Theme 2 >> Culture

Ok.  Moving on to theme 2.  After self (theme 1) the next biggest influence on our art is our SOCIETY and CULTURE.  They are very similar but also different.  

Society is where you live, who you live with and how it affects you.

Culture can be about where you live, but its more about your ancestors, religion and family beliefs.

In the pursuit of globalization and rapid development, it is easy to leave behind cultural practices and forget our heritage.  Although current day technology enables us to document the significant and step back in time through photographs or digital records, it is feeling, experiencing and knowing about traditions and heritage that ultimately keeps them alive.  Museums are wonderful places to learn about different civilizations from all over the world through artworks, artefacts and antiques.  It is important to do so because it allows us to retain our individuality and remember our roots – how far we have progressed and what our ancestors were like.

Art is an interesting way of looking at heritage and culture because our perception is filtered through the artist's opinions – the aesthetic and technical expressions of the artwork communicate the artist’s conceptions to the viewer.  This helps to deepen our insights and broaden our interpretations of what culture and heritage can mean to different people and how it affects people’s lives.

General Questions:

What do the subjects or objects in the artwork tell you?  Are they unusual and unique or do you encounter them in your daily lives?

Can you identity what cultural practices or beliefs from the past you can see in this artwork?  Is it familiar to you? If not, is it similar to something you have experienced yourself?

What are the emotions conveyed through this artwork?  What do you think the artist is trying to express?

Chuah Thean Teng (China 1914 – present)

Untitled (Batik Workers)

Batik  73 x 88 cm  1960

Collection of SAM

The Artist

Born in China and educated at the Amoy Art Instituted there, Chuah migrated to Malaysia at the age of eighteen.  Fascinated by his new environment, its culture and people, he sought to depict scenes of rural Malaysia with a local style and became interested in batik painting.  While batik’s origins are Javanese and it may be found throughout SE Asia, it is identified as an integral part of Malaysian culture.   Best known for his figurative works, such as villagers in the midst of their daily activities, children planning and family portraits, the artist has also produced landscapes and abstract compositions. 

The Artwork

The term batik is derived from the Malay word titik (a drop of liquid, a dot or a point) and the Javanese work amba (to write).  The batik painting process involves an initial ground drawing in pencil, molten wax is then applied to areas of the cloth that require protection from dye infusion.  Segments of the cloth that require the particular colour are then dyed accordingly.  This is a painstaking process and has to be repeated several times so as to cover the entire painting surface, which is usually made of silk or cotton.  The result is a layered translucency with alternating hue graduations and defined tone contrasts, creating a 3D perspective.    In this particular piece the repetitious and methodical process of batik making is subtly imparted through the use of various underlying and overlapping hues of colour.  In addition, the clever use of competition reiterates the tediousness of the process by overlapping subject matter and spreading various different tableaux of activity over the batik.  Although this medium tends towards a flat perspective, a sense of depth is created by employing different patterns and geometric designs such as on the muscles on the workers torsos and in the details of the worker’s clothes.

Nunelucio Alvarado (Philippines 1950 – present) 

Beginning without End

Acrylic on handmade paper  244 x 244 cm  1990

Collection of SAM

The Artist

As one of the founding members of the Black Artists of Asia, an art collective dedicated to highlighting the plight of rural communities, Nunelucio Alvarado’s art remains constant to the goals of the group.  The artist regards art as an accessible and immediate means by which socio-political issues can be raised.  A graduate from the University of Philppines College of Fine Arts, Nunelucio pursued further studies at the La Consolacion College School of Architetcutre and Fine Arts, Bacolod City.  

The Artwork

In this four-panel painting, rural folk people are presented in a linear arrangement whereby four rows from top to bottom present small scenes from everyday life – a farmer ploughing, people harvesting and selling their wares.  The detail is intricate and brings to mind medieval narrative tapestries.  All the figures in this painting are short and stunted with exaggerated muscular limbs, creating a naïve and homely aesthetic.  Activities, animals and humans crowd together in systematic bands, hinting at social hierarchies.  Upon closer inspection, we can see the subject of this work departs from the themes of rural idyll, local customs and practices to include the impact of social structures and economic victimization.  This is subtly projected, so as to reflect the often-ignored plight of the folk people – while the folk people are simply dressed and direct an open gaze towards the viewer, the perpetrators are singled out through their shifty beady-eyes and tools of concealment such as masks and sunglasses.  The rural folk seem powerless under the authority of this minority elite and in the last lower right hand panel, a buffalo is speared by a missile, forming an analogy of the honest hardworking peasant’s destruction.

Carlos V. Francisco (Philippines 1914 – 1969)

Untitled (Fiesta with Higantes, Angono, Rizal)

Watercolour on paper

46 x 41 cm 1965 – 1968

Collection of SAM

The Artist

 He is known for his mural paintings that typically feature a brightly coloured palette and sinuous forms.  These depicted scenes from Filipino everyday life, history and legend.  The artist received his own formal training at the University of Philippines School of Fine Art and aside from his creativity in the visual arts, Botong was also a film scriptwriter.

The Artwork

Fiestas play a significant role in Filipino culture and an important means by which community ties are fostered.  Each city and barrio usually has its own patron saint and festivals are held to commemorate the feast day.  This painting depicts a scene from the Feast of San Clemente where higantes (giant papier mache and bamboo figures) are paraded through the streets as part of a grand procession.  Like many of Botongs other paintings depicting fiesta scenes, this particular watercolour has a sombre mood- the subjects are not celebrating, instead they are sombre and contemplative.  The cheerful red, orange and yellow of the palette contradicts the expression on the people’s faces.  While Botong’s work is regarded as a celebration of the Filipino people and culture, this work hints a deeper issues, possibly the social and economic problems suffered in their daily life or the impace of Spanish influence through the church.  The tonal graduations and overlays of colour illustrate Botong’s painterly skills.  The cubist influence in this painting shows the artist’s receptiveness towards modernism and yet his selection of local themes evidences his passionate interest in the culture of his homeland.

Chong Fah Cheong (Singapore 1946 – present)

Third Auntie’s Birthday

Bronze and wood

21 x 45 x 35 cm   1988

Collection of SAM

The Artist

A graduate from the National University of Singapore in Political Science and Philosophy the artist obtained a Diploma in Curriculum Studies in Art and Design at the City of Birmingham Polytechnic, UK in 1974 before embarking upon a career in teaching.  Although art was one of the subjects that Chong taught during his teaching career, he can be considered a self-taught artist because he never received formal academic training in fine art.  Prior to his emigration to Canada in 1989, he became a full-time professional artist in 1978 and taught in the SIA-LaSalle College of Art and Design for 3 years. 

The Artwork

In this warm and playful piece, Chong evokes the intimacy of family gatherings and the cultural practice of holding family reunions to celebrate important occasions.  In this sculpture entitled Third Aunties Birthday, the artist communicates the observance of family hierarchy and respect for elders.  The harmonious coming together of young and old with shared blood ties is eloquently and yet simply communicated to the viewer by the assortment of shoes on the steps.  Of all shapes, sizes and styles, they belong to various individuals who have come together to pay filial respect to their older relative.  Chong’s use of bronze and wood imbibes his sculpture with an atmosphere of tenderness and familiarity.  The oxide tarnishing of the bronze shoes, the grained texture of the wood and the details such as shoelaces personalize the items.  The effect of these naturalistic and vivid details makes the viewers feel as if these objects are taken from real-life.  The construction of the 3D steps ascending from the ground invites the viewer’s participation, we are tempted to physically step in so that we may join in this intimate celebration.

Have you ever tried on someone else’s shoes?  How does it feel to be literally and figuratively in someone else’s shoes?  Look carefully at the different types of shoes.  What does each pair tell you about the person who has left them on the steps?  Are you able to draw a profile of each individual for example their age and personality traits?
The artist has been influenced both by Western and Asian culture. How can we tell this by this work?

Hint: In Western society’s it is a very common practice to have a baby’s shoe bronzed and mounted on a wood platform, to preserve the precious memory forever. 

Lim Mu Hue (Singapore 1936 – present)

Chinese Puppet Theatre

Woodcut 41 x 33 cm 1966

Collection of SAM

The Artist

A graduate of the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Lim Mu Hu was a lecturer at his old alma mater for nearly a decade.    His contribution to Singaporean art history is not limited to his body of work but also included his educational role and his active participation in art associations such as the Singapore Art Society, the Oriental Art Collectors Association and the Singapore Commercial Art Association.  Aside from his monographs, Lim has published a series of books entitled Books Without Writing and has been the editor of Art World and Youth Corner.  

The Artwork

Lim Mu Hue works in the woodcut medium to intensify the emotional meaning of his work.  The mastery of the medium from the thick indelible ink and bold strokes show the hardship of toil and grittiness of working class life.  The direct action of gouging out the wood to create clear areas of white animates the image.  Contrasted with the boldness and denseness of the black ink, the image resonates with the power of physical and emotive expression.  The scene before us is interesting because it provides us with a behind the scenes look at this traditional performance art that is gradually disappearing.  We are led away from the usual depiction of a glossy spectacle to witness the stern concentration and haggard lined faces of the puppet masters, musicians and stage workers.  The wealth of detail from the strings of the instruments to the clothing of the hanging puppets illustrates Lim’s eye for detail and technical accomplishment with the woodcut medium.

Question

A Chinese puppet theatre like the one depicted in this woodcut has almost disappeared in modern Singapore.  Why do you think that is?  And what does that say about Singaporeans attitude towards culture?

Heri Dono (Indonesia 1960 – present)

Wayang Puppets Series

Mixed media on cardboard  Dimensions variable  1988

Collection of SAM

The Artist

A student of the Institut Seni Indonesia, Heri left university before he finished his course to be an apprentice to the renowned puppet master Sukasman.  From 1990-91 he was based in Switzerland as part of the International Artist Exchange Program.  

The Artwork

Wayang Kulit plays an important role in Heri Dono’s art.  His integration of this traditional performance art into his paintings on canvas or sculptural installations is a way of increasing accessibility to the typical Indonesian on the street.  Through the subject matter of his art, the staging of free public performances and the occasional invited participation of dalang (puppet master), the artist breaks down the perceived elitism of art.  The wayang (puppet theatre) is a performance that goes beyond the play of shadows – gamelan music together with the ad lib discourse of the dalang takes into account the environment and establishes a personal repartee with the audience.  By creating puppets such as these, as artworks within a gallery or museum environment, Heri speaks of the divide between Western notions of art and the Eastern idea of the wayang kulit.  The puppets are no longer alive and they can no longer act within their various roles of king, villain, tourist, pig or tree.  Instead they are only appreciated aesthetically and the viewer is unable to see them move or perform.  Moreover, their intricately painted surfaces betray their new customised roles, it is purposely intended for the viewer to see the actual puppets rather than their shadows behind the screen.  Heri’s puppets assume the shadows of humans to raise issues that would otherwise be too sensitive to touch upon.  Political, social and economic issues rather than the original mythological tales become masked in this traditional performance act.  Hence the artist creates cross-dialogues between the traditional and contemporary, the elitist and the populist, Eastern and Western notions of art.

Question

Look at the figures of the puppets.  How as Heri Dono emphasized character traits or personal qualities by their visual presentation?  For example, a mean character might have slanted eyes that seem wicked, sneering lips and arm postures that suggest a violent action.  Dono’s femme fatales tend to have exaggerated pouty lips, heavily coated with lipstick, long flowing hair and figure hugging clothes.

Dono presents his works with free street performances to gain attention.  He then shows us the puppets up close, rather than keeping them hidden and only revealing their shadows.  What does that say about Singaporean culture and its opinions on the culture of puppetry?

Georgette Chen (China 1906 – Singapore 1993)

Still Life: Moon Festival Table

Oil on Canvas 73 x 60 cm  1965 – 1968

Collection of SAM

The Artist

Considered one of Singapore’s pioneer artists, Georgette Chen was born into a family of wealth.  She was exposed to Western culture and art in her early youth when her family left Shanghai in 1909.  Educated in New York and Paris, Chen attended the Acadamie Colarossie, Academie Biloul and the Art Student’s League.  While in Paris, she married Eugene Chan, Foreign Minister to the Republic of China.  He was her second husband and an immense intellectual and passionate influence on her life.  Following his demise in 1944, Chen settled in Singapore in 1954 and subsequently became a teacher at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts for 26 years.  In recognition of her contribution to Singaporean art, the artist was awarded the Cultural Medallion in 1985.

The Artwork

Georgette Chen was inspired by the rich images and practices of Singaporean culture and this painting is one of her most evocative still lives.  Today, many customs such as the celebration of the moon festival are being forgotten and this depiction perfectly embodies the joyous mood of the occasion.  The pale yellow background acts as a foil to accentuate the bright colours of the objects displayed.  The scarlet plumage of the rooster lantern and the wrapping of the traditional moon cakes, the fresh green of the ripe pomelo and the vivid yellow of the egg yolk are homely everyday objects of that time but nevertheless the viewer gains a sense of the festive cheer and delight of the special feast.  Characteristic of Chen’s paintings is her studied and yet simple composition that allows the viewer to view all the visual elements in her paintings clearly and subtly.  Her palate offers complementary colours that work together to convey an atmosphere of content and conviviality.

Question

Try to identify all the objects in this work; including the piglets made of sugar and dough stuffed into little plastic basket.   Would you guess that pigs used to be secured and transported by such woven containers on trucks?      Were you able to recognize all the objects?  What statement does that make about Singaporean culture?