Finally back at the National Museum to catch the Voom show and also to revisit to Chien-chi’s show (read my Oct 21st 2008 entry).
I especially loved Robert Wilson’s Voom show. It really challenges what is a portrait. By keeping them still, they are almost like paintings or photography, but the ‘action’ that plays itself out is just wonderfully more layered; in the non-movement, there are just so much more life.
The Brad Pitt’s portrait (that EVERYONE talked about), is really not as much sexy as it was threatening (when he finally pulls up his gun), not so much Brad Pitt, but the character he plays. Johnny Depp’s also rather similar. I was tickled silly by Isabella Rossellini; whom I never thought would be up for such a role! There were many celebrities and some artists, and 1 royalty; I wonder if that was just a reflection of the popular culture, and if they were chosen because they would be able to handle such a portrayal of what Wilson wants.
Wilson, in his own words, writes that he doesn’t interpret his own work, but rather to allow others to interpret it for themselves. It reminds me of the many students who tell me that they just want others to interpret their work, rather than interpret it themselves. Of course, the two is just different. Wilson, has created works that are in themselves, layered, and it tells of many different stories and interpretation within each image; by giving an interpretation would limit the image itself, and when an audience is allowed to come to their own understanding, it brings forth the depth of the stories that are unfolded within the audience’s mind.
Chien-chi’s works, still moves me. This time round, I had my Chinese worker friends come with me (Yes, I paid for them; would never allow them to spend like this.) Their reaction was actually that of relief that they did not live the lives of these NY based construction workers. Some have similar stories from the village where they came from; it seems the different regions of China has different types of skills that are exported overseas. Many workers now prefer to stay within Asia. Looking at the Video of the older workers who have spent more than 15-19 years away from home, only to go home to strange land and unfamiliar children makes them realize the reason why they are here, and that the family is more important.
Many, many years ago, when I was still way tender, I’ve once thought of doing a piece on foreign workers here in Singapore, because I want to live life just like they do, but know that I cannot. It is very different from the time I was allowed to spent my holiday working in one of my grandfather’s rubber plantations in Malaysia; I liked waking up early to go into the dark forests, I liked to see wildlife unfold before my eyes (a cock fighting with a huge centipede more than a metre long), I liked the ‘toughness’ of it. Almost like working with nature. Construction workers, coffee boys and chefs would be so different. But nonetheless, I feel that something will come out of this eventually.
