Choy Weng Yang, Boat Quay Enchanting Atmosphere, (2017), acrylic on canvas, 100 x 126cm
This talk begins with a discussion of the pioneer artists who were influenced by French modernism in the form of Post-Impressionism, which they combined with Chinese ideas and aesthetics to form a hybrid form known as the Nanyang style or idiom. The lecture then goes on to look at the next generation of artists who moved into the language of abstraction, and who defined themselves as ‘modern’ artists, breaking away from past traditions and styles to embrace a progressive approach that constantly sought out the ‘new’.
The discussion will conclude by highlighting the ongoing discourse on the question of what defines the modern, pointing out that different movements, rather than developing consecutively, emerge and develop side by side.
A wide range of artworks -many of which may be enjoyed in our national collections- will be used to illustrate the developments that took place over a span of almost 100 years.
When: 28 Jun 2017, 7pm - 9pm
By: Visual Arts Centre Exhibition Gallery
