Christo and Jean-Claude

1.

• an installation in which a physical, 3-d form in wrapped in a synthetic or man-made material such as a plastic sheet or paper. their works vary in size from the size of a building to the size of a small parcel. 
• the material used to wrap the objects is a single, flat colour, and is wrapped around the object such taht one can still tell the basic form of the object
• it reveal different perspectives of the object due to the fact that we are able to see the object in a different light - we only see its basic shape or form, and we cannot see any details or patterns it might hold. however, we are able to see various things such as the action of the wind on the object and such. 
• the material is usually secured down with rope or staples and while it is wrapped tightly enough that the object's form is able to be seen, it is still quite loosely wrapped so that it can move quite freely with the wind. 
• the colours used for the wrapping material is usually dull and is either a greyish-green colour or it could be a neutral colour. 

2.

• wrapped coast is about looking at the same location and seeing it in a different light
• a person may always pass by that area and might be accustomed to the sight of it, yet after wrapping it, when he can only see its basic form, he would be able to see it from a different perspective. he would, for instance, be able to see the efect that the wind has on it, as well as the way the sun shines on it. he would also be able to have a greater understanding of that location than he did before
• I think that this artwork is about how we should not take things at face value but should instead look at things in different and new ways. 
• by creating such a monumental work, the artists are able to fully bring across the message they wish to tell the people.
• In addition, this work is controversial and people would pay attention to it, seeing the beauty in the artist's art even if it is unusual. they will learn how to appreciate art in many forms as it opens their eyes to a new way of looking at things.

Ibrahim Hussein

1.(a)

• I think that the artist juxtaposed his father and the astronaut together to show the vast difference between them. even though they were both living during the same time, the two people seem to be living in two different worlds.
• this is emphasized by the vast difference in attire
• we can clearly see the artist's father's features  and he is only wearing a red and yellow traditional Malaysian sarong around his waist. in contrast to that, the astronaut's whole body is hidden behind his suit and it is impossible to tell anything about the person inside it, such as the person's age, gender, or basic physical features. the astronaut's suit is also colourless and impersonal, which contrasts to the colourful sarong which has a rich culture and heritage to it. the contrast between the traditional sarong and the futuristic astronaut suit is also seen.
• the artist seems to juxtapose the two to show how there was an immense difference in concerns of the people in different parts of the world. the old man's worries probably centred around his village and family life, yet the astronaut would be worried about extremely different topics such as the Space Race between the USA and Russia and his mission to land on the Moon. 

1(b)

• The text could be the date, place and even the time of the artist's birth, and perhaps he seems to be saying that in the world, at that time, there were two people, his father and the astronaut, and at that time, his father was preoccupied with the birth of his son, yet the astronaut could be in space at that exact moment, or planning his expedition in space. this juxtaposes the different lives of two people who probably come from completely different backgrounds and live in two different worlds even though it is that same earth.
• this could show the difference in class and social hierarchy as well as the difference in the people living in different countries such as USA or Russia (who were major powerhouses) and Malaysia (who was,at that time, not a very developed country)

2.

• whole artwork consists of the figures of two people against a dark background that is nondescript, making the figures stand out. 
• one of the figures is an old Malaysian man, who is extremely skinny and is on the left side of the artwork. He seems to be bald and has many wrinkles and a troubled expression on his face. his mouth is turned down in a frown and his eyes stare solemnly at the viewer. he wears a red and yellow striped sarong, or traditional Malaysian outfit. this is the typical attire of a Malaysian villager. The title suggests that he is the artist's father.
• the other figure, which takes up the right side of the artwork, is wearing an astronaut suit such that we cannot see any defining features of the person in the suit at all. on the lower torso of the astronaut, we can see many objects that are juxtaposed on top of each other, such as a parody of the American dollar bill, with a cartoon-like character where the person's face should be, as wella s technological things such as cameras and other such devices. what is the most unsettling is that the reflection on the helmet of the astronaut's suit shows a sunny day at the countryside, with coconut trees and a mountain in the background, with a red cross in front of it, much like that crosses used to mark targets through a viewer. the fact that the reflection is one of the open countryside when the painting is set in a dark room of sorts seems unsettling, yet that reflected scene could be the place that the artist has typed out in the text: "sungai limau dalam, yen" his birthplace
• the artist has also printed words, in the space between the astronaut and his father. they read:
• place sungai limau dalam, yen
• date 13 march 1936
• time 1300 hours
• and near his father, ricefields & rambutan durian pisang
• near the astronaut, magnificent desolation
• should man fall back from his destiny the mighty surge of his achievement will be lost
• the two figures are in the foreground and seem to be the only objects in the artwork. the artist uses one point perspective as the figures are portrayed from the front, staring at the viewers

Dorothea Lange

1.

• The picture is a black and white photograph of a middle aged caucasian woman with long, dark hair and two young children, most likely boys, whose backs are to the camera
• the woman is situated in the middle of the picture and the focal point of the picture seems to be her face, as she wears a worried and troubled expression on her face as she has a deep frown and wrinkles on her face. her brow is furrowed and she seems to give off an air of intense stress and tension.
• she seems to be staring into space, pondering on a difficult problem, her right hand touching her jaw in what seems to be distress.
• she is wearing a long sleeved jacket with the sleeves pushed to her elbows and a collared shirt underneath that has a checkered pattern
• she seems to be holding one of the boys to her with her left arm, presumeably in comfort as the boy seems to be crying, with his face buried in his hands while his head rests on the woman's shoulder, a common position children have when they are crying.
• the second boy also seems to be hugging the woman, burying his face in her shoulder for comfort. the two boys are probably her sones.

2.

• the artist created movement through the use of the varying shades of gray and black shown in the photograph, which is in greyscale.
• when the viewers first look at the photograph, their eyes are drawn to the focal point, which is the face of the woman, since it is the lightest shade of gray and is surrounded by an almost fully black background, creating contrast that places emphasis on the face of the woman and her troubled expression
• the reader's eyes then follow the thick line of light gray of the woman's arm down to her elbow, while taking in her attire, to the light coloured pants of the boy on the right, who is leaning onto his mother's left shoulder. as the viewer's eyes move in an anticlockwise direction to take in the boy on the right and his position, the viewer then proceeds to look at the left of the picture where the second boy is hugging his mother. 
• the viewer's eyes are drawn to the second boy due to the light gray of his exposed neck contrasting against his dark, long sleeved shirt and the dark background and then takes in the rest of the boy's body and the position he is in, as he seeks comfort from his mother.
• thus. the viewer's eyes are led from the center of the photograph, the woman's face, down and in an anticlockwise direction around the picture due to the strategic placements of light gray amidst the darker grays and blacks of the background surroundings.

Liu Kang

1.

• artist and model - outlined in white (could be inspired by batik style due to artist's visit to Bali), Life by the rive is outlined in black
• Life by the River shows more values and shadows as compared to Artist and Model, which looked more stylised and flat due to mostly flat colours used with no shadows shown. 
• greater depth in Life by the River even though both the Artist and Model and Life by the River seem to use the chinese painting style of showing depth, which is by using cooler and darker colours in the background to show distance and by positioning the shapes in such as way as to show depth, due to the shadows, more varied colours used and the use of the bridge and river to lead the viewer's eyes towards the background.

2.

• Liu Kang's work shows historical influence of Gauguin because both artists took trips to exotic places in order for them to be inspired to paint
• Also, Liu Kang's work shows stylised forms similar to those shown in Gauguin's work
• Liu Kang also seems to imitate Gauguin's use of colour as both use shades of yellow that stand out and draw attention to certain points in the painting to create emphasis.
• Also, the backgrounds are painted using dark blues to create the impression of distance
• Liu kang also seems to be inspired by Gauguin in terms of subject matter as both of them seem to paint the everyday life of people living in rural areas such as in the countryside. The people do not seem to pay attention or seem to be unaware of the artist's presence and so are depicted acting naturally as they carry out their daily routines
• both artists create a sense of peace in their artworks by portraying the daily happenings in the lives of the rural people, which is tranquil and seems to move slowly, invoking feelings of relaxation and peace in the viewers.

Lai Foong Moi, Labourer

1.

•  seems to be set in a coffee shop or a place for people to eat.
•  main subject matter is a chinese man in the right foreground
•  wearing a dark blue, open, longsleeved shirt with a white undershirt and cotton shorts.
•  title suggests that he is the labourer taking a break
•  his hair is short and neat and his head is tilted to look towards the right.
• seems to be staring into space
• eyebrows are furrowed and deep wrinkles in his face seems to imply that he is tired and troubled
• seems to be pondering a problem 
• he is resting with his back against a table, and his elbow resting on top of it.
• in the background, we see a samsui woman, or a chinese woman labourer, recognised through her straw hat and chinese style clothes. 
• she also seems to be taking a break
• she is holding chopsticks in her hands and seems to have a container of food in front of her
• there are what seem to be wooden walls or partitions in the background, perhaps part of the design of the shop
• lighting is dim in the area (could be late in the day)

2.

• posture of the labourer is slouched, probably from tiredness.
• could be the end of the day since the lighting is dim. also, not many people are around and we can only see one other patron who is about to eat.
• suggests that this is a place to eat and everyone else is heading home
• the man could be taking a break after a long and tiring day of work
• he seems to be staring into space, probably pondering about a problem due to the deep wrinkles and furrowed eyebrows which contribute to the troubled expression on his face.
• the year that this artwork was painted was 1965. at that time, Singapore was fighting for independence and there were probably many problems that had arisen. so the labourer could be troubled because of this
• he could also be troubled because of financial problems because at that time, the people were poor, and him being a labourer would imply that he is not very well off, so he could be worrying about how he would be able to support his family
• it shows a day in the life of the working class population at that time.

Self Identity 3: Bayu Utomo Radjikin

1.

• Lack of arms implies that traditional culture has been dishonoured and is now considered useless, similar to how a warrior who has lost his arms is humiliated and is considered worthless now that he cannot fight
• torso is riddle with holes, armour seems rusty and old, implying that the warrior's armour and defense is weak, easily defeated, just like how the traditional culture is damaged and defenseless, considered old and worthless like rusty armour that has crumbled, showing holes in that armour. Rusty armour also implies it has not been cared for... has been forgotten
• chains hanging from around neck and the legs, implying that the traditional culture is bound, restricted, chained up.
• Head tilted upwards, mouth open in a scream of what seems to be a last shout of pride and refusal to back down, almost like traditional culture has been defeated and abandoned yet it still refuses to lose its spirit despite everything.
• Use of browns and neutral colours seem to imply that the warrior is worn out and ancient, implies that the traditional culture, even with its long history, is on the verge of being forgotten as it is seen as old and 'rusting' even.

2.

• Post-Modernism is classified as visual art that criticises society and their works are anti-corporate.
• Lang Kacang is criticizing the Malaysian society for forsaking the traditional culture and slowly pushing it back in favour of the modern world, as shown by the sculpture depicting a warrior that is handicapped and broken.
• The main message of the artwork is that the people are slowly abandoning their traditional ideas and cultures, losing their sense of cultural identity.
• He seems to be indirectly disapproving of the modern society, where globalisation has caused countries to lose their sense of cultural identity through uniform and universal ideas, causing them to abandon the traditional culture and crippling it (just like how the warrior is crippled)
• Post modern art is usually mixed media, just like Lang Kacang is

3.

• artwork is a sculpture of a single traditional warrior that does not have any arms
• its torso (armour) is ridden with holes, looks ill-kept and rusty, in disrepair
• whole artwork seems to be centred around neutral colours
• wearing traditional headdress and attire of the traditional warriors
• yet is wrapped in chains (chains around neck and legs)
• Stance is such that feet are placed wide apart, head thrown back in a cry of defiance and refusal to admit defeat (exaggerated)
• artwork seems to be made up of many different materials, like metal, feathers, chains, etc.
• features are not well defined, just the basic outlines.
• artist does not seem too concerned with realistic depiction, more focused on the symbollic meaning
• Negative space (wide gap due to his stance with legs placed far apart) is balanced out by the exaggerated feathers of the headdres and his torso, which is the positive space
• seems to be under the Post-Modernism movement
• used mixed media

Vincent Van Gogh

1. Van Gogh's weakness is shown through his portrayal of himself with a bandaged ear. he seems to be highlighting his unstable mentality at that time, such taht he even cut off his own ear, which is his weakness.

Van Gogh could have shown his weakness freely in his self portrait, unlike other artists, perhaps because he want to be different from the norm. Even as a post-impressionist, his style was considered unconventional and unique, thus, he could have desired to deviate from the norm, thus portraying himself in a  undesirable light.

He could also have been suffering from depression during that time, as we know that this self portrait was painted during the last few years of his life, and during that time, he could have been feeling depressed about his life, which  led to him eventually commiting suicide. He could have shown himself with his weaknesses for all to see as he has a low self-esteem, brought about by his failure in his career so far, only having sold one painting in his life, thus, he could have felt that the only things worth remembering about his life is all the unfortunate and sad things that have happened to him, thus, he portrays himself not as a joyful person, but in a sombre and sad way.

By portraying himself with his weaknesses, Van Gogh also showed what his emotions at that time was. So, He could have done his self-portrait in this way as a form of expression of his negative feelings.

2. The mood of this artwork is subdued and depressed. This mood is given off by the use of dull colours. These colours used are mostly monochromatic, in various shades of green. These shades of green, even the yellowish-green of the background, all seem dull and washed out, thus adding to the feeling of the artwork being subdued by making the artwork seem rather dull. The facial expression of the artist is also a serious one, further adding to the subdued mood of the artwork.

The excessive use of green, a cool colour, provides a rather depressing air to the artwork, and also, due to the dark green and blacks used on the artist's clothes and hat, the viewer is inclined to think that the artist's feelings are quite negative, further adding to the sombre mood.

I know that this artwork was painted during the last few years of Van Gogh's life, and shortly before this was painted, the artist had gotten into an arguement with his good friend, Gauguin, after which he cut off his own ear. This artwork, therefore, when put into that context, can be seen as an expression of the artist's sadness of having fallen out with his good friend and his depressed and unstable mentality, which could have been slowly worsening until a year after this work was completed, when Van Gogh commited suicide. Thus, upon knowing the events surrounding this painting, the viewer would naturally understand and feel more strongly Van Gogh's depression.

Self Identity 1: Affandi

1. This artwork is a self-portrait. It is made up of many curvilinear lines that vary in thickness, colour and direction. The artist uses mainly bright and warm colours to portray himself, and chooses to just portray his head such that it takes up most of the space in the canvas and is the focal point of the artwork. There is no specific setting to this self-portrait, yet the background is merely a misture of different colours. The artist chooses to use darker colours and well as some cool colours in the background, perhaps to draw focus to the focal point which is the image of his face.

The artist is portrayed with his head slightly tilted to the side (such that we see three quarters of his face) but his eyes are staring directly at the viewer in what seems to be an intense and somber gaze. only one perspective is used in this artwork. The paint is applied to the canvas in a seemingly haphazard way, which gives the impression that the artist was very spontaneous and passionate in the creation of this work. Though bright colours such as a vibrant red is used, the artist's expression is a solemn one, thus it causes the artwork to give off a rather serious tone.

The lines vaguely define the planes and contours of the artist's features, in the style of the Post-Impressionists. Like the post-impressionists, the artist also focuses on giving the viewers a feeling to the artwork instead of being concerned with rendering a realistic portrait of himself.

1. How does the artist create movement in this artwork?

The artist creates movement in the artwork through his use of colour. The viewer's eyes are automatically drawn to the centre of the canvas, where the focal point of the artwork is, due to the use of bright red there. the bright red is interspersed with orange, yellow and black, thus, the viewer's eyes are then drawn to the left of the canvas where there are thick lines of black, causing the viewer to follow these lines to the bottom left corner of the picture.

The artist's use of line also causes the viewer's eyes to follow the lines that outline the artist's face, in order for the viewer to fully see the depiction of the artist, starting with the bottom left corner and progress around the artwork  in an anticlockwise direction. Even though the lines are haphazard and seem to point in random directions, they still lead the viewer's eyes in the anticlockwise direction as the lines are painted almost like a thick line from which curved, thinner lines branch off.

2. What is your interpretation of this artwork and why?

The haphazard way in which the lines are painted seem to suggest that the artist, at that time, was feeling conflicted and perhaps a little confused, such that his emotions seem to be in a mess and he is unable to think clearly. This is also supported by the use of vibrant red and dark, almost black green in the background on either sides of the splotch of vibrant red; it almost seems like the colours are clashing and represent his emotions at that time, due to the use of complementary colours.

The artist could also have been feeling helpless and unsure of what to do, as shown by the expression on his face in the self-portrait, which seems to be sombre and deep in thought, almost as if he is trying to come up with a solution or resolution to a problem.

The use of bright colours such as red and yellow seem to be in direct contrast with the solemn expression on the artist's face, which is rather ironic. This could symbolise how the artist longs to be happy, hence the bright, warm colours, yet is unable to feel happy and dark and unhappy thoughts seems to always loom over his head, as shown by his expression as well as the dark colours used near the borders of the canvas.