s work demonstrates a complex understanding of the alternately comic and tragic experiences of everyday life. She uses the techniques of documentary photography, film and television to frame the concerns, words and actions of ordinary people, often in everyday situations slightly and often subtly displaced in context. This repositioning creates an uneasy sense in the viewer - it forces us to question our preconceptions in face of the image Wearing presents to us.

She also has an interest in the idea of individualism and grouping. In her work 60 Minute Silence (1996), 26 police officers were asked to pose for her for the duration of one hour. At first glace, the work looks like a formal group portrait photograph, then as you look closely you start to perceive slight movement within the frame. The tension and restlessness builds up over an hour as the officers attempt to remain still. Although the police officers are on display in their uniform, a symbol of their position, they remain captives within the frame for the duration of an hour, in effect Wearing has reversed roles by putting them in an uncomfortable situation through their temporary restraint, and empowering the spectators in the process as voyeurs.

Her ongoing concern with individualism within society is also present in Signs that say what you want them to say and not Signs that say what someone else wants you to say (1992-3). In this series, the artist asked random passers-by if they would agree to note down their thoughts on a piece of paper and to be photographed holding these. Contrary to social documentary photojournalism the artist attempts to actively involve her protagonists in order to challenge social stereotypes and assumptions. In one work of the series, Everything is connected in life the point is you know it and understand it, a young man shares his existentialist thoughts with the viewer in a very disarming manner. Here Wearing gives an individual a platform for self-expression, and the result underlines her personal interest in social belonging.

Wearing’s first solo exhibition was held at City Racing, London, 1993. Other selected solo exhibitions include: Kunsthaus Zurich, 1997; Serpentine Gallery, London, 2000; Fundación la Caixa, Madrid, 2001; Kunstverein Munchen, 2001; Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, 2001; Frans Hals Museum, Haarlem, 2004; Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art, Helsinki, 2004; Bloomberg Space, London, 2005; Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, 2006.

Along with other Goldsmiths peers, her work was included “ ‘Brilliant!’ New Art from London”, Minneapolis and Houston, 1995-6; “Full House: Young British Art, Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, and Stedelijk Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven, 1996, and “Sensation: Young British Artists from the Saatchi collection”, London, Berlin and subsequently New York, 1997-9.