Exploration Continues

This year has seen a different stage in personal art exploration. We (Maya and me) completed “Boundaries” an installation which was part of the Goodman art festival during the ARTWEEK. It is a  comment on the human encroachment of space, virtual and physical. It’s a permanent display and Goodman Arts Centre were our venue sponsors. Then came along Peregrination, which was an intense expression for both us artist and our understanding of journeys. We also got supported by the NAC for the same. During the exhibition we had some lovely workshops and two of them for a special needs school. Both of us enjoyed that and we are thinking of making it a more regular event in our lives. On the opening night we both did not want to stand and mingle with the crowd and “explain” our personal process and hence we took to doing a quirky start to the exhibition by having a live painting installation which was site specific. It served the purpose of entertainment and us not having to face the limelight. J

I thought I would take a break for a while and we knew we had another big mural project coming up. We even set up our joint company to do such public work. Yes Yellow Brush is now what the two of us own jointly. A partnership requires lots of thought and understanding and more than that a huge ability to give each other space and healthy criticism.

The break was cut short when my curator and good friend Vidhya roped me into an exhibition themed on Buddha long after the due date. I had lesser time than the other artists and was still reeling from the extensive “Peregrination”. Vidhya also insists on pure paintings and hence I could not give her my mixed medium work. I went back to traditional oils. I had fun I must admit and my whole take is on saying it differently. With Buddha everyone does a face or a hand. I have to move from the clichéd representation and hence in one I used colours that are bright and unusual and was happy to have just his eyes and ears in the painting, more on the Bodhi state of mind. The second one which was from a photographers perspective was looking at Buddha from the back. The head which along with the ears becomes an interesting focal point. Being such a laughter maniac myself who loves talking endlessly about the Happiness program, it was essential to have a lighter element and hence the floating Laughing Buddha was what I rendered as a difference. It was a good opening night. Yet what I did observe is unusual over confidence from first time and recently exhibiting artists who tend to over price their work. A little research helps in such cases. However this is when the creators ego steps in. Although very often these people will take a huge cut when selling directly and hence creating a complete hypocritical state in their own market standing. I wish them luck on their endeavours and personal journeys.

Moving on Maya and I are now going to start our huge body of work……we have been looking forward to getting this done. Its been months of planning and I can’t wait to see the final product on our clients wall. Working with Maya is always fun and we artists do enjoy our food so I look forward to a lot of food exploration too. Stay posted will write soon again. In the meanwhile enjoy these Buddha images. By the way, opening night saw my Bodhi do the first sale. 

Art Lingo and the Song and Dance

The art of gallery lingo, or what you can call jargon exists and the mango person, or in other words the common man is far often baffled with the intricacies that this dialect offers. What would normally seem sorted, seems unfathomable and too obtuse to connect with. What then, is the purpose of these handouts, write ups and this exalted conversation that the gallery guide subjects you to. Whatever happened to simple and easy to understand lingo you ask! Is simple understandable language deemed unworthy in this realm of creative beings?

In my pursuit to unravel this mystery lets discuss this further to get a perspective if not an answer to the mind’s query, in what is now recognised as International Art English (IAE) thus coined by David Levine and his friend Alex Rule, critic and sociology PhD student at Columbia university in New York.

Being an artist and often guilty of being caught up in this verbal maze of interpretation where an “apple” will not be referred to as a “red fruit” but “a red fruit of temptation which became the subsequent downfall of Adam and his kind, and yet has the power to mould the future...”.

Let us probe further into finding a reason for this rather digressive means of reference to the subject. Maybe a certain tone of textual seriousness is conveyed through the exalted usage of the language. It is probably to convey to the viewer, buyer or even browser, that they must drop their ordinary gaze and bring in their most prized glance, to fathom the depth of the presented art or their wallet, whichever be the case. Hence creating a psychological acceptance of the price list.

IAE, could also spring from the entire avant-garde movement which was heralded by the French and which was a non conformist movement to previously established rules in art and art movements. This new form of art needed new language to describe it. Hence an even complex task, when translated from French to English. Perhaps this also explains the rather French behaviour and mannerisms of today’s gallery assistants and certain curators too. You will now argue that if it is rooted in a cultural understanding of art why is it prevalent all over the globe. Good point, but then most art norms are generally set by the European art market. It is only recently that Asia has suddenly started having its say.

One can create an amusing past time of collecting literature, from various shows and exhibitions and doing a study of the language. This can well be used in lessons aimed at teaching editing by de-jargonising. However once simplified try using these as hand outs and I can tell you the entire exercise of creating an aura of a collection and mystery to the artists thought process is completely lost. Hence I would like to affirm there is definitely a certain beauty, and therein a purpose to mystifying the subject in hand. This is important when you are trying to re –interpret what has already been done by the artist. Hence despite all these exalted notes “the artists perspective” is often sought. The simplified language of the simple artist can sometimes even leave the buyer de-mystified or slightly disappointed. Here is when the curator jumps in and speaks for the artist and once again is very successful in re-webbing that aura of extravagance embedded in visual jargon. I have seen that happen one too many times, and sometimes even on panel discussions. Am I stepping on toes here....but anybody who knows anything about me, knows that I live and get my inspiration from these very tip toe moments.

Coming back to the matter at hand this jargon namely IAE and the need for it is something that even the new bee or hobby artist acknowledges. Some of these hobby artists, aspiring to call themselves as full time artists even take lessons with a “master” or someone of recognisable talent to be able to learn and de-code some of this jargon. At times these are even expelled from the system verbatim and can create an amusing evening and mind you I am a tea taller; so it’s not the wine that makes me smile and feel light headed. I do enjoy the food in these events as these often turn out to be well catered. And events they surely are!!

Hence it would seem there is a well established need for IAE in the world of art and art collectors and the art fakers too. It’s just that even within the realms of IAE some have totally mastered it while others are still trying to grope the very basics of it. As an artist, I do get curated for shows and as these are group shows I respect the curator’s skill in tying the entire exhibit and there after presenting each of the artists. I do self present myself in various shows and as an artist who does regular proposals for different bodies, I definitely understand the need to convey a concept. However when I do, I prefer to keep it simple and yet dreamy, painting with words, trying not to take away from what they will see, feel and ultimately take home with themselves, mainly memories and various impressions. Hopefully the next time you do come across an exalted piece of gallery literature you will give it that prestige it deserves and read it. Remember, those are hours and hours of work you will be shoving in your evening clutch. Personally I don’t waste money printing it...it’s up there on the wall; if you have the time to read it you will find it :) 

Video Journeys and more

A blank slate, and a medium to fill it up. The slate, your senses! The medium, a video-installation. The experience you ask? Well, the sound, the visuals, the message, and most of all, the amalgamation of these. In Peregrination, an on-going exhibition, I learnt even more than I set out to do, when I put a video installation also named “Peregrination” out there.

Nah nah, I’m not going to rave and rant on the thought process from where this installation has taken birth, the idea behind it or the execution. In fact I’m here to discuss very basics, the idea of a video installation. Once again I’m not going into the history of video installation...for that I am adding a link below. Feel free to read it if you want to know more. Wikipedia makes all us knowledgeable as does Google.

However a quick starter course in video installation is that a short movie, is placed, in an enclosed dark space. It may or may not have an audio along with it. The entire reason for presenting it is, “expression”. Like any other form of installation art, there is no sales motive to it. This on its own can perplex some. As does the transient nature of an” installation”.

My own urge to do a video installation dates back a few years ago. I have been waiting for the right exhibition and the right collection to do so. Having collected plenty of images to morph and play around and create a video and along with acquiring the right sounds to go along with it ....I was all set. As we were on a budget, my bedroom television and DVD player and speakers, became the main installation medium.

Two days prior to exhibition we started to install our work in the gallery and found a lovely space for the Video Installation. Peregrination the video installation was all ready for viewing on the 5^th of February 2015. Now all that was left was to record reactions. For it is through reactions that we learn, and also get fodder for our next exhibition.

In short it was interesting. The first few who came for the exhibition on the opening night, they actually stopped by and had their own interesting interpretations and while I told them a lot about process and timing of the creation, I did not disclose my interpretation. The crowd grew through the evening and the video installation was often not noticed. When asked later, I was amused by the reactions. “What, that T.V. was a part of the exhibition?” said some, while some others remarked, “I thought it was an instructional video!” Some others were thoroughly confused and thought it best not to talk about it. A few did not “notice” the video. Quite amused by these responses, I thought I must put my own experience out here. So here I am earnestly trying to tell you what I learnt.

There is a certain educated audience one desires to have for an art show. However, desire vs. reality, dream vs. the waking state, the virtual, as opposed to the real. These paradoxes exist and one may not attain that audience. Yet we find first time exhibition visitors are like a sponge they may be able to soak most of the experiences without feeling inhibited. In fact it feels nice to bring over this first time viewer, of art in a public space. There is a keen sense of achievement there to have done something that no one else had prior to this. Has a Columbus like effect. Or like our recently oft used line, “to go where no man has gone before”.....just to digress makes u wonder, the woman tends to go everywhere without needing an invitation is it? This breaking of the hymen of the virginal art browser has a whole different rush to it.

Now coming back to the topic of discussion, namely, installation, a video one at that. So as an artist, it is also my role, to educate the viewer. Not just through experience but through exposure. I also learnt that the next time putting up in big bold letters, “VIDEO INSTALLATION” or something to that effect may have them notice it as something other than an instructional video. Or even create a separate dark room for viewing. That again requires a generous budget or a sponsor. Hence the other thing one can do is let the viewer come and take what he/she wants to. Some will leave learning more about art, some more about themselves, some about humanity and yet others richer having added contacts to their social list. Ultimately what I learnt mostly is to smile. The conception and birthing has happened. The Child now is going to lead its own life and you as the parent have given it the guidelines but it will have to create its own identity and space. It’s time for me to now find a sponsor for the next seed sowing, and then await the germination process. This one, I suspect, will be a long pregnant pause. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAMtwQRjdqM 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_installation

Collections & Peregrinations

Peregrination is becoming a rather fun journey. I’m learning so much about myself and more so about others, especially about the stuff people will collect. Human nature is defined by the need to hoard and store. I’m not going to go into an analysis on human nature and the need to collect. You can search for the same online and there is enough said about it. Much of these go into the dark psychology of human nature and yada yada yada.....(yah I really think Freud was screwed up and has left behind so many more of his kind for us to deal with). I am merely trying to share my excitement at knowing that my need to create a work of art brought me searching for collectors and  what I thought would be a “weird collection to have”, turns out to be quite a norm for many.

Interestingly enough this is the crux of Peregrinations. Life differs for each one of us. How we view it and chose to go through it, how we want to remember it, also, varies for each. By now some of you have already opened the online dictionary to read the meaning of Peregrination. What!!?!! Not yet!! Well in that case take a pause and do so.

Now that you have, let’s continue. Yes! So like I was saying, collecting and often, the collections people have, make me marvel. There are all those marble, stamps, butterfly, napkins, air sickness bags, match boxes, bar coasters and the list goes on. Long back my husband used to collect. His collection was bus tickets. For many of you who did not actually know Singapore used to actually give you paper tickets for each commute of yours. So these were his bachelor days when he left to study, his mom did a major cleaning of his room. Yah in case you are wondering it’s a usual Asian thing to live with your parents and here in Singapore you could put your name down for a HDB only after your ROM was done. Singles at that point were not entitled to subsidised living. Things have changed now and all for the better.

To come back to the story, my m-i-l, conducted a major surgery of her sons room and found over 1000 bus tickets. Yes, I kid you not, 1000. That’s almost over three years worth of bus rides at the least. I guess he thought that under the bed, was the best place, to keep his collection tucked away. What did she do, she did what any sane Mom would do. She threw them and made the room all liveable again. After marriage he did try to collect them again, only thing I have an issue with bits of paper; they always make it to the dustbin. I know right! What a crazy habit. Someday must visit a shrink for the same. :P Nowadays he collects bills in the wallet!

“What does all this have to do with Peregrination”, you ask. Like I said I was making a new art work and I needed a travel related item. To my good fortune many promised, a few delivered and some others left me with my mouth open wide. They had boxes of this item stacked in their homes from years of travel. So I come back to my learning. Journeys yes they have an effect on us. And we want to remind ourselves that we had taken one, while forgetting that we are constantly living on a tourist visa, stamped invisibly, on our breaths.

Why do we collect, what do we hope to achieve, will anyone ever see it, who the dash knows! Yet we “do”, for “do”, we “must”. Now to go back to my creative process, for “I must”! As that is what is my journey and my emblem. Aha, your curios monkey mind, wants to know, what is the article, I was looking for. Na, it wasn’t a puke bag from a flight or a sugar sachet, from cafes. To know what it was check out Peregrinations, coming soon to your very own Tigerland, Lioncity. Enuf clues arready. Got to go. Have a good holiday you all and yah collect what you must, postcards, stamps, chocolates, crates, bottles, wine corks, and the list goes on.