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Private \ Public Sphere

At first glance, they are thought to be a contrast. There could be a possibility that our private ideas would include the interactions that are typically found in the public world in which we inhibit. So, public and private sphere are codependent. 

"Public" sometimes implies a lack of monitoring and oversight. Public water coolers and recreation areas may be unclean literally. Since the public area is being exposed to scrutiny by people, conduct that is permitted in private may be forbidden in public. 

When would the public becomes the private and vice versa? For an individual to be designates as 'the public' would be one that is not part of a given profession. For example, the same commoner as 'the public' in an art museum would be known as the physician in a hospital and not 'the public' anymore. Public in this sense are constantly resifted and recomposed and everyone belongs to part of everything. So, if employed as a noun, the term 'public' is relative. 

How can private art be made public? Ever see a label that state artist's private collection? That means the art institution doesn't own that work. That's private art made public.

Can 'public' be considered 'nonprivate' then? 

Failure/s in a constellation & as a tribunal

An intimate and insightful discussion about 'failures' by Seelan Palay, Dr. Elmo Gonzaga, Lee Wen, Post-Museum, DiscLab Research and Editorial Collective held at the Centre for Contemporary Art (CCA), Gillman Barracks.

Mr Koh Nguag How also gave us a tour of his office where a small portion of artists' archives are housed. He is currently curating an exhibition by the Singapore Art Archive Project (SAAP) at CCA. 

Shui Tit Sing - 100 years of an artist through his archives

11 - 25 Oct 2014

2 to 7pm daily

It's wonderful to hear from the veterans about art and activists, the roles of art institutions, housing of memories, social and political imaginations etc.

More about the event can be found here.

Painting on print

Printing on watercolour paper 300gsm. A few droplets of water and ink smudged, decided to try a different medium. 

Printable canvas A4 canvas sheet. The coated side is where the text is. Fed into the inkjet printer...

A few droplets of water and applied gentle brush strokes. I have dancing letters.

Finally, the text stabilised. Watercolour paper 300gsm, laser printer.

Refuse \ Refused

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things,

but their inward significance"
Aristotle

"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd". Voltaire is right. Since when do we not doubt ourselves? Not that all of mine are valid but questioning and challenging myself is a bid to avoid further pitfalls. It feels absolutely terrifying to do something beyond your means. Because of the stigma that comes with failing. How many times would you be praise for making errors? Almost never. Nobody likes to feel like a failure. That said, people are more forgiving towards children than adults. The older you get, the less likely you are deemed to make errors or fail. That's unless you are repeatedly doing the same old thing. Like repeating a winning formula. It releases dopamine, you yearn for more rewards, the chances of failing should be minimise, which translates to no learning. There is a risk that comes with trying new things. The risk of not being accepted. The risk of ambiguity. The risk of no more winning formula. The risk of fatality. Or the risk of not risking.

Behind the glamour of a concert pianist, who can hear the mundane routines of repetitive chorus? Behind the elegance of a ballerina, who can see the deformities of the feet or feel the pain? What is beyond the grandeur of that facade, really? 

After \ thought

Reference literary critic: Walter Benjamin

The story is told of the American tourist in Paris who told Pablo Picasso that he didn't like modern painting because they weren't realistic. Picasso made no immediate reply. A few minutes later the tourist showed him a snapshot of his house.

"My goodness," said Picasso, "is it really as small as that?"

Jacob Braude

In Benjamin's essays "The Metaphysics of Youth" (1913-14) and "Student life" (1915), he elaborated an original and idiosyncratic philosophical position regarding historical time, experience and aesthetics that supplied the foundation for his subsequent work. These experiences were also tied to concrete experience such as writing a diary.

There are two other work of his that I've taken an interest in. A quote from one of the essays:

"ʻthat which withers in the age of mechanical reproduction is the aura of the work of art," in his 1936 essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. Benjamin was concerned with the impact of mass production on art. For example, think about what will happen to Vincent Van Gogh's painting of Sunflowers being reproduced on merchandise such as postcards, posters or stamps without regard to its original size, location or history. 

Technology and nature seems to be drifted apart gradually. The horse is replaced by automobile, candles replaced by the electric light, muscles replaced by steam, electricity and nuclear power. Is technology becoming autonomous from nature?

This reading has evoked a sense of nostalgia as I thought about how minute and insignificant I felt standing before the woods. Shadows were cast with natural light. Without the presence of automobiles, the chirping of crickets sounded so crisp and the rustle of leaves, music to my ears. Listening to the gentle streams of water caressing the rocks, time stood still and my photograph of that moment couldn't do justice to my feelings. And thus I deleted most of them. Even if I could capture the best shot, something would lack in the photo - its unique existence in time and space. 

The second work I'm referencing is: Das Passagen-Werk (The arcades project: 1938-1940).

It chronicles a specific stage of research and writing for the planned book on 19th century France. Unfortunately, Benjamin was unable to complete his compilation of observations and excerpts from other authors of the bourgeois experience of the 19th century history. The resulting manuscript was arranged in folders. 34 such folders to be exact, each designated by a letter of the alphabet and a descriptive title.

In Benjamin's project, he describes his work as 'literary montage', meaning fragments and juxtaposition of critiques arranged in folders. It's very much scraps and pieces of observations and writings documented and presented as it is. Likewise, besides my online organisation of observations, I do keep tactile materials and record them in my books. These provide the sensory qualities which this virtual blog couldn't afford.



Caygill, H., Coles, A., & Klimowski, A. (1998). Introducing Walter Benjamin. Clays Ltd, St Ives plc. United Kingdom: UK.

Hanssen, B. (ed.). (2006). Walter Benjamin and the arcades project. Continuum International. New York: NY.

Jennings, M. W. (1987). Dialectical images: Walter Benjamin's theory of literary criticism. Cornell University Press: USA.

Time & Memory

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"

George Santayana

Time makes fun of memory. As time passes, I remember some acquaintances, places and events so vividly while other memories fade. Perhaps everyone interpret the same events differently. Memory - an event that dwells on the past in the space of the present moment. Memories, fragmented, scattered and often unreliable. Besides, the accumulation of objects as time passes - handwritten notes, photographs, textiles, organic matters - that serve as stimulants and props to memories.

How do we store the physical reminders then? In albums, biscuit tins, cardboard boxes, drawers, we store away relics and mementos of the past. Our reminiscences are fraught with feelings. It's a matter of joy, sorrow, pride, regret, nostalgia or amusement. Then, through them, we construct identity, meaning and purpose.

Apart from replaying memories like a recording device, it filters and selects, stores and distorts. Much I have forget, but I cannot remember what I'd forgot.

Some people would avoid memories like the plague. Some would long for memories to stay. Be it good or evil, time and memory are interdependent, often engage in dialectical flux.

Fluidity of Identity

Identity is perhaps overused in the name of Art. Nevertheless, individuals are constantly on the move and engaged in a process of exchange and adaptation. Throwback to Japan, I thought about how my body had to adapt to the different senses and finally flexed the under-utilised muscles. My mind had to adapt to different situations and inferred countless times of non-verbal cues and/ or unspoken rules. My spirit acting as a guardian for me to comfort the weary me.

The act of behaving differently or codeswitching in different situations shows that identity is fluid and transformable as the context changes. Perhaps we will never know the true nature of anything. There is a difference between an object or person and one's perception of it. The perception of reality is dependent on what object or circumstances that are affecting your perception.

It seems as though I was "performing" in constructed versions of identities that work in different context. Each identity is transformed or abandoned as situations change. Fundamentally, my beliefs and value system would remain and I would like these to be reflected in my art. 

Making natural pigment: Bone black

I was happy with my rock samples until I saw someone made colours from animal bones on instagram. I love the primitive quality and I tagged her on instagram asking for directions. It was really hard to find information on making natural pigment and since she was enrolled in an art school in Europe, it was worth the try. Then I had my minion  mum to process some chicken bones and I brought them to the studio.

Trim off excess fats and cartilage. Boil the bones to remove fats a few times.

Wrap the bones in aluminum foil.

Use induction cooker to cook until smoking stops. Then continue for another 20 min.

Do it outdoors. Making sure I don't activate the fire alarm...

Not ready yet but you get the idea.

Almost ready.

Remove the foil

Ta-da! Yet to pound them into powder. Chinese character (黑) - Black

Be a doer

He said, "don't do your best...". The class fell silent as though the Professor spewed expletives. We almost couldn't believe our ears the "advice" given by an educator. "Just do what you can" he added. Perhaps we are so used to the If I rest, I rust kind of ethos. A tinge of guilt emerges even while taking a break is unsurprising. 

What's the best? When's good enough? When you put care into your work and the world hated it, is it still good work? How do you know it's good without receiving affirmation? When do we stop working? Is try a weak word? 

The Professor doesn't mean not to give your 100% in work but to know your strengths and shortcomings. My spirit and flesh live like separate entity. The spirit persists but the flesh is weak. Tug-o-war begins, I dread. I know I could have done more but if the body weakens further, the spirit will be defeated. I can't let it happen. They must learn to synergise and think win-win. Otherwise, that means being in a clinical care programme for a longer time.

~learn.unlearn.relearn~

Art methodology

The methodology I'm adopting is the immediate process between the documentation done in Japan and my painting process. I'm exploring print and painting while developing compositions and colours. Coloured rocks are so pretty, I wish I live along a stream.

I've been busy experimenting with making colours from scratch. Searching for and gathering the equipment necessary took some time but I'm glad I found a pestle and mortar. 

I used glycerin as a plasticizer to improve flexibility, brushability and solubility. Tried egg tempera but its final colour is not as close to the pigment colour. Making test sheets of washes from these paint are really fun and I'm looking forward to painting. However, I can't help but wonder if I'm wasting my time. Is it worthy to get the small amount of natural pigment produced from the large amount of time invested? Why do I even possess such evil thoughts? :(

Being aware of my practices of reflexivity means that I'm constantly trying to justify what I want to do/ did. But is it necessary? If I apply the principle of Occam's razor, then I should look forth to simplicity. 

"It is vain to do with more what can be done with fewer"

Musing the amusing

"One can travel the world and see nothing. To achieve understanding, it is necessary not see many things but to look hard at what you do see."

Giorgio Morandi

Awarded with satisfaction, the brain constantly seeks funny/ interesting things that appear to be a natural phenomenon in another culture. These stand out and remained etched in my mind. 

Does that happen to you too?

I'm sure the fruits are feeling the heat.

Bring toddlers out for learning journey

On the way to the supermarket

Resident VS Tourist

"Art... must do something more than give pleasure: it should relate to our own life so as to increase our energy of spirit." 

Sir Kenneth Clark, Looking at Pictures

Situated in a new place can be an overwhelming sensory experience. The tourist learns the names of places and recognises landmarks. As the unfamiliar slowly transforms into the familiar, there is a slight sense of belonging. As curiosity sets in, there is an urge to extend the exploration of new terrestrials.

As a tourist, our agenda is to go to as many places as possible. The places we go to may be deprive of the reality because we only know it superficially. 

Therefore, to test my hypothesis of the differences in experiences between a resident and a tourist. I've decided on spend my 3 month in a quiet town of Hokkaido. It's sufficient for me to know the residents, make friends and strike impromptu conversations with the locals.