PG: Aesthetics and Race

Photo credit: Unsplash

If you've filled in registration forms in Singapore before, chances of it asking you for your 'race' is quite high. The options are usually Chinese, Malay, Indian, Others (CMIO). We don't get to choose which race we most identify with but it's based on paternal line of descent. In the local context, the understanding of 'race' is rarely debated or discussed unless there are episodes such as this and this.

In August 2011, an immigrant Chinese family had complaint to the local mediation centre about the smell of curry in their home by their Singaporean Indian family. The outcome of the mediation, which involved the Indian family agreeing to cook curry only when their neighbours were not at home, caused furor amongst Singaporeans across races. A “cook a pot of curry” day was spontaeously declared by a group of citizens to celebrate multiculturalism it and went viral across social media. As a result, this incident inspired a play written by Alfian Sa’at.

Our class discussed about "race as a social construct"[1], looked at the periods of slave trades and slavery, making connections between the senses and emotions, race-thinking and gut-thinking. The lecturer asked us to close our eyes and recalled the colour of our coursemates' eyes. She tried to make a point that it's very easy to notice someone's skin colour at the first impression. It's not because it's the most prominent or the skin has the largest surface area because if someone were to have a face piercing or tattoo which is much more smaller in scale than the skin surface, we would notice that too. So, how would that be explained? 

Some physiological explanations for our ocularcentrism is due to being largely visual creatures, our eyes enable us to process information much rapidly and at distances greater than the reach of our other senses unaided. 

Coffee, sugar and tobacco - these were non-essential food items and yet they were needed to satiate the culture of taste and civilisation[2]. Within the culture of modernity, slavery would appear to be anachronistic. A receipt detailed inventory of objects of trade and the geography in which they were exchanged dated June 1659 would come to be known as The African Trade. These humble subjects were featured in great works of art such as in Rembrandt's paintings, Baroque painters of the period - Diego Velasquez and Peter Pauls Rubens. How could such elevated images of art exist in the same space as the harsh world of enslavement and the slave trade? In the 18^th century, the age of slavery and culture of taste emerged and transformed the cultural landscape of Britain and the Americas. This binary dichotomy is intimately connected. The immense fortune made lead to bourgeois ideas (art and freedom) and enabled refinement of taste, beauty standards and practices of high culture. 

References

[1] Smith, Mark M.. How Race Is Made : Slavery, Segregation, and the Senses, The University of North Carolina Press, 2006. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/durham/detail.action?docID=413426.

[2] Gikandi, Simon. Slavery and the Culture of Taste, Princeton University Press, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/durham/detail.action?docID=736910. 

Reads: What the Art Teacher Reads

In the early weeks of our seminars (a.k.a tutorials), my class pondered on readings about visual essentialism (by Mike Bal), the early modern periods and art nouveau in fin-de-siecle period etc. Visual Culture is multimodal and multisensorial, not just by using our visions. The study of visual culture is to grasp their place in broader contexts of meaning and experience. It may be the core in which we can examine the geopolitics and aesthetics of a national culture as displayed in a museum, gallery or an artefact.

Dr Zoe Roth questioned our definition of 'aesthetics', 'the aesthetic' and 'common sense'. After digesting our readings, we defined them in our own words. There's a great sense of satisfaction to having my old thoughts disrupted. Art teachers are usually in the 'aesthetic department' in the school context and by that I mean art and music teachers are in the same department. How often do we deconstruct the meaning of words to think and discuss the basic and fundamentals?

These are samples of weekly questions to guide our readings:

• Bring two questions about the reading to class. These could be concepts you need help defining, ideas that are unclear, something that relates to your own research interests, etc.
• How are aesthetics and the aesthetic relevant to the study of visual culture? How can you think of visual culture through the lens of sense perception, common sense, the distribution of the sensible? 
• What are the similarities between Arendt and Ranciere’s concepts of “common sense” and the “distribution of the sensible” respectively?  
• How can forms of aesthetic production help reorder the distribution of the sensible?
• What happens if "common sense" breaks down? 
• What are some ways aesthetic and politics are linked? Give examples.

I've enjoyed listening to my classmates' thoughts and comparing their responses to mine. Very often, the questions might look seemingly straightforward but it isn't so. For example, the question about 'common sense' is not what the general public's understanding of it. Our responses are based on the context of our readings and also to produce a few real-life examples.

The readings on Hannah Arendt's The Life of Mind, first chapter on Thinking is essentially a philosophical view on thoughts. She asks the overarching question if thoughtlessness is connected to evil. Admittedly, we only need to read the first few pages of her book for class but it took me long enough to read reviews about her book from various sources and then draw my own conclusions. Arendt wondered if the absence of thinking lead people to wrongdoings? 

 

That said, perhaps it is not that people refuse to do thinking but it's the lack of choice. In Jacques Ranciere's The Distribution of the Sensible: Politics and Aesthetics, he argued that people do not have time to devote themselves to anything beside their work. Thus, it can be through artistic practices that 'ways of doing and making' that intervene in the community that things get maintain to 'modes of being and forms of visibility'. For example, homelessness on the street can be a common sight in some big cities. Due to the prevalence and the lack of urgency, most people are desensitise to the state of the homeless they see on the street. Thus, what "distribution of the sensible" inscribes to is the suggestions of the community actvities such as participatory art/ relational art or community art practices which we commonly see to create a sense of community. 

PG: Art in Everyday Objects

It's been two weeks since we have started the term. Reading is very intensive with either books or journal articles to consume weekly.  The figure is terrifying I try not to be precise. On top of that, we have short individual presentations. Some readings are very palatable while others require more efforts. Most of my waking hours are devoted to reading or exploring nearby amenities. That said, the small group seminars are definitely helpful when we all come together to discuss what we have read with the tutor as the facilitator. 

A few distinctive features of Durham Uni are classes can be scattered throughout the town depending on the modules we are taking. So even though my programme is under the Modern Languages and Cultures department, I have had classes in the Philosophy building or the History building. The buildings look so well integrated with others that to the public eye, you wouldn't be able to tell which is the police station or the teaching block. Another feature is all the seminar rooms are equipped with Owl Labs, 360 camera and sound system. The lecturers have to be trained to use the technology and I thought it must be hard to accommodate hybrid learning. But the sound projected by a distanced learner is terrific. 

This week, most of our time was spent discussing Baxandall's Painting and Experience in 15th century Italy. It's amazing how the publication in 1972 is still so relevant now. There are a lot of examples about Painting in the book and lots to see and understand just by looking. 

Let me briefly give you an example. Looking at this window display, it may look like some hanging Papier-mâché bowls. Besides its earthy colours and organic forms, what impresses me is its ability to balance. It reminds me of Artist Alexander Calder who is well known for his colossal mobile making use of the principle on stability and movement. Artists in the past took into considerations mathematical principles and science concepts in terms of translating their understanding of realities into artworks. They also flaunt their skills for their viewers/ patrons by using rare colour pigments or arts that shows perspectives, ratios or conversions. Even gestures in paintings with the palm slightly raised and fingers curved naturally is often a sign of invitation. What do you think of when you contemplate artworks? 

PG: Uni College

Last week was our college matriculation, followed by a formal dinner. College is like the hall of residences and each college has an assigned Principal and Vice-Principal. They oversee pastoral care of mostly the undergraduates rather than focus on academics. Teachings are conducted separately in other buildings. I chose St. Chads because I narrowed down all the accommodations nearest to the Arts & Humanities building which (I assumed) will be where my classes are going to be held. Since St. Chads is the smallest and has a close-knitted vibe which I gathered from my research, it was my first choice. There were so many organised events by the college since my arrival and I'm very lucky to be assigned to live here. I live just five minutes away from the main college in a neighbourhood and shared a house with four other girls who are also doing their masters in the Arts and Humanities.

The proceedings was an eye-opener. Much of what was said was already printed on our handouts. Our names were individually announced and we had to sign our names on a record. Of course I looked forward to dinner, the four-course meal was excellent 😋. 

PG: Matriculation Day

Hello! I've just arrived in England last week. I'll be doing my Masters in Visual Culture at Durham University. It has been a long journey to get here, both literally and metaphorically. I'm so thankful to the people who have made this possible.

This Wednesday was matriculation day. It used to be held at Durham Cathedral but due to Covid-19 restrictions, the venue was changed to a more airy space. Most students still made their way to the cathedral for phototaking. The interior of the cathedral is breathtaking. Every ounces of the architecture oozes beauty. Be it in the tiles, ceiling, windows or the walls. 

Since this is induction week, we have yet to formally start classes. There were many activities and programmes organised by my college (college means the accommodation which we are assigned to. Will share more about it in my next post) and I've participated in most of them. On days when I'm free, I would explore the town, looking at new things and trying new foods. I'm discovering new things every day and absorbing materials like a sponge. 

Farewell!

And this conclude my last week at my current school. Saying goodbye to my colleagues and friends as I handover my work. I want to give a shoutout to all teachers, staff, students and parents for walking this journey with me. I'm filled with gratitude to be able to contribute and share my work.

Art Class: Clay

Students had a blast with the introduction of air-dry clay. They tried using the cookie cutter method to churn out a high production of clay pieces, taking into consideration the craftsmanship and design. Some students accepted the challenge of making handbuilding work by combining function and form. There were a number of details to lookout for such as knowing how to distribute the pressure evenly so that the clay will be rolled out evenly, positioning of the cookie cutters to maximise the space, judging the thickness of the clay, smoothening the edges, preventing the drying clay from warping, what to do with remaining clay, painting on dried clay. 

Most students love hands-on work and they learn best while working on something rather than excessive teacher talk. I always liken experiential learning with swimming. Would you learn better with more practices in the pool or from watching swimming videos? 

Spray bottles work as well as rolling pins