Art by　　　　　　　Jerome Chia-Horng Lin

Oil on Canvas油畫 Size: 100F (162x 130cm) 2008   Since Marcel Duchamp use a urinal as an art object for the exhibition at 1917, as the declaration to overthrow the definition of art. Many taboo objects considered by ancient civilizations are debuted on the public display since then. The Toilet is a perfect instance, over the past few decades, the majority of mass media such as cinema and TV programs still avoid the direct exposure of its images. They choose to describe the particular item in a metaphorical and indicative manner. However, it’s an intimate object that people have a strong relationship to. Marcel Duchamp used the toilet to proclaim his speculation of art definition or even anti-art attitude. Furthermore, he explored the possibility of using mass production objects as the element of art. I didn’t use the similar perspective when I created this piece of art. I started with the serious pondering of its contribution to human civilization and its necessity to us. Unfortunately, it has been regarded as embarrassing and unacceptable for our discussion. If we look at how we use water and its recycling process, the water flushed by the toilet represents a key point in its long journey. Before this, water has been processed and reserved. Then it stopped a while for the next trip. As the water sprints through the toilet, it takes the dumping with it, also embarks another journey to re-enter nature after sewage purification. From the perspective of water molecules, they might travel through infinite places for a long time. But the chance for them to reach the toilet the second times is actually rare. For us, the evolution of toilets is a symbol of human civilization. The flushing water is truly the essence of the whole process. When I stare at the vanishing water with a toilet, I realize the beauty lies in its wordless endurance. The diamonds on the other hand, is often considered as the icon of beauty and eternity, also as the witness of everlasting love and marriage. They are endorsed with multiple meanings, whose indestructible trait and sparkling glamour fascinates women all over the world. In a word, diamonds own uppermost status in the mind of women. In combining with images of water and the diamond, this piece tries to remind viewers that both water and diamonds share the similar quality such as glittering and translucence. And both of them play different essential roles in our life. The eternity of water has supreme value to the existence of life forms and human civilizations. It’s not exaggerated to say that water indeed is forever regardless in any forms, even in the moment of flushing the toilet. 自從杜象在1917用小便斗作為他對既存藝術定義的反動與顛覆之後。所有人類文化過去忌諱的東西都陸續地被搬上檯面。在過去多年的大眾媒體包含電影電視等，都盡量避免直接使用沖水馬桶的影像，而用一種隱喻而暗示的方法來描述這件人們幾乎每天都必須接觸使用數次的物體。 不同於杜象的小便斗談的是對藝術定義的質疑甚至是反藝術的態度，以及工業化大量製造既成物作為藝術元素的可能性。我在創作這件作品時完全不是從那個角度來思考。我一開始是認真地看待沖水馬桶對人類文明進步的貢獻與我們對他迫切的需要。然而它卻被用一種不堪接近不齒的態度被所有人類對待，如果我們從水被人類使用的循環來看，被沖水馬桶沖掉的水其實代表了它在這個過程中非常重要的一個關鍵站，在這個之前水是被蓄存著，處理過然後等待著被使用。在高速衝刺過馬桶這一站之後，它不僅帶走人的排泄物，宣洩了人們必須處理的一個生命現象，也帶著這一切進入另外一個旅程中，在隨後的污水處理過程後再度進入大自然中。 站在一個水分子的角度而言，它或許經過很長一段時間旅行各地，但是第二次來到沖水馬桶這個站可能是更少的機會。對人類而言，沖水馬桶的演進是文明的一種表徵，沖水馬桶中的水其實才是它的精髓所在。當我凝視著馬桶中的流逝的水時赫然發現它美麗的本質，在於一切不可言寓的默默承受。 鑽石在另一方面而言則是美麗而永恆的象徵，也是女人心中見證愛情婚姻歷久彌新的信物。鑽石對女人非凡多重的意義，使得多少女人迷戀於其堅實難摧的特質與晶瑩剔透的璀璨光芒之中。而在女人心中擁有至高無上的地位。 採用兩者結合的意象，不外乎提醒著水的本質與鑽石在許多方面是一樣地晶瑩剔透，而且跟我們生活更是息息相關，水的永恆性對人類文明乃至於生命存在而言都是具有不可抹滅的無上價值。所以說水是永恆的一點都不會過，不論是任何形式，即使是在沖水馬桶沖水的這一瞬間。