Explosion of Heat in my Dark Siberia

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Research Background

The way that painting and drawing intersects with the monochrome is addressed in a range of ways by a number of artists. The bold black and white work of Marcel van Eeden alludes to a comic book disposability. The pencil drawings of seascapes by the Latvian artist Vija Celmins may be small but they have the impact and presence of major artwork. The drawings by the South African artist William Kentridge hint at a complex understanding of how the political intersects with the personal. Though diverse, all these artists align themselves closer to the 'temporary' nature of drawing over the assumed permanence of painting.

Research Contribution

The title of the painting I was invited to exhibit in the group exhibition 'Chronic Compulsions' was called 'Explosion of Heat in my Dark Siberia'. It was painted with black oil paint on MDF primed with non-absorbent primer. Its dimensions are 86cm x 76cm. The frame has been painted directly onto the wall. This playful strategy serves to position the artwork between artwork-as-notational and artwork-as-significant-object.

Research Significance

The painting is novel/significant for a number of reasons. - It has been painted only with black paint, the white being supplied by the white of the primer. This is the so-called wipe-back technique. - The content of the painting references Romantic-era symbology. - The painting was selected by the artist curator Michael Lee to hang in the company of Singapore's most renowned artists. - The exhibition was accompanied by a hard-bound catalogue. - The exhibition was a pivot feature of the Singapore Art Week 2024.