〈我的飯碗—自畫像〉畫作資訊與口述影像

〈我的飯碗—自畫像〉
劉其偉
1997
水彩、粉彩、紙本
35.53*49.7公分

畫作口述影像

〈我的飯碗—自畫像〉是劉其偉在1997年用水彩及粉彩創作的作品。長35.5公分，寬49.7公分。當時他已經85歲。

這幅畫作構圖簡單。畫面中央有一個大大的橘色方塊，佔了近３分之２的版面。上面用又黑又粗的線條寫出一個叫做「歐姆定律」的物理公式。周圍還有幾條彷彿是電線的黑色或白色線條。背景則是淺淺的灰褐色。右下角有劉其偉用注音符號的簽名。

劉其偉使用多種類似的色調暈染橘色的方塊及灰褐色的背景，再加上粉彩塗抹，產生邊緣朦朧、色彩調合的美感。他也運用自己實驗的水彩技巧，為這幅畫作創造出複雜的肌理，形成老舊、斑駁的質感，十分耐看。

劉其偉的職業生涯主要從事電機工程，中年才開始自學繪畫。他認為畫家應該畫心裡所想。他創作的自畫像，多數都在自我調侃或表達內在的自己。這幅自畫像沒有任何人物形體，也沒有寫實的物件。只有與電機相關的歐姆定律可以識別。歐姆定律是解釋電壓和電流、電阻之間恆常關係的公式。劉其偉彷彿用它來比喻自己電機工作的經歷，或藉公式隱喻他對生命能量的觀點。是一幅完全脫離寫實的人物畫，重視創作意念表達的抽象作品。

Audio Description

My Career – A Self Portrait is a watercolor and pastel on paper artwork created by LIU Max C.W. in 1997 when he was already 85. The artwork is 35.5 centimeters long and 49.7 centimeters wide.

The composition of the painting is simple. In the center of the painting is a large orange square that takes up approximately two-thirds of the frame. On the large orange square, the artist painted on the Ohm’s Law in thick, black lines. Framing the orange square are black or white lines that appear to be electric wires. The background is a light taupe. In the lower right corner, the artist has signed his name in Bopomofo.

LIU Max C.W. uses several similar color tones to create color washes for the orange square and taupe background. Then, he layers on pastel, which helps produce the blurry edges and blended aesthetic. The artist also employed his own experimental watercolor techniques to create complex textures for this painting, forming an antiquated and mottled quality with an enduring appeal.

LIU Max C.W.’s professional career was largely devoted to electrical engineering, and he only started teaching himself how to draw and paint in his middle age. He believed that artists should paint their minds. As such, his self-portraits are largely self-satire or expressions of his inner self. No human figures or realistic objects can be found in this self-portrait. The only identifiable subject is the electrical engineering-related Ohm’s Law, which is a formula that explains the relationship between voltage, current, and resistance. LIU Max C.W. appears to be using Ohm’s Law to represent his own experience working in electrical engineering or allude to his own views about the energy of life. This is an abstract portrait that deviates completely from realism to underscore creative expressions of the mind.