When I was in college, one of my professors asked me to draw a continuous line on the blackboard. He eventually told me to stop when I reached the door, at which point he politely asked me to leave the auditorium. That is exactly what came to mind when I read about Joshua Yang’s upcoming solo exhibition titled Superstring: Timepieces.

Like the title suggests, the theme of the show revolves around Time and Memory. Joshua makes technical drawings of watches and mechanical clocks, all done from memory. His artworks are done within a 24-hour time period and in a single continuous line with no breaks or overlaps. Each drawing is titled with a number indicating the start date and time, the end date and time, and the break date and time.

To further emphasize the notion of time and continuity, Joshua will confine himself to his Marina Mandarin art studio for a continuous 48-hour period immediately following his December 11 exhibition. He will create a mural directly on one of the studio walls, only stopping for “permissible” breaks.

From 11 December till 31 January 2008 at Marina Mandarin.

THE ART

‘Female of the Species is one of my few selected personal artworks which is also one of my favorites as it generates a kind of positive vibe,’ says Ben Ho, Multimedia Designer and the man behind Chaotic Constructives. ‘Like many other designers who love listening to music whilst at work, I decided to create an artwork inspired by the song Female of the Species. The basis of this artwork contains elements of stuff that women generally love; shoes, bags, accessories etc. The woman in the illustration is Brazilian model, Ana Carolina Reston, and I deliberately choose one of her photos with a smiling face in order to give my artwork a young, vibrant and positive touch. As a result it was very well received and it even got featured on yaymonday. This is when I started getting exposure, followed by multiple invitations to produce artwork for events, magazines, books and apparel.’ MORE »

When Michele and I stepped into Majestic Bar when it first opened, we were instantly enchanted by the space. Fusing gorgeous architecture (admittedly, I have a soft spot for shophouses) with stunning installation art on every floor, I realised that it had been a while since an environment, much less a bar in Singapore, made my imagination purr so contentedly. I had the chance to speak with Mark Wee of Annex A architects, the firm behind Majestic Bar, and as he explained the concept and creative process behind the project, a voice in my head said, “This is amazing, if only people could hear this…” Which got me thinking about having a little do just for Culturepush, an opportunity for everyone to find out more about great work from the artists themselves.

Hence, we are pleased to present our first Culturepush event, Next Stop: Wonderland! Details below.

NEXT STOP: WONDERLAND

Inspired by an enchanted forest, the Majestic Bar is a hidden oasis in the heart of Chinatown. Conceived as a tree within a building, each story in this three-storey bar represents a different part and experience of being in the tree.

In a rare collaboration of art and architecture, Majestic Bar integrates artworks by Zadok ben David, Donna Ong, Sandra Lee and Yuki Chong, transforming a classic shophouse into a living work of art.

Join us for a night of drinks and conversation with architects Annex A, artists Donna Ong, Jason Lim, Sandra Lee, Yuki Chong and Audrey Phng of Asian Art Options as they bring us on a very personal tour of Majestic Bar.

The first of a series of intimate and friendly tours and talks initiated by Culturepush, we invite arts enthusiasts, aspiring artists and ultimately, people curious about art, to meet up-and-coming and successful Singapore-based artists and designers to find out more about their work.

The event is free. To reserve a place, email Michele by Friday, 23rd November.

NEXT STOP: WONDERLAND
8pm, Wednesday, 28th November

Majestic Bar
41 Bukit Pasoh Road [Map]
www.majesticbar.com

So join us for some midweek tipple in a gorgeous space!

Michele interviewed Donna Ong on her work for Majestic Bar.

THE ART

‘When realism is too much to take and cumbersome routines become tasteless, the human mind dwells upon a collective of analeptic thoughts; assimilating one’s being into a whole other dimension; a hypnotic illusion of which the mind and soul becomes part,’ says Azly Jacaz aka The Bastard Movement and continues, ‘It is with this illusion that the mind seeks recluse, an exhilarating force of reinforcement to one’s well-being; to be what it wants to be as opposed to what it has become.

Lila was created with this in mind. She is a mediocre damsel whose solace is attained by transcending into a state of hypnosis, constructing images of rainbows within the mercy of spring, where flowers blossom and colours abound; an austere quest for psychological betterment, regardless if it’s anything but relevant by society’s norm. Says Azly, ‘I believe that you do not see what you do not look for, thus, without desideratum, we are not inspired and without inspirations, we are without perspective.’ MORE »

We’re happy to announce our November Banner – this time featuring previously blogged Kuanth! Kuanth is brimming with artistic ability and his website is crammed full of great artwork.

PHILOSOPHY

I draw – I eat – I sleep – I poo – I design – I play – I sing – I yawn – I sing – I drink – I daydream – I do nothing … That’s me, Kuanth!

Kuan Teck Harn, or as he’s more commonly known, Kuanth, is a full-time illustrator who fuses hand drawn and digital media together to create his distinct pictures. Having worked in the publishing and advertising industry, he puts his experience in design to the test on a daily basis. Kuanth has already been making waves in the magazine and gallery circuit.

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Opening this Friday at  Forth Art Gallery is a mixed media exhibition titled Nobodies’ Body by emerging artists Eudora Rusli, Schmeezo, Jacqueline Sim, Koh Pei Chen and Tan Li Xin.

I asked Schmeezo about the title of the exhibition. ‘Nobodies’ Body will represent one body of thought; the individual interpretation. The body of anything is what holds each individual parts of something together. A collective term used to describe a state of being. At least this is how we see it. As humans, our body is what we are. It represents us visually and physically to portray what our heart feels and what our mind wants us to do. Without our body, we will just be roaming souls in search of space … an entity to call our own. As the five of us started to realise how the term ‘body’ can be translated into so many meanings, we realised how much impact a body of something can be. To us, the subject “body” doesn’t only apply to a physical formation that we are all able to see. The term is an interesting subject that can be manipulated in so many ways.’

THE ARTISTS

Eudora Rusli is currently doing her BA in Fine Arts at LASALLE, graduating in 2008. Jacqueline Sim, Koh Pei Chen and Tan Li Xin are all graduates from LASALLE Fine Arts and are having full time jobs while still pursuing their artistic passion. Schmeezo is doing her final year at the National Institute of Education (NIE) and will be teaching English and Art after graduation. She has been actively involved in many projects, including the latest NIKE Windrunner Campaign and the Wheelock Art Gallery.

This exhibition will be on view through 16 November at the Forth Art Gallery.

THE ART

Lim Si Ping designed ‘Rise Design’ for Tiger Translate, Tiger Beer’s movement to support Asian’s emerging generation of creative talents. Ping explains, ‘Tiger Beer has risen from a local beer to an international brand widely recognized throughout the world. I wanted to use the brand’s success and its famous symbol of a Tiger to reflect Singapore’s success in developing into a first world country. While the young Singapore had a very difficult beginning struggling for independence, its people have always been tenacious and forward-looking. Tiger Beer’s contrasting colour theme of orange and blue is applied in this design; the high-rise buildings make a perfect colour and height contrast against the orange roof tops of suburb shophouses built during the early beginning years of Singapore. This reflects how we have advanced from a third world country to a first world country.’ MORE »

I absolutely loved Enid Blyton’s books when I was a child – especially the Faraway Tree series. I always wanted to meet the weird characters that lived in the tree- Angry Pixie, Mr Whatsizname, The Saucepan Man, Dame Washalot, Silky the beautiful fairy, and Moonface, the owner of the Slippery Slip. But most of all, I wanted to climb through the purple hole in the thick white cloud at the top of the tree and disappear into the fantastic lands where I could live plenty of exciting adventures with my friends.

Such was my expectation when I stepped foot in Hotel Majestic’s newly opened avant-garde bar on Bukit Pasoh Raod. Zadok Ben-David’s ‘Living Man’ sculpture on the side-wall outside the bar was case in point and set the right mood. Just inside, tree-like columns are rising languorously along the wall, accented by an intricate Donna Ong installation and complemented by Yuki Chong’s overhead abstract green-stained glass. The faux leaves wall-panels and the tree sculpture tables on the second floor reflected the branches and foliage, and Sandra Lee’s blue mural on the top floor captured the magical air of the treetop and beyond.

I like it when you can turn every which way and you’re still amazed. That’s the concept with this bar—every time you turn around, you’re going to see something different. And the more you drink, the more you see … MORE »