曾敏雄
Tseng ​Miin-Shyong

一位值得期待的青年攝影家 / 朱銘

 

二十世紀初，達達派重要的代表人物杜象，在便器上簽上名字後，藝術創作開始由具象物體的創作，轉向新觀念的提出；便器是每人每天必需接觸的東西，唯有杜象，將它單純的造形提昇為藝術層次。

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人像攝影何嘗不是如此，尤其是當代在其領域內有所建樹的知名人物，拜現代媒體之賜，每天接受，久而久之，對這些人便有了特定印象，要從這些習以為常的印象中提出新見解，是非常困難的事，而且吃力不討好。

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青年攝影家曾敏雄，無疑的，在這方面有相當令人訝異的表現！

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首先，拍攝的人物之多與領域之廣前所未見，尤其，被拍攝的對象多半已是知名的，年紀幾乎都是攝影家父執輩甚至相差兩代以上的人物，想像一位初出毛蘆的青年藝術家，面對彼此條件差異如此懸殊的拍攝情況，他是如何在那麼短的時間內，引導被拍攝的人物，放鬆面對鏡頭的壓力，進而在自然的舉手投足間，按下快門，取得攝影家本人心中理想的鏡頭；這部份牽涉到太多的人文精神，尤其,拍攝對象領域愈廣，難度愈高，絕對比攝影專業來的困難，沒想到，曾敏雄一一克服；他拍攝的人物中，有文學，有美術，有音樂...甚至有了在台灣最早從事人權運動的人物；這是第一個難能可貴的地方，尤其是一位年輕人。

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第二困難的部份，當然就在於那麼短的拍攝時間，如何從架設攝影棚開始，取景到調整燈光，正式拍攝，這麼短的時間，必須拍得好照片，在攝影專業上的要求是非常高的；據我所知，曾敏雄幾乎都是一個人開車從台中北上來拍照，偶而太太一起幫忙，從尋找地址開始，到搬動幾十公斤的攝影裝備，拍過照，再趕回台中，沖片，放相…在經費沒有奧援下，若無相當的決心與毅力，我相信，不會有這一百位人物的優秀影像被定影下來。

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藝術創作，必須以一生作為賭注；歷經九二一地震後，經濟幾乎全部歸零的曾敏雄，開始用鏡頭做為媒介，除了為這些人物拍照之外，藉由彼此的接觸，他在尋找生活的意義何在？！在他拍我的過程中，閒聊的第二個話題他問我：「如果朱老師您，將外界加諸在朱銘身上的名或利拿掉後，您認為朱銘還剩下些什麼？」問題問的如此深入而犀利，彷彿拿著一把最鋒利切割生魚片的刀，向最肥美細緻的魚肉部位一刀切下去，我想，曾敏雄拍攝的，不只是單純的影像部份，還有屬於他自己的人生智慧。

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掌中戲黃海岱充滿風霜的手，作曲家李泰祥面對帕金森病症，堅毅不屈的眼神，佛教領袖印順導師慈祥，莊嚴與宗教的神祕…一禎禎強而有力，渾然天成的黑白影像都在告訴我們，一個人一生中最精彩的故事；曾敏雄的鏡頭彷彿就是那把銳利的刀，瞬間就往魚肉最菁華的地方切去，毫不客氣。

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精準的構圖，巧妙的光線安排以及恰到好處的快門時機，他在人物攝影的領域是走的如此之深且廣！

 

曾敏雄，一位值得期待的青年攝影家。

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A Young Photographer Worth Our Expectations / Ju Ming (Master sculptor)

 

In the early 20th century, contemporary art has turned from visual form to the conceptual significance. The artist Duchamp made the most important presentation of Dadaism by dubbing a urinal "art". A urinal as a thing we use everyday, but through Duchamp’s imagination, it was uplifted from a mundane object to a work of art. 

 

The same is true of portrait photography, especially that of famous people. In our 24 hour media age, we see these celebrities everyday and have formed preconceptions about them. It’s difficult not only to look beyond our preconceptions, but to present a new point of view.  

 

Without a doubt, the young photographer Tsen’s achievement is surprising to us. 

 

First, the number of subjects he has photographed and the range of those people have increased dramatically. They are all dignitaries, and most of his subjects are almost a generation or two generations older than Tsen. Imagine a young man, a nobody, in such situation. How could he guide them to face his camera more naturally, and how could he capture his ideal image in such a short time? These involve more human accomplishment than the technical expertise of photography. The more disparate walks of life those people come from, the more difficult the work becomes. However, Tsen has succeeded in overcoming all these difficulties. He has taken the photographs of literati, artists, musicians, and even the earliest human rights campaigner. For a young man, this is commendable. 

 

Second, it’s difficult to take a good picture in such a short time. It requires high professional abilities, as I know personally, from setting the studio, selecting a scene, adjusting the light, etc. Tsen did all of these tasks by himself. Sometimes his wife gave him a hand. He drove alone from Taichung, looked for the addresses, carried kilograms of equipment, took photos, and then drove home to develop and expand the photos. He did these tasks without any funds, but with great determination and ambition. Here fixed 100 fantastic portraits. 

 

Artistic creation means taking risks with one’s life. In 1999, the 921 Earthquake completely destroyed Tsen’s property. Nevertheless, he began to use the camera as a medium to contact other people. He wants not only to take pictures, but also to look for the meaning of life! When he took pictures of me, he asked “If you remove fame and fortune from Ju Ming, what will be left over?” Such a deep and sharp inquiry, like a sharp knife through sashimi, holds one down and cuts to the deepest essence. I think that Tsen’s photography is not onlya product of his imagination, but also his wisdom of life.

    The chapped hands of the glove-puppet master, Mr. Hung Hai-Tai. The firm glance of the composer, Mr. Li Tai-Shiang , who suffers from Parkinson's disease. The kindness, dignity and mystery of Yin-Shuen, the leading spirit of Buddhism. Each black and white image is so powerful that they tell the most brilliant story in each subject’s life. Tsen’s lens is the sharp knife cuts toward the essence without hesitation.

 

Accurate composition, ingenious light arrangement and just the right shutter opportunity. He goes so deeply as well as also broadly in portrait photography!

 

Tseng, the young photographer, is worth our expectations!