'Reform: Post-Pandemic' sculpture exhibition is a post-pandemic academic project, breaking the silence out of the pandemic constraints and curiosities. Following the 2 years of separation through screen and space, the semester 04 fine arts students from UiTM Alor Gajah Melaka, lead by sculptor artist / lecturer Mohd Ali Azraie Bebit (PACAQ) has made peace by re-interpreting each and every pandemic experience they share into suggested organic and geometric sculptures to be exhibit as well as experienced by everyone from 19th July 2022 at Galeri UiTM Melaka.
In the cannons of Art History 'forms' has been deliberately positioned as the subject which consumes cultural content and context of societies as well as communities. Form has been a language which communicates the ideas and experience of its maker. 30,000 BC from the primitive wall/cave paintings and relief represented at Lascaux France, suggested the significant relationship between organic and geometric subjects which speaks through its form, material, and techniques. A prehistoric language before there were any evidence of written languages.
When forms are driven by intellectual messages, its purpose arose beyond, setting standards of taste and preferences, as what the father of Art History Giorgio Vasari would denote as 'Connoisseurship' in Art, placing a space between the good, the best, and the better. However the forms has always been portrayed as an intellectual process, whereas Plato separated two realities between the 'World of Forms (Ideas)' as well as the world we find ourselves, uncovering more intellectual context in Art such as the concept of 'Mimesis' or illusion representation of the absolute reality.
In consequence the Greeks Arts and Architecture found beauty upon objective aesthetics such as order, proportion, and harmony, where they integrated organic and geometric beauty interpreted in architecture such the basic columns as 'Doric, Ionic, as well as Corinthian', even though the columns represents the societies and settings, the ideas remain relevant as an intellectual process found in fine arts especially sculpture making.
In the world of Malay Arts, objective aesthetics also remains an intellectual celebration popularly practiced by the Malay woodcarvers. Dr Zakaria Ali, celebrated Malaysian Art Historian Professor, describes the aesthetic principles of Malay Craft in 'Thoughts on the aesthetics of Malay Artifacts (2006)', such as Berhalus (Finesse), Berguna (Useful), Bersatu (Unity), Berlawan (Contrast), as well as Berlambang (Symbolic). These aesthetic principles remains the form and soul of Malay Arts as well as its contemporaries.
In the 'Reform: Post-Pandemic' sculpture exhibition, the artwork forms address a contemporary approach in Art. The raw materials such the metal, steel, bolts, chains, rivets, and more are all industrial byproduct objects which has lost its purpose as being functional nor reliable. Nevertheless, these materials were re-interpreted altogether into new artwork forms which speaks a different purpose and message.
Moreover, the technique used to prepare, process, and produce these artworks are considered as an intellectual process, which transcend Vasari's 'Connoisseurship' concept from situating forms of hierarchy, towards transcending forms which were never even placed between the hierarchies. Byproduct material with no function nor purpose, re-interpreted into artworks reformed as aesthetic experience, from the ugly truth of the pandemics towards the celebrated possibilities to be ventured in the post-pandemic.
Hence, Reform: Post-Pandemic Sculpture Exhibition is a clear encapsulated experience from the academic community to be shared as well as experience by every possible viewer. The forms of artworks are categorise into geometric and organic forms as listed below.
Figure 1: Geometric Artworks at Reform Sculpture Exhibition (Post-Pandemic)
Figure 1 shows the geometrical sculptural artworks exhibited at Reform: Post-Pandemic. The visuals shown are some of the selected sculptures. The formation of these sculptures are apparently improvised into geometrical shapes which appears to be symmetrical as well as asymmetrical balance in structure. The repetition of shapes such as circle, square, and triangle represents objective aesthetic suggesting elements of intellectuality through its measurements, calculations, and angle executed.
The Material used are industrial byproduct materials such as metal, steel, copper, which could be found as waste product with no purpose nor function. Most evident material are steel 'Washer', iron rode, industrial 'Washer' as well as metal ornamentation. The colour of these industrial waste are apparently evident as raw or coated by spray paint and other paint/coating material, such process depicts the ethics of its maker towards maintaining the integrity of the sculptural forms to be tested upon time.
The technique applied are executed well which suggest intricate details and finishing of the sculptures. The repetition of shapes such as the circles 'washer' is done with detail finishing which portrays a dynamic movement and creates textures of its own. Such aspects towards the structure and forms of these artworks follow the aesthetic principle of the Malay Art such as Berhalus (Finesse), Berguna (Useful), Bersatu (Unity), Berlawan (Contrast), as well as Berlambang (Symbolic).
Principle such as Berguna (Function) depicts the sculptures also as decoration arts which does not only serves its aesthetic purpose but also its functional purpose, as viewed in figure 1, one of the sculpture in the middle is executed with LED lightings which creates different impact and experience towards its setting as well as context especially at night. Most of the size of these contemporary sculptures perhaps may function also as table sculptures.
Content meanings of these artworks are clearly re-interpreted through its forms. The repetition circles depicts the strict limitations of SOP being applied during pandemic which has become a repeated norm, to be celebrated in a positive way. The volume structure of voids from the executes geometrical forms suggests the unknown norms of uncertainties and curiosities during the pandemic being coated into new forms and norms which brings beauty and intellectuality at its highest point in Art.
Figure 2: Organic Artworks at Reform Sculpture Exhibition (Post-Pandemic)
Figure 2 shows the organic sculptural artworks exhibited at Reform: Post-Pandemic. The formation of these sculptural forms are apparently improvised into organic (fauna) shapes which appears as depiction of insects through is biomorphical shapes and sizes. These insect forms are executed through a larger scale to capture an alarming message towards how organic nature are interrelated one way or another with humankind. The pandemics which we confronted such as SARS and COVD-19 are results from our less sensitivity towards organic nature especially these small insects.
Industrial materials are used as raw material upon interpreting the formations of these artworks. The rawness of steel, iron, copper, chains, rivets, as well as other byproducts depicts a paradox between the biological nature of these insects which are small and soft, as to the crudeness of industrial byproducts which are strong as well as sturdy. These interplay between the nature and nurtured forms suggest our negligence and insensitivity towards our ecological being, which will and have soon impacted us in so many wonders.
The technique exemplified in articulating sculptural forms in figure 2 are represented meticulously through the selection and specification of material being articulated from non-living products into biomorphic organic forms. The proportions of each compartments of limbs connected establishes the high skills and practice their makers have put effort upon. Some mundane objects such as wrench and kitchen wares are apparently seen being transforms into new formation which metamorphoses its final objective form
Content meanings of these artworks are clearly re-interpreted through its organic forms. The position these insects are captured in 3 Dimensional forms, portrays the ambiguous situation experience by its maker during pandemics, where clarity on information and direction were at stakes through the changing norms and regulations placed upon everyone especially the education and economic sector. These insect forms were magnified through its size and raw material to highlight a possible direction of certainty and clarity.
In a nutshell, through its form and function, 'Reform: Post Pandemic' Sculpture Exhibition is seen as an early welcoming gesture from Galeri UiTM Melaka to bring its audience to experience the chronicles, challenges and celebration which these fine art makers have confront during and after the pandemics. This Reform Sculpture Exhibition (Post-Pandemic) will take part at Galeri UiTM Melaka on 19 July 2022. Everyone is invited!
PACAQ is honoured to have Mohd Ali Azraie Bebit as head project of 'Reform: Post-Pandemic' Exhibition working hand by hand as permanent member in sharing experience, thoughts, as well as guidance in areas related to Public Art in Malaysia's rapidly developing art scene.
'Keep on Charging!'
MUSADDIQ MOHAMAD KHALIL
Department of Liberal Studies
UiTM Alor Gajah
PACAQ- UITM RIG 2022
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