Edgelands

BORDERS   OF   TIME

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BORDERS OF TIME

1000 WORDS ESSAY

Speed, time, and efficiency, these are the three main concerns in the society we live in today. Given the advancement in technology and rapid consumption, there are many changes in the way one consumes information and goods. There is a constant strive for perfection and speed with no room for mistakes. Such strive applies in all aspects, for instance, faster transport, greater innovations and better design ideas. Increasing speed is the ultimate condition for survival. In the midst of creating systems to support our demands for better living, better ideas, Nature gets forgotten. They get replaced by cold concrete structures. Many forget the importance of Nature in ensuring the growth of every economy. More often than not, Nature is taken for granted. Rather than appreciating Nature for its inherent rawness and beauty, artificial beauty is often more celebrated in our world today.  Artificial beauty dominates and replaces the raw, authentic and unpolished conditions of Nature. Buildings are being brutally cast aside for new inventions, with disregard to any memories or emotional attachments towards them. People give life to buildings and vice versa. Architecture and Nature is always in constant intersections. Borders and spaces change with time, almost like a reflection of how we perceive time and spaces, like a mirror. The mirror reflects what we created, what we took away, what is left. Nature seeps into man-made structures and disappears, leaving only traces of its remains.   Society changes with necessity. “Necessity is the mother of invention”. With the advancement of modern technology, it is only logical that change occurs. The way we communicate, consume and transmit information now is very different compared to how it was before. Communication is getting increasingly direct and straightforward and in various forms of media, imageries. The communication tool that an artist uses is very crucial in relating to an audience. What I find fascinating is that every material is associated with different meanings. This in turn changes the way we react and respond to the materials.

Sculptures are solid and grounded, the way one choses to display them is very telling about the information they want to convey. Carefully cut and brutally pierced into cold concrete structures. Concrete is created by the hardening property of cement. Concrete is the most essential ingredient in the formation of buildings. Taking into context the solid nature of concrete, we relate to the stability of the material. Sand belongs to nature; nature is unconforming and would not mold into the forms of society. Our sculptures are a mix of sand and concrete, a literal display of literal of what man has tried to do over the past century, to deal with and control nature. We cover the beauty of nature, masking it, shaping it to fit into the rigid constrains of society. We do not see the true form of nature. We see artificial beauty; plants and trees planted in straight lines along void decks, in parks and even in well- renowned places in Singapore are some instances. Nature is not systematical, they have no rules. Borders are temporal. Humans create clean borders of where Nature should be. Nature is 'everywhere'. For instance, we try to control where the birds should or shouldn't fly.  Keeping them in cages, even shooting them down to prevent overpopulation. Likewise, trees are being burnt down, land flattened to create more land for people to live on. Graveyards are being dug out to create room for new buildings. Memories are being brutally cast aside. Where are the borders between nature and structure. Where is that ethical line we shouldn't cross? Would places and people hold significant memories for anyone anymore? Mirror is like a representation of time, nothing is ever permanent, not even life. It is human nature to want to classify and divide the boundaries of nature and structure. This in turn creates ethical concerns of what is rightful ours and what is not, what we can have and what we cannot. We cut nature down so brutally to create room for our selfish needs. I hope that more thoughts would go into understanding the consequences of bad decisions made to our environment. Sometimes the most beautiful architectures are left unadorned and abandoned. Nature listens to no one, borders are only temporal, just like the ocean, borders changes with time. There has to be a change in the society we live in today, we should be highly aware of the rate in which we are cutting down nature for our own desires.

We have to keep some of nature before they are all used up. There is a need for change as the planet is dying. The forest and ocean are so brutally exploited. We throw oil and chemicals in the sea like no one is watching; yet we take so much from nature. We cut into nature so cold-heartedly, building landfills of trash and covering them underground. We dig out diamonds and gems to sell for profit. We took everything from nature, without mercy. Just because nature is quiet, it doesn't mean that they are submissive to our doings, they retaliate with tornados and hurricanes in many parts of the world. Nature needs us. Nature should be treated with respect. We shouldn't let greed and consumption consume us.

Genetically modified crops (GMO) , they contain seeds that many farmers use to grow their crops. Companies that use such methods to grow crops are not concerned of their workers' health nor are they mindful about the chemicals they release into the air. The chemical dyes used for our clothes are being released into the ocean, not only the harming the environment but also the people who consume the water. They will be disabled and poisoned to a slow death. 

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POP 05 - EXHIBITION

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PUTTING IT TOGETHER

We tested the fitting of the mirrors and structure, before taking out the plastic covers from the mirrors. This is to ensure that the mirror stays intact, before gluing it to the structures with Uhu glue.

DONE !

EXHIBITION MODE !

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MAKING OUR OWN MOLDS

This is for the molds that we can’t find. I might have drawn it alittle big as i thought the mold would be bigger. However i was adviced by the technician to draw a smaller mold in order for the structure to be stable. As the structure that we wanted was an irregular structure. After drawing and cutting out the structure, i taped it one round with masking tape, to prevent the mixture from sipping through.

This is a black mounting board, some of the black have gotten into the structure itself, which i find it beautiful. As to how accidental beauty are created with no initial intentions. I wouldnt call this a mistake as there are beauty in imperfections, this imperfections in turn changes the work to be more interesting and raw.

Afterwards, i added a little water. Softly rubbing only some parts of the structure, to create a gradual transition of light to dark. Mimicking the transition of ocean waves.

We polished up some parts of the other structures, intentionally sandpapering the structure to reveal parts of the sand that we used. Though it was initially not our plan, to reveal the sand. However, when some parts are already shown, I found it beautiful, hence making the decision to enhance parts of it even more. I guess.. Nature really do find its way around, unconforming to its restricted boundaries.

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CUTTING OF MIRRORS

These are from 2 A3 size mirrors that we bought from artfriend. This are pieces of mirror Olivia cut out. Afterwards, she used the machine to smoothen the edges.

We applied glue to all the mirrors, allowing it to dry for 5-10 minutes before attaching the pieces together

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FORMING THE STRUCTURES

Using two 4mm plastic strips, we inserted it into the mixture for it to harden when its dried. The reason why we used plastic was because it is easier to knock it out of our structure and has the thickness that we want. This thickness is measured carefully for us to insert the double sided 2mm mirrors once it is dried. This is how it will look like after knocking out the plastic strip ..

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PREPARING OUR MOLD

The most effective lacquers are the ones that are the cheapest as it is more water-soluble compared to the more expensive ones. We sprayed the daiso boxes with lacquer to prevent the mixture from sipping out of the box. This will allow smooth removal of boxes once the mixture is hardened.

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MIXING CEMENT AND SAND

We did many batches of mixture and did some tests before doing the actual structure. We also added some water, for it to flow into the formation of liquid. 

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We have gone to daiso to get boxes for our mold. We bought wood lacquer (a different one from the image above) , we used that to spray our boxes before we pour in our mixture of cement and sand. This is to ensure that the mixture do not pour out from the boxes and stays in shape to dry. For cement, I have gone to a hardware store from geylang. About 3 white bags of cement and 4 grey bags of cement. For other materials, I went to overjoyed to get blackmounting boards to create our own molds for the shapes we couldn’t find.

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After consulting our school’s workshop technician, we learnt that we have to incooperate sand to cement. This is to attain a perfectly clean aesthetic and be able to take out our plastic pieces after our structures are dried. Not to mention, with sand in our sculpture, we have unintentionally enhanced our concept even stronger. To bring about elements of nature and structure, in their most literal and physical form.

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ROLE OF AN ARTIST/DESIGNER

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF AN ‘ARTIST/DESIGNER’ IN TODAY’S SOCIETY?

FAVE:

To me, the role of an artist is one that create questions and start a conversation while a designer empathises and caters to the needs of society today. In our fast-paced society, there is a need for speed and efficiency. There are higher demands of the way we consume information and faster methods of digital communications. Though it is easier to communicate in such an environment, it also means that we are able to get messages across quite easily, this might be a blessing and a curse as our voices and opinions have the capability to be spreaded worldwide within seconds. Hence i feel that as an artist, we have to be aware of the current issues that we are addressing in order to stay relevant. Works that are meaningful and controversial goes a long way, they are the ones that stays in someone’s memory even when time fades. The ones that becomes history. To create meaning, one may not necessarily have his/her stand in the questions they propose. They can just be a question for the public to answer. There are many types of works an artist can propose, emotional works that reminds the public of something or someone or physical works that challenges the boundaries of morals and ethics. An artist have the power to create emotions, questions and bring awareness of the truth.

SAGA:

In today’s society, an artist plays the role of an influential persona. They have the power to change the minds of the youth and facilitate political advancements. They stimulate people’s feelings with their artworks and often convey a strong message through them. Today, art exists in everything. From paintings to music, to acting. Directing a movie or photographing is also a form of art. With so many jobs and scope for artists, and the increasing support for the art industry, we can entertain ourselves and allow artists to express themselves as well. Most of the artists are extremely conceptual and their works require analytical thinking. The deeper an artist’s nature of work is, the more convincing his work will be. This is also how they persuade people but instead of facts they use often use symbols and feelings to communicate. A change is bought my a new mindset and a paradigm shift will only occur if people start feeling a different way. Thus, artists are important in today’s world of increasing terror attacks and hunger. Most of the works done by artists are personal and people end up relating to their personal stories. These artists still impact the lives of people who live a similar life as the artist. They say people love the music they can relate to. A lot of people feel alone in this world and when artists create things that makes them feel understood, its special to them. Without artists, this world would be a boring place. The Musical ‘Hamilton’ was a huge success because of its modern musical rap twist that the engaged the youth as well. This musical was the reason an enormous amount of teenagers became interested in politics. Nowadays we also have street performers who showcase their art for free and entertain a large crowd delivering either a strong statement or just serenading them with live music.

To conclude, artists can help us shape the future and spread kindness and understanding while they become inspirations and are idolised.

OLIVIA:

The artist is a pleasure for me to add fun to people, increase color, and record the role of everyone living. The artist is added fun for people, increase color, and record the role of everything. For example, cooperation between artists from conflicting peoples or touring art shows that bring real- Levels of understanding between cultures. Artists have been using their own way to record the country and then through the media to show to everyone to see.

The artist is also the communicator of the culture. He uses his own ideas and ways to show a different culture.It is clear that artists have many different roles, but no matter what medium they use or style they explore, they all share the same purpose, to create art. Art that is beautiful, art that is political, art that is accessible, art that challenges, art that is expressive, art that is cryptic.The very basic idea is that artists reflect themselves and their surroundings.This could be factual and realistic or surreal, symbolic and expressive. the role of the artists is in part to describe life, but also to illuminate and shed light on aspects that may otherwise be missed.

Finally, there is no doubt that the status of the artist has improved. But did not change is that they have always insisted on doing their own. They have been in their own way to express their views on people, the world or politics. The artist incorporates everything in their own work.

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IMPACT OF ETHICAL VALUES

ART DIRECTION WORKS THAT POTENTIALLY THINK ABOUT THE IMPACT OF ETHICAL VALUES WITHIN THE WORK

Andy Goldsworthy is a visionary artist that uses natural mediums like snow, branches, rocks and pebbles to make mind bending sculptures and then photographs them. The artist’s works are very personal and thought provoking. They speak volumes about life using metaphors.  The most beautiful part about his works is that they disappear in time and he documents it before this happens. This shows how things change and how natural artwork returns to just being nature. He sees growth in the ephemeral concept of his art. He plants them in places and watch them grow till they eventually decay and vanish. This signifies human life and how fleeting it is. 

He is the founder of the contemporary rock balancing art. His principle is that he doesn’t edit the materials he uses because they belong to the nature. He uses his bare hands and teeth as tools to make his sculptures. "Looking, touching, material, place and form are all inseparable from the resulting work. It is difficult to say where one stops and another begins. The energy and space around a material are as important as the energy and space within.” - Andy Goldsworthy He expresses the connection between material things and the intangible things. With time, the art work interacts with the space in which it is placed, with the temperature and the light. Although his works are still controversial because they affect the ecosystem and manipulate the randomness, rawness and purity of nature. On the contrary, these works eventually cycle back to their original state or break apart once the weather changes hence not much harm is done to the nature.

'Yellow Elm Leave Laid Over a Rock' by Andy Goldsworthy is an artwork that makes a rock look bright yellow and it stands out amongst the other rocks. The artist does this without the use of adhesives and he pastes the leaves on the rock using moisture and other naturally available materials. Even though he manipulates the way nature looks, he does this using nothing manmade. This shows that the change can still be a natural occurring. The yellow rock can be done on photoshop within seconds but the artist goes out in the woods and spends hours sticking the leaves on the rock making the process more organic. The leaves bring out the trees on the back of the stream. He builds a dreamlike setting out of reality by using nothing manmade. As the stream flows, the water slowly sweeps away the leaves and the rock discolors bit by bit. The flow of water in the stream depict the passing of time and the removal of color from the rock shows the change that occurs in time.

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These are our prototypes. We were thinking of a way to create an aesthetically pleasing yet meaningful work. The reflective metals represent the multifaceted dimensions of time and the clay was supposed to mimic stones/bricks that represent the restriction of borders. We find ways to replace our material choices. This is a crucial consideration that we must make as a creator of art. The best and most direct form of communication is through the material in which we use. We have decided to replace our reflective metals with double sided mirrors, our stone clay with cement and sand. These changes helps to further enhance our concept and communicate better with our audience.

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These are our inspirations for our sculptures. These artists uses materials like mirror, marbles and brass. We have chosen to reference their works, taking a simple and minimalistic aesthetic to our own interpretations. There are elements of industrial, graphical and interior designs.

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Ila, ‘Air Dicincang Tidak Akan Putus’, installation view at Objectifs, Singapore, 2017. 

‘Air Dicincang Tidak Akan Putus’ means “water that is cut can never be severed”.

The exhibition “Fantasy Islands”, explores the multiple relations between Batam and Singapore. The idea of “islandness” as a staged event, framed by the concepts of borders and desires. Curated by Kin Chui and Mitha Burdhyarto who presented works by 7 indonesian and Singaporean artists. Despite close proximity of the two islands, there is limited understanding of both places. 

What is interesting is the placement of the work in the exhibition (right at the opening of the door). Looking at the exhibition through the layers of glass within the box, it made me feel as if i am looking through a warped reality, immersing into the deep oceans of time and place. 

Like the surrounding sea, the fishermen in Tanjung Uma strive to continue surviving even though their livelihood has been affected since the 70s, triggering a sense of loss in the artist. The work, uses objects that have accidental washed up onto shore, mirroring the resilience and pointlessness of the struggles against time and tide.

The context of what you already know shapes the way you percieve and interpret the work. Objects are symbols, the condition of the objects (new, old, clean or rusted), where it is placed creates meaning which gives value to the work.

In the glass box, we see used and rusted objects that appears as if they had just rode up the shore. These objects seem untouchable, like treasures that were hidden underwater far from visible eyes. One may wonder who does the objects belong to : Is there a meaning behind them? Or as to what symbolism it may hold. Is there even a belonging? Are the objects seperated by borders of Singapore and Indonesia ? The ocean runs deep and wild like nature, unconforming to the restricted “borders” of the islands. When nothing really seperates two islands, “borders” are only temporary and changes in time.

IN RELATION TO OUR PROJECT

Edgelands are interstitial urban spaces that is concerned with places of “otherness”, alienation and longing. Pushing bounderies within nature and structure. 

BIBLOGRAPHY

https://m.facebook.com/SGArtWeek/posts/1868886593381776:0

http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/singapore-batam-and-the-ties-that-bind-in-fantasy-islands

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BRUTALISM  X  EDGELANDS

Exist between the urban city and rural landscape

Evoke energy and atmosphere between two different zones

Deserted ( warehouse aesthetic )

Minimal, rundown and Geometrical

Photographed with steep and dramatic perspectives

Extreme noise in the photos

Black and white photography

Fading vintage beauty ( muted rusty colors )

Oxidised and eroded, faded and beaten

NARRATIVE

Being subjected to ceaseless change. Wild space is being prettified at the expense of its character and creatures. Industrial ruins are being cleared away.

In the process of losing this landscape just as we are discovering its charms.