Sunday, April 27, 2008

Title: ReCycle


When I made 'Dreams' (see previous post), I actually pasted a few pieces of used toto lottery tickets on the flyer (card stock). I then painted all of them together, and cut out the part I needed for dreams.

The inspiration for this came from looking at what was left. I saw lots of red (because the background used in the flyer was red), and green (because that was my base colour for 'Dreams', which put in mind of a lush landscape.

However, I wanted the piece to have a touch of the modern to it as well, hence the abstract sharp-edged pieces used to create the palm tree. How the tree was constructed may also have something to do with the fact that I am drawn to triangular shapes, and circles.

Title: Dreams

I've been thinking recently about why we spend the time queueing up to buy the Toto lottery even though the chances of winning are so slim. I think it all goes back to the a very human thing -- we have dreams. And for the price of a dollar or two, we get to dream big dreams, well, at least, until the results come out.

This piece represents the fragility of those dreams.

I wanted to create a more layered look, so I took a used toto lottery ticket, pasted it on a scrap from a flyer (card stock). I then painted a base using mostly green (because the colour is associated with money) with a bit blue and purple for texture. I then added small-sized lettering which formed the next "layer". The last "layer" is made up of large lettering accented by painting glitter (old nail polish) onto it.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Title: Urban Complex


I created this from a promotional postcard from a megamall in Malaysia.

This one started from my wish to create something with a weave.

I started by colouring the entire card with acrylic paint, taking care to make sure that words/letters can still be seen.

I then studied the postcard, and thought that I could perhaps incorporate some of the text in it -- 'Work smart and play harder..." -- into my piece.

I decided then to try to represent the city, with the weave representing interconnecting, unimaginative units stacked on top of one another, like we see with many urban structures these days.

"Work smart and play harder..." fits in well with this theme. We can all identify with the fast-paced life in the city.

The last step - to cover the entire area with white glue, and when it's nearly dry, to create a distress effect, to represent the stress and fractures of urban life.

Title: Pre(occupations) Singapore


I've been writing a lot about life in Singapore recently, and thought that I should represent that in a conceptual piece.

Again done in an Artist Trading Card format, I patched together the following material from newspapers:

* ad with Toto (a popular lottery in Singapore) results -- long, long queues on Mondays and Thursdays testify to the popularity of this particular lottery.

* a travel ad with the number $88, considered a lucky number in Singapore -- travel is something that Singaporeans aspire to. Not surprising since Singapore is just a small island state.

* listing of stocks on the Singapore exchange -- money and making money, always a preoccupation here.

* movie listings -- those less popular than in the 90s, this remains a favoured activity.

* part of an article about pork from Malaysia being allowed here again. I saw this and thought it was very apt, because it combines two things that makes for enthusiastic conversations - food and Singapore's nearest neighbour, Malaysia.

* part of the banner of a newspaper with the words "Straits Times", Singapore's most widely-read English Language newspaper, and the word "education", something that's at the forefront of most parents in Singapore.

To finish the work, I added two one-cent Singapore coins (from my coin jar), to represent how important economics and money is both to the Government and ordinary people in Singapore.

Title: Pick-up-sticks



I rekindled my interest in stamps recently, and was at the post office when I saw a flyer for a set of Peranakan (Straits Chinese) stamps.

Somehow or other in my mind (which makes connections sometimes) I thought of a game I loved playing when I was a child. A game where you threw down a set of thin sticks, and then tried to pick them up each one without moving any of the others.

So, I cut strips from that flyer, and then overlapped them like the sticks from my childhood.

I roughly tore them to create a more rustic, traditional feel. The last touch was lime green acrylic paint to accent the piece.

Title: Unreason



Do you have old nail polish lying round the house? In another work in the ATC format, I made use of a few nail polish colours I no longer use.

I was reading Sophie's World (fantastic primer on philosophy, btw) when I created this, and it was talking about Reason. And instinctively, I wanted to represented the other side -- Unreason -- the nebulous, the grey, the unformed.

Using the brushes attached to the nail polish bottles, I was able to create these circular, fuzzy strokes.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Title: Meaning of Life???


I made this one using the Artist Trading Card (ATC) format.

By tearing a piece textured paper (used to be wrapping paper), a parchment-like piece was created.

I call this one "Meaning of Life???".

It's inspired by a friend who was having a crisis of purpose, wonder if that is all there is to life -- counting the days, and then the end (represented by ###). It's a question I myself am fascinated by, so I wanted to create a piece that will be a tangible reminder of this question.

Stamp Cube


Over the years, I'd put away any stamps I found, a habit I developed in the years when I was an avid stamp collector. Which I continued even though I no longer pursue the hobby with a passion.

I took some of those stamps, and using a Rubik-cube like item I got as a corporate gift, I made this stamp cube. I made sure to cut out the parts with stamps -- adds interest to the stamp.

What's interesting about this is that by twisting the cube, I get a different combination of stamps. And I get a personal on-the-desk reminder of one of my youthful passions.