Art school can be one of the most defining moments of a young artist’s life. It’s a chance to be involved in a kind of creative incubator, tossed together with other talented and creative individuals. It’s also an opportunity to learn from expert teachers and receive constructive criticism on their process and projects. Art school is an environment for intellectual and creative growth, a place to learn new skills and artistic genres. And in that vein, it makes sense for a Singapore art gallery to laud a Singapore art school’s anniversary as a part of a new show featuring multiple artists.
All of the artists whose work will be on display graduated from the art school within the last decade, a conscious choice by the curators of the show. The end result is a sampling of the kinds of talents the art school produces.
In one piece that will be on display at the exhibit, an artist has photographed a stunning composition that appears to be a snowy mountain illuminated in an otherworldly sunrise or sunset. Instead, the artist constructed the scene from powder, pigment, dust, ice, fog, and lighting effects. The overall effect is still wonderful, enchanting the viewer with the array of colors.
A sculpture that will be a part of the exhibit features a dried pink flower enclosed in a wedge of plaster. It’s as if nature is suspended in a slice of cake the viewer can’t eat, a marriage of real and unreal, soft and hard. The fact that the flower was once living and still contains some of that color provides an even more interesting juxtaposition to the fact that the plaster will never change — once it is shaped and dried, only its destruction will change it.
Another work that’s cross between performance and sculptural is a trio of flower arrangements within bell jars. The catch? It’s not flowers the viewer is looking at. It’s the artist’s skin flakes, preserved in resin. The effect is unsettling but beautiful, a minimalist approach to something that should, by all rights and purposes, feel monstrous. Instead, it functions as a meditation on creation and the artistic process. Artists put so much of themselves into their work. Why not a literal part of their bodies?
In an additional foray into the minimal, another artist has sculpted a series of cones out of marble. The cones are arranged to fit together, opening to tip, in a line that highlights the shape and smooth texture of the sculptures themselves.
Experiment with different genres of art by signing up for multiple art classes via SGArtClass.com. Our expert teachers will work with your busy schedule to meet you for your art lessons wherever you need — even if it’s in the comfort and convenience of your own home.
To see a sneak peek of some of the artworks that will be on display during the commemorative show, go to http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/3065084/alma-matter-at-chan-hori-contemporary-singapore.