I am a Grade D Artist 我是丁級藝術家
My work was featured in Frank Vigneron’s book Hong Kong Soft Power: Art Practices in the Special Administrative Region, 2005-2014 published by The Chinese University Press, 2018:
文：丁穎茵 博士（香港浸會大學視覺藝術院助理教授）
我是徹頭徹尾的考試懷疑論者。即使吃了老虎膽，誰敢給喬托（Giotto）、維拉斯奎茲（Velazquez），又或董源、石濤打分數？區區數字如何能夠計算藝術家經年累月對作品形式表現的知性與感性的思索？量化的評核又該如何衡度藝術家的想像力、修養及個性內涵所創造的藝術境界？難道馬蒂斯（Matisse）以色彩對比帶動畫面節奏的抽象構圖就不如布拉克（Braque）以幾何形式重構物象體積嚴謹？常玉以簡御繁的空靈又該如何與朱德群遒勁又跳脫的抽象語言作數值的比較？
by: Dr. Ting Wing Yan Vivian (Assistant Professor, Academy of Visual Arts, Hong Kong Baptist University)
I am absolutely skeptical about examinations. Who would have the nerve to grade the works by Giotto, Velazquez, Dong Yuan or Shi Tao? How can mere figures reveal the intellectual pursuits of an artist and sensual explorations in art-making throughout the years? How can quantitative assessments measure the quality of works of art created with one’s imagination and the depth of one’s inner self? Can one state that the voluptuous and coloured rhythm of Matisse in his compositions is less vigorous, compared to the geometric construction of form by Braque? How can the refreshing fluidity in the simple yet polished works of art of San Yu be compared with the energetic and rule-breaking abstract language by Chu Teh-Chun?
Read more “〈回應丁級藝術家的U級書寫〉’A Grade U writing in response to a Grade D artist’”
文：C&G
在香港的教育制度底下，「視覺藝術科」並非必修科，所以要很有興趣及潛質的人才會修讀「視覺藝術科」，才有較大優勢進入大學藝術系，才較易進入藝術圈，從而成為藝術家。因此，作為大學藝術系本科畢業身份的藝術家，當然會比並非挾藝術系本科畢業身份的藝術家多。從另一角度看，並非大學藝術系畢業都能夠在香港成為獨當一面的藝術家，在乎其對藝術是否抱有非比尋常的熱情。
by: C&G
’Visual Arts’ is not a compulsory subject in the education system of Hong Kong. Generally speaking, only those who are talented or deeply interested in this subject would study this elective subject of Visual Arts. Only they would then have an advantage to enter the Art department of universities. Only they would then be able to easily reach the channel to go in the art world and become artists. The number of artists who hold a Fine Arts degree, therefore, far exceeds the number of artists who do not have such academic background. In other words, for one who does not hold an Arts degree, but want to become an outstanding artist, s/he must be extraordinarily passionate about art.
2011年，魂游應考了最後一屆香港中學會考視覺藝術科，以零畫技考取了丁級成績。2013年，經過兩年的繪畫訓練，魂游再接再厲應考了最後一屆香港高級程度會考視覺藝術科，同樣考取了丁級成績。求學不是求分數，但兩個考試制度的終結，斷定了一個藝術家無可駁回的等級，而這個等級又代表了怎樣的（藝術）制度？
wen yau sat the very last Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (HKCEE) in 2011 and obtained a Grade D in Visual Arts. After striving to learn painting for 2 years, wen yau sat the very last Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) in 2013 and obtained a Grade D in Visual Arts again. The two examinations are gone and replaced by a new system; and the grading of an artist will remain on her resume despite the effort and achievement she has made…
像藝術家一樣畫畫
也許，故事該從小學二年級的美術科考試說起。題目是「花」，我用不同顏色的臘筆一層一層的畫了花瓣，以為顏料可以泛起層層的彩虹，卻漸漸混濁成曖昧不明的色調，老師看後高聲說：這花好醜。然後成績單上美術科獲「丁」級，與其他各科的甲乙等級格格不入，自此我沒用心上過一堂美術課，也沒信心畫好一幅畫。
