《島嶼誌》

“Every man is an island. I stand by that. But clearly some men are island CHAINS. Underneath, they are connected...…”─by Nick Hornby〈About a Boy〉《非關男孩》

我們往往必須置身在另一個時間和另外一處空間，才能得以看見我們被另一個世界所圍繞的現世。 環境是如此，過去和未來是如此，藝術是如此，人生恐怕也是這樣。

一種置身例外的傷感。

　　就好像我們就是生活在一座島上了，但我們不見得足以意識到「島」的輪廓。除非我們行將到島的邊境，目睹了海的遼闊與無邊，才會發現自身的孤立。我們必須跨越某些心底的懼駭，才能如同尋覓著生命光源的紫斑群蝶一樣，展開行旅，奮力地遷徙翩飛至另一個溫暖的彼岸。

　　也就是因為這種置身於例外的敏感度，因為「島」所具有的獨立和儀式性形體，透過這樣疊疊層層在複眼之下的──不論是記憶召喚還是時光所形構的景觀，甚或是末日預言所帶來的種種對未來想像的跋涉──回返到一種感知深處對自身存在的迫切凝視。

　　每一個人也形同一座島嶼，每個島都彷彿隱現著有形與無形的散枝盤繞，編織拉扯和度量著人與人之間的維繫，時間的刻度一日復日將這些根柢緊緊相繫。這一座座島嶼故事所演繹的，與其說是藉由這些紛生故事的穿越，來構築出自己所俯瞰的複眼圖誌；單純一點來說，可能只是想要傳達出關於真切的連結不再是以物理性的時間和距離度量，而是存在於彼端與此端美好的際遇吧。

　　做為一個以圖像說書人的角色──「有些故事是真的，有一些是假的，有一些是從前的景觀被未來召喚去充數，有一些則永遠不會在眼前這座島嶼出現了…..」時間他這麼說著。

這是關於「島」的物誌，或者無關──

渡 等待一朵雲的島 惡之島；棄之島；慾之島 思念之島；迷宮之島；獨角獸；回憶的島 司令台；夢斷的高架橋；犬之島；燈塔；遺棄的鋼琴 翹翹板；相遇的儀式；救贖；一個人的島；兩個島；昨日之島 船擱淺在島的邊緣；雙胞胎；基地台；廢核料之島；排列的椅陣；枯山水 矢之圖誌；貪婪之島；遣悲懷；希望之島；遺忘之島；沉默的螺旋，失落熱氣球 無濟於事之島；正典之島；啟示之島；木頭地板的溫度；黑色的獨角獸；遮蔽之島 詩意的責任；旋轉木馬；悲傷群島；複式的特寫；應許之地；噴水池邊；轉述的回憶 從前從前的未來；我以為自己到了很遠的地方；我們是光陰；我們是那著名寓言；諾亞方舟 世界萬物都是隱喻；從夢中開始產生責任；時光膠囊；時間的究竟； 島嶼，以及海的哀傷

故事這東西是風；進化的盡頭；隱匿之島；群蝶的預言；身分的古典摸索；令人懷念的未來

美索不達米亞的啟示；時之島；虛擬的招喚；寧謐的預兆；溫室的理想；潛匿的相遇；輕盈之地 一個宛然的世界；一個縮影或拼貼的世界；一個遊樂場；以及切斷根源的紛生小故事；末日之境。

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〈Island Episodes〉

“Every man is an island. I stand by that. But clearly some men are island CHAINS.

Underneath, they are connected...…”─by Nick Hornby〈About a Boy〉

In order to have a change of perspective, most of the time we have to remove ourselves from the present and to relocate ourselves in an entirely different time and space. It is only in this way that we can see a bigger picture: our surroundings, traces of time, art, and last but not least, life.

But this change inevitably brings the melancholy of being a lonely exception.

For example, as inhabitants of an island, we are unable to see the shape of the land until we travel far enough to the frontier and witness the immense ocean in front of our eyes. This is when we realize the isolation of our own island. Sometimes, we need to overcome our inner fears before we can finally sail on a voyage like those Purple Milkweed Butterflies fluttering their wings to arrive on a warmer shore. Perhaps it is because of being a lonely exception, and because of this independent existence, we are finally able to shift our eyes back to ourselves--either memories and sceneries that have become a fleeting moment in the passage of time, or the ways we picture future due to doomsday prophecy--and thus we are able to return to the deepest of our own perception.

Every man is an island. But every island seems to be connected somehow, no matter whether it is visible or not. These connections are like the branches of a tree as they bifurcate, intertwine, and grow stronger. Island Episodes have been my attempt to convey this kind of connections, where the distance is no longer determined by physical relations but by a serendipitous encounter