Thinking beyond the box
Group show Immaterial proves that found objects and unconventional materials can create compelling art.
DON’T rub your eyes. The G13 Gallery in Petaling Jaya hasn’t turned into a recycling centre. There might be a huge amount of found objects and unconventional materials used for the gallery’s latest group exhibition Immaterial, but this is still an art show.
This is not your usual paint and canvas type exhibition. But don’t be mistaken. Anything can make good art. Medium-wise, at least.
This show, which bills itself as a “Compilation Of The Unconventionals”, highlights the possibilities of using unconventional materials in art.
Largely bold and experimental in nature, Immaterial is dedicated to works created from things you normally wouldn’t associate with art.
“It’s a challenge to try new things. For this exhibition, we wanted to do some exploring. We wanted to show the public that art-making is not restricted to conventional methods,” says Kenny Teng, the G13 gallery director.
“This art made with an open mind and the artists involved are more than capable of trying something different,” he adds.
The exhibition, which ends on March 24, features 16 pieces from artists like Yim Yen Sum, Agnes Lau, Anisa Abdullah, Azizi Latif, Bakir Baharom, Fazrin Abd Rahman, Jamil Zakaria and Nor Tijan Firdaus. They are a fairly young line-up, between the mid 20s and early 30s.
In the fairly spacious gallery, there is much to discover in terms of the eclectic and daring variety. You will soon realise that junk and scraps can be turned into artful works.
Nor Tijan looks like he rummages through Plaza Low Yat’s bins. He uses discarded computer parts and e-waste to create grinning faces in the works called Alpha Gen I and Alpha Gen II, while Jamil works with wire mesh to create submerged faces and insects in the creepy, surrealistic Aku Bukan Dali.
If you have seen Jamil’s Lubok installation at the KL Biennale, you will know how capable this artist is when it comes to shaping wire mesh.
Bakir, on the other hand, makes good use of soot in his works Stripes and Swirling ,and Lau tranforms ceramics in a unique way in her works Bonds and 100 Scratched Pieces.
Instead of creating vases or pots, Lau’s sculptural ceramic pieces are attached to MDF boards on the walls.
If you want understated yet emotive works then look no further than award-winning artist Yim’s contributions. Her works – We Share The Same Ground I, We Share The Same Ground II and Whisper Silhouette – hauntingly depict the outlines of heritage houses, embroidered on wispy pieces of gauze. They look like they may come apart with the slightest touch. It’s an ethereal effect commonly associated with Yim’s art.
“It’s not easy to work with gauze, the material is very fragile. But I guess it matches my theme ... I want to focus on the fragility of these old buildings,” says Yin, 31.
She uses a sewing machine to create intricate designs on pieces of gauze, while adding the more complicated details by hand.
This new composite series from Yim was inspired by a recent trip she took to Melaka. She was enamoured by the friendly, charming vibe there. “As you can see, a lot of my works look like patchworks. They are fragments of memories. I take photos on my phone every where I go. Later on, I combine the images. This window will come from one building, another part from another. They’re real and not real. I am collecting memories,” explains Yin.
Elsewhere, Anisa’s work Liku-Liku Kehidupan looks very much like a painting when viewed from a distance. However, when you get a little closer, you realise this is not the case. Instead, it is a collage of coloured paper and pages from magazines.
Anisa, born in Warsaw, Poland, who now lives in KL, says creating Liku-Liku was challenging since she did mostly portraits.
This multi-layered new work took more than a month to complete.
“I’ve never really created an artwork like this before – in terms of perspective. There is a background and a front image, so there is a lot more to plan,” explains Anisa, 32.
Liku-Liku features several people; members of Anisa’s family (the person sitting is her sister and her husband is standing). Also present is a man playing the saxophone, a tribute to Anisa’s love for music.
“The work is about how people have problems in their life, yet they still go on. That’s why it’s called Liku-Liku Kehidupan,” says Anisa, with a smile.
Well, talk about making the most of the long and winding road.
Immaterial is showing at G13 Gallery, Kelana Square, Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya in Selangor till March 24. Open daily: 11am-5pm. Closed on Sundays. For more info, contact 03-7880 0991. FB: G13 Gallery.