Landscapes and the world around us — as envisioned by a specific ethnic group — is in the spotlight at a new show at a Singapore gallery. The group — the Minangkabau — originate in West Sumatra. The pieces in this show all come from artists in that specific group and region, and explore the rich context in which the artists find themselves both dispelling incorrect notions about their culture and illustrating the intricate and interesting relationship they have with nature as a teacher and the world around all of us.
One oil painting that will be on display is a delicious abstract rendering of a landscape. The only immediately recognizable shape on the canvas is a thick, white, puffy cloud in a pale blue sky. The rest is a riotous jumble of color, shape, line, and form, reminiscent of a joyful tangle of a rich jungle. If the viewer allows their eyes to blur and lose precision focus, however, something interesting emerges. It’s as if the white drips in the middle of the canvas become a gushing waterfall, and the colors and shapes around the rocky cliffs transform into lush foliage. The texture of this painting adds intriguing dimension, as brush strokes and drips are fully present and embraced.
In another abstract landscape, the viewer can perceive steep mountains rounded tops heaped on top of one another, reaching toward a deep blue sky. Bright colors denote clouds obscuring the highest peak, and changes the perception of traditional, realistic landscapes.
In a very interesting piece, a digital print is combined with an odd shape of canvas and oil paint. Dark silhouettes of unsettling mountains border the bottom of the shiny acrylic canvas, while blue, yellow, and red paint conjure up ideas of sunset or fall foliage. The effect is arresting, especially with the unique choice of medium.
A darker painting’s interpretation lies with the viewer. A black bottom and orange top of the canvas frame what appears to be a hulking human figure bending over the wild lines of a bush. The lines themselves can represent a tangle of foliage or vines, complete with red, white, and black drips throughout the canvas.
In a more traditional take on a landscape, a pair of human figures offer an example of scale for the size of the river and mountain behind them, both going gauzy as an indication of realism and distance. The richly rounded mountain has a sharp peak at the top, calling to mind a mother’s shape.
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To read more about the exhibit, as well as to see a slideshow of some of the works that will be on display, go to http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/2750479/landscapes-legacies-visualizing-alam-minangkabau-at-gajah.