View From The Six
16 - 30 Jan 2016
Views from the 6ix
The act of view(ing), often defined as an act of visual examination; wherein observation of a subject leads to having it rendered into one’s mind formulating cognitive processes throughout, before translating it into a form of opinion, belief, idea or a way of thinking. Be that as it may, these formulated thoughts are, of course, subjected to one’s particular angle(s).
Reflecting on the history of art, an artist is deemed as one of the top professions as artists are not only applauded for their technical abilities, but also their rendering skills in portraying imageries as well as the ability to bring forth ideas and messages that they intend to want to conjure and convey to the society.
“By attempting to see the uniqueness in everything around us, we can expand our sensitivity and response to art. The author Gertrude Stein wrote, “A rose is a rose is a rose.” A literal interpretation would lead us to expect all roses to be identical, but we know that every rose is different character, even with identical breeding and grooming. Every object is ultimately unique, be it a chair, a tree, or a person. One major characteristics that sets the artist apart is the ability to see (and experience) the subtle differences in things. By exposing those differences, the artist can make the ordinary seems distinctive, the humdrum exciting.” –
If there is one thing that good artists – be it poets, musicians, sculptors or painters – have in common; it is the ability to touch people very deeply and personally through their artworks. As opposed to merely helping us to have deeper understanding of our humanity and the historical conditions we live in, Art also has the capability persuade us into rethinking whether our reality needs to be revised or changed for the better. Being the catalyst of change, Art can be used as a medium to confront personal, social and political issues via criticisms of the world as it is and a vision of the world as it can be.
“However, unlike the greater part of media debate and our own day-to-day discussions, the nature of artistic practice often encourages distinctive ideas and views that rarely reiterate conventionally held attitudes, consequently providing us with a different and frequently critical perception. Reasons for this might range from art’s avant-garde legacy to its essential independence from political control and the inherent individualism of artistic creation.”
View from the 6ix is a compilation of views of six artists ranging from multiple topics on society and how art can be the medium in expressing these thoughts of theirs in their respective ways. One of the main points of the exhibition is not intended to be a form of introductory (of the artist) per se, but also to offer a fresh view on certain topics in everyday lives to the audience through imageries or non-imageries. The exhibition offers six bodies of work comprise of five executed in figurative manner and one in abstract form.
- Extending from the materialist stance of Sulaiman Esa and Redza Piyadasa’s Mystical Reality, Amar Shahid hopes to reinstate discussions of formalism back into art criticism, with issues relevant to the local sphere of art and culture. In his latest artwork, Amar tends to question the definition of both two-dimensional and three-dimensional planes by suggesting unforeseeable ways to solve the equation.
- Known for utilizing charcoal as his primary weapon, Arikwibowo Amril often portrays his artwork in a mystical manner with the help of dramatic black and white persona as well as horrid compositions of disfigured bodies. Taking cue from Andy Warhol from the Pop era, the artist uses repetition of symbols as a metaphor to signify the plight of the people who are crying out their dissatisfactions against the economic injustice imposed by the higher authority.
- In ‘Desire’, Chayanin Kwangkaew voices out his thoughts on consumerism and how it affects daily life of the people. This series of paintings could be passed as a work of illustrative advertisement often seen on billboards in public, is perhaps the artist’s way to lure and educate, or even tease artwork-gazers of the dangers of the material world we are currently living in.
- Bridging the past and the present is not an easy feat; not without stumbling over glitches or worse, incompatibilities along the process. Fazrin Abd Rahman dares it all by highlighting the traditional technique of ‘weaving’. Known as ‘anyaman’ in the Malay language, he implements the technique skillfully in a contemporary form. Through the observation of traditional approach, the artist upholds the discipline of craftsmanship and the attention to details that dwells within.
- Heikal Taki’s ideation revolves around a random topic concerning the society, culture, belief, and depiction of gender through his personal perspective. The artist delves into the duality of being literal and figurative in transmitting messages in his series of paintings.
- “The internet is a place where the ignorant are being hailed, the educated are questionable; where knowledge is simply cast aside and ignored, and where gossips are the only one worth seeking for. Fueled by trends and vanity, everyone is trying to find their 15 minutes of fame. Welcome to the latest plague of the 21st century” – Safar Zin
Being comprised of ideas and thoughts based on six artist’s state of interest, the exhibition hopes to have to somehow trigger a spark on the audience’s mind of what they might or might not been missing all these while. At the end of the day, the artists never really intend on solving problems or saving the world. They are merely sharing a view for us to ponder upon. So take a seat because you are in for a treat.
Heikal Taki
Writer
Ocvirk, Stinson, Wigg, Bone, Cayton, Art Fundamentals Theory and Practice, (New York:McGraw-Hill, 2009), pp 21.
Whitam G., Pooke G., Understand Contemporary Art, (London:Hachette UK, 2010), pp 183.

Emulation Subseries 3 of 3 - Pseudo-classical figures
Amar Shahid
92x138cm
Oil and Bintumen on Canvas
2015

Emulation Subseries 3 of 3 - Pseudo-classical figures
Amar Shahid
92x138cm
Oil and Bintumen on Canvas
2015
- Amar Shahid
- Arikwibowo
- Chayanin Kwangkaew
- Fazrin Abd Rahman
- Heikal Taki
- Safar Zin