Tan Swie Hian 陈瑞献: An Interview (original) (raw)

SINGAPORE'S PIONEER ARTISTS OF THE NANYANG SCHOOL -SOME THOUGHTS ON THEIR CREATIVE OEUVRES

Mention Singapore pioneer artists and 5 personalities come to mind – Cheong Soo Pieng (1917-1983), Chen Chong Swee (1910-1985), Chen Wenxi (1906-1991), Georgette Chen (1906-1993) and Liu Kang (1911-2004). Tons of research materials on each of them can be found and research on them and their legacy is still ongoing. This essay does not pretend to be a piece of research. Leaning on the research on the life cu=ycles of human creativity by Prof David Galenson, it is an attempt by the author to share some thoughts on the patterns of creativity of 2 of them – Cheong Soo Pieng and Georgette Chen. CSP’s artistic diversity could be explained by Galenson’s paradigm of Conceptual Innovator represented by Picasso. At the other end of the creativity spectrum, the paradigm of Experimental Innovator represented by Cezanne could be applied to GC’s focus on oil paintings and her pursuit of artistic perfection. As an extension to this assertion, the author believes that a mix of these 2 paradigms or the spectrum between them can be used to explain the artistic oeuvres of the other 3 pioneer artists. We, in Singapore, are indeed fortunate to able to enjoy the artistic oeuvres and legacies of our pioneer artists – now and in the years to come.

A review of the 2019 Singapore Biennale

CoBo Social, 2019

From the outset, "Every Step in the Right Direction," the title of the sixth edition of the Singapore Biennale, impulses a positive energy. Featuring 77 artists and art collectives, it takes place this year in 11 different venues across the city and aims at highlighting the transformative power of art, seen as a potent agent of change. Patrick Flores, its artistic director and chief curator, places it under the umbrella of Salud Algabre (1894-1979), a Filipino woman who fought against American colonialism and defended the rights of the peasants all her life. As a woman coming from a lower-class population, her long, yet unabated, struggle embodies the potency of all emancipatory projects against any normalized yet exclusive established order. The Biennale is far from being straightforward political, though. Rather, "Every Step in the Right Direction" focuses rather on local, almost humble, artistic initiatives that contribute to imperceptible but tangible changes. The general impression is a collection of micro narratives which, when added, bring forth renewed perceptions of the social, cultural and political transformations associated with today's globalization and modernity. This multiplicity expands also our conception of Southeast Asia as a region usually defined from a narrow geopolitical perspective. Instead, Flores aims at reimagining the region from an ethical and geo-poetic dimension, favoring a more relational and open approach. The curatorial team comprising of Flores and six curators hailing from different backgrounds and locales around Southeast Asia and Asia, facilitates this diversity.

Some Asian Artists at the 2001 Venice Biennale

2003

I went to the Venice Biennale for the first time this year expecting to see some kind of acceptance of the huge range of modernist art now produced and exhibited in many Asian countries. Instead I found myself in a peculiar set of time warps, ones constructed by, for example, the peculiar historical architecture of Venice and the history of its Biennale, and also by the vagaries of the European art curatorial practice which in part had chosen the works.

Art and Politics in Singapore: Beyond LKY at VWFA

Asian Art Newspaper, London, 2010

A ugust is flag month in Singapore. As nationalist fever -genuine or co-opted-grips the city-state, the island's centres of culture, like its malls, play up the high-summer theme as they do Christmas and the lunar New Year.

Singaporean Visual Arts in the 1970s

This Master's thesis analyzes the relationship between visual art genres in 1970s Singapore and the nation's economic and socio-political development. The author examines how the government's focus on rapid economic growth and nation-building, alongside its efforts to cultivate a specific national image, influenced artistic styles. Three main genres are identified: art reflecting national progress, art evoking nostalgic escapes from modernity, and modern abstract art. The analysis includes detailed discussions of specific artworks and artists, showcasing the interplay between artistic expression and the broader societal context. The study highlights the nascent art ecosystem of the time, including its challenges and limited support.