What does it mean to be an artist? What is considered art? These are questions are continuously asked and reevaluated in the world of art as today, the word “art” encompass more than the traditional arts of drawing and painting. Contemporary art refers to art created in the modern era, started by inspiring artists who sought change and explored different means of expressing themselves. As the idea of art continuously expand and changes with time, the perception and appreciation of art also vastly differ from the past, one would question the “meanings” of a piece, instead of focusing on the visual aesthetics, people wonder if the artists are expressing their inner self, and reflects and questions the current state of society.
I never consider myself an artist. Indeed, I do enjoy drawing, painting and creating crafts from time to time as much as I am interested in filmography or photography in which I focus more in. However, I was unfamiliar with the abstract art field which is more of the focus now in art school. Unlike my peers who have have been involved in the "art community" for a while now with previous experience in art education and have a burning passion for the arts. For a long time I wondered if what I made were art if they were mere copies of the paintings in different form or if an idea or image is “borrowed” from other art pieces, but I was slowly introduced to the history of art I am surprised that “appropriation”, “subconsciousness” and various other techniques, mediums, state of mind could be a part of “art”.
This constant “uncertainty” within me have come to be part of my past works especially in the mini installation created based on the concept of artist William Kentridge. Even though it could have easily gone unnoticed, Kentridge’s idea of “uncertainty” captivated me, perhaps this is my constant state of mind. Inspiration never strikes me suddenly for any art assignment I had to work on. Whenever brainstorming or planning for an artwork, the blank computer screen would stare right back at me as time runs out. I soon realized that any initial “plan” I have would always turn out completely different, as I let the unknown guide me through which would eventually lead to a clearer path. I am learning to embrace uncertainty, although it may be unsettling in the beginning, the final artwork, shaped by multiple unpredictable elements along the way always seem to surprise even myself.
Cultural and social representation in art especially interest me. Growing up in Malaysia, a mosaic of different culture, we were exposed to multiple race, cultures, language and religions. Our yearly family trip abroad, cultural exchange program and studying abroad allowed me to experience, connect and gain a better understanding of cultures in other parts of the world. Art is important to a culture and vice versa as art is a medium that conveys knowledge and ideas of a community, a form of language that overcomes language barriers.
The Islands, 2019, Tan Sher Lynn, 3D Environment
Through my previous artworks, I realized I have unconsciously incorporated elements from cultures of my home country as well as other countries I have visited. In the 3D environment I created, which consist of few floating islands, one of which I modeled based on some iconic symbols of Japan, a shrine in a “traditional” Japanese garden a sight I saw all the time when I was there for a cultural exchange. I was also told that the animations I made resembled the visual style of "Asian" comic illustrations. Also, for the mini installation based on William Kentridge, I intended to incorporate the idea of “Wayang Kulit” ( Shadow Play ), a form of art originated from South East Asia, although it may not have turned out that way. Most of the time I only realized some influence or connotation in my works after I am done with it, but it would be interesting to incorporate some cultural elements in my future works, sharing little insights of the cultures I grew up in.
Art allows one to freely express oneself, yet at the same time it seems complicated. It is an oxymoron, free yet constraint, meaningful yet inconsequential, everything could be considered art yet at the same time, not. There’s still a long way to comprehending and appreciating the whole concept of contemporary art. I am glad to be learning and discovering new things through this creative journey and hopefully I would be able to connect more with the abstraction of art and figure out my own intentions along the way.
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