| Oct 05 |
Highlights abroad: CP Biennale II, 2005,Bank Indonesia Museum, JakartaThis time next year the first Singapore Biennale will open its doors. I am very excited about this event which will surely benefit the whole visual arts scene here. In the meantime, our neighbour Jakarta is holding its 2nd Biennale right now. Under the headline Urban/Culture, 52 artists and groups from all over Indonesia plus 18 international participants share their artistic ideas in regard to issues facing urban society. Not only visual artists, but also architects, photographers, graphic artists and cartoonists were invited to participate. Many of the works displayed have not been created by only one artist, rather the CP Biennale II 2005 highlights a number of collaborative projects. In the development of the Indonesian art scene, there has been a tendency to explore social issues relating to politics, social injustice, and the impact of globalization on major cities. The problems of people living in urban areas in Indonesia are the problems of people living in big cities worldwide. Because of this, over the past ten years, the theme "Urban" has been featured in a number of international exhibitions. In the developing nations in Asia and Africa, the problems of cities and their populations take on specific forms that make their cities seem chaotic. Indonesia is no exception. The CP Biennale II, 2005 is meant to provide a clearer look at the social function of art, particularly in Indonesia. The Theme Urban/Culture sets forth a variety of issues: development and progress, social problems, economics and politics, as well as the matter of history. The second CP Biennale will be held at the Bank Indonesia Museum in Kota, Jakarta from September 5, 2005 to October 5, 2005. It has been designed to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia and the 50th anniversary of the Asia-Africa Conference.
 Pulang Belanak, 2005, 3 x 9 m, Oil On Canvas
Ask the artist!This time: Justin Lee My grandfather used to be a full time photographer in the local press holding Nanyang Xiang Po. He invited me to join him in the dark room where he finished his work. I enjoyed the artistic environment and the process of developing prints. The stack of black and white photographic works that remain from his work are really valuable, not only to me, but also because they tell valuable stories about the society in which he created them. My first professional contact with art was in New York, where I was doing my internship with the Singapore Tyler Print Institute in 2000. It was a great opportunity to work with famous artists like Frank Stella and Ken Tyler. During the process of collaboration, we worked on big size prints with several artists. I learned a lot there.
How is society responding to your decision to live as an artist? I am glad that local people are recognizing and responding to my works with their different opinions. Some like it because is new to them. Some like it as POP art icons. Most people can relate to my works in regard to their own background and experiences, since I like to focus on cultural and social matters. I am also glad that foreign buyers, who come to Singapore thanks to its unique position in Asia, collect my works too. Share your opinion on the Singapore art scene, who are you favorite artists, do you have any older generation artists that you admire; who inspired you? As for the art scene, I would say it is much better and more vibrant compared to 10 years ago while I was doing my diploma in 1996. There are more art groups and venues like the Esplanade or the Arts House to exhibit our works. My 3rd solo exhibition at the Esplanade tunnel earlier this year was one of my most successful shows, utilizing the outdoor space, away from the usual gallery concept. My favorite artist is Zhang Xio Gang from China and the most influential artists for me are Andy Warhol and Rene Magritte. I guess it's because they share the same ideas of story telling with similar fantasies about their environments. Their subjects are also of great concern both to the individual and the whole community as well.
Describe your work; what messages do you want to tell with your work? My works is not so much about criticizing, but a reflection on what our society is about. I like to focus more on the absent part of our cultural experience, especially the influence of the West, in comparison with today's social context. My works always talk about the "East meets West" concept, which is also what makes our nation so modern and unique. I am not interested in how good an artwork is or not. What is important to me is the concept when I am in the process of art making. In my art works I usually question myself about the connection between our society and its people. Somehow, we all share the same common issues in life about our culture and identity. We are always searching and questioning our identity. Most of the people here are making a living, but not a life. That is what interests me a lot.
Justin Lee has been an active artist since 1996, having participated in many art competitions such as the UOB Art Competition and the ASEAN Arts Awards. In 2002, he was selected to complete a 6-months intensive training program at the Tyler Print Workshop in New York under Mr. Ken Tyler's supervision. He later returned and worked as an apprentice at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute for two years. Some of his recent group exhibitions include: Made in Singapore Festival 2004, Reconstruction of the City, Proof-4, his art installation works in video at the Venice Biennale 9th International Architecture Exhibition 2004, the Singapore Art Festival in Tokyo, Japan 2005. For more information and to contact the artist, please visit www.justinleeck.com, email justinhair@hotmail.com or call 96456208
Ask the artist!This time: Kelly Reedy I grew up in a small Midwestern town in the US. As a child I remember myself constantly drawing and painting. I also knew at a very young age I wanted to travel to other places and experience different cultures. I am still doing these two things! After completing my Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and drawing from the University of Wisconsin in 1985, I moved to Paris, France where I continued my studies at the Sorbonne and L'Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs. Visiting the many museums and cathedrals in Europe greatly influenced my own work. Byzantine and Medieval masterworks inspired me the most. After returning to the US in 1989, I moved to N.Y.C. and tasted the excitement of living in one of the greatest art capitals in the world. There I learned much from my fellow artists and the contemporary art scene.
How has living in Singapore over the past 8 years affected your art? Moving to Singapore has had a profound effect on my art. To me Singapore is wonderful because it is an absolute multicultural mix of East and West. All of this is reflected in the people, food, religious customs, and artistic expression one encounters here. Little did I know when I arrived that my love of Byzantine sacred art and Medieval icons would be found in the realm of Asian folk art on paper. My interest in art history continued as I began researching how paper is traditionally used as "prayer" in China, Japan, and India. I started creating collaged works with hand-made papers, and even learned how to scroll large sheets of rice paper together.
Today your work appears very eclectic using both Eastern and Western symbolism, as well as text. Could you tell us about your inspirations for your artwork "Sacrifices"? My most recent series, "Sacrifices and Offerings", combines my interest in color and pattern with symbols and poetry. Here I have combined Greek symbols, Jain iconography, and early Japanese Buddhist printing techniques into a painted visual tapestry. I have used bits and pieces of a poem by Grace Paley, "What If (This Week)", questioning humankind's incessant thirst for conflict. I am very much interested in socio-political issues. Through my work I explore, with different layers of material and meaning, what is happening in our world. My work can be read on different levels, but in the end the image must speak for itself.
Kelly Reedy lives and works in Singapore. She has shown her art internationally in Paris, Chicago, and Berlin. Locally she has held a solo exhibition at the Galerie Dauphin and has participated in numerous group shows at venues such as the Jendela Visual Arts Space, Esplanade, the Singapore Tyler Print Institute, Alliance Française, and Sculpture Square. She is currently preparing a solo exhibition, "Sacrifices and Offerings". Her work was recently highlighted in two US art publications: Porcupine Literary Arts Magazine, Vol.8, Issue 2, as well as the Woman Made Gallery Newsletter, Spring 2005, In 2006 she will be giving a series of slide lectures and workshops on "Paper as Prayer" in Asian folk art. For more information and to contact the artist, please visit: www.kellyreedy.com |
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