材料的“本性”与“真实性”——材料问题的观念性层面初探

"Nature" and "Truth" of Material-A Study on the Conceptual Aspects of the Problem of Material

"本性"和"真实性"是有关材料问题中观念性思考的重要范畴。"本性"更多是对于材料本身的思考,核心在于一物如何成为自己;而"真实性"则往往是对于建造中的材料的认识和讨论,其核心是一种材料是否可以模仿别的材料,还是必须在每一个方面尤其是在形式方面表达自己的独特属性。本文意在通过历史向度的考察和理论维度的思考,呈现材料"本性"与"真实性"的多重内涵以及介入它们的多重可能,并由此揭示二者的象征性实质,以及它们在不同历史时期含义上的相对性。对于"本性"与"真实性"性质的这一认定便就疏离了近现代以来的传统观念,更为看重人的因素的介入对于材料性质的显现所具有的意义。此时,材料的"本性"与"真实性"都不再绝对,从而为那种启蒙理性以外的认识提供了可能。

＂Nature＂ and ＂Truth＂ are the two most fundamental notions in the conceptual thinking of architectural materials. The former primarily focuses on the thing itself or how a thing comes to be itself while the later concentrates on the material in construction and basically concerns the question if one material can imitate material of another kind or it has to express its peculiar properties in all aspects especially the formal ones. This paper argues against the commonly held simplistic understanding and advocates a more subtle view toward these themes. Based on a historical retrospection and a theoretical study of different understandings, the paper presents the multi-layered connotations of ＂Nature＂ and ＂Truth＂ as well as the different ways to approach them. Such an investigation reveals the relativity of the concepts of ＂Nature＂ and ＂Truth＂ and their symbolic nature. This affirmation alienates from the orthodox understanding in modern architecture, placing more stress on human alteration in displaying the ＂Nature＂ of materials, depriving the absolutism of the material ＂Truth＂ , and new possibilities of studying other than those originated in the Enlightenment are thus opened up.