Wednesday, September 21, 2011

YRCAE and MORE @ SAM

Art is the imposing of a pattern on experience, and our aesthetic enjoyment is recognition of the pattern. - Alfred North Whitehead 

Like what the quote suggests, I feel that our ability to appreciate and enjoy the art done by anyone for this matter, reflects our ability to recognize pattern imposed from human experiences. This reflects our shared human ability to empathise. Hence, an art gallery like YRCAE will presents society at large, an opportunity view the world from these ex-offenders' glasses, and empathise their plague.
I was touched and amazed by many art pieces showcased today. And as such, I've chosen one art-piece for each specific question, so that I could at least talk about more of these art pieces.


It’s really difficult to rank them based on a scale of meaningfulness – and creativity.
But one art piece that took me by surprise and made the “wow” impact was the acrylic on canvas piece titled Transmogrity.


I could not help not to interpret the meaning of the strokes and colours on the canvas. My head was bursting with “stories” as my jaw drop in awe.
This is my interpretation:
The mere dust on the bottom right is morphing into a phoenix, and it is reaching to the sun.
The dust symbolises the old life of the X-offender, and the phoenix represents the current phase of his life, as he morphs into a new person and reaches above to the divine.

This was the written explanation [RIGHT]: (It varies a little from mine though)





My Superhero, is a piece dedicated to the X-offender’s mother. The art piece is very direct with its meaning. The mother is seen equivalent to a marvel-Hero. It shows, that the artist feels that the mother’s unconditional love, is sometime beyond human, something of a super hero.


The Way I see It.
Is a piece that obeys no “gravity” it has scenes from the artist’s past everywhere. It is mostly pop-culture inspired and it shows that we human beings are byproducts of both nature and nurture.

In that sense, we owe our very own mental make-up to what nature and situations have provided for us. Many of us are fortunate enough to be born in a family that has the affluence and ability to provide one with a proper education path and shelter, should acknowledge the unearned privileges that one has received and be humbled that one is lucky.

Liu Kang’s pieces
Life by the river
Body gestures speaks what the facial expressions can’t is what I learnt from this piece.

As an O’level art student (I did silk painting for my GCE ART), I had the opinion that facial expressions are the key to illustrating one’s emotions and feelings. I am so wrong! Body gestures speak volumes more, and the empty faces allow us the audiences to imagine suitable facial expressions. AMAZING!
If I were to paint again, I will definitely go "faceless"

Siesta VS Siesta In Bali
1952 1957
2 pieces, one done in 1952 and the other in 1957, shows the same model but in very different setting.

I wonder why the artist had decided to re-work on a piece he had done before and why did he make it sensual.

The explanation provided by SAM, only focused on the changes made to the chair and how it has allowed the viewer a full view of the model’s body. But, not on the factors that has inspired Liu to go bold on the second try. Its a mystery!




Ar+ is L!/\/\!+LE55



The Reactive wall proves that art is limitless in terms of medium and ideas.

A projection of icons and characters fills the wall. The more noise one makes, the more art the wall gets filled with.

Truly inspirational!

We painted the wall with our echoes.





The visit to SAM, has revived my passion for the visual arts, and I looking forward to the "winter" vacations for some silk-painting freedom! (or maybe this time I may try mix medium) :)

Friday, September 9, 2011

SCAMPER - My cheatcode to creativity

  • S = Substitute
  • C = Combine
  • A = Adapt
  • M = Modify
  • P = Put to Other Uses
  • E = Eliminate (or Minify)
  • R = Reverse
Within SCAMPER itself, some tools are easier to execute as compared to others. From my SCAMPER experience, I feel that combine is easier as compared to Substitute.

SCAMPER in my view is a cheat code to create creative outputs. It some sense it is a beginners' guide to creativity.

However, I feel that SCAMPER has it's limitations as well. It might result to "wild" hybrids, unfeasible concepts and ideas that are too futuristic that current technology cannot support.

SCAMPER - Umbrella

SCAMPER - THE CHEAT CODE TO CREATIVITY
1. Use the umbrella as a basket. (put to other use)

2. Use the umbrella as a weapon. (put to other use)












3. Revese the folding from outward to inwards. (Reverse)





4. Expandable. (Modification)







5. Suntan Umbrella - Tan patterns will be on the umbrella allowing only specific sun rays in for a patterned tan.
(Modication)











6. Ad-brella - Marketing solution
(Combination)









7. Shower-brella
(combination)












8. Fish-a-brella
(Put to other use)












9. Car-brella
(Modification)






Current umbrella modifications
Minification - Cocktail umbrellas
Magnification - Beach/Picnic umbrellas

Monday, July 4, 2011

Identity-indentified?

What does it mean to be you? What is "you"? Who am I?

Are we truly who we think we are? Does our heritage, culture, "race", ethnicity, religious faith, political views, language, gender, sexual orientation, artistic sense, qualifications, fittness, size, fashion sense, diet, and family status make us into the person we think we are?

Does above stated factors empower us, or does it cage us and restrict us in your comfort zones?

Does being leukaemic, tamil, hindu, singaporean, world-citizen, leftist-socialist, vegetarian, male, indian, chetti-malaka + thevar, SMU student, scholar, TP valedictorian, a son, a brother, a friend, and a citizen of this planet we call home, make me ME?

Is identity, a pseudo reality, a mirage of the truth or the reflection of the real?

A wise master, Jaggi, has said that, identities are limitations. When one has identified his name as him and instead of seeing the reality that his name is not him but merely a noun that belongs to him. Jaggi went on with his philosophy, but coming from me...that will just bore you. So let me end my post here!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Shiva

I am feeling intoxicated, not by alcohol but by bliss of being in existence. I want to make my body, a perfect human perfection of strength and agility, my mind, as calm as space, and my soul as pure as shiva.

Shiva, some call him god, but in yogic tradition, he is Athiyogi. The first yogi, who created Yoga, a system of science, and gave humanity the key to greatness beyond the kingdom of flesh.

Hinduism is not a religion of many gods. There is not 3 million gods nor is there only 1 god. In hinduism, nothing but only God exists. (Evertything that exist is God)

There is a teaching in the Rig Veda that to create something, one must have the material(s) needed and posses the knowledge of creating that thing. To make a clay pot, one must have clay and posses the knowledge of molding a clay pot. Likewise, a spider webs its web using its saliva and with the knowledge of webbing a web. In the same way, God made the entire existence with God as material and with the knowledge from God. Hence, everything in existence posses the material which is God and that is how everything is God.

All is God!

Cheers!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Global Citizens - Tamil

யாதும் ஊரே யாவரும் கேளிர்
It is pronounced as "Yaadhum Ooore Yavarum Kelir", which means, 'Every country is my own and all the people are my kinsmen'. This 100BC old phrase, advocates for world peace; a world where men are not divided by sect or creed but are united as global citizens.




Thursday, May 26, 2011

A day to remember


Life, is what we make of it. We develop friendships, fall in love, build cities and lastly leave our worldly world behind when we shed our frail human body.

Today is an historic day. We had our first un-official Tamizha meeting and we bounced great ideas off each other. I am very excited to see the club take form. Most importantly, I am doing it with friends! People, whom I could trust and be opened to.

I've always felt out of place for being my age, but my friends have made me feel so loved that I don't feel any different from them. I am truly grateful to the universe for this moment of joy.

God, universe, brahma...thank you!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Why do you blog?

This is a question that I've been asked before, and strictly there is no one answer to it. Personally, I blog for the love of writing, to share my experiences, to voice my opinions, to archive my thoughts/ideas/opinions, and to give my creativity a space to showcase and experiment.

However, I have sometimes rant on my blog and it is something I am not proud of. I dislike ranting in public and my blog is in the public domain.

I am looking forward to my Golf-sessions, to the starting of Tamizha தமிழா (SMU's Tamil Language & Cultural Society), to SCD-FTB goodies, SCD-GSR cleanliness campaign, and of cause to the start of YEAR 2!!!!

I shall better manage my time between my commitments to SCD, Tamizha and to SINDA, without compromising on my Year 2 MODS!!

Cheers!

PS: I love my summer-job at AXA!