Fireworks

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 00:43:19 +0800

WOW!

Film Scene

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 01:00:26 +0800

my very first illustrator attempt...

Photo Exhibition

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 01:17:17 +0800

Artist Statement

Approach to Photography
I do not endeavor objectivity in my photos or to create an illusion of one, since relationships between every object within the frame represents a greater complexity of meaning. Expression through imagination and conceptualization is central to my approach. I attempt to achieve this by encoding cultural phenomenon into two-dimensional symbols, allowing one’s gaze to ‘feel’ the image and develop meaning through the process of inferring relationships between the elements. My inspiration for creation is also guided by Michelangelo’s approach to sculpting, ‘removing the stone that doesn’t belong to reveal the sculpture that was present all along’. Peeling away layers of distraction, I purpose to make the seemingly invisible visible.

About Images
In Singapore, we find our own voices constantly drowned by louder, mostly western influences. Within the music scene, expression has been ‘westernized’ or ‘colonial-zed’. Even our instruments of expression have no local roots, unlike countries like India that have a distinct flavor to their music, with culturally specific instruments like the Tabla. Through these photos I want to express the sense of intense frustration, much like how you are yelling as hard as you possibly could but not a sound is heard. A controlled expression, and a frustration so deep voices are silenced.

A Singaporean Perspective

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:54:33 +0800

Why is our culture so difficult to define? Is what we do on a daily basis so un-original that our actions seem to constantly fall under international comparisons? I am guilty of taking this perspective. With shows like ‘Who wants to be a millionaire’, ‘Deal or No Deal’, ‘Singapore Idol’. We truly are living in the shadows of international giants.

However this inherent trend of ‘follow the leader’ this doesn’t seem to constitute culture. Perhaps it’s our socially induced ‘scared to lose’ mentality that brings about this culture of dependency to follow after success formulas

There are some visual media that do come close in encapsulating what Singapore is about. Films inspired by Singapore culture, and not influencing culture. Films such as 12 Storeys by local director Eric Khoo, and Money No Enough by Jack Neo gives us a peek into what is Singapore.

12 Storeys makes a bold illustration of Singapore’s political scene through Meng’s overwhelming control over his younger brother and sister, claiming he only wants the best for them. There are cultural consequences when the keys to success are force fed to the people. Parental love for children becomes tainted with this notion of success, and kids are forced into the ‘express stream’, because other paths lead to a less desirable future.

Money No Enough centers on the idea of the heartland (if I remember my Singapore Film lecture correctly). It attempts to carry across the essence of what distinguishes Singapore, through the ‘ordinariness’ of everyday life, with familiar scenes of the HDB and ‘rubbish talk’ at coffee shops. Various issues are brought up during the film, most obvious of which is the desire for money! One living on the thin ice of installment plans, and another who borrows money in hopes to make money. These issues taken out of its context might not scream Singapore culture, but when we watch it in the context of the film, there is familiarity. Could it be that how the characters handle their respective challenges defines cultural context?

How then do these varying aspects of visual media such as copycat game shows to films with hints of social commentary tie into what constitutes Singaporean identity? Is it possible to extract an identifiable culture in a society with fleeting interests, such as with the ‘Hello kitty’ craze, to bubble tea, to doNUTS? I would like to suggest that there is one constant in this variable-filled equation. This commonality is that of KIASU-ism. I really hate to say this but I can’t come up with anything else at this point.

We see this trend with the ‘follow the success formula’ with the game shows. 12-Storeys illustrates this with a metaphoric emphasis on the grave importance of the pursuit for success, in order to enjoy a wonderfully materialistic lifestyle. This idea of the pursuit for wealth is embodied in Money No Enough.

Photo Analysis

Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:08:43 +0800

This Ad was taken from a travel magazine, which was published and distributed in the States and Canada. The context for this ad is gambling. The copy for the ad is ‘Everything’s Sexier in Paris Las Vegas’. The ad takes advantage of the Las Vegas’s highly successful campaign of ‘What happens Vegas stays in Vegas’

I’m a Creep [*Assessment update-bottom page]

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 02:07:01 +0800

What a melancholic class today...I mean that in a good way. Quite a few presented very personal pieces which I really enjoyed being taken on an emotional roller coaster. I left the class in a rather depressed mood, reflecting on all the works of the day. I was deeply moved by the sincerity of some pieces, namely Rebecca and Stephanie, and they inspired me to write a simple song. Actually this song is a build up of my personal experiences from assignment 2 until our present creep assignment. I just finished it, and for those who might be interested, I’ll update this blog later with the visual inspirations behind the lyrics...

I’m a Creep...

Sun, 7 Oct 2007 23:55:31 +0800

Just some pictures for starters...and sorry for the song, I simply couldn’t resist...

Assignment 4: Day After Tomorrow...

Sun, 7 Oct 2007 01:57:40 +0800

I had great difficulty handling the theme of this assignment, not to mention the number of shots and work required to put it all together.
I started out scouting the area of Boat Quay without avail. I moved on to botanic gardens without a clue what to shoot until I came across this bench sitting quietly under a large tree. I loved the serenity these elements created and knew at once I was to take this shot but I still didn’t know how it would relate to the theme of ‘the day after’. Since I felt drawn to this scenery I decided to just start taking shots and wait to see what would present itself. I started with the left side of the frame and started moving towards the bench. The moment I got the bench in my viewfinder I realized that an elderly man had come and sat one the bench! The missing link to the theme literally appeared before me.

As I snapped away at the man, I wondered to myself…when would my turn come to sit on the bench, pondering away at life? He sat there for a really long time, the entire duration I was there, taking my 2000 shot montage, which amounted to around 1 hour! At this point, I started wishing I could have the time to just sit at that bench and watch the world pass by. Instead, I was on this side of the camera snapping away, and this was just a prelude to the many more hours I would have to spend sitting not on a bench looking at beautiful greens but in front of a not so beautiful monitor. My thoughts soon turned to the bench. I could only imagine the various people who have spent some time sitting on there for whatever reason. So I decided to come back THE DAY AFTER to take a look. True enough there was someone else there. He was a middle aged foreign worker whom I can only imagine could have been working to maintain certain parts of the park. Even he had the time to rest and soak up the beauty of nature! I took more shots and decided to come back again…and this time there was a couple there with their child…

This had started to evolve what seemed to me like a beautifully simple concept of the day after. This bench would remain (almost) the same the day after, I could expect to see it again unless someone came along the night before and decides to steal it. However, I didn’t know what life would present itself to me the day after. Perhaps one day…may days after, I would find myself on the bench reflecting on this very assignment and discover the true meaning behind why ever I did a photomontage.

Peer Evaluation:
I would have to say Ivy gets my vote for this assignment! She did what I could not. She was able to take the objects that were available within that location to ‘paint’ the mental picture she had with these beautiful images she captured. I loved the attention placed on the plane (perhaps because I love aircrafts too), since they were the focus of her message about transit. For this creative genius, I would give her 5 for concept and 4.9 for technicality (blur images, although I couldn’t really tell). But for her honesty, she gets a full 10 from me!

Self-Assessment:
I did spend a whole lot of time on this assignment, but who didn’t! So it wouldn’t be fair to grade based on effort in my opinion. I initially had a misconception regarding the photomontage, which Mr. Reddy corrected with a single question: “could you take this scene with one shot?” I was immediately enlightened! I went back to make some changes to my montage. Actually I intended to put the 3 different bench shots that I took for the 3 days but I thought that the montage was to be as seamlessly joined together as possible. There were comments that my concept was nice too. So with regards to my concept as well as with the changes I made to the montage, I would give myself 4.8 for concept and 4.2 for execution, bringing it to a total of 9

Assignment 3.2

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 02:13:29 +0800

This next theme of change centered on how a baby’s carefree spirit is slowly eroded away with the afflictions presented with time. I notice how happy the children are as I took pictures of them, running towards me, excitedly calling other friends to have their pictures taken as well. Simple things gave them such joy. As I pointed my camera to more matured subjects, I was greeted with frowns. An expression that showcased the worries this world had to offer. However, there were smiles whenever the older had a relationship with a newborn. It seemed like the worries of life were translated into care for their child.

Assignment 3.1

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:08:13 +0800

In pre-Socratic philosophy, the 6th century thinker, Heraclitus, made the following statement: "The only thing that is permanent in the universe is change." He made the claim that you can never step into the same river twice. If you put your left foot in the river, by the time you take it out, the river has moved on, so the river you place your right foot in, is not, technically not the same river.

I approached this assignment reflecting upon Heraclitus’s illustration.
The end result was not a literal rendition of the essence of his perception on change. In fact I was frustrated at my inability to represent what I felt was a beautiful reflection on change. Therefore in order not to misrepresent Heraclitus’s illustration, I attempted a simpler theme.

My first theme was about how society appreciates ‘skin deep’ beauty. As I roamed around Arab Street, I realized how various shop houses would paint over existing walls with fresh paint. However, this ‘perfection’ was only maintained on the shop fronts. Much like white washed tombs that covered the decay occurring six feet under, the walls on back alleys of these shop houses were peeling away. I perceived this as time’s masterpiece of change. With every passing moment, time performed its task of slowly revealing what was really under this fresh coat of paint. With this I also attempt to metaphor how people are being conditioned by society to chase after what is defined as beauty, altering their features with plastic surgery. No amount of surgery can withstand the test of time.

Assignment 2

Tue, 4 Sep 2007 22:52:10 +0800

These are some of the pictures I took for this particular assignment. The main struggle I had was how to give the pictures depth. Critiques and suggestions are warmly welcomed and greatly appreciated :)

There are a couple of lightning shots I took two nights ago, fell in love with how the lights painted the night sky...

Assignment 1

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 01:29:15 +0800

I always had a problem deciding which I loved more, music or film...
Hence for this assignment, I attempted a symbolic fusion of the two.
This is my rendition of how the two blend in harmony.

For this piece, I took a reel of film that I made a couple of years back to shape the symbolic representation of music; the ‘treble clef’. The most time consuming part of the process was getting the film in place. It was pretty stubborn and kept ‘fidgeting’ so I had to secure it to the scanner with tape.

After completing the scan, I felt that the end product was a little ‘empty’. So there was a little conflict to whether I should add anything else. After some deliberation, I felt that this was the best way to present this image, and adding other objects would take the focus away and dilute the message...however this is my opinion, and I’m wide open for suggestions to how I can better approach this subject matter

Every Man’s Journey Is His Own

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 23:41:59 +0800

My journey for photography began when I first touched a manual camera back in my film school days. I was introduced to black and white photography and the darkroom, and I’ve never allowed anyone else to process my photos ever since...

The sense of intimacy as I handled my film made the final product that much more personal. I guess it’s something no one else can take from you, or understand the little subtleties of your pictures. I guess to a certain extent, with regards to my personal perspective, it is not how much someone else appreciates your pictures that matters, but more importantly it is the passion with which you relate to your own pictures that takes precedence. Well, it is my opinion that it is almost quintessential to love your own pictures before you can even begin to let others see the abstract beauty of the world through your eyes.

It was in the dark room that my passion for photography began, spending hours and sleepless nights perfecting each picture together with friends sharing this intense love for beauty. Watching in great anticipation each time my pictures came to life in the developer added hours to my reservoir of patience. I had a surreal attraction to the level of delicate care required to process a good picture, everything step needed to be timed perfectly and could not be rushed. It made me appreciate each print, even when the results were not as I desired.

Graduation was difficult. I could no longer gain access to the darkroom, and stopped taking pictures ever since...
It was not till NM2208 that I took my first photo after the long break, and rediscovered the beauty of photography. Now, with this new module, I hope to discover and hopefully fall in love with this new faculty of digital photography.

My very first SLR

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 09:14:00 +0800

I simply adore this camera! A minimalist true and true, yet there is almost nothing this camera cannot achieve...it even runs without batteries!

Think these are one of those things that you would rush into a burning house to save...