it basically says 美育 and i had a palette and a mask and i dont remember how it looks like because i redid the whole thing in school!

yes it is pretty irritating when you submit pieces of work, esp those you’re please with, and NEVER GET IT BACK! most of the time they end up being thrown away after rotting in some corner. ^^

which is why im insisting that i bring home my final coursework at the end of the whole thing.

i saw them in Council room while doing duty, and like sam, i couldn’t resist but pick up the little blobs and play with them [and make them hug; that's what they're here for]

so i spent the next half hour amusing myself with the tiny figurines. [and now i think of it, it sounds very silly]. of course, the pics don’t have nice lighting like sam’s; they’re taken in school–what romantic lights do you want?! besides, they’re taken with my phone. thanks to sony ericsson, they probably look nicer but still, it’s quite blur.

This is the product of exam stress, a distracted mind and itchy fingers, together with rough paper lying around, the photograph in the photoframe in front of me, and the pen i was using to write bio notes.

(you can see the fustrated pen lines–blame it on bio)

that’s me!! with a near-mushroom-crop hair.

here’s the photo of the original photo. the 2 flowers that you see are actually grew out of onion bulbs. they would have grown to my height if my brother didn’t kick them flat back then.

another whimsical sketch of a merlion with 2Bpencil. well i can’t remember how long it took.

the pencil had faded when i scanned it in, so i had to darken it using photoshop.

after 1 year of hard work and many hiatus-es.

firstly, many thanks to samantha for a) enlightening me about surrealism; b) providing ideas c) helping to paint d) providing me with 2 great books. (they’re still sitting at home!)

and thanks to my uncle teo who did not mind the late night visits and inspired the final idea, as well as some tips here and there.

and not forgetting the teachers, mr lim, who took the trouble to buy the 45 degree cutter enough though i did not use it, and accompanying me to the art exhibition; mrs tan, who suggested that i go for the exhibition, and rendering help although i wasn’t under her, and mr gan, for helping to nail the tree (not in pic) and super-gluing the grass mat to the board.

and of course my classmates and friends who tolerated the times i irritated them to help me think of ideas when im stuck and for providing them too!

and i thank my brain for coming up with this whimsical idea–now im having problems trying to explain what it’s about. so brain, you’d better come up with something substantial!

“Installation Art” refers to a piece of artwork, usually in 3 D form and is placed in a specific place. It allows people to walk around or through it, literally, to observe the piece of art from different perspectives in that place specific area. It also allows the viewer to have a sense of total experience. “Installation Art” is often an assemblage of found materials and it rejects concentration on a single object. 

b)Describe the subject matter by Montien Boonma, highlighting the significance of the materials used

 The subject matter depicts 2 buffaloes, each made up of a filled-sack and a stool, both of which are brown in colour, which symbolizes the colour of the buffalo. The 4 legs of the buffalo are represented by the legs o the wooden stool, and appear to be lean and thin. The body, and perhaps the head of the buffalo, are collectively represented by a fully filled-sack and is stacked upon the stool, giving the impression of a sturdy buffalo’s body, The 2 buffalos are placed side by side close to each other. One of it depicts a dark-brown buffalo horn coming out of the sack. This represents the direction of where the buffalo is facing. The other buffalo shows a long, curved and brown structure coming out of the sack, which may represent the tail of the buffalo. It appears to be made of dried organic material. The materials used to depict the subject matter are mostly associated in the more rural areas, such as the wooden stools used to represent the legs, the sack for the buffalo’s body, as well as the horn and tail. The choice of materials, which are also the more “natural” and “organic” ready-mades, could symbolize how the subject matter–the buffalos–are closely linked to the more rural areas. 

c)  With Reference to another work by the artists, explain why the subject matter appeals to you as an installation, as opposed to a painting

Another work of Montien Boonma is ‘Lotus sound’, an installation art done in 1992. It is made up of many terracotta vessels shaped like bells and stacked together to form a circular wall. Gilded terracotta leaves are attached to the walls to suggest falling leaves of a lotus flower. 

Here, we can observe the subject matter –the lotus flower–from different perspectives–high, low, angular, and so on. There is more room for imagination and exploration, and the viewer can choose his or her own perspective. One moment I could be towering over the installation, and the next I could be squatting next to it, and the buffalos now towering over me. However, we can only observe a painting at a single point of view physically, of what the artist has chose to show. Besides, installations are more interactive. Paintings can only be viewed with our eyes while we can touch, feel, smell and even listen to installations (e.g. the sound of lotus in Lotus Sound).

In “Seated Model”, 1953, by Liu Kang, the subject matter depicts a woman sitting in a relaxed manner against the chair in the fore-ground. She is a Balinese woman withhair neatly tied up and ornamented by a red and purple flower. She is also wearing two large earrings, Her eyes are closed, and her head is leaning against her left arm, supported by the back of the black chair. Her right hand is placed relaxedly on her lap, and some white flowers rest in her pal. Her upper body is nude but she wears a read local dress complete withe green strip and a white wrapped clotharound her waist. Her feet are also bare. The background of “Seated Model” depicts the outdoor local context–bare soil and ground with bushes of white flowers, and the large green coconut tree leaves also frames up the painting. We can also see a structure which resembles a building. Overall, the colours used are peaceful and pleasant. 

In “Bandung as a Sea of Fire”, 1972 by Hendra Gunawan, we see a fiery scene of people trying to escape from the fire. The painting is separated diagonally into the foreground and background. The foreground depicts a fallen man lying on his back, with his face full of anguish facing the viewer. His arms are wrapped around himself and we see the tattered mend on his stripped shorts. He is also barefooted. The background is in fact a slope on which people are running up, showing a stark contrast between the allen man in the foreground and the running and escaping people in the background. The right side of the picture, which is the lower part of the slope, or the middle background of the painting, shows clearer figures carrying their wrapped belongings and children upon their backs. Finally, the left of the painting, or the higher point of the slope, shows some trees which are depicted in a dirty green colour and appear to be broken. Here, the colours used are more vibrant and dark, such as hot shades of orange and disturbing browns and blacks.

b) Analyse and interpret the artists’ intentions

Both artists depicted the life of the Indonesian people in the mid to late 20th century in the rural areas. 

Liu Kang’s”Seated Model” present the peaceful, quiet and relaxed aspect of the local life, as depicted by the woman resting against the chair. The realistic style of painting also captured the still moment, giving the painting a sense of stillness, and simultaneously, quietness. The use of colours–green and blue shows the harmony and coolness of the colour of nature. The painting is also filled withplants, such as coconut trees, leaves, flowers and further places an emphasis on nature. The colours used are also subtle. All these adds up to the pleasant feel of the local Indonesian life; a relaxed, peaceful and filled with and abundance of nature. 

Hendra Gunawan’s”Bandung as a Sea of Fire” could have depicted the lives of Indonesians in harder times, such as in a fire outbreak. We also see the issue of poverty. For example, the man in the foreground is wearing tattered shorts which has been mended by patches of cloth. The people who are escaping also have to carry their belongings in a wrapped cloth, along with their children. Their village, and houses which have gone up in flames are simple structures. All these are signs of poverty. Known for painting the lives of the working class and Indonesian commoners, Hendra Gunawan could have been addressing and highlighting the plight of the Indonesian commoners, such as the poverty they are facing. 

The strong use of colours also represent the dark times. The style of painting, a painterly fashion, suggests mere forms and adds to the commotion and frantic movement of the painting. 

The two paintings show a stark contrast between peace and war.

c) Discuss the impact the two paintings have on you

“Seated Model” gives me a peaceful and relaxed insight into the local lives of the Indonesian rural area. I feel that the careful modelling of the woman and the details of her dress in Liu Kang’s painting captures the stillness of the moment. The choice of colours, such as the green of the plants, and the cool tones, makes me at peace. I also see the richness of the Balinese life through the rich colours.

“Bandung as a Sea of Fire” on the other hand, is a stark contrast. It makes me feel anxious for the people in the painting, and at the same time, i can sense the movement and urgency through the fast brushstrokes the artist used. The lack of modelling also results in a roughly painted scene, adding to the commotion and chaos. The use of dark colours, blacks and reds, also add to the overwhelming fear which seems to overpower the humans.  

The contrast in the two paintings allows a comparison between the two very different kind of lives that people could experience. One moment, we could have been in total serenity, and the next, a living nightmare.

pencil sketch of an orchid i stole from my neighbours ^^ below is the pen version. each took me bout 2 hours. 

i was so upset doing this that i didn’t realise i was using a black pen. i thought i was using a blue pen to draw the circles on “portfolio”.

so the contrast between the red letters and the blue letters are a bit too steep.

but this is my first attempt at this kind of “style”, you know, concentric circles. but i dont think it’s very clear here.

an overview of the work

flower bed!

this particular piece of work was my favourite amongst several other works at the exhibition by (mr?) Chun Kaifeng and Kaiqun called For Mr. and Mrs Children.

more information about the exhibition at

http://www.new.facebook.com/event.php?eid=24315893196&ref=mf or

their works at http://www.nextstoplaputa.com/  or

http://unfinishedadventures.wordpress.com/2008/07/03/the-new-long-kang-part-ii/#more-78 or, google it.

This piece of work is entitled Race for the Prize by Chun Kai Qun. It was inspired by the artist’s childhood pastime of racing paper boats in the “long kangs” (drains), and as his brother Kai Feng puts it, they wanted to “bring something mundane to a professional level”.

(at this point something going “doainnggg” in my head and hey, I know what exactly I want for my little house!)

The 3 dimensional work shows a not-so-much-noticed long kang, made painstakingly out of cement in a closed loop transformed into a racing track. More blatant were the “start” and “finish” gates, which were constructed with rather raw materials-twigs, as well as the little coloured flags which we always see at the racing seasons.

The Long Kang is filled with flowing water, which I thought was pretty amazing. It literally brings out what goes on in a Long Kang.

The race course is decorated with obstacles, such as “spikes” made of sharpened twigs, water wheel gates, gushing water…and so on, as seen in the photos. The “finish” gate is decorated by a bed of flowers and before you see the flowers, you’re greeted by this steam of mist. Ever so dream like. More interestingly, the race circuit is completed by billboards of their apparent sponsors, such as “Nookia”, “KoKo Kola”, and “Nikey”.

I like how the race course makes use of so many materials which are natural, like the twigs, the water, mist, the pretty flowers and the grass, though the grass and flowers are fake. To me, it is like something fanciful and dream-like, almost slow, laidback, which juxtaposes the speedy race. The numerous “obstacles” also prove to be a distraction along with other fanciful stuff growing out of the sides, such as mushrooms, which contrast with the “modern day” adverts on races. I can imagine miniature humans or elves or fairies (because of flowers and mushrooms) or the likes of it taking a slow stroll around the race course.

Well does it remind you of our soon-to-come F1 night race?

To quote MR Chun kaifeng again, “take silly things to the extreme to bring out the message” or something like that. It’s pretty late and my brain is not functioning. In fact, it hasn’t functioned for the entire day.

Wait, so how do I apply that to my coursework? And have you figured out who the 2 artists are? Hehe.

*edit

if you look at my final coursework, im heavily influenced by this piece of work!