三義木雕產業結構與在地意義的轉變

Abstract

木雕產業作為三義的地方文化產業，它與三義的地方發展相互交織。三義木雕產業幾經興衰，相關從業人員都認為目前處於一個史無前例的冰河期，但有趣的是木雕產業卻依然存在於三義。於是筆者以西元2000年為分界，討論木雕產業從西元1980年代的內銷興盛期到現在的2020年代，產業結構——包括生產與銷售，與在地意義的轉變。本文為質性研究，以深度訪談取得大部分資料，輔以木雕產業普查的量化資料，並以結構化理論為理論基礎與透鏡，嘗試以理論解釋產業結構轉變背後的原因與意義。全文討論結果如下：木雕產業的市場方面，銷售模式變得更多元，不再只是靠木雕店銷售；木雕師在與木雕店脫節斷裂後，從原本的生產者，轉為兼任創作者與銷售者，能動性提高；木雕銷售的對象從原本的普羅大眾，變得兩極化；流行題材分化成兩條路徑——藝術化或回到傳統，但整體題材數更豐富多元，更難抓到流行趨勢；銷售點的區位分布從擴散轉變為萎縮，整體數量減少。木雕生產方面，生產模式不再有量產，並朝客製化、彈性生產去轉變；木雕師身分從師徒制的單一出身，變成多元出身，並產生更多無限可能，混合了多種學藝方式；木料選擇方面，因為禁伐政策，不得不變得更加多元、有創意，且兼容並蓄；生產點分布則從依附銷售點的分布而聚集，轉變為自行尋找合適地小規模聚集，甚至分散至全三義，數量亦是減少。木雕在地意義無論是經濟、觀光、地方意象認同方面，都是隨著木雕產業的衰退而弱化，從主角、要角轉變成為配角；公部門對於三義木雕產業，也從原本的直接幫助產業，變成保存與傳承三義木雕文化。儘管木雕作為產業是夕陽化了，但是木雕轉變為文化，烙印在三義鄉，並以配角的方式襯托三義的其他美好。這四十餘年的轉變，是大環境的改變，逼迫結構內行動者不得不去適應新的不那麼好的環境，同時展現他們的能動性，與行動將結構改變成新的樣子。在行動者的積極努力下，現今的三義木雕產業幾乎在各方面都比西元2000之前複雜多元了許多；但因為一連串的非意圖後果與合成謬誤，使得目前的三義木雕產業有朝結構鬆散分化，或是說網絡化的方向發展。雖然木雕產業相比以前是整體衰退許多，但因為木雕產業與相關行動者已經在三義展現其行動多年，故三義木雕產業的結構是沒那麼容易被消磨殆盡的。況且「瘦死的駱駝比馬大」，三義目前依然是全臺灣最適合從事木雕產業的地方。所以目前三義大街上依然有很多木雕店，依然有很多木雕師選擇在三義繼續創作，木雕也依然對三義有深厚意義。小城故事還在繼續被述說。As a local cultural industry in Sanyi, the woodcarving industry is closely intertwined with the regional development. Having gone through several cycles of prosperity and decline, industry practitioners believe that the current state of the woodcarving industry is facing an unprecedented"ice age." Interestingly, however, the industry still persists in Sanyi. This study takes the year 2000 as a dividing point to explore changes in the woodcarving industry—from the domestic market boom of the 1980s to the 2020s—in terms of both industrial structure (including production and sales) and its local meaning. This is a qualitative research, primarily based on in-depth interviews, supplemented with quantitative data from woodcarving industry surveys. Using structuration theory as its analytical framework, the research aims to explain the underlying causes and significance behind the transformations in the industry's structure. The main findings are as follows: In terms of the market, sales models have diversified beyond the traditional woodcarving shops. After separating from these shops, woodcarvers have shifted from being solely producers to also becoming creators and sellers, enhancing their agency. The customer base has polarized compared to the past when it mainly consisted of the general public. Popular themes have split into two main directions—artistic expression or a return to tradition—but overall, the themes have become more diverse, making market trends harder to grasp. The geographical distribution of sales units has shifted from expansion to contraction, with an overall decline in numbers.On the production side, mass production is no longer the norm, giving way to customized and flexible production models. The backgrounds of woodcarvers have diversified beyond the traditional master-apprentice system, resulting in greater potential and mixed methods of learning. Due to logging bans, the selection of wood materials has become more varied and creative. The distribution of production units has also changed—from clustering around sales units to small-scale, self-organized clusters, or even dispersing throughout the entire Sanyi region, with a general decline in numbers.The local meaning of woodcarving—in terms of economy, tourism, and place identity—has weakened along with the industry's decline, shifting from a leading role to a supporting one. The public sector’s involvement has moved from directly supporting the industry to focusing on preserving and passing on the cultural heritage of Sanyi woodcarving. Although woodcarving as an industry has entered a period of decline, it has transformed into a cultural symbol deeply embedded in Sanyi, playing a supporting role that highlights other local features. The changes over the past forty years reflect broader environmental shifts that have forced actors within the structure to adapt to a new, less favorable context while also exercising their agency to reshape the structure. Thanks to the active efforts of these actors, the Sanyi woodcarving industry has become significantly more complex and diverse in nearly every aspect compared to the pre-2000 period. However, a series of perverse effects and the fallacy of composition have led the current industry toward a more fragmented or networked structure.Despite the overall decline, the structure of Sanyi's woodcarving industry is not easily eroded due to its long-standing presence and the sustained actions of its stakeholders. As the saying goes, “a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse”—Sanyi remains the most suitable place in Taiwan for engaging in the woodcarving industry. Therefore, woodcarving shops still line the streets of Sanyi, many woodcarvers continue to create there, and woodcarving still holds deep meaning for Sanyi. The story of this small town continues to unfold.