Beyond an Iconographic Scandal
Pop Art and the Legacy of Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol, Electric Chair (1971). Screenprint based on the 1965 canvas work of the same subject.
“If Pop Art is to mean anything at all, it must have something to do not only with what is painted, but also with the way it is painted; otherwise Manet’s ale bottles, Van Gogh’s flags and Balla’s automobiles would qualify as Pop art. The authentic Pop artist offers a coincidence of style and subject, that is, he represents mass-produced images and objects by using a style which is also based upon the visual vocabulary of mass production.”
~ Robert Rosenblum, ‘Pop Art and Non-Pop Art’, Art and Literature, 5 (Summer, 1964).
When art historian Robert Rosenblum wrote his article ‘Pop Art and Non-Pop Art’ in 1964, he not only lamented the hostility of the contemporary art world in the 1960s towards Pop art, but also the philistine-like generalisation of its nature. Although the hostility towards Pop art has diminished, these bipolar responses to the genre have remained since its inception, for nearly half a century.
The provocative power of Pop art lies not so much in its ‘easy’ subject matter but more so in its method of execution. As Rosenblum emphasised, what makes Pop art a serious art movement is the fact that it provides the ‘coincidence of style and subject.’ Andy Warhol’s art is the truest example of this ‘coincidence of style and subject’. Warhol’s thorough application of the mass production techniques, such as silkscreening and graphic design, already differentiates his art from other Pop artists who were still experimenting with fusing abstract expressionism and the new visual language of a consumerist society. For example, Tea Painting in an Illusionistic Style (1961) by British artist David Hockney gave him instant fame as a Pop artist. Hockney, known for his refusal to be called a ‘Pop artist’, executed this work using a shaped canvas that would allow him to paint the subject matter in flat style, ignoring the traditional concept of illusionistic space. If Hockney’s Ty-Phoo Tea box is a painting in illusionistic style, then Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans (1962) is a style of illusion itself.
Asked to paint a picture of the thing that meant most to him, Warhol exhibited 32 paintings of Campbell’s Soup cans at the Ferus Gallery, Los Angeles, in 1962. Each painting was displayed on a ledge - an equivalent to supermarket shelves. The name of each variety from the Campbell’s Soup range is the only feature that distinguishes each painting from another. However, it is not the industrial technique alone that makes Warhol’s painting different from Hockney’s. The most significant aesthetic decision of Warhol is his adoption of ‘seriality’.
Seriality is the core factor of mass production, the very visual mechanism of consumerism and of the mass media environment. The history of Western art since the Renaissance was based on an entirely opposite notion to seriality, that is, the idea of artwork as a unique entity, an absolutely original object that could never be repeated in the same state. Marcel Duchamp’s ready-mades challenged this concept of ‘uniqueness of an art object’ and the aura of the artist that were the very foundation of Modernism. Like Duchamp, Warhol questioned the existential angst and lofty vision of the world of the high Modernism heralded by the Abstract Expressionism in the post war Western art world. However, unlike Duchamp’s ready-mades that became a victim of its own false radicality, Warhol’s painting cynically enjoys this precarious play between the iconoclasm and the rapid institutionalisation of avant gardes. Perhaps this is the reason why Warhol did not produce three-dimensional ready mades, apart from his early Brillo and Heinz boxes.
The proper recognition of Warhol’s art has been long overdue. Beyond a mere iconographic scandal, the true legacy of Warhol’s art should be appreciated in that it reflects the very perceptive mode of visual experience of our times and challenges the aloof attitude of modernist aesthetics.
Collectors Contemporary presents 100 WARHOLS PLUS TWENTY SERVINGS OF SOUP ON THE SIDE. This exhibition presents the largest comprehensive and retrospective collection of Warhol’s art ever exhibited in Singapore. Most of the works in the show will be seen here for the first time.
The event will be open to the public from 28 March to 5 June, 2008. See the Events section for details and the schedule of Gallery Talks.
Written by Ms. Eunjeong Park.
Enjeong is an Art Consultant / Education Manager at Collectors Contemporary.
Cape of Good Hope Art Gallery
The Spirit of Landscape
Cottage in the Light Spring, 68.5 x 137 cm, ink on rice paper
This exhibition, titled The Spirit of Landscape Hong Ling’s ink painting, features works by Chinese artist Hong Ling, whose artistic forte is his unique style of landscape painting. Strikingly different from the conventional art, Hong Ling successfully conceived a new version of landscape painting. His painting expressions were formed and developed among the woods, rocks, mountains and rivers that he is so attached to. In painting his wild and rugged hilly landmarks, Hong Ling is concerned with creativity and renewal. The atmospheric mood of the work far outweighs its details and factual aspects.
A striking feature of Hong Ling’s art is its fascinating use of the Chinese ink artistic. The artist’s use of delicate, supple brushwork leads to instinctive spontaneity. Ink painting techniques offer dynamic pictorial structures and a myriad tonal range. Through his Chinese ink techniques, Hong Ling instills in his landscape art the moving Chinese ethos with emotional impact. It is this that makes his art so unique giving it a place of artistic authority. The contrast between the integral tone of ink and the various brush strokes between heavy ink and light touches of outlines together build his paintings.
The exhibition will be open to the public from the 18th of April till the 30th at The Cape of Good Hope Gallery.
Films galore
21st Singapore International Film Festival
Still from the documentary ‘Annie Lebovitz: life through a lens’
4 - 14 April, with FREE programmes from 28 March 2008
I remember my first film festival experience as a teenager. When I walked out of the old Capitol cinema on Stamford Road, I knew I wanted more opportunities to watch films that fell out of the mainstream bracket. This feeling of discovery is perhaps shared by many other film buffs.
The set-up of a film festival – a condensed period with an intensive schedule – creates a kind of heightened fervour that can only be experienced in such an event, which is why film festival fans anxiously anticipate the release of the festival schedule, and are eager to be the first to buy tickets. For a film lover, nothing is more nourishing than to be surrounded by other film watchers who want to discuss and debate over the film they just saw!
In April every year, film buffs look forward to one of the region’s biggest film events, the Singapore International Film Festival (SIFF). This year, the 21st Singapore International Film Festival boasts over 200 films from more than 40 countries, with a new Singapore Panorama section to add to the excitement.
For many film enthusiasts, the SIFF remains the key film event in Singapore, because of its bold, daring and artistic programming. Where else can we watch a ten hour film by award-winning Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz? “Death in the Land of Encantos”, the film that runs for many hours, may not be everyone’s choice but it is part of the programming that dares audiences to venture out of their comfort zone and explore new genres of films.
A fact little known to the general public is that the SIFF has also been a launching pad for many Southeast Asian film-makers when their countries did not have their own national film festival. In fact, film-makers and serious film academics fly from Malaysia, Indonesia and Philippines to feast on the films programmed by the SIFF.
From high profile films, such as “I’m Not There” (Dir: Todd Haynes, USA) starring Cate Blanchette and Heath Ledger, to more independent fare like “Dreams from the Third World” (Dir: Kan Lume/ Singapore), SIFF is for the film buff who wants to be consumed by stories that are engaging and thought-provoking. Think documentaries, music related film, and films in languages you have not even heard before. We are taken from one world to another with every film, and are presented with both personal and world views that we had never thought existed. Do we dare take that plunge?
First-time SIFF-goers might find it helpful to select films by sections. This year, there are several to explore, such as the 55 Years of Vietnamese Cinema; Australian Focus; Youth in Film; Seeing Music, Hearing Film; and World Cinema. Those who feel intimidated by the lineup, and are not sure where to start, can easily begin with the FREE programme films which are held at the Goethe Institut.
It’s films galore in April. The discovery of films is a personal journey that once embarked on, can be an inspiring one - we are able to cheer, cry, and collectively say we enjoyed both experiences. There is nothing to do now but to go discover!
Written by Wahyuni A. Hadi
Manager of Objectifs Centre for Photography & Filmmaking
The Circus Act
Still from ‘Because we have big mouths’. 2007
Visual/Performance artists Rizman Putra and Noor Effendy Ibrahim clue us in on their upcoming show Circus.
Since 2006, Rizman and Effendy have collaborated with different artists annually to pull off performances that are surprising and provoking at The Substation. This year, the duo will be joined by musician-performers Sabrina Annarhar and Fredi Sonderegger in the show Circus. One thing is for sure, there won’t be any wild trapeze acts or scary tightrope walking, but the piece may just get as exciting as its predecessors Pain of a Million Ants and Because We Have Big Mouths. The two artists tell us more.
With Sabrina and Fredi in the team this year, what can we expect from Circus?
Rizman: The audience can expect a work that is slightly different from our past productions. It will not be something they are able to describe. It is like a cross between a burlesque act and a pseudo-wrestling match from a twisted viewpoint of an innocent bystander.
And how does Circus compare to Pain of a Million Ants and Because We Have Big Mouths?
Rizman: Pain of A Million Ants was slightly ethereal, while Because We Have Big Mouths was bold, erotic, loud, and gory. For Circus, we’ve been talking about creating something that is humorous, kitschy and fluffy. We’re still not sure yet. Things might change at the very last minute.
Effendy: I’m more for kitsch and fluff than humour. What I think we will retain from the previous two shows is the experience of pain – be it the pain of production, selling, performing or watching. There may be a stronger narrative or structure for Circus, compared to Pain of a Million Ants and Because We Have Big Mouths. It might even become a musical like Cats or any of Cirque Du Soleil’s masterpieces! It could even have mass appeal! Who doesn’t enjoy the circus?
What are the themes Circus deals with?
R: It’s still slightly ambiguous. We are in the process of creating a theme based on the streams of our consciousness. It is something as banal as the sensation of drinking coffee, and as over-the-top like having teflon coated dreams swarming the meadows of acrobatic mongrels.
The rule of the game is not to set anything, but instead, construct a skeleton in order to create the path to build a theme.
How are the rehearsals so far?
R: All of us are currently doing our own research. Rehearsals will only happen a week before the performance. Another way of putting it is that when magicians get together, they will always have new tricks to show each other.
Another interesting part of this project is that we don't have a director. Everyone is a producer, and it is all about negotiation.
We felt that only through processes such as this could we unravel the most unexpected moments that we were looking for in a performance piece, like in a free jazz band.
E: Yes, we are magicians - and very good ones too. The negotiation is the tricky and delicate part. If we’re not careful, we may fall out of love with each other. And that’s going to be very problematic.
By Ng Hui Hsien
Circus is on 18 and 19 April, 8pm. The Substation Theatre, 45 Armenian St., 6337-7535. $10 from The Substation Box Offic
Xu Beihong
Master of Nature
Galloping Horse. 1937. Framed horizontal scroll, ink and colour on paper
Xu Beihong is regarded as one of the most seminal figures in the history of modern Chinese painting. Apart from his larger than life persona and dramatic life story spanning continents and wars, he was one of the first to articulate the need for artistic expression that reflected a new modern China at the beginning of the 20th century.
As one of the earliest Chinese artists to train in Europe, he was instrumental in promoting the use of scientific realism and the direct study of nature to rejuvenate ink painting. In his opinion, the latter had, by the late Qing dynasty (1644-1911), degenerated into trite copying, which was divorced from real life. This resulted in many artists who did not see the need to learn from nature. Xu’s solution was seen by many then as a natural extension of the idea of using Western science and technology to strengthen a China that was lagging behind a technologically superior West.
Xu is well-known for his ink paintings of birds and animals, where he combines traditional xieyi (writing the idea) brushwork with his studies from real life. This results in a body of works where the artist is able to exploit fully the expressive qualities of brushwork and ink play, and yet depict his subjects in a lively and naturalistic fashion.
Horses are one of Xu Beihong’s most popular subjects. As indispensable instruments of commerce and conquest, the Chinese have long regarded the horse as a symbol of strength and courage. In this regard, Xu follows in the footsteps of earlier artists such as the Yuan dynasty artist Gong Kai, whose painting of an emaciated horse represented an unbowed Chinese gentleman suffering under Mongol oppression. 1
Although he painted horses for a wide range of different contexts, Xu Beihong's horses have often been read as exemplifying Chinese resistance against foreign incursion or embodying the spirit of a new China. Xu often compared the heroic spirit of Chinese soldiers with the qualities of the horse. These paintings found great favour amongst overseas Chinese who sympathised with such sentiments.
Xu’s horse paintings are noted for their bold and spirited brushstrokes. These brushstrokes, which serve to give the horses a sense of volume through light and dark, are a stunning departure from traditional depictions of horses, which use fine ink outlines and carefully applied colour washes. Xu once said, “In painting horses, I have made thousands of quick sketches. Having studied the horse’s anatomy, I am thoroughly versed in its bone structure and musculature, and by carefully observing movement and spirit, I have developed a special insight into this subject.” By the early 1930s, Xu had moved away from his earlier method of depiction, as characterised by his work in Horses in Landscape, (1919) which showed horses in three-dimensional modeling. This was done through careful shading, suppressing the usual expressivity of the ink brush. In the 1931 work Jiufanggao, The Connoisseur of Horses, whilst the horses were still convincingly rendered, the brushwork became much livelier, giving the painting more rhythm and dynamism. In later versions the brushwork and ink became more abbreviated, yet they captured the bulk and spirited movement of the animals.
Xu came from the generation of artists that was equally proficient in Chinese ink and Western oil painting. This parallel use of both traditions, allowing these artists to develop a dual artistic personality, is considered as one of the most striking features of 20th century Chinese art. This afforded them the necessary foundation upon which to experiment with different ways of synthesising the two traditions, of which Xu was a prime advocate.
1 The painting Emaciated Horse by Gong Kai (1222-1307) is in the collection of the Osaka Municipal Museum of Art (Abe Collection).
The exhibition 'Beihong in Nanyang', showcasing some of Xu Beihong's selected artworks, will be open to the public from the 3rd of April till the 13th of July, at the Singapore Art Museum.
Written by Low Sze Wee
Navigating Contemporary Art Spaces
in Ho Chi Minh City
Sandrine Llouquet. Milk. Exhibited at Galerie Quynh. Image courtesy of the artist.
After having spent a short time in Ho Chi Minh City, you could reasonably be forgiven for not having encountered the city’s contemporary art scene amidst the ubiquitous commercial galleries that spot the emerging metropolis. Official and tourist guides will direct you to the Ho Chi Minh Fine Arts Museum (97A Pho Duc Chinh Street, District 1 ). While the museum floor plan allots space in the ground floor for contemporary art, you would be hard pressed to find conceptual, fresh or engaging work here. Like the museum, the exhibition space at the Ho Chi Minh Fine Arts Association (218 Pasteur Street, District 3) lacks the professional display and the conservation of work that one expects of publicly funded institutions.
By word of mouth you might eventually encounter two private spaces: Galerie Quynh, a commercial gallery for contemporary art and the newly established non-profit and artist-run space, San Art. Galerie Quynh has for years set the standard for professional commercial galleries in Ho Chi Minh City with regular exhibition programming and literature. The gallery’s recent relocation to a larger space will hopefully allow Quynh’s roster of artists to expand their work both dimensionally and conceptually. Currently on exhibition is Milk, a new installation by Vietnamese-French artist, Sandrine Llouquet. In the installation, Llouquet expands her drawings into installation, creating a surreal “wonderland” of shadows through white plexiglass silhouettes on the ground floor and large “pools” of red on the second. The minimalist white silhouettes against white walls are juxtaposed with attacks of pure red colour, creating what critic Viet Le describes as "a tentative combination of sweetness and violence". Upcoming exhibitions at Galerie Quynh include works by Hoang Duong Cam, Bertrand Peret, Tien Do, George Papadimas and Nguyen Thanh Truc. Gallery director Quynh Pham continues to transition the gallery’s artists from her early base of Vietnamese southern painters to international artists working in contemporary media.
Occupying Gallery Quynh’s former space is San Art, an artist-run space and initiative. Under the direction of international artist Dinh Q. Le, with founders Tuan Andrew Nguyen, Phu Nam Thuc, and Tiffany Chung, visitors will find a growing arts archive and a small exhibition space. Currently on exhibition until March 22nd is Scanning, an interactive media installation by visiting artist Goh Ideta. The installation consists simply of floor mounted lighting devices that when triggered by motion sensors create vertical segments of lights that move about the walls of the darkened room. Installations such as these often prove challenging to a local audience and are precisely the reason why San Art is positioned to be critical to the education and developing arts sensibility of Ho Chi Minh City.
Visitors to the city who are genuinely interested in the contemporary arts scene should do some research before visiting and begin a dialogue with one of Saigon’s many artists or groups. Navigating the city in search of contemporary art can be daunting. There currently are no regular contemporary arts publications in English. By establishing a connection beforehand, a quick meeting for coffee and conversation will inevitably end with a personal tour of many of the spaces around the city, including the smaller spaces frequented by Fine Arts University students, such as Himoko Visual Cafe founded by artist Nguyen Kim Hoang and albb (a little blah blah) managed by Sue Hajdu and Motoko Uda.
What the contemporary art scene in Ho Chi Minh City lacks institutionally is balanced by the energy of its local and international contemporary artists. Saigon artists are increasingly becoming networked and sharing events and ideas on Facebook and Yahoo!, rather than dedicated websites.
Here are the details of some of the contemporary art venues
in Ho Chi Minh City:
~ Galerie Quynh, 45 De Tham Street, District 1, www. galeriequynh.com
~ Himiko Visual Café, 5B Phan Dang Luu Street, Binh Thanh District
~ San Art, 23 Ly Tu Trong Street, District 1, www.san-art.org
~ albb, http://albbsaigon.blogspot.com
Written by Richard Streitmatter-Tran
Richard is an artist living and working in Ho Chi Minh City.
He can be found at www.diacritic.org
Glimpsing 55 Years of Vietnam Film
Chi Nam Khung
The mere mention of Vietnam Films will surely conjure wartime movies, with gut–wrenching gun battles and senseless violence depicted during the Vietnam War. This is not surprising, as the hallmarks of wartime movies including The Deer Hunter, Platoon, Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket; all helmed by critically acclaimed Western directors, are based on the Vietnam War.
The Vietnam War did provide much debate, and brought to the surface the different facets of human psychology in times of hardship and survival. Due to the wars that have plagued much of Vietnam’s history from the 1940s to the 1970s, they have given rise to Vietnamese directors with Social Realist tendencies.
However, after the reunification of North Vietnam and South Vietnam, the shift to a market economy caused a temporary setback in the Vietnam film industry. Lack of infrastructure and funding, coupled with competition from television and video, contributed to the dwindling numbers of Vietnamese productions. Fortunately enough, some practitioners still persevered, and these productions made their rounds in the international art-house film circuits.
Marking its 21st anniversary, the Singapore International Film Festival has reached a ‘coming of age’, where it has established itself as the voice of Asian cinema. The festival acts both as a platform for local filmmakers and a window into South East Asian films.
This year’s Festival highlights includes 55 Years of Vietnamese Cinema - the National Museum of Singapore will be showcasing six Vietnamese productions ranging from short films to documentaries.
Portraying the devastating effects of war, Lai Van Sinh’s Path To Justice reiterates the dire consequences of employing chemical warfare – Agent Orange – on harmless civilians. The director’s earlier effort in year 2000, Chi Nam Khung, meanwhile, investigated the ability of one’s soul to rest in peace when it is displaced. Both of these shorts have received rave reviews, in particular Path To Justice, which had won the Silver Lotus Award in Vietnam for Best Documentary in 2007.
Turning to family ties and personal relationships, Dao Duy Phuc’s Life and Hain Ninh’s The Little Girl From Hanoi, offer audiences a glimpse into daily lives uprooted due to family members getting conscripted to the frontlines.
In times when one’s survival to see the next day is not even guaranteed, love often takes a step back. However, a human being’s natural desire to love and be loved can often overcome any physical and mental obstacles. Thus, Charlie Nguyen’s The Rebel attempts to portray love blossoming at the most unlikeliest of times and places. This film had garnered a number of international awards, including the Grand Jury Award at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, 2007. It has also played to international audiences at, among others, the 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival, the Austin Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival and, last but not the least, at the Vietnam International Film Festival (ViFF) 2007.
Having its own film festival is further proof of Vietnam’s stride into a viable filmmaking industry. Relatively young, having started in 2003, the ViFF opens its submission criteria to include all filmmakers and production crews of Vietnamese descent. They also welcome submissions by Vietnamese filmmakers who make films with non-Vietnamese content and non-Vietnamese filmmakers who choose to focus their stories on Vietnam and its culture.
All these point out to Vietnam being a significant contributor to Asian cinema, thus becoming one of the many cultural ‘windows’ into the Southeast Asian region.
55 Years of Vietnam Film is presented by the National Museum of Singapore and the Singapore International Film Festival. The screenings are from 4 to 14 April. Tickets are available at S$8.40 from SISTIC (excluding ticket charges).
For more information, contact
Jean Chua, Publicity Manager
for Singapore International Film Festival 2008.
Tel: 65-67387567 or go to www.filmfest.org.sg/index.php
Written by Syed Muhd Hafiz
Vietnam and Art
Reemergence of Practices
Red Cherry Blossom. 4-panel set lacquer painting. Artist unknown.
Vietnamese art, long hidden in the shadows of politics and circumstances, is fast entering into its modern golden period. Opening up to the world just over a decade ago, Vietnam and its art and artists are being introduced to the world as a sensational discovery, being in great demand worldwide, especially among its erstwhile colonial rulers, France, as well as other European countries.
Vietnamese art, although significant to sociologists and historians today for its wide variety of outside influences – ranging from Chinese styles to the French, has a long and varied history of its own. Lacquered artefacts, for instance, have been known to have existed for over 2200 years, from studies of samples that were found in ancient tombs in Vietnam. Over subsequent generations, mastery over lacquer as a material was achieved and, through experience as well as experimenting, artists have learnt to embellish their lacquerware using mother of pearl, seashells, crushed eggshells, and even gold and silver. Lacquer is used in paintings as well, and the process of lacquer painting is one that requires tremendous skill, not just in drawing, but in using the hot lacquer to do so. The painting, done on wood that has been treated with lacquer and subsequently painted on layer-by-painstaking-layer, is a carefully thought out process. Vietnamese lacquer paintings, although categorised under ‘paintings’ and therefore thought of in the same vein as oil and silk paintings, have managed to retain their own character through the ages, allowing modern artists to play around with several techniques, while still retaining the nuances of lacquer and the advantages that it offers over other media.
Another famous art form originating from Vietnam is silk painting. The Vietnamese style of silk painting is unique in its transparency of colours, unlike the styles of Japanese and Chinese silk painting. This quality lends an ethereal feel to the painting, transporting the viewer to a misty, romantic atmosphere, filled with mystique and old-world charm. As with lacquer painting, silk painting is not just about painting, but the preparation behind the process. The quality of the silk is all-important. This woven silk is directly painted on, often with areas left unpainted on the cloth that represent white colours, whether it is the sky, or a gushing stream, or the human form.
Vietnamese silk painting reached worldwide acclaim in the years between the mid-1920s and the mid-1940s, when the art world was taken by storm after Vietnamese silk paintings won top prizes at art shows in France, in 1946. Lauded for their poetic beauty and delicate grace, these paintings became the toast of the European art circles. Today, silk painting is very popular in Vietnam but, as in every case of ancient art forms, Vietnamese silk painting has reinvented itself, by using contemporary colours and themes to appeal to modern tastes and sensibilities.
Vietnamese calligraphy, celebrated for its beauty, is another unique art form developed by the Vietnamese. Using brushes, Chinese ink and paper as the basic tools, Vietnamese calligraphy is renowned for its elegant strokes and the patriotic fervour it drums up. Originally used in Vietnam’s official coinage, and then, subsequently, for transcribing spoken Vietnamese, for which the special ideographic script chữ nôm was devised, it wasn’t until the 1930s that Vietnamese calligraphy was accepted as an art form, after Vietnamese poets started writing poems in the romanised quốc ngữ script. Each letter has a specific meaning ascribed to it, and the swish of the brushstroke, the pressure applied while painting it, and the very design of the letter, all serve to crystallise the ideas and meaning inherent in the letter.
Although it was traditionally restricted to educated scholars, calligraphy nonetheless was popular among the Vietnamese masses. It was very much a part of their lives, especially during festivals and celebrations, when they would commission a calligraphy painting, bearing poetry or names and sayings, to give away as gifts. Modern Vietnamese calligraphers use the quốc ngữ script, which has proven to be very popular among connoiseurs today.
Vietnam is rich and varied in its art forms, and a short article on the subject will only just skim the surface. Be it lacquer paintings or calligraphy, woodblock print or contemporary sculpture and puppetry craft, there’s enough and more to lose oneself in!
Written by Nandini Narayana
Art Around
Lotus Lights
Just Another Dharma. Porcelain and lighting accessories.
Besides having participated in more than 50 group and solo exhibitions and performance events locally and internationally, Jason Lim has also taken on key roles in the visual arts scene. In 2004, he was the co-artistic director of Future of Imagination 2, an international performance art festival held in Singapore. This was followed by StopOver, a Singapore-Japan performance art meeting which he spearheaded in 2005. In 2007, the prolific artist won the Juror’s Prize in the 4th World Ceramics Biennale in Incheon, Korea. Lim was also one of Singapore’s four artists invited to the 52nd Venice Biennale. The biennale, which took place in 2007, was co-presented by the Singapore Art Museum.
In Just Another Dharma, Lim re-creates one of his Venice 2007 works within the SAM lobby for the Art Around SAM series of installation works around the museum premises. In this work, some 1,700 press-moulded porcelain pieces of illuminated tear-shaped petals culminate in a lotus-inspired chandelier to symbolise “an architectural construct of prayers”; the notion of prayerful invocation being one that is often linked to feelings of anticipation and desire. These human sentiments, when seen in the light of the Indian concept of dharma, that is, the fundamental principle of the order of nature and existence, reveal the dual attributes of ‘hope’: Hope regenerates as much as it ruins. Hope liberates just as it can subjugate. Between the thin line of faith and folly, the hopeful are bounded to a dilemma where delight and despair are both interchangeable, and ever so intrinsic of the human condition.
Jason Lim’s artistic practice encompasses not just the expression of the multifarious facets and forms of clay, but also its active potential where they are brought into the realms of installation, video and performance art. For Lim, ceramic art is seldom in a static condition but, instead, presents multiple meanings which reveal themselves as much as they elude. Playful, perturbing, pensive and provocative, Lim’s works continue to push the boundaries of art definitions, as well as the viewer’s experience of, both, the aesthetic and the ordinary.
His other works can be viewed at the Singapore Art Museum’s Art of Our Time ceramics display on Level 2.
Written by Michelle H
Staging reality
The art of Charlie Co
Air Raid. 130cm X 268cm. 2006
“This summer the roses are blue; the wood is of glass. The earth, draped in its verdant cloak, makes as little impression upon me as a ghost. It is living and ceasing to live which are imaginary solutions. Existence is elsewhere.” - The words of André Breton echoed the sentiments of surrealists post-World War I, following the devastation and moral fallout that ensued. But Charlie Co’s works, though indebted to surrealism, are filled with the hallucinations of the waking hours; in here there is no escape from the delirious reality of a world ravaged by exploitation, war, bigotry, greed. There is no escape, there is no elsewhere.
A significant body of Charlie’s works was recently showcased as part of Universal Theatre at Osage Singapore, along with the works of Chinese artist Xu Xiaoguo. Amidst the buzz of the opening night, we took the opportunity to talk to Charlie and find out more about his work, which spans over 25 years.
Charlie is a Filipino artist born in the town of Bacolod, Negros, in 1960. In 1986, during his study at the College of Fine Arts in Manila, he co-founded the group called ‘Black Artists in Asia’, which consists of socially and politically committed artists who became known for their biting commentary, using telling imagery, of the local as well as larger human contexts. The tradition of social art, however, was not new to the Philippines; it dates back to as early as late 19th century, during the Spanish occupation. Philippines also witnessed the rise of social realist art during American and Japanese occupation, protest art by the Nagkakaisang Progressiboong Artista (United Progressive Artists & Architects) groups during the ‘70s, followed by socially engaging art of the Kaishan collective.
Charlie’s own work is preoccupied with similar concerns and is avowedly political, while his style derives from the richness of Surrealism, tropes of native story-telling, and a whole repertoire of symbols that are both religious and personal to him. Each work explodes with nuanced imagery inter-woven into tales that confront contemporary realities. The massive ‘Tiananmen Men: New People's Army’ is a case in point. Little bourgeoisie men wearing bowler hats (a reference to celebrated surrealist Rene Margarite) crowd the foreground, while the Square itself becomes a backdrop against the horizon which fills with busy construction activity and grey smog. The ‘free association’ of the Surrealists is appropriated here for a revealing juxtaposition, suggesting implications of power, as the narrative collapses the story of the rising economic power of the nation, its militarisation, political repression and the tale of environmental damage wrought by urbanisation and growth, all into one single frame. “I was returning to Beijing after almost 20 years, after my last visit in1988. I tried to record the development, changes that had happened since then,” says Charlie. “There are layers of stories beneath each image. For instance, the Tiananmen Square has become a tourist attraction now!” Charlie’s portrayals distinctly remind one of allegorical folk tales with their framing of stories within stories.
In ‘Facing My Demons’, which the artist informs is part autobiographical, there are, yet again, numerous tales spun into one - the relentless spread of global capitalism evoked in the ubiquitous golden arches, ecological damage hinted by the gas mask, and the all-consuming greed of the suitcase carrying businessman. The artist himself is positioned in the foreground - a helpless victim seated in front of a scene framed by the arches. He is looking over his shoulder, as though seeking an audience to witness what lies ahead of him. The affect is tragic beyond redemption.
The ambitious 3 panel work ‘Carosa Sang MGA Espiritu’ (Procession of the Spirit), part of the ‘Big Picture Show’ at the Singapore Art Museum, depicts the sagas of class oppression, ecological imbalance woven together with Biblical references. Charlie himself sees his works as a documentary of contemporary times through painting. Created with an acute sensibility of the complexity of today’s day and age, his works are incisive commentaries tinged with irony and haunted by an impending apocalyptic doom.
But these works are also personal, and highly expressive. The strong Fauvist use of colour renders Charlie’s works a vitality that captivates and disturbs. ‘Facing My Demons’ unfolds in brilliant hues of crimson and orange. Similarly, the colours in ‘The Air Raid’ and ‘The Crusader’ are intense, and convey volatility and urgency. The artist, moreover, makes the works personal by painting himself into the composition. He is situated in the theatre of his paintings, watching, indicted by the reality that he is part of. The distance between the seer and the world collapses. This is a stage we are all part of and we share the stupor of the artist.
Written by Usha M. Nathan
Artist Speak:
Woon Tien Wei on Food #03
Food #03: Early Signage
Food #03 is a Veg Place and an art project, started by a group of creative people interested in changing the world. This little social enterprise is part of Post-Museum, and a significant part of the profit goes to the latter.
Food #03 is an extension of my previous projects and performances. From 1999–2000, I have been using food in my performances and projects. Most directly, I created a piece called ‘Food No.2’ (2000), where I set up a cafe in my studio in Goldsmiths College, served food to visitors and discussed my artwork. The piece was an appropriation of a 1971 restaurant called Food, which was co-founded by Gordon Matta-Clark in SoHo, New York, a restaurant managed and staffed by artists.
The idea for Food #03 came about when we at p-10 were planning Post-Museum and we allocated a space in the premises for an F&B outlet.
We thought that it would be interesting for someone from p-10 to operate a cafe instead of renting out the space to an F&B operator, as this would mean greater flexibility in programming and we could create more crazy ideas. Since my art practice is project-based and I enjoy working with teams of people, I rose up to the challenge.
I decided to create a "food-based" project in the form of a cafe which will function as a cafe (with profit and everything like a real cafe) but will be a social sculpture for the Post-Museum. In turn, the cafe can generate revenue for Post-Museum and offer an alternative way to allow people to actively/consciously support Post-Museum through consuming in the cafe.
I felt that it was a wonderful idea that a cup of coffee could directly support Post-Museum and its artistic and creative activites and hence, contribute to the growth of the creative scene in Singapore.
As most contemporary and new experimental art-forms get little support and often rely on grants from National Arts Council and corporate and private sponsors, the cafe offers a beautiful idea which I am always intrigued by: that everyone and anyone can play a part – big or small (starting from $2). That thought in itself is inspiring.
While developing Food #03, I became interested to go back to my early ideas of what art can do – or even the simple reason as to what art means to me – and that is the idea that art can challenge our perception of looking at the world around us. Through this, art can generate or awaken the potential social energy and thus bring about change in the world around us.
Food #03 is an ongoing platform and studio for me to develop and investigate these ideas and, ultimately, to see what happens when an artist becomes a social entrepreneur in contemporary Singapore. Can art change the world with vegetarian burgers and pizzas? We (the team @ Food #03) ask ourselves this all the time and, of course, new answers and questions arise every day. On this note, we (the team @ Food #03) invite you to view all the banal and bizarre happenings in and around Food #03 on our website (www.food03.sg) and blog.
This column is presented by Post-Museum, a new cultural space in Little India which seeks to examine contemporary life, promote the arts and connect people. More at www.post-museum.org. Images are courtesy of the artist.
Of Photography II
By Chris Yap & Usha Nathan
Collecting photography - Part 1. Getting started.
This time around, our discussion veers towards the inevitable question of every photography enthusiast - the question of collecting photography. For purposes of clarity, we have split this section roughly into three parts: getting started with a collection, investing in photography and, lastly, the crucial question of valuing photography. Part of what we are trying to do here is to address the critical questions surrounding the pragmatic process of collection - it goes without saying that collections are inherently based on value and value is a contentious concept that we need to analyse.
In 1932, a group of photographers in California got together to form, what they called, the Group f/64. This group, which included the legendary Ansel Adams and Edward Weston, among many others, was limited to photographers who were “striving to define photography as an art form by simple and direct presentation through purely photographic methods 1” - a definitive move away from the debt of art, especially pictorialism. This shift is significant, in retrospect, as one that heralded an era of photography as an expressive form in its own right.
Photography has come a long way since. It has not just earned its due as a respected art form, but is also currently witnessing an upward mobility in its ‘value’, a trend that is synonymous with the genres of painting and sculpture. Well known prints of established photographers fetch fortunes in auctions, and most, if not all, art museums and galleries have sizeable collections of photographs. So how would an individual go about collecting them, especially if one were new to the genre? What is the “art of collecting photography”? Or is there a science to it?!
Chris tells us that the first step for collecting photography is to begin looking at photographs at museums, galleries, and books too, and reflecting on how one responds to them. “Everyone should start with the ‘first reaction’ of observation, and then you learn from this reaction through a process of self-discovery; ‘Why would I like (or hate) something like this?’”. Most answers lie in one’s own background, and history. Of course, there are some aspects that one would want to look at closely, such as the visual elements, composition and techniques used in the photographs.
One would then need to interpret the photograph for oneself. This is an emotive and critical process, all at once, or a ‘feeling-thinking’ process, if you will; “What does the blue mean to me? Is it the happiness or the sadness?”, “Why do I feel so angry when I see this picture? Is it the overwhelming use of sharp things in the picture?” Over time, one would be able to self-reflexively examine one’s own taste. It goes without saying that such an examination would be more fruitful with a handy historic knowledge of the medium, as well as an awareness of its capacities. Most importantly, it is crucial to realise the context in which you are appreciating the picture. For example, the colour red means different things in different cultural backgrounds; for most Asian cultures, it is a lucky, celebratory colour. However, for most Western cultures, it tends to mean passion, anger. In other words, learning entails studying and reading extensively, about not just photography, but also a cultural point of view.
A more serious collector of the photography medium would find it useful to delve into the past, present and, perhaps, even the future of the medium. In the course of going through museum collections, or private collections, or even art gallery openings, it would not be difficult to see how many different types of medium there are. Chris tells us about his own encounters with different photographic mediums, “ In my travels recently to the Grand Hotel in Siem Reap, I was completely taken aback by the Palladium prints on display near the hotel lobby. The tonal range, the ‘old school’ feel to the image, not to mention the fact that the images were taken decades ago! Another exhibition I saw at the market place, also in Siem Reap, had a lot of toned digital inkject prints on roughly textured rice paper These were, again, magnificent in the way the colours were handled to almost recreate another form of this ‘old school’ charm. Both had succeeded in the message that they wanted to bring across, which is to ‘represent’ a time that’s long past, and that it is a record of that time.” And, of course, it could also be helpful to study prints at a close range whenever possible, to even have a feel of them in your hands. This process of learning helps cultivate an informed intuition, or to develop a collector’s eye, for the image that speaks best of the photographers’ vision.
One of the best aspects about collecting photography is that there are a plethora of options and plenty of photographs out there. You could collect monographs, photography books, vintage prints, studio reprints of the works of established artists, works of mid-career and young photographers; you may even consider buying vernacular photography of unknown, older photographers. The price range is consequently wide, so that collecting photography would suit a range of individuals with pockets of different depths, from connoisseurs to young, earning professionals. Another implication of this is that collections of photographs would need to be structured according to an aspect of the photograph, or the school of genre it belongs to. A collector may wish to collect the works of a young photographer who shows promise or a particular body of works that come from a school, or play it safe and collect an established photographer who’s had a track record of having interesting, collectable works, so on and so forth. The collection could be structured according to a theme or subject, technical process, a historical period, or even a style of photography. Having said that, Chris personally collects prints of different genres, and styles, and his collection is very much based on the clarity of the vision and the quality of the print.
Speaking of how collectors could go about collecting works of young, less-known photographers, Chris offers a few guidelines. Perhaps the first thing to do, he says, is acquainting oneself with the work of the artist, and the artist himself. It is imperative to know how he, as a photographer and person, relates to his works. There are many photographers out there who add meanings to their works post-process and, most of the time, these are meanings that are not personal in anyway. For example, “I took a picture of the naked body because the human body is artistic.” The picture itself could be nothing more than just a play of light on the human body, and no real detail is placed on how the body’s natural curves can itself be artistic. As collectors, one might go hunting for evidences within the picture that would support what the photographer says. Once the real premise has been established, then one may approach his or her work on the basis of how much of the photographer is part of the images he captures and, conversely, how much his works are conveyed through the person that he is. There are times when photographers themselves might not see themselves in their pictures but, over time, as they get to know themselves better, they start to see how, in the process of creating the image, they have subconsciously put character into the final picture. With more seasoned collectors, who have an extensive mental library of how images work, and his/her own life experiences, character can be easily picked up from the works, whereas for the lesser experienced, it is really more a gut feeling. Which is why, some photographers, under the guidance of good collectors or gallery owners, can actually improve their work over time, as they learn about their works through these experienced mentors. This dynamic relation between the artist and his/her work can chart the photographer’s professional journey over time.
This column is a collaboration between the editor, Usha Nathan and the renowned Singaporean fine art photographer and Master Printmaker Chris Yap. Chris’s works have been shown widely across Asia including the internationally acclaimed Chobi Mela, Angkor photography festival, Singapore Biennale 2006 and the and the upcoming Month of Photography, Tokyo, Japan. He also conducts talks around Asia Pacific, teaches photography at several educational and corporate institutions, and is also the adjunct lecturer at Nanyang Technological University, School of Art, Design and Media.
The ‘Other’ Spaces (3)
Alternative Arts Venues
The Gallery
Blink, and you will miss it. The nondescript 5-storey building just seems to recede into its surrounding environment, amidst the blaring traffic and dusty construction site nearby. Perhaps frowned upon by visitors and industry peers, what is apparent is that No.139 Selegie Road is not your typical location for an arts venue. This seems to be the direction of Night & Day, an arts venue with the concept of a bar + gallery + friends. Having held its first exhibition a little under a year ago, Night & Day was started by Kelley Cheng and Randy Chan.
After establishing themselves in their respective fields – Kelley being the founder of iSh magazine and Editorial and Creative Director at Page One Publishing, and Randy being the founder of zArch Architects famed for the restoration and development of St James Power Station, they “needed to do something different to rejuvenate their creative direction for their daily work, thus Night & Day was born,” as Kelley succinctly summarised when asked about the motives for starting this space.
Built in the 1950s, this 5-storey Art Deco building now accommodates a bar on the 2nd floor, zArch Architects on the 3rd floor, and a gallery space on the 4th floor.
The Ong Brothers, who still own this building, inherited it from their father Ong Beng Yew, a prominent figure in the Hokkien community back then. They had resisted countless developers who came knocking on their doors with lofty ideas to convert the building into a budget hotel and office premises. However, the Ong brothers changed their minds when approached by Randy, who sought to preserve the original elements of the space in the process of revamping it. In proposing a multi-disciplinary space, and facilitating a thriving hub of creativity, Night & Day’s vision matches well with the Ong brothers’ family legacy.
Another unique aspect of this arts venue is the fact that it is one of the rare, if not only, exhibition space promoting graphic arts in Singapore. With the increased blurring of boundaries between design and fine arts, graphic arts has fast gained new practitioners. For the past six months, Kelley had curated a series of graphic arts exhibitions under the title, Le Monde Est - Nous (The World Is Ours). Each of the six exhibitions highlighted two graphic artists’ works, which ran for a month. Now that the series is over, six solo shows from this pool of 12 graphic artists, and probably some new ones, are in the pipeline.
The bar located on the 2nd floor has a cosy and rustic feel. The preservation of the space adheres to the original architecture of the building with the hole, which was used for lifting cargo and goods during past years, still apparent, though covered up now for safety reasons.
Catering to not just the gallery visitors, the bar also manages to attract a fair number of regulars working in nearby offices. With the occasional live acoustic acts and warm ambience, the bar provides a much-needed respite for urbanites looking to wind down after office hours.
With the art gallery and the bar making convenient bedfellows, Night & Day gallery promises to be an alternative arts venue for those looking for cutting-edge works, tinged with a little nostalgia.
Night & Day is located at 139A/C Selegie Road, Singapore 188309.
Opening hours are from Monday to Saturday 12pm–12mn (by appointment only). For more information, go to www.nightandday.sg or contact Kelley Cheng at Kelley@nightandday.sg
Written by Syed Muhd Hafiz
Top Five Art Books April 2008
Basheer Graphic Books, 231 Bain Street, #04-19 Bras Basah Complex
Singapore 180231, Tel: (65) 6336 0810
www.bigbrosworkshop.com
www.basheercityroom.com
TOMMA ABTS
by Laura Hoptman, Bruce Hainley
and Jan Verwoert
Publisher: PHAIDON
Pages: 136
More than 60 colour images
The first monograph on the artist Tomma Abts provides an extensive overview of more than ten years of his work. Born in 1967, Tomma Abts creates forms that delight the eye and challenge the mind, reinventing abstraction for the 21st century. The monograph includes illuminating essays by three top critics, and full colour reproductions of virtually every painting and drawing made by the artist since 1997.
Laura Hoptman is a senior curator at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York. Bruce Hainley is the Contributing Editor at Artforum magazine and author of the books Foul Mouth and Art: A Sex Book. Jan Verwoert is the Contributing Editor at Frieze magazine.
JORGE PARDO
Survey by Christina Vegh, Interview by
Lane Relyea, Focus by Chris Kraus
Publisher: PHAIDON
Pages: 160
More than 120 colour and B/W images
This is the first monograph of this scale and scope on the work of Jorge Pardo. Pardo is an artist whose work crosses the boundaries of art, design and architecture to redefine notions of space and utility. His works can be found in the world's most prestigious museums, and several of his permanent public projects can be seen around the world, including Pier, which he built for the 1997 Skulpture Projekte in Muster, and Mountain Bar, which he designed in 2003 for the Chinatown neighbourhood in Los Angeles.
Christina Vegh is the Director of the Bonner Kunstverein in Germany. Lane Relyea is an art critic who teaches art theory and practice in Northwestern University, Chicago, and Chris Kraus is a writer based in Los Angeles and the founding editor of Semiotext(e) Native Agents imprint.
INSCRIBING MEANING
Publisher: Smithsonian
National Museum of African Art
Pages: 255
More than 200 colour images
Inscribing Meaning explores the relationships between African art and the communicative powers of language, graphic systems and the written word. For thousands of years, African artists have incorporated writing and graphic symbols into their art with great ingenuity and creativity. Scripts communicate in many ways – through their appearance, their placement and the very act of writing. Objects dating from ancient times to the present illustrate how African artists have used diverse forms of letters, words and symbols, as well as their meanings, to create beautiful, empowered works of art.
Julie Mehretu: Drawings
Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications
Pages: 176
More than 150 colour images
Julie Mehretu: Drawings
Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications
Pages: 176
More than 150 colour images
Kara Walker: Narratives of a Negress
Publisher: Rizzoli International Publications
Pages: 205
More than 180 colour & B/W images
The book accompanies an exhibition organized by the Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College in Pennsylvania, and the Williams College Museum of Art in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The 208-page book includes an overview of Walker's work, and comprises cut-paper silhouette installations, drawings and several of her writings. Essayists in the book include Darby English, Mark Reinhardt, Ann Wagner and Michele Wallace. Each essayist contemplates the representations of race, sex, slavery and history in exploring Walker's work and the public reaction to it.
Design Scene Singapore
People and Places - Scenes as Seen
Rojak, a quarterly event organised by FARM (Photo courtesy of FARM)
At the end of the first entry for ‘Design Scene Singapore’ in December I laid out a strategy for mapping the design scene which involved meeting and interviewing key players in the design world in Singapore. In the Jan/Feb column, faced with the issue of who these key players might be, I wrote about three people whom I had met by chance largely as result of being out and about at events and exhibitions during the Design Festival. Reflecting on this for this month’s column, I figured that whilst this chance approach might have appeared ad-hoc on first impression, it is perhaps no less valid than a more methodical approach. If that is the case, then it might be worth considering how it can be extended. As a result, I felt the need to question more rigorously what I’m referring to when talking about a ‘design scene’ and why it might be important.
In the art world, the scene consists of an ongoing round of exhibitions, exhibition openings, talks etc., where people can meet, socialize, and discuss. This is important for many working in and around the art world, as it provides a very visible and relatively accessible network to plug into - without it one might feel out of touch or even isolated. The question, then, is where does one locate this sort of thing in the design world outside of events such as the Singapore Design Festival? Where are the regular places where one can meet, discuss, socialize and network on issues related to design? Does such a scene exist? If so, where does it exist? And if it doesn’t, then why not?
If asked these questions six months ago, the most likely candidate I might have come up with for a design scene of sorts would have been ROJAK. ROJAK is a quarterly art and design sharing session featuring 10 local artists/designers organised by FARM.sg, a society which runs an online arts and design network with the aim of nurturing local creative talent. In a way, FARM's work as a whole could be regarded as a scene, with the heart of it being the website itself. However, since it's only the really physical scene I am interested in here, initially at least, ROJAK will have to serve as the best example of that from FARM's point of view.
In itself Rojak is only a fraction of what’s possible. Whatsmore, the Design Festival, which only comes around every two years, it's frequency is rather sporadic. To keep the momentum going and the scene building, things need to happen in the interim.
One possible candidate for filling that gap is Night and Day, a bar/gallery on Selegie Road co-owned by Kelley Cheng. Kelley is the founder and editor of ISh magazine, which is part of Page One Publishing. Since it opened in October last year, the place has generated quite a buzz and could be considered the in place for the art/design, design/art crowd. Housed in an old art deco building, it consists of a bar on the second floor, a gallery on the fourth - showing work mainly by local graphic artists, and an architect’s office sandwiched in between, on the third. Other places that spring to mind as being part of a design scene would include red dot design museum, which holds exhibitions, and occasional events as well as the monthly MAAD weekend markets, and Haji Lane, a bohemian type quarter near Arab Street, with alternative cafes, boutique-style shops and small, gallery-type spaces.
On a slightly different tangent, mainstream galleries also occasionally show work by designers. One recent, notable example of this occurred a few months ago at Art Season’s Loft, situated in Eunos Link Technopark. Phunk Studio, the celebrated and internationally acclaimed four-man design outfit, feted for it’s eclectic pop-culture style, displayed some very large canvases and sculptural objects at the gallery in an exhibition entitled ‘Universe’. What was particularly interesting about this exhibition was how it formed part of Phunk Studio’s ongoing conscious attempt to repackage themselves as generic artists and not ‘merely’ graphic artists. This conscious crossover between design and art is very interesting but, for the purposes of this piece, perhaps, strays a little too far into art territory.
Through this article I’ve begun, I hope, to move a little closer to the heart of what this column is about. A scene, whether design or art, or any other for that matter, is essentially about the people and places that make it up. By mapping these two things simultaneously with regards to the Singapore design world, it ought to be possible to start building up a comprehensive picture of how things fit together. The work of course is also a crucial part of the mix and I will talk about that where it feels relevant.
In Singapore, the art and design scene generally, even with a significant increase in the amount of spaces for showing work in the last year or two, is still rather narrowly defined. Certain events however which have occurred recently, such as the ones mentioned above and also the Design Festival, indicate perhaps that things are starting to change and broaden out. The mere fact that it’s possible to starting thinking and talking about a design scene related to, but distinct from the art scene, must be testament to that.
Nick Charnley is a British artist and educator based in Singapore. He is also joint creative director of Little Red Dots, a Singapore based design agency co-founded in November 2004 with American artist Nathaniel Walters. Little Red Dots’ website can be found at - www.little-red-dots.com
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