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.
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
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.
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.
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.
