A LESSON IN APPRECIATING ART APPRECIATION

I am not a true art lover. My rudimentary understanding of art is that it's just a creative expression in visual form, & of course, I like to look at it, & admire it, if it just happens to strike a chord with my curiosity in some way.

However, I am definitely fascinated by the masterpieces of Taiwanese sculptor Li Chen, especially the 'Dragon-Riding Bodhisattva', when I first saw it at the foregrounds of the seemingly luxurious St Regis Hotel on Tanglin Road.

Please refer to my earlier post in this weblog.

Two weeks ago, the Straits Times had a feature story about the Taiwanese sculptor as well as the official launch of his solo outdoor exhibition, entitled 'Li Chen: Mind Body Spirit', at the Singapore Art Museum, scheduled from 17th September till 9th December 2009.

Last week, I actually visited some of the exhibits, especially those sited on the front courtyard of the Singapore Art Museum & Campus Green of the Singapore Management University, on the way during my morning walkabout from Orchard Road to Bugis Village.

Frankly, I was attracted by the fluidic geometry of the seemingly powerful, large-scale bronze sculptures, reportedly painted with black Chinese lacquer, the ostensibly rotund yet cherubic features, & particularly, the subtle way they supposedly displayed the illusion of weightlessness.

To paraphrase Li Chen:

"Black represents weight, but when you are meditating or sleeping, it represents lightness of being... When you see the black mass fused with natural elements, it creates an illusion of weightlessness."

From the creativity standpoint, it was fascinating for me to see the inspiration of all his works from the fusion of Eastern philosophy with Western contemporary art practices.

There were apparent intersectional confluences of Chinese history, celestial beings, Mother Nature, images of Buddha, as well as the spiritual concepts of Buddhism & Taoism.

As an engineer, I must admit that the somewhat oppositional merging or juxtaposition of physical concrete materials & abstract spiritual themes of weightlessness, void & emptiness in the works on display continued to amaze me.

The location of the Singapore Art Museum on Bras Basah Road.

The layout of Li Chen's outdoor exhibits in the courtyard of the Singapore Art Museum & Campus Green of the Singapore Management University, fronting Bras Basah Road.

The legend to the outdoor exhibits, to be read in conjunction with the layout.

What follows are my digital snapshots of the outdoor exhibits.

Firstly, here's a perspective view of the front courtyard of the Singapore Art Museum, with the 'Dragon-Riding Bodhisattva'.

'Dragon-Riding Bodhisattva'




'Lord of Fire'



'Lord of Wind'




[To be continued in the Next Post.

For more information, please go to this weblink of the organiser, Singapore Art Museum, or this weblink of the co-organiser, Asia Art Center.]