Theme 1 Relationships

to recap.....

...............we did SELF IDENTITY: what you think of yourself

.........we did SOCIAL IDENTITY: what you want others to see and think about you.

..and now.. RELATIONSHIPS:  how you fit into your world; what role do you play, what role do you want to play, how do you get along with other people... 

When we look at a portrait, we can learn a lot about the people (subjects) in the painting. Their details such as their facial expressions, how they are sitting, the composition and the background setting can tell us a story about the people and how they relate to one another.  

We can also consider another relationship.  And that is the tri-fold relationship, which is between the artist, the artwork and you the viewer.  

This is discussed in Ways of Seeing, where art historian John Berger describes how ‘every image embodies a way of seeing, our perception of appreciation of an image depends also upon our own way of seeing.’  Our pre-conceptions and experiences shape the way we view things – not just artworks but everything around us.  Factors such as our notions of beauty, social values or predispositions shape our reactions to artworks so that aesthetic and conceptual meanings translate into visual codes that speak directly to the viewer.  This is what makes art so powerful.  Because Art becomes a personal experience for each individual – everyone looks at it differently and everyone sees something that is important to themselves. 

General Questions to think about when looking at these works:

1.       What is the relationship between subjects in the painting?

2.       How does the painting make you feel and what does it make you think?

3.       What personal experiences or opinions shape your judgement?

Wong Hoy Cheong (Malaysia 1960 – present)

The Nouveau Riche, the Elephant, the Foreign Maid, or the Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie

Wall Installation  Dimensions variable  1991

Collection of the Singapore Art Museum

Eng Hwee Chu (Malaysia 1967 – present)

Memory

Acrylic on canvas  153 x 111 cm  1994

Collection of the Singapore Art Museum

Redza Piyadasa (Malaysia 1939 – present)

The Haji Family

Mixed media  51 x 71.5 cm  1990

Collection of the Singapore Art Museum

Hendra Gunawan (Indonesia 1918 – 1983)

Family Portrait

Oil on canvas  200 x 147 cm  1968

Collection of the Singapore Art Museum

Georgette Chen (China 1906 – Singapore 1993)

Family Portrait

Oil on Canvas 162 x 130.2 cm 1960-65

Collection of the Singapore Art Museum

Khalil Ibrahim (Malaysia 1934 – present)

Canangsari II

Acrylic on canvas   97 x 130 cm  1992

Collection of the Singapore Art Museum

Liu Kang (China 1911 – Singapore 2004)

Artist and Model

Mixed media  84 x 124 cm  1954

Collection of the Singapore Art Museum