Fotanian Open Studios (2).

Then I was attracted by the “Drift .Image”, a work created by Raymond PANG. On that day Raymond was there to explain his work to us. He made an installation according to several images or thought in his mind over the past 3 years: whales, lotus, supernova and his departed sister…He told us that he didn't have a clear plan to link them together at the beginning and he did those work individually so there were wood and cooper sculptures together with pieces of drawings on canvas in this artwork. Later on he tried to combine those drift images, presented them with chains of welded cooper, performed as lotus and foam on the water. People could easily associate it with the scenes that images and thought float in human’s brain float.

 

Though human often have attitudes and experience that are different from each other, on certain ways we share same thoughts or ideas toward objects. Just like we may not have Raymond’s images in our mind, but most of us will understand that the drifting lotus and foam is the representation of his mind. That’s why human makes art to express feelings and it is so interesting that when looking at an object, everyone may come up with certain kinds of meanings. The whale painting was unfinished, but he decided to stop here due to the subsidence of his thought. There is no absolute definition that whether an artwork is finished or not. Especially this art is about one’s changeable mind. He said he might draw out the rest or even color it, but all depends on his feeling. 

 Another work he made was a white crystal marble sculpture of a human and whale. Raymond was keen on whales, and he couldn't explain why. Human just stick to something that we ourselves don’t know the reason. Again, he brought the marble before he planned his work. The whole concept is “To Bend", the human being and whale can live together. I think it is a big feature of sculptures, to observes and take advantage to the material you already have. 

 

Two more works: 




“The Goal” made by Joe LI, an interactive sculpture that you can place the man at anywhere, so as to suit your personal status of the progress of achieving your own goal. The goal can be just on the branches of the trees, or an uncertain model above the sky. Everyone can choose their position and there is no right or wrong. 
 

 

 A world map built with Henry LO’s travel photographs. 

Henry is a special member in We Sculptors, as he doesn't work on 3D creation. He is writer who travelled over the world, uses "the language of photography to spell out love and mankind". I think the idea of the work is to have a self reflection about the meaning of travel rather than choosing photos to represent countries and cities. On the maps Henry told us that used photos in all black to express there ought to be misimpressions and unknowns in every journey or even in our life, and that’s what we should learn to accept. 

(to be continued)

Fotanian Open Studios (1).

On 19 Jan 2013, our class visited the Fotanian Open Studio. There have been many idle industrial buildings after the migration of industries to the Mainland, which provides precious space for local artists to create and display their work. And a group of studios in Fotan open for public on January every year since 2001. But to be frank, I just noticed there is such a programme via the course.  Actually there are more than 100 studios inside 15 industrial centers. Like watching flowers while riding on horseback, we only have time visit a few among the crowd and here are some of the studios which impressed me. 

1611 We sculptors (Rm 1611, Block B, Wah Luen Industrial Centre) 

If you ask me about my own experience on art, I would tell you that I seldom do other things out of drawing on a piece of paper. So to me, using solid materials to create an art definitely is a tough work. The group We sculptors started to station in Fotan since early 2012 and before that they have been doing lots of 3D creation by different materials.






 The very first piece of work I see is a series of 4 installations made with firm cartridges. For me firm cartridge is a kind of ”endangered product “from the last generation, while people started to cherish when it is going to extinct. It gives me a feeling of honest and sincere, comparing with the digital memory we are using nowadays. Using such a solid material, the artist, Jimmy LAU resembles the symbols on the control buttons: “Play, Pause, Rewind, Home”, which also the title of it series. Reflect about our life habit under those bombardments of information, materials and entertainment. Seemingly life is enjoyable under the rapid development of technology, but somehow it is just dazzling and annoying. Looking at these works with the order “Play, Pause, Rewind, Home”, remind us to stop from busying and return to the fundamental point, our original “Home”: family, love, nature…

That is simply meaning of the Chinese title: “玩、停、回、家”. Nevertheless, there is another meaning. Generally speaking the meaning of the Chinese “停” as “stop”, but actually the artist uses the symbol “Pause” but not “Stop”. Also, the symbol “Home” on the control have means the audience ready “to started over again”. Which probably implies this circumstance of “Play” is “non-stop”, or I should say, “Unstoppable”. Time keeps running, we continue to live our lives like that and can never escape from the wheel of age.

(to be continued)

Just started up a blog about my little exploration of Contemporary Art :)