SingartRicing From East To West
My first impressions of the humble rice paper is very much tied to the opening scenes of the early 1970s American TV series, “Kung Fu”, that starred David Carradine: the youthful protagonist, Kwai Chang Caine, had rolled out a long length of the paper and was walking on it, trying to leave behind no trace of his stroll across it. His success would signal his readiness to venture forth in search of his half-brother, Danny Caine.
As such, it is, to me, resolutely tied to the mulberry paper’s original function as a wrapper of rice in ancient East Asia. Called xuan paper in China, it has been used for writing, artwork and architecture as well since time memorial. Even to this day, its soft and fine texture remains truly ideal for conveying the artistic expression of both Chinese calligraphy and painting.
It, therefore, comes as no great surprise that contemporary artist, Zhu Jinshi, has chosen to create his “Work” using the paper that finds its origins in his homeland. It is after all steeped in inherited social and cultural associations.
What does surprise is in the how he has chosen to work with it: the 8000 sheets of xuan paper have been individually crumpled and rolled by hand before each is partially dipped in black ink. Once all the rolled paper have been sufficiently dried, Zhu stacks them into an arresting almost waist-high installation that stretches over 30 metres, simply snaking, ever so tranquilly, along a good part of the ground in Pearl Lam Galleries’ floor space.
Even more amazing is his source of inspiration: “Work” demonstrates Zhu’s engagement with the installation artworks he had encountered during his time in Germany in the 1980s, which were imbued with the cool, intellectual, industrial nature of minimalist sculpture. Yet it is an engagement that contrasts this minimalism with the delicacy of xuan paper: they still bear traces of his hand. Thus, insidiously engaging our fundamental emotions before our clinical intellect.
And consequentially, lending to Zhu’s installation the possibilities of understanding that ‘simplicity’ and ‘minimalism’ are naturally inter-linked. After all both emphasizes an extreme idea of subtraction and the use of an utmost economy of expression; especially when he does not consider ‘simplicity’ as an act of singularizing, but rather 1 that brings simple, uncomplicated objects into the scope of art, and so allows them to generate creativity through personal experience, sensory perception and emotional contact.
Robustly carrying us to the opposite end of the expressively moving and sensually physical spectrums is Jo Darvall’s even more unconventional use of the definitive rice paper: this artist from down under plans to saturate our senses with colour, sound and perfumes through an invigorating exhibition of kinetic sculpture and paintings.
Come mid July, her exhibition, “Sensorium – The Unfurling”, at Sculpture Square Limited, will subtly invite us to return to the thrill of feeling via a gentle immersion: her works of art will seductively entice us into bathing, touching, listening, sniffing and playing in a hues of colour within rich layering of soft rustling paper and even more lush exotic scents and specially commissioned poetically electronic Gemselector (aka Jonathan Gaboury, the American composer) soundscape – 1 that is synchronized to the light show that will illuminate her ceiling-suspended large rice paper sculpture.
As we immerse ourselves layers within layers of Darvall’s work of art, they curvaceously unfold to reveal within ourselves a reconnection with our innate sensual nature. We become transported into an enveloping lightness, a luxuriously flourishing escape from the routines that grips us from day to day.
Its success in this joyful escapade lies in her 3D rice paper sculpture’s ability to react to air and people moving through the exhibition space. Each movement, be it subtle or bold, enhances its hypnotic beauty; further drawing us to touch and play with it yet again and again.
Inspired by a study of moths, Darvall’s mille feuille mobile of crushed leaves of colourfully stained paper petals thus seductively responds ever so enthusiastically by delicately unfurling and turning full circle in space in perfect timing to the evocative musical score; as if the ungainly caterpillars she had studied have magically morphed into the fully fledged angelic creatures of the night bent on the hunt for sweet nectar nocturnal blossoms offer, fleetingly following a trail left by their flowery perfumes.
Leigh Robb, Curator of Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, is therefore, reminded of gesamtkunstwerk – a total artwork: ‘Originally a theatre term, it describes a production that engages all senses and disciplines, a synthesis of the arts. It goes back to German composer Richard Wagner who described his operas as a synthesis of music, drama, poetry, spectacle and dance to engage all of the artistic senses.’
With this senses-led emotionally-charged literal submersion, Darvall’s work has ingeniously transported an ancient East Asian invention into the epitome of cultured realms in contemporary western civilisation; making the rice paper even more seamlessly cross-cultural and globally relevant in the art world today.
Sip on new ways Asia is using its xuan paper: Zhu Jinshi’s “Work” is on show at his solo exhibition, “Simplicity: Zhu Jinshi!” till 13 July this year at Pearl Lam Galleries, 9 Lock Road, #03-22, Gillman Barracks, Singapore 108937.
Then savour how the west has crafted with it: Jo Darvall’s “Sensorium – The Unfurling” exhibition will run from 8 to 11 July this year at Sculpture Square Limited, 155 Middle Road, Singapore 188977.
