Art offers an avenue of expression for thought and
imagination. By using varied approaches
such as different styles, techniques, materials and subject composition,
artists invite responses, conjure up fantasies and prompt identification with
themes in the artwork.
Artists communicate and engage with their viewers by
developing their thoughts, dreams and imagination into artworks.
General Questions
1.
How does the artwork explore subjects and themes
beyond everyday reality? Think about
different movements in art such as Surrealism and Impressionism that derive and
combine elements of real life and fantasy.
2.
What do you think the artist’s intentions are
when he created this artwork? Do you
think the artwork is successful at captivating the viewer and initiating a
response?
3.
Experiment with different ways in which dreams
and imagination can be expressed. For
example poems, short stories, songs and dances.
Tarot Card Series
Pen and ink on paper 41 x 61
cm each 1997
Collection of SAM
The Artist
The Artwork
A series comprising thirteen
drawings, Fajardo depicts significant developments in Philippine history from
the pre-Hispanic period to the end of the Marcos regime in 1986. The drawings comprise a central image and
laid around this image is a border of tarot cards. These convey the uncertainty of the future
and how events can be directed – the possibilities of the future are in the
hands of those drawing the cards. Yet by
selecting a medium of potent spirituality and European origin, there are
arguably hints that historical events have been directed by higher powers,
whether magical or colonial, which have influenced Philippine history. By using Tagalog text and localising the
tarot cards with folklore references and local motifs, Fajardo creates an indigenized
version that aptly illustrates the title ‘Baraha
ng Pilipino’ (Card of the Philippines)
The title page drawing entitled ‘Philippine
Card’ (Beginning) we have examined closely provides the viewer with a
general sense of the artist’s visual language.
The other cards follow the same pictorial devices and their central
images depict a chronological visual narrative.
Their titles are self-explanatory – ‘First
Fold in the History of Life’, ‘Natives
from the Land of Birth’, ‘Opposites Points of the World’, ‘The Second Fold in
History: The Cross and the Sword’, ‘Revolution was the Response of Many’,
‘Others Said Reform’, ‘Third Fold in History: A Change of Hands’, ‘Uprising in
the Country side’, ‘American Period in the Philippines’, and ‘Japanese Period’.
Question
How superstitious are
you? What sort of hold does the power of
suggestion have on you? What are
superstitions and how are you influenced by them? One is more likely to believe what one wants
to, so ask yourself if the cards are merely suggesting what one’s mind would
already like to see. It’s about reading
the cards the way you wish, which is often referred to as the situation where
the ‘glass is half empty or half full’. Discuss.
Dreaming the Dreamer
Oil on canvas 153 x 151 cm
1995
Collection of SAM
The Artist
Born
in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Co studied fine art at La Consolacion
College in 1984 and the Philippine Women’s University in 1986. Alongside other artists, Co founded a
collective called the Black Artists of Asia that has socio-political
concerns. Co’s art centres on the beauty
and harshness of living in the Philippines.
It is also informed by the artist’s Visaya’s roots and the landscape of
the Negros region that he grew up in. In
1990, he was honoured with the Thirteen Artist Award from the Cultural Centre
of the Philippines.
The
Artwork
Bright
bold colours of vermillion, deep blue, verdant green and lemon yellow fill the
canvas in images that appear innocent and dreamlike at first glance. There appears to be a celebration with the
musician and well-dressed couple in the tranquil landscape. Details from the painting are representations
from the artist’s life – the sugarcane fields of Negros and the open air
bandstand of the town’s public square.
Hence although the painting appears as if it is a fantastical scene, Co
invests in his experiences and memories.
The subject of the painting is not entirely joyous, beneath the surface
lies social concerns. The main subjects
in the painting are well dressed, the female in a long elaborate Spanish-style
gown whilst the male is in an embroidered shirt. Wearing masks and depicted dancing over a
silent and unseeing moon, the couple is in a world of their own. With crowns over their heads, they
demonstrate the ownership of a wealthy few over the land, their command over
its profitable resources and power over the less privileged.
Question
What
gives this painting a dream-like quality.
Is it the sky, magically lit with little stars? Or the dancing couples on the curved plane of
a sleeping and peaceful crescent moon?
Consider the effect of the two giant figures, whose sizes are out of proportion
to all other figures, which seem to be floating amidst the puffy clouds.
I
Think Hence I Am
Oil
on Canvas 160 x 300 cm 1989
Collection of the SAM
The
Artist
A
painter, printmaker and educator, Tan is currently head of the art teaching
diploma programme at NAFA. He has won
the Highly Commended Prize in Abstract Category of UOB Painting of the Year
twice in 2003 and 2005.
The
Artwork
In
a soft lilting palette of muted shades, a girl sits at a table with her pet
bird. An atmosphere of starkness is
present in the painting because of the angular forms of the subject and the soothing
harmonious colours. There is combined
use of atmospheric and multi-point perspective – the former is created through
the dark shadowed room and the clear blue sky whilst the latter is achieved by
the various vanishing points at the corner of the room and at the edges of the
outdoor terrace. This sense of realistic
observation is further reinforced by the composition – the window frame,
doorway and skirting board of the room are framing devices that draw our
attention towards the girl sitting at the table. The mathematical precision sharply draws our
attention to the harsher aspect of the painting, is the titular reference and
literal reading of Descarte’s philosophy applicable to the pensive girl or the
cat coveting her pet bird as its next meal.
Question
Consider
how the artist creates depth in her work by including doorways and windows
which offer a view further away in the distance.
Consider
angularity – what is the effect of the sharp angles? Notice even a typically soft materials like a
tablecloth has a hard edge and that the girl sits with one leg folded at a
45degree angle.
Is
the distance suggested also by the fading of colours? Notice the tall skyscrapers in the background
– are the ones on the right or the ones on the left further away?
Notice
the contrast between the soft shadows, pastel tones and the hards angles, what
else in the painting softens it?
Barong’s
Imagination of the Drunkard
Acrylic and collage
on canvas 149 x 149 cm 1991
Collection
of SAM
The
Artist
A
student of the Institute 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 Exchange Program. Over the years, Heri has become an extremely
influential figure in contemporary Indonesian art and has inspired other
artists to look at popular culture and extend their artistic expression beyond
the traditional canvas and sculptural platform.
He refers to his influences in tongue-in-cheek fashion as ‘Heri
Dono’isms.
The
Artwork
Heri’s
paintings bring to the canvas the accessibility of a wayang kulit performance and the multi layered dimensions of the
puppets’ characters. Borrowing from
Javanese myths, popular culture and current events, the paintings are cast in
the same mould as an interactive wayang
performance with the artist as dalang
(puppet master). The façade of humorous and cartoon characters subtly conceal
serious issues of poverty and elitism, corruption and exploitation, human
foibles and tragedies that cannot be dealt with head-on. In this particular painting, Heri employs the
familiar and lovable Balinese character Barong
– a benevelont mythical creature with powers to combat evil and restore order
and harmony. His tail has become a
dispenser of alcohol for the drunkard and his chest a television screen. Like the popular Barong performances
performed for tourists in Bali, this Barong on canvas has become an entertainer
and provider of pleasure. Hence the reassigned role of Heri’s Barong hints at
the decline of values and commercialism of Balinese culture.
Question
Observe
the distortion of the figures, part human, part monster. In creating this ugliness, the artist may be
suggesting the existence of evil and perhaps even a sense of loss that evil has
prevailed in his life, or even his culture.
The hint of evil that mass media brings about is also hinted at – what
other possible symbols might he have used for this? Consider why the artist shows figures inside
a gaping mouth
Scream
Tempera
on paper 45 x 29 cm 1979
Collection of SAM
The Artist
Born
in Davao City, Ang studied art at the University of Santo Tomas. There he had the privilege of being
instructed by many Filipino masters. As
a student, Ang experimented with different styles and subjects that were
considered novel in the Philippines. It
was in 1965 when he travelled to New York and Paris that he became exposed to
art that would be points of inspiration such as Picasso’s Guernica, Henri
Rousseau, Francis Bacon and Rufino Tamayo.
Ang Kok is considered by many to be the master of figurative
expressionism in the Philippines as was names National Artists for the Visual
Arts in 2001.
The
Artwork
From
the mid-1960s, Ang became influenced by cubism and he portrayed his subjects
using strong angular forms and vibrant colours.
Unlike many of his fellow Filipino artists, Ang does not depict the
harsh realities of society, instead delving into internal conflicts and human
complexities. Subjects he has focused on
include the human figure, still life, religion and animals. In Scream,
the artist conveys the anguish of a tortured and confused soul. The figure’s limbs are flat and geometric
shapes pulled and contorted together.
The light muted colours of soft grey, pastel pink and sandy brown
contrast with the angry passionate red of the open mouth and background of the
figure. Depth is created by the use of
bold black lines varying in thickness, slashing and structuring the body’s
form. The single figure dominates the
paper and the cords binding him stretch over the frame, we can sense the
powerlessness and desperation of the subject trying to break free. The lack of attention to facial features and
personal characteristics communicates the overpowering frustration that is
common to all of us.
Question
Tilt
your head backwards in a scream. Notice
your neck muscles straining, the jawline and the interior of your mouth. Also pay attention to the perspective angle
of your face, where the backward tilt of your head may not make so apparent
features such as the eyes and eyebrows.
Look at the painting and carefully mark out where the figure seems
bound. Are these physical or emotional
signs of bondage? Is is curious that the
figure is bound and not gagged? Have you
ever felt like this tortured figure?
Unfinished
Painting of the Present
Oil
on Canvas 300 x 600 cm each 1990
Collection
of SAM
The
Artist
Popularly known as
Egai, the artist was born in Caloocan City and received his training in art
studies from the Philippines Women’s University. He exhibited professionally for the first
time in 1974 at the Cultural Centre of the Philippines and has since gone on to
show in international galleries.
The Artwork
Completed
over a period of three years, this is a monumental painting in size and
thematic exploration. Comprising ten
panels of detailed narrative derived from fantasy and reality, the central
figure in the painting is Mother Earth. She is a Filipina dressed in the colours
of the Philippine flag and holding a crystal ball with a foetus within. In the sky, symbols and letters float in a
curve, drifting ideas and thoughts.
Paralleling the arc are mirrors or solar panels, reflecting the energy
of Mother Earth and implying ways in which her strength can be harnessed
positively or negatively, in this particular case it is ambiguous, it could be
mirrors reflecting man’s greed or solar power panels. Scenes of diligent workers, lush green fields
and prosperity appear on her left whilst on her right, images revealing the
pollution of nature, weapons of death and destruction and seedy nightlife
represent the darker side of life.
Painted in realistic detail, these literal and symbolic depictions
represent social, economic and political concerns such as ethnic identity,
rural poverty, environmental issues and morality. Egai’s belief in the need for art to educate
and instil socio- political values can be clearly seen in this painting. By juxtaposing scenes of prosperity and pain
that resonate with contrasting gloom and joy, the painting presents the
possibilities of the future at the hands of mankind.
Question
Mother
Philippines is dressed in the nation’s colours.
If you had to create a male or female symbol for Singapore, how would
you dress him or her?
What
does the title of the painting suggest?
In what way is this panting unfinished?
Why or do how do you think it is not possible to finish?
Look
at each of the 10 panels. Try to
establish what does each panel show?
What is the intended meaning of each panel on its own and in relation to
other panels? What is the overall
meaning?
Imagination
Metal
Relief 102 x 76 cm 1970
Collection of SAM
The Artist
Cheong Soo Pieng received his academic training in China
at the Xiamen Academy of Art and Xin Hua Academy in Shanghai. In 1946, he moved to Singapore and became a
teacher at NAFA in 1961.
The Artwork
Illustrative of the artist’s eagerness to explore diverse
modes of expression, this metal relief work was a departure from his Chinese
ink and oil painting works. During this
phase in his artistic development, Cheong departed from figurative studies of
his Singaporean environment and its inhabitants, turning instead towards
abstract sculptural forms as can be seen in this artwork. Although it can be hung like a conventional
two-dimensional painting on the wall, Cheong created texture and material depth
by cutting, welding, moulding, nailing and bending bits of metal onto a
textured background. This sculptural
process communicates notions of form and space through the structural and
material tension in the component pieces – smooth metallic shine contrasts
against gritty corrosion and rust, slim corrugated plates juxtaposed with
flattened tubular structures. Moreover
the viewer is drawn to the open-endedness of an artwork that cannot be easily categorized
according to thematic and aesthetic genres.
The use of these everyday industrial and construction materials reminds
the viewers that imagination can yield different perceptions and novel
interpretations.
Sleeping under Starlight
Mixed
media on cloth 149 x 121 cm 1998
Collection
of SAM
The
Artist
Suwannee
obtained her Bachelor and Masters of Fine Art (Painting) from Silpakorn
University in Bangkok. Although she is
quite young, she has been honoured with many accolades. Suwannee regards her art as a form of release
from the routine of daily life and an outlet for her to express her thoughts
and emotions.
The
Artwork
Using
charcoal and acrylic, Suwannee uses the different properties of her medium to
invest her cloth with various shapes, forms and textures. The ability of the cloth to soak up the
charcoal pigments to create a soft velvety finish contrasts with the sharper
outline an define colours of the acrylic paint.
By keeping her palette limited, the artist produces a twilight scene of
a shadowy dream world. The children and adults are fast asleep, cocooned in
stillness and slumber. The artists
brings together contrasts to achieve depth – wavy flowing contours of the
fleecy blanket, the twinkling glow of the starlit quilt and the horizontal
stripes of the background wall. The
simple patterns accentuate the refined details apparent in the family’s serene
facial features, fine hairs on the head, wrinkled chin and sleep contorted
bodies.
Question
There
is a strong element of design in this painting.
Identify various patterns, paying attention to the effect of the line –
straight, curved, in swirls.
Discuss
the different styles in the painting. On
one hand, the heads and facial features of the people are delicately sketched,
complementing the peaceful sleeping figures huddles under a patchwork of homely
blankets. What do you think the artist
intended by this?
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