My AEP Journey :')

Well, it hasn't ended yet. There's still viva voce and AEP SOVA EOYS. But it is coming to an end really really soon and somehow, I don't want it to end. ):

AEP has never been a bed of roses for me. It has never been a smooth journey, but it is one that I will remember forever, I guess(that sounds so cheesy>.< but it's true).

I remember that in primary 6, when we first had to report to Nanyang to get our school books and school uniform, that was when I got to know about the existence of AEP. My dad wanted me to join because he said that he wanted to develop my passion and skills in art, but I refused in fear of the heavy workload that is going to come my way once I join. However, even though I refused to join AEP, my dad still secretly signed me up for the selection test(which I didn't know until a few minutes before the commencement of the test O.O). So I went to the test and I drew my shoe, did a screwed up drawing of my non-existent bedroom and a weird sculpture which could not even stand by itself and had to be taped to the table. Left the artroom with mixed emotions.

But I was so surprised that I got selected. O.O It was quite surreal as I thought that my artworks were so screwed as compared to the rest. Haha, so I got into 101'09.

Yup so I went through the first 2 years without paying that much attention to AEP as most (like 80%) of my attention was on basketball and I would put in a lot of effort to train hard for basketball. I would only put in like 40% effort into my AEP artworks (I regret it now) and AEP works are mostly rushed out at the last minute>.< ... For example, I remember that all the prep work for my sec 2 drawing and painting EOY was rushed out the night before the exam! O.O

Well, the turning point came in sec 3. That was the year which I had to drop out of basketball because of my knee injury. ): So because of that, I decided to become more hardworking in my studies and put in more effort into AEP. Haha, so in sec 3, my AEP SIA group and I decided to embark on our ambitious mega project(The Kimono Exhibition Project), which concluded on a successful note! (: And I thought that I tried to put in no less than 90% for every AEP assignment, so it was an improvement from sec 1 and sec 2!

In sec 4, coursework arrived, among many other AEP assignments such as blog task, LSC logo design, NY 95th Anniversary card and all...And very unexpectedly, I got involved in the grand musical(which I don't mind as handling the manual follow spot light was a very fun, fulfilling and enriching experience for me! The only thing which I didn't like was that a lot of time was wasted --> I had to attend musical rehearsals right after block tests even before the spot lights actually arrived...). Getting involved in the musical meant that a lot of time that could have been spent on coursework was being taken away, and after the musical ended, I only had like 3 weeks left before the submission of coursework. So those 3 weeks were a mad rush(especially the one week of September holidays). But in the end, there was still this sense of achievement after submitting my coursework on Monday. It marked the closure to a very long journey.

Today, is the due date of this AEP blog which have accompanied me throughout this year. And after 12 midnight today, another year-long journey would have come to a closure too. I have enjoyed posting on this blog, as it is like sharing my art and views about art with the whole world. After today, I would still continue to post on this blog(after EOYs) and fill this blog with artworks that I will create during the loooong December holidays, and I will upload photos of our AEP trip to London and Paris too! (:

Well, I would like to say that this journey has been a bittersweet one for me, and I hope that everyone feels the same. AEP has its ups and downs, and sometimes, I must admit that AEP assignments were a pain as it clashed with our schoolwork. AEP is a very time-consuming subject and AEPers(including me) would often complain about how busy we are, and the extra time that we had to churn out to complete out AEP projects. It was quite difficult balancing AEP with our other subjects. AEP has deprived loads of my sleeping time, causing me to yawn extensively in class sometimes and even fall asleep in boring lessons.
But nevertheless, looking back, I guess that life would be quite mundane without AEP. AEP has broadened my horizons, and SOVA has taught me how to appreciate arts of different forms and art pieces which defy the conventional notion of art. I remembered that in sec 1, I only had eyes for the Old Master's works and I thought that Henri Matisse's works were ugly. Now, I thought that his works are actually quite unique (though not my favourite). AEP has allowed me to step out of my used-to-be narrowed mind and see so many things from different perspectives! AEP has also allowed me to experiment with so many different mediums, although I actually hoped that we could have touched on a wider variety of mediums in our 4 years here(such as pin-hole photography, woodcut etc.). I often look forward to AEP lessons(especially in sec 3 and sec 4) as it would mean that I can see 201'09 again. AEP has kept our class united as one and I love talking, laughing and doing art with my fellow AEPers. I would definitely miss the times in the artroom, where we would share our thoughts and laughter with one another. Such good memories :') I love the chemistry of our class as the bond that we share as a class is strong. Life would be so different if I had not met 201'09 and I am thankful that AEP has allowed me to keep in touch with them even after we had to be split into different classes.

Thank you Ash, Beilin, Caiwen, Fangni, Grace, Hsi Chien, Hui Sze, Jinglin, Jub, Kim, both Shu Huis, Pang, Rachel, Sharon, Si Ting, Svena, Sushi, Xinyu, Xinge, Yiyuan, Yuqi and Zhongxin for the wonderful times! (: Really really thank you very much! I hope that we will keep in touch even after we go to HCI and I hope that everyone will continue doing art, whether you are in HCAEP or not! Oh yeah and thank you to AEP teachers for guiding us through this 4 years of AEP! (:

Thank you AEP for all the wonderful memories! :D

Coursework Final (:

METAMORPHOSIS(2012)

Oil on Canvas with Thread

1.5m x 1.0m x 2 canvases

 

 

 

Hmm, they are supposed to be displayed one on top of the other. But they will only be hung up after EOYs so I shall see how it looks like when they are properly displayed.

 

Well, it will be quite hard to explain my work, but I will try my best. (: There are so many thoughts going through my mind now. I find it harder to explain my work to people and I find that writing SOVA essays seem much easier. :/

 

 

MEANING OF MY WORK:

 

When I was young, I used to think that the world is a very nice place - I didn't know that wars, corruption existed and I was a little oblivious to many things that are happening in society. When we are all young, we used to be innocent, and due to our innocence and the fact that we are oblivious to the real world, we feel happier, more carefree. In my case, I felt that my childhood was filled with many happy memories, and that the life I led was more colourful and "pure". I had a lot of stuff toys when I was young(an entire wardrobe could be filled with all the stuff toys that I have!) and I often played with them when I was bored. Stuff toys are symbolic of the happy memories of my childhood. The girl in the first painting represented this notion of happiness, purity and childhood innocence, where she is shielded from the cruel society, hidden in her little shell, playing with stuff toys. The colourful hair represents the vitality of the child and suggests that her childhood life is filled with many colours.The stars hanging from the curtains represent the notion of hopes and dreams of the young child.

 

However, after the child grows up, she is exposed to the cruel society. As seen in the second painting, she metamorphoses into a lifeless looking "human" puppet. The girl's hair has changed from a used-to-be colourful hair into greyish hair. Her healthy flesh tones have turned white and seem to lack blood flow. It is as if life is sucked out of the girl, which causes her to look lifeless and tired. This represents the fact that many people are morphed into society's toy, controlled by what society wants us to be and somehow, forced to do what society wants us to do. The society becomes the ruthless puppet master and we become the helpless puppets. The person wearing the mask is representative of society's watchful eyes on us, looking over us. Her eyes are not seen, so we cannot see her complete facial features, which gives her anonymity and can actually represent the entire society. She looks at the puppet with a sinister smile... It is like "Big Brother's watching over you" - George Orwell. The stuff toys that represent innocence in the past have morphed into evil looking ones. It represents that as we grow up, everything changes, everything is different and we are forced to face the cruel world.

 

The puppet is giving a rose to the devil bear. The rose represents happy memories and it represents purity and beauty. However, the puppet is forced to give the rose to the devil. It symbolises that society robs us of true happiness as it controls us. It is like selling our happiness to society(the devil).

 

 

 

The whole work seems to be taking place in a theatre setting. I chose the theatre setting as I thought that it would be an appropriate setting to place puppets. The theatre also represents the notion of a play going on - a show that is purposedly scripted, manipulated and crafted. It is like how our life is manipulated by society in a way. Our life is like a staged show. The checkered floors are supposed to represent the chess boards - we are like chess pieces, being played by society.

 

The strings of the puppet actually connect the two pieces of work together. The puppet's strings are also present in the first painting as it means that the society has always been cruel ever since we are young, but it is just that we are blinded by this fact, oblivious to the "real world" and living happily in our own world of fantasy.

 

The top composition seems more simplistic and the bottom painting seems more cluttered with symbols. It also represents the fact that life in the past(childhood) was much more simple as compared to now(the present). I want to go back to being a child again. ):

 

Colour Scheme: Well, I made use of complementary colours. (: Red curtains vs. the Green checkered floor. Purple eyes vs. Yellow dress. Orange/Gold Frame vs. Blue in different areas.

The colours ae mainly pastel colours, which is quite ironic as pastel colours suggest a notion of lightness and a more positive outlook. Well, it looks like a happy, normal painting at first glance but when one stops to analyse the work, she can tell that some of the symbols used are actually quite morbid and sad. It is like how our society looks perfect at first glance, but there are actually a lot of problems existing in our society if we bother to look deeper. Everything is not what it seems to be.

 

 

Close-ups:

 

 

 

 

 

p.s. you may not share the same views as I do but in this coursework, I think that I am just expressing the darker side of my thoughts. In reality, I think that I am a more optimistic person. (: I think that what I feel is partially true - we are somewhat controlled by society and we have to follow what society wants us to be. Well, we are not oppressed like Lucia Hartini, but we are not that free too, and as Nanyang Girls, we are supposed to be the "top of the top". Society expects us to become successful women in the future, placing expectations on us and somehow, I feel that we are all somewhat controlled by these expectations. Personally, I feel that many people expect me to become a doctor in the future(not that I mind) but I feel that these pre-expectations of the people around me actually control my thoughts in a way...it is somewhat like asking me to do what they want. ><

 

Somehow I think that I am not making sense. It is really hard to put my thoughts into words. >.< My work just confused me...I hope I didn't contradict myself in any point.

 

Personal thoughts about my work:

I won't say I am very satisfied by it. There are a lot of rooms for improvement. But since it is my first time attempting such a large scaled painting(my largest artwork as of today), I shall consider this to be a good effort. (: I am glad that I finished(: I was quite worried as I only continued painting my not-yet-half-done painting after musical ended, which was 3 weeks prior to the submission deadline. If I had more time, I would include more symbols and details...

 

Anyway, I am not that emo! >.< As I said, this is the emo side of my thoughts which I would like to show as people normally don't see me as a emo person(not that I am). Haha, I guess that even as we may be puppets of the society, we should try to live past everyday with happiness so as to make our life more meaningful...(:

 

 

Comments on Peer's blogs :D

Links to my comments on my peer's blogs! :D

Grace

Jing Lin

Lee Shu Hui

Sharon

Pang Xin

Ooi Shu Hui

I remembered I had more but I can't find them. ):

Coursework Prep boards

Prepatory Boards x 8

2012

NY 95th anniversary card

My birthday card to celebrate Nanyang's 95th Anniversary! (: It turned out to look quite aesthetically pleasing despite the fact that it was rushed out within three days(well, the whole card project, inclusive of the prep work). Haha I must say that I am rather pleased with this little card.

 

I remember that the first AEPers who saw this card were Si Ting and Pang Xin. The first comment that Si Ting made was: "That is so you". I guess that she meant that the flowers kind of reflected my own personal style, which I have continuously developed ever since the kimono project last year. Those handcut, hand-dyed flowers have become my trademark now. (: And I like making those flowers, depite the fact that I will take like 1 hour for one flower(so tedious and tiring ><).

 Well, both sides of the card are tied together with the red ribbon, so one have to pull the ribbon loose in order to open the card(which is highly not recommended cos the inside is blank>.<). This is a concept which I have came up with a few years ago, and I have often used this concept with my cards - be it teacher's day cards or birthday cards. An example can be seen here: Mrs Soh's birthday card
It was inspired by the wrapping of gifts - opening the card would be like opening a present. (: Well, I stuck the on the silver gems one by one...it is supposed to give the card more detail and a more decorative, finished look! (: It also made the card look more pretty I guess (:

 MY PREP WORK(Arranged in order) :

Mindmap: The typical first page of my prep work for every assignment. -.- Well, it is to crack my brain for ideas and to sort out the ideas in a neater way. I realise that throughout these 4 years, I have developed a distinctive style for my mindmap! (:

 Research pics: The typical second page of my prep. -.- Haha, it is to source for images which I could refer to!

 Drawings, which is an attempt to fill up more space actually... I don't really see a need to draw so many things as my final piece is handcrafted with minimal drawings. But I guess it is an essential part of prep work for every assignment. Oh well...

 Experimenting with different fonts and text! And trying to decide if I should include English or Chinese words on my card...I believe that bold and impactful text is an important component of the cover page of cards!

Hands on experiment. Dying newspapers with expired tea so that they look old--> The one dyed piece of paper which I included on the final card is supposed to show the fact that Nanyang has a long history of 95 years...Artist influence is included on this page! (: I was really inspired by the handmade cards by Julia Stainton! (: Click on her website to view many more beautiful paper crafts and cards!!! :D

Haha, composition. It is also an essential part of every prep work.

 

 

 

Now, it is being displayed at the art gallery, on one of the walls. It is displayed along with the birthday cards of fellow AEPers! (: I feel that each card reflects one's individual style and even though the purpose of the cards are the same, it is the different styles that makes each and every card unique and special in their own way! :D It is somewhat like a reflection of our personal identity and artistic style, which we have developed throughout the 4 years in AEP. (:

Basketball Player Sculpture

MEDIUM: Wire, Plaster, Spray Paint

 

DATE: 2010

 



A sec 2 assignment which I dug out from the storeroom today. We are supposed to create a sculpture of a sportsperson in action and I chose to create the form of a basketball player in action(haha for obvious reasons!!).

We first had to create the form of the sculpture using wires. I had great difficulties twisting the wires to create the necessary forms as it was my first time working with wires(suffered from cuts and bruises). Nevertheless, it was a great experience! Then after we finished working on the form, we had to cut plaster strips into small little squares before sticking them onto the wire base. We use water to glue the plaster strips together. (:
The last part is to paint the sculpture. I painted the sculpture with black paint, before dripping green and white paint onto the sculpture like Jackson Pollock! (: To add a finishing touch, I sprayed my sculpture with white spray paint.

 

                                      Close up on the painterly patterns on the sculpture:

I thought that the white spray paint made the sculpture look like it grew mould. >.< But it also gave it a frosty look! (: At first there was a base for the sculpture, but it was removed cos it had to be exhibited along with the rest of the sculptures. So it cannot stand on its own now. ):

Freedom of Expression

Done during one of the earlier AEP practical lessons this year cos I had no practically no idea what I should do for my coursework. So I was playing around with different mediums found in the art room as experimentations! (: Mainly playing with the idea of abstract art, colours and randomness.

MEDIUM: Mixed Media (Ink, Water, Wires, Paint, Toilet Paper, Drawing Block and Coloured paper)

 This was the very first piece. It was created by dropping ink and then dropping drops of water onto the paper, and slanting the paper to create trails of diluted ink.

 Decided to use bolder and brighter colours. Sprayed water onto the paper to create the "splashing" effect and it can also allow the inks to spread to cover a wider area on the paper. Don't know what got into my mind but decided to tear strips of toilet paper and cut wires to stick onto the paper, to create a textural effect.

Got bored of white, plain drawing block and decided to explore the use of positive and negative space. So I got a few pieces of black A3 coloured paper and a big big bucket of acrylic paint. Dipped the brush into the paint and then moving my arm randomly over the piece of paper, watching paint drip onto the paper. It is like Jackson Pollock's works (: (On a smaller scale). Splashed ink on top of the dried acrylic to create a coloured effect. The dry acrylic popped out of the piece of paper by the way, creating textures in the work! (:

The result of me and Sharon's combined effort! (: My favourite piece out of the 4, due to the bright warm, yellow and red tones. We worked in a cyclical way, and the big lumps are formed by pausing our brush over an area to let more paint drip onto the paper. It was a very carefree way of doing art. I like it (:



Well, I would like to create more works like this in the future. I thought that it can help to relieve stress and the products actually turned out quite nicely! (: This messy style of working is quite different from my usual style as I would often draw and paint my forms carefully. Although these works lack a significant subject matter, it is just created on impulse and it is done in a very expressive manner(which I like!). I thought that I could have done more experiments and that I could have used a wider range of materials to enhance my works! I wanted to use spray paint but I didnt. Well, I thought that the inks on black paper had the efect of spray paint so I guess it's ok. I like how the different materials interact with one another to form an entire composition! (:

Macdonalds Street Art

This is very innovative! It is like advertising in the unusual way(but nevertheless creative) way. Even though I don't exactly like the idea of promoting fast food, I feel that we need these bunch of creative people to constantly change our world and surprise us by fusing art into our everyday lives. Art can change the face of the world.

Art makes the world go round. (: