Milestone Project 2006 Workshop (7th March, Tuesday)

Participated by Art Club students from Raffle’s Girl Secondary School
Guided by Wang Ruo Bing
Students’ comments was vetted & amended by Chua Aik Boon

Comments by Abigail Chew Linn
On Chua Boon Kee’s artwork, “The wisdom of the boy from Red Hill”.
This artwork, depicting the legend of Bukit Merah, showcases the scene of swordfish getting their deadly long sharp noses stuck in the strong banana stems. The silvery sculpture depicts the wisdom of the island’s saviour who lived on a hill. The angry Raja (king) who was jealous of him decided to have him executed.  The young boy’s fresh blood flowed freely and stained the hill red, hence the Malay name, Bukit Merah.

The glittering stainless steel sculpture is crafted with so much care and realism, that the subject, the swordfish, seems to come alive. The equally realistic banana stems present flawless texture.

The Wisdom of the Boy from Red Hill has left a deep imprint in my mind. This work brings the popular legend to life. I like it as it transported me back to the time when I was staying in Bukit Merah. The work is simple, yet meaningful.
 
Comments by Lau Hui Ning
On Jeremy Hiah’s artwork, “The white crocodile”.
The White Crocodile is a unique piece of sculpture by Jeremy Hiah.  He uses white patterned fabric as the crocodile’s skin, and white feathers for the wings.

As opposed to the rough skin possessed on a real crocodile, this white crocodile’s skin is smooth. It is white in colour instead of the common dark grey. These deliberate features demolish the usual image of the reptile as a fierce and predatory creature. Rather, they transform it into a friendly and kind animal like a guardian angel. Today, people who lived near the Whampoa River still held on to the belief that the white crocodile has protected them for many years.

The crocodile’s facial details like eyes and teeth are not indicated though. Perhaps, the artist has not seen the creature himself. As such, the details are not present in the artist’s memory, and hence are not featured.

I like this artwork as it relives the artist’s previous child’s innocence and imagination.    

Written Comments by Anna Lim
On C K Kum’s artwork
One sees cross sections of tree logs, unevenly cut, strewed on the floor. The cross sections of the logs reveal the annual rings, which get progressively darker towards the centre. The pieces of wood are not smoothened as evident in the irregular cut marks left behind.

I reckon the artist is probably trying to emphasize the elements of nature. The irregularity in the way the tree log is cut brings out the notion that nature is not uniform or identical.

Written Comments by Dorcas Seah
On Yeo Chee Kiong’s artwork ‘A cup of green tea and my daydream in an afternoon with Lim Nee Soon’
I see a face of a man, with a smile spread across his face with his eyes closed.  He seems to be smiling in contentment.

The colour used is emerald green, a colour that is striking yet at the same time calming to the eyes. The green liquid inside the “cup” apparently simulates the green tea as the title of work implies.

The outer surface of the “cup” is not expectedly smooth.  It has got texture, which likens to leave veins. It is not perfectly round and looks like a huge container with a cap on it, probably a kind of cup that keeps warm drinks.

The face is rather realistic and shows the lips, the nose and the eyes in detail.

The artwork tries to portray the Yishun neighbourhood as a serene, green and scenic place.  One’s encounter of Yishun is like drinking a cup of warm green tea on a Sunday afternoon with a book in hand.  I think the artist is trying to say that his neighbourhood is quiet and peaceful.

I feel that his artwork is successful as it enables me to feel the calmness and serenity upon viewing it.

However the ‘green tea’ inside it ought to be a more translucent green to make it more realistic.

Written Comments by Toh Jia Yun
On Michael Ong’s artwork “Transformation”

Transformation appears to be an abstract representation of plants, with three seemingly looking stems with leaf shoots. It has a turquoise coat (patina) with shades of brown (colour of bronze) underneath. It has got rough texture attributed to the scratch marks left there deliberately. The texture, however, gets progressively smoother as it tapers at the end. The shape of the sculpture is generally irregular.

I think the artist is trying to tell the story of Singapore as a young plant, growing and progressing as the years go by.  It is growing taller every year, just like Singapore reaching out, improving & achieving the best.  The curves of the leaves might suggest that there were difficult times but Singapore overcame it.  As Singapore becomes more and more advanced, the leaves gradually assume shapes with sharper angles.

Written Comments by Cheng Liqi
On Sim Lian Huat’s artwork “Yin and Yang”
There are 2 semi-circles placed on the ground, probably to create a ‘feeling’, as usually, when the Buddists/Taoists are ‘asking’ the gods for their ‘answers’ or ‘wishes’, they would throw the two ‘sheng bei’ on the floor and see if it is facing upwards or downwards, or one up and one down.  The two ‘sheng bei’ are brown in colour, and it is smooth yet bumpy.  There are basically two tones of browns, the darker shade on the underside and the orangey-brown in the middle.  There are also black spots on the ‘sheng bei’, probably to make it feel realistic.  I think that the artist is trying to stare the traditional Buddhist/Taoist way of seeking the god’s wishes, and also to reminiscent the ‘old’ days… the ‘older’ temples … I think the work is successful as it is simple yet meaningful.  It really makes me think of temples …

Written Comments by Ilisa Ishak
On Tan Yen Peng’s artwork “Well, all we have is memories”
Well, All We Have Is Memories features a replica of a ‘well’ supposedly from the old Lorong Chuan kampong where the artist grew up. Due to redevelopment, nothing was left of the old kampong. The well, to the artist, is a representation of the kampong she used to live.

Although it is a replica, the artist is able to depict the well quite realistically. The well is hollow inside with a white base. Mud was used to make the original Lorong Chuan well, and this is highlighted in the different shades of muddy brown colour on the well’s exterior and interior.

Unlike any ordinary well, it does not contain any water.  Instead, it contains memories in the form of photographic projections.  Memories of the people and the places are all “contained” inside this humble well.  To make the artwork, the artist had to “dig up” or source for photographs that documented the kampong’s past.

I like the creative concept, which the artist used to build the artwork.  The artist has, to some extent, successfully captured her childhood memories.

Artist:
C. K. Kum
Tan Yen Peng
Michael Ong
Yeo Chee Kiong
Wang Ruo Bing
Chua Aik Boon
Han Sai Por
Jeremy Hiah
Chua Boon Kee
Sim Lian Huat