Ar$
Medium: Installation Photography
Size: 20 X 50 CM
Completion Date: 8th February 2013
"What is art?" "Is art worthy?" "How do contemporary art be defined?"
I believe many of art students and even professionals must have these questions in mind. As a summary of the whole IB Diploma Visual Art course, this piece of work wants to explore bits by bits about art, especially the significance of Contemporary Art, and how the money and business interests involved. Inspired by the two songs "The Best ..." and "Water Lily" by Hong Kong singer and songwriter Ivana Wong, she tried to deconstruct how Hong Kong society perceive "art."
"The Best ..." the entire Chinese lyrics is about today's society turn art into a playful thing. Everyone only knows how to spoil good things and does not know how to treasure them. "Water Lily" lyrics describes how the art that you want to create, but worrying that nobody appreciates it, it's like Impressionists Van Gogh and Monet in Art History.
Similarly, as a Hong Kong citizen, I feel that I have a close relationship with this theme. When I decided to choose art as my future life path, it had caused uproars within my family and others who did not understand art. This is because Hong Kong values art too little. Even worse, In recent years, the rising trend of Chinese contemporary art has made Art world even more corrupted, incompleteness, commercialized and soulless.
I have thought of many other expressions, such as graffiti, installation art, or sculptures. Unfortunately, the effect is not as good as it is right now. So I went back to the basics, looking at the masterpieces of the most famous painters, mainly masters of still life paintings, such as VINCENT VAN GOGH, PAUL GAUGUIN and GIORGIO MORANDI. These Art historical masters, painting still-life based on the beauty of objects, the persistence of light, the colour, and artists' personal expressions with their own feelings, skills, ideas and horizons, all these elements make still life paintings so attractive.
Unfortunately and in contrary, the reason why the so-called artist in today's society creates still life paintings are due to money and business interest, hoping that works can publicity and get into the auction market,
Using the famous old masterpieces of still life paintings, and wrapped with newspapers that symbolize business and money, is to create that contradiction in today's contemporary art, how artists are interested in money-making, instead of art-making. In some cases, the art of today's society promotes the copy culture, thoroughly imitate Old Masters without a style.
Do you agree with my point? and do what do you see as Art nowadays?
