Section A
1. List three characteristics of the Nanyang Style of Painting, with reference to a painting of your choice.
In this answer, I will use Liu Kang’s “Life by the River” as an example. the Nanyang artists had a unique style of painting, as listed below.
Firstly, the Nanyang artists had a similar subject matter: Life in Singapore in the 1970s to the 1980s. they depicted Singapore life in many ways, ranging from the middle-class families (e.g Georgette Chen) to kampong life (e.g Liu Kang) In Liu Kang’s “Life by the River”, a depiction of the life of Kampong people are shown, where they lived in houses on stilts, doing chores by the river and children playing by the river. Judging by the bright colours used, the Kampong life depicted in the painting is a happy and pleasant one.
Secondly, the Nanyang artists each had their own style and technique of painting. in Liu Kang’s “Life by the River”, he painted flat, 2-dimensional forms with flat colours, and this is a recurring technique in his paintings. It differs greatly from other artists, such as Chen Wen Hsi, who had a painting style alike to Cubism.
Lastly, Chinese influences were also found in their paintings. although the subject matter in liu Kang’s painting has got little to do with Chinese Influences, however his style has it: Simplicity. Simplicity can be considered as a prominent value in Chinese culture, and is definitely shown clearly through his simplistic and flat style of painting.
2. Name and describe one of Nyoman Nuarta’s works.
One of Nyoman Nuarta’s works is “Rush hour II”, which was completed in 1992, and the main materials used were copper and brass. In the sculpture, it depicts a man riding a bicycle, but in a unique way. The sculpture shows 3 stages of a man riding a bicycle, depicting the general movement of the bicycle rider. The sense of movement is emphasised by the streaks of metal in the sculpture. This depiction is reminiscent of Umberto’s Boccioni’s “Continuity of form in space”, where a man’s running motion is depicted through flowing curves and kines. hence, Nyoman nuarta’s style in making this sculpture is reminiscent of Futurism, where movement is empahsised. The colour of the sculpture is tosca, and it is deliberate, as stated by Nyoman Nuarta. One of the purposes behind using copper and brass was to allow the material to oxidise to a mix of green, black and blue (tosca). in this work, Nyoman Nuarta wanted to show that people are always moving forward in life, no matter how many obstacles there would be. hence, the sculpture is also a depiction of harmony; a harmony between humans and human life.
Section B
3. Montien Boonma, “Buffaloes from the Field to the Town”, 1988, unhusked rice, sacks, straw, horn, stools.
a) Describe the main subject matter of the installation, with reference to the symbolism of the materials used.
In Montien Boonma’s work, “Buffaloes from the Field to the Town”, it seemingly depicts 2 buffaloes side by side in an abstract way. The curled bundle of straw represents the tail of a buffalo, the sacks of rice represent the bodies of the buffaloes, and the horn, obviously, is a horn of a buffalo, and the 2 stools represent the legs of the buffaloes. the colour of the sculpture is rather dull, but earthly, using brown tones as a main colour for this sculpture.
There are a few symbolisms that these materials can take. Firstly, the materials could suggest agriculture life. Buffaloes and rice could give the viewer an image of a pair of buffaloes ploughing the rice fields. the materials could depict the life of the farmers in Thailand, where it could represent poverty (materials are plain looking), but also simplicity (sculpture is of a simple form). This is also reminiscent of buddhism, where simplicity is emphasised. The teachings of Buddhism state that having dreams of gaining wealth and prestidge will plunge people into ruin and suffering, and hence, living life in a simple way or with what you have is the best way to live life. However, apparently in Thailand it is not so, as Thailand is slowly taken over by consumerism. hence, the depiction of the sculpture could be a contrast to the current situation in Thailand.
b) Name another of Boonma’s work, and describe with the aid of a diagram the work’s subject matter, and significance of his use of materials.
Another work done by Montien Boonma is “Stupa”, which was completed in 1990. In this artwork, wire, clay and buckets of soil is used. the sculpture generally resembles a framework of a pagoda, with fistprints made out of clay on it, and on the 3 ends below it is attached to 3 buckets of soil. Each element or material he uses has its own significance. Montien Boonma usually used found materials in his artworks, like Joseph Beuys, which is prominent in the 3 buckets of soil. the soil and debris were actually taken from archaeology sites of temples, and hence the soil used in this artwork has a sense of Buddhist symbolism. the fistprints were made form clay, not only because clay was easy to shape and mould, but also because Boonma anted to emphasise on the handprints made on the clay. hence, it is almost as if that the “fists” on the clayis working on the wire framework, and could indicate labour. However, the clay fistprints also resemble skulls, which then again questions the Buddhist influence shown in the artwork. The pagoda-like framework could depict Buddhism, and pagodas have been a recurring influence and subject matter in his work, such as “The Great of the East” (1992), where he placed detergent boxes i a way that resembled a pagoda.
c) From the perspective of a contemporary Asian audience, state your views on Boonma’s work as a critique of contemporary society.
Montien Boonma’s work mainly criticised the contemporary society in thailand. One of which is consumerism and industrialisation in Thailand. In his artwork, “Changing World No. 2 “, it depicts a few seed-like shapes made out of metal, and is built on the soil. This could be a contrast between agriculture and industrialisation, and industrialisation may be taking over agriculture as a means of production. This can also indicate that industrialisation may be gradually taking over Thailand’s culture.
This issue can also b shown through the materials used in “The Great of the East” (1992), where detergent boxes and soil pigments to make the artwork. Detergent boxes and soil pigments are 2 contrasting materials, one which is artificial and one is natural. hence, there is a clash of the natural and the non-natural, which questions the Thai culture in Thailand.
Another issue is environmentalism, which can be shown in “Arte Amazonas in the Gothe” (1992). 2 breasts were deliberately hung in the garden of the Institute of Gothe in Brazil: one hanging in mid-air and one on the ground. The breast, to a woman, is a vital organ, and hence can be implying that the Amazon (rainforest) is vital to Brazil’s ecology and survival. it also nourishes Brazil’s Nature, just like a mother’s breast, where it gives a baby nourishment. However, deforestation is common in the Amazon, and not a lot of people seems to care for the rainforests in brazil. Environmentalism is a prominent aspect in Buddhism, which Montien Boonma heavily believes in.
