Art KL-itique

Since the wonderful "Thinking Drawing"  exhibition held two months ago, a ridiculous string of exhibitions that purportedly showcase  drawing have taken place. The latest attempt is "READrawing", which curatorial theme is "to investigate the definition of the drawing outside its conventional use." Empty statements and the need to fill a cavernous space leave one wanting, its incoherent collection hardly indicative of the four sub-themes. Text as visual art is the first and most interesting category, where visitors are greeted with Jawi characters in grid, and patchwork posing a sententious question. Saharuddin Supar's cartographic records are a bewildering inclusion, while burnt matches that spell the Negaraku by Norshahidan Mohamed, captivates as an imagined performance. Saharuddin Supar - Forty Four Over Infinity (1999) This theme begs a show all by itself, since multi-ethnic Malaysians have a deep cultural history with texts as art. The...

Malaysians are stuck in a state of limbo, as news that challenge nationalist definitions and moral crisis persist one year after the General Elections. This uncertainty manifests in our art. At Segaris, established artists employ familiar and tiresome approaches, seen in Kow Leong Kiang's selective blurring, and Ahmad Zakii Anwar's larger-than-life head. Wax-encased flags by Ahmad Shukri pay respect to missing plane(s), while Ramlan Abdullah's sketches are the only works befitting an exhibition titled "Naked Drawing" . Attempts at contemporary innovation include veteran Tajuddin Ismail, who shows off expressive Franz Kline strokes, that pair well with dark-coloured blocks and printed objects. Jalaini Abu Hassan's protagonist 'Dollah Rimau' towers over cut-out tigers like cats in the compound, his turned back signifying an imagined menace. Intimate watercolours by Noor Mahnun are enchanting, but ultimately inconsequential. Jalaini Abu Hassan - Dol...

Dubious practices continue to plague art auction houses as low-priced lots by modern masters are sold at Masterpiece, whom features an  altered painting . KL Lifestyle Art Space touts previously unsold works at lower prices then flips a Jeihan Sukmantoro piece at a discount, implicating the struggling dealer who records a dismal 30% buy-in rate in its April edition. Henry Butcher stakes its claim as the pioneer and leading Malaysian auctioneer, by selling 97% of its 116 lots, despite the lack of superstar pieces and an increase of buyer's premium to 12%. Its commendable and ambitious push to promote art beyond pretty pictures again fails to sustain any traction, as prints and works by the Matahati collective receive little bidding. Discerning collectors willingly pay more for earlier iterations of signature themes by realist painters Kow Leong Kiang and Ahmad Zakii Anwar, although both artists' stock value are declining. Tan Peng Hooi - Kampung Life (1966) ...

In times of adulating collectors as tastemakers, one can proclaim his favourite artists as contemporary , and the people around him will nod in agreement. Channelling his influence into a new gallery at the Intermark, a mixture of old and new works sell for eye-bulgingly high prices, contemporary or not. Patronage trump valuation among official support, Artcube being the only visual arts venture that received a government grant for creative industries. Ahmad Fuad Osman's missing piece from Art Expo 2013 leaps out as a sold painting after its brief placement at Sasana Kijang, while Hamir Soib's 'Frozen' bought at Henry Butcher a year ago commands a sum double its purchase price. Eng Hwee Chu's 'Christ in My Life' projects a moving expression in this season of Lent, but RM 100,000 seems like a profane amount for spiritual introspection, an observation equally applicable to 'Betul dan Rapatkan Saf' by Md Fadli Yusoff. Eng Hwee Chu - Chris...

With Ahmad Shukri's seminal 'Warning! Tapir Crossing' as its cover lot, Henry Butcher attempts to direct local attention towards the contemporary, but unfortunately the more "advanced" works on offer are by Indonesian artists. I Nyoman Masriadi's chimera draws attention, but it is the graffiti wall of Arie Dyanto and construction site of Dede Eri Supria, that projects more effective subversion. Khoo Sui Hoe's 'Three With Crescent Moon' is an irresistibly harmonious picture, and the cheeky wordplay seen in Huang Yao's '得鲤' stirs a smile. Engaging captures of a suburban scene include Kuo Ju Ping's beautiful 'Afternoon Scene', and the 'Swirling Haze Over Jalan Ah Fook, Johore Bahru' by John Lee Joo For. An increasing appreciation of these two artists and their techniques, led to further conviction that romantic landscapes are irrelevant. Huang Yao 黄尧 - [Top] 智者多在渔樵问; [Bottom] 得鲤 (1979-80)  The reconstructed ...

Artworks from the national bank's collection are casually exhibited at its spacious gallery - batik and watercolours on one side, and a random assortment on the other. The level of abstraction is a useful gauge while appreciating these wall hangings. School art classes recall a familiarity with handling watercolours, leading to typical admiration of realistic renderings, be it colonial buildings or tropical birds. Its simple preparation and immediate effect makes watercolour a useful choice in sketching modern life. Tan Choon Ghee crops lively street scenes, while a charming grocery store front is painted by Chin Kon Yit. Illustrated nostalgia is further compounded when the diluted properties of this medium is utilised. Mansor Ghazali's 'UKM Lake' captivates with marvellous colour blends, the picture evoking the essence of its depicted landscape, the impressionistic impact not unlike the works of Alfred Sisley. Chin Kon Yit - Kedai Runcit 1991 (II) (1991) Khal...

Notable local photographer Ming Thein receives a dream corporate assignment where heavy engineering company Tenaga Tiub tells him that "...(we) don't want to restrict your artistic vision – so go ahead and shoot as you see fit." The resulting exhibition at Centre for Asian Photographers documents the factory aesthetic and manual labour that goes into manufacturing gigantic equipments. Two themes stand out  as I recall my past visits to such industrial facilities - men at work and the refurbishment process. The lower cost of conversation makes this exacting effort worthwhile in capitalist economics, where size matters. Close-up snapshots are just right, while a black & white effect does not impair picture clarity, likely due to the well-lit location. Precise forms define functional beauty, an idea lost to many contemporary artists who dwell in unnecessary abstraction.  Ming Thein - A blowtorch removes previous paint and surface coatings from an assembly prior t...