Presentation

The Starry Starry Night

“窗外的煙火好熱鬧
屋子裡卻冷冷清清”
Liao J. (2009)

The last Journal:36 Calendars

Background

"36 Calendars" is an exhibition recording the last 36 years of history through the views of artist Song Dong with 432 members of the public.

The aim of the "36 calendar" project are depended on Song Dong's personal personal instead of objective and precise memories of the past. The artworks record artist daily life experience, encountering different people, object, events, from 1978 to 2013, especially on 21st Dec 2012, considering the end date of our civilization, Song Dong invites public to finish the calendar for 2013 together. Using pencil to sketch residual memories is so familiar and simple beauty.

The place

Not only the pictures are elegant, but the decoration is also attractive. The wood desks containing 432 artworks possess some Chinese style.

The artwork

Song Dong delivers the theme of the impermanent change in China and he highlights the way that although a single person could effect a minor change and a fleeting impact. When Song Dong were young, he used to admire to be a hero waring for country. However, his friend's father died in the war. He recognized that war is cruel and he hope no-more sacrifice.

The singer who Song Dong loves

A wonderful time with parents

He recordes his favor and daily life experience via calendars. it remind me that everybody can have their own way to experience time since the Mayans have their own calendar and the history in the world is generated by different "calendars" together. different pieces of puzzles hold together and then create a whole picture. 

Experiencing the change of life and the change of art

Song Dong visited art museum with his father in the first time when he was young. He felt that the artwork was so bigger as similar as a monster. However, he had another chance to visit it again when he was an adult but the feel it different. He did not think that the picture was huge anymore. 

In 1994, Song Dong's first exhibition" Another lesson, would you like to play with me?". After held a   few hours, the department closed his exhibition and told him that his artwork was not serious, instigating and risky. I am worried that how can artworks develop and exist in China.

In 2001, the restriction in artwork in China still exist but the difference is the attitude and behavior of the artist. They would be brave to create what they need and express it. The restriction is just reminding. 

Leaving a space

It had not events showing in 2013's calendar since Sing Dong needed to interact with audience and he hopes to create the 2013's calendar with public. He leaves a pace to us to think about it.

What is your own calendar? Maybe like this?

Sound Art +Natural Environment

Sound Art+Natural Environment
At Kwun Tong Ferry Pier, there were different pitch and frequency of sound placing in different place. The exhibition held in a special place, not only could we enjoy beautiful sea view, but also could hear comfortable wave sound which interacted with the performance and the artwork.

Matt Cook combined sound and collected objects with a difference of media to create his artwork. The idea of his artworks, which have not yet titled, were generated by his daily experience. He was sensitive to different moving object such as fan since it might create various kind of sound, especially in Hong Kong, he collected more interesting and novel things. Although we usually see a bell, a comb and the bowl in tearoom, Matt thought it was creative if interacted the sound of those ordinary things. Thus, he used the circuit to connect his collection and turned on the electron system to create the sound. At this tranquil pier, hearing the sound of simple things was comfortable and familiar.

Sound+ Dancing
Akio Suzuki, the well known pioneer of sound art, more concentrated in "quester of sound and space". His artwork not only interacted with the natural environment, but also cooperate with his partner's dancing.
The nail wood and dancing butterfly
Akio Suzuki prepare some woods and pined nails on it with different speed and force which generated various beat," Di Di Di Di".

The finished part showed different height of nail. It seemed like a sound wave. 

Hearing the approaching sound, dancer "woke up". She stretched her arms and legs. Liking a larva searched the surroundings. When the nailing sound turned down, she sought curiously. When the sound turned up, she cover herself. Eventually, she danced violently with the resounding sound. The series of action seemed the
growth of butterfly. The butterfly experience different pitch of sound, which it may interested in or annoyed at, when growing.
I appreciated interaction between the sound and the motion. It let the sound more brilliant and impressive.


The glass bottle and water dancing

First of all, Akio Suzuki collided two bottle and created the melodious sound. Then, he blowed the glass bottle and generated the low pitch of sound. The dancer responded to his action. Dancing and throwing out the water.  The water sound not only can responded, but also randomly drew out a picture on the ground.

Those performance was related to the area around the Kwun Tong Pier. I enjoyed to admire it and I am excited to walk around in order to discover different things. It is barely to appreciate the performance interacts with natural environment and can freely to discover or touch the artwork. Thus, this remarkable experience let me try to feel the sound.

The Starry Starry Night (Assignment3)

 Touching story delivers the value of life

It is an illustrated artwork including colorful pictures and poetic words to delivers an impressive story which touches many readers around the world. The story was talking about the experience about the girl who suffered the poor relationship with her parent and hectic dailylife. Subsequently, she left the city with a speechless boy, who met in the school, and visited her grandfather’s home in the village where the place she grew up. After the memorial trip, the girl got sick. When she recovered, she found the boy left silently. “The starry starry night” encourages the teenagers who are misunderstood by the adults and encounter obstacle to bravely overcome their difficulties since facing obstacle is necessary when growth. Teenagers seem be stars in the sky and sometimes meet intimate friends but they just pass over eventually. Nevertheless, teenagers should insist on their faith.

The style of the artwork

This is different from other illustrators, Jimmy Liao insisted not to use computer software to draw his artworks since he thought that it might produce some sense of distances between him and his audiences. Therefore, every pieces of his artworks were created by watercolor, color ink, stylus and acrylic pigment painting materials. We can truly feel Jimmy’s enthusiasm. In addition, this artwork expresses a bittersweet loneliness touching alienated youth in hectic city.

The cruel world

Teenagers who leave childhood and enter adulthood may encounter difficulties, especially this competitive world. You can be protected under your parents’ shoulders being a child while you need to be independent being a teenager. Lizard is eating a butterfly. The dirty-green liquid is lying on window. Jimmy sufficiently described the dangerous world by illustration and symboled the uncertain futures that teens might face.

The red balloon

The red balloon is interesting placed in different pages. It appears in front of the door of the girl’s room. It appears in front of the window when she has noticed that her grandfather is gone. It appears near the boy. It eventually breaks down above the girl’s window. The red balloon may symbol the hope or dream of the girl. She has hope in the first time even though she receives a bad new about the death of her grandfather. Encountering tragedies and suffering difficulties let her become hopeless and question about the ability to live in this world.

One point perspective

Jimmy used one point perspective to impress the theme.

We and the parents focus on the girl but she avoids facing it since she puts the apple in front of her face. This impresses the helpless and loneness of the girl. 

The girl and the speechless boy seek the exit of their adventure.
It seems like a hope during the trip. 

The upper angle

The stars are reflected on the water, they seem to be swimming with the stars. The upper angle not only can create this beautiful sight, but also reveal how tiny we are comparing the earth. What is more, it expresses a released feeling.

The growth of the sakura

Jimmy skillfully used the growth of the sakura to symbol the growth of the girl. The sakura experiences the change of the weather and season, and eventually it is flourish.

Illustration interacts with elegant literary

“窗外的煙火好熱鬧
屋子裡卻冷冷清清”
Liao J. (2009)

There is lively firework outside the window while there are lonely in the room. It can impress the isolated feeling of the girl by comparing various situations.

Reference

The effect of the artwork

1.     To break the rule that texts override the illustrations
In the past, the texts override the development of the illustrations since the description tool is texts. However, in “The Starry Starry Night” the illustrations are the description tool while the texts are assistance

2.     To be successful to across the barriers of children's literature and shape a new genre----adult picture books
The target of “The starry starry night” is not only for children, but also the teenagers, the adolescent and the adult.

3.     To develop of the artwork via different medium (especially the business of art product)
-Space for installation art: In 2009, Jimmy held the exhibition about “The Starry Starry Star " in Huashan Creative park. It combined with a number of artists from various domains such as fashion and interior design. Using different media or method to describe the artwork.

- Movie: In 2011, “the Starry Starry night” was adapted for movie.

-Different life products: The image in the artwork was constantly copied. Thus, it could be seen on many dailylife products, such as pencil cases, watches, laptop, MRT tickets, T-shirts, the wildcard card, notepaper and coffee cup.

Chan L.(2011),“Research studies of Jimmy Liao illustration artwork”, http://ir.lib.ntnu.edu.tw/retrieve/52436/metadata_02_01_s_05_0181.pdf

Liao J. (2009), " The Starry Starry Night", Locus publishing.

Jimmy Liao

Personal Profile

 

Name: Jimmy Liao Fu-pin

Pen name: Ji Mi
Born: 15 November 1958
Career: Taiwanese illustrator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After graduating from Chinese Culture University in which he majored in art, popular writer-illustrator Jimmy worked in an advertising company for 12 years. Diagnosed in 1995, Liao underwent six months of chemotherapy and his cancer went into remission. Nevertheless, depression and fear over his illness changed his outlook on life and launched him on a new career. In 1998, it is the first time starting his own artworks which are Secrets in the Woods and A Fish that Smiled at Me. Then, he published a best-selling book “Turn Left, Turn Right” which was rewarded by huge success and generate a trend of illustrated creation. More books were published eventually by jimmy and some of them were displayed by different form of mediums such as movie, animation. 'I became more observant even of some very tiny things in life. Drawing became my therapy. It's the way I release my anxiety.' Liao (2008) said. Nowadays, his 30 illustrated stories have sold five million copies worldwide and many exhibitions were held in Taipei, Hong Kong and on the mainland.

 

"My parents sometimes are fine, however they usually quarrel heavily and sometimes don't speak with each other."
-----------The Starry Starry Night

"Father always chats on the phone which seems to be important in his dailylife. Nevertheness, I have no word to speak with him since he doesn't understand what I am talking about."
-----------------The Starry Starry Night

"I seem to be a bird in a cage thirsting for flying outside."

" We cannot see the stars gradually in the urban"

 

 

I choose Jimmy as my artist of final paper because his illustration interacts with his elegant literary well. Although his illustrations and stories convey a sense of loneliness, this touches us feeling alienated by hectic city life. Liao (2008) mentioned that he had felt a sense of solitude living in a hectic city but he had enjoyed the solitude of working alone. Hence, he had tried to change the loneliness into beauty.

In addition, not only his artworks are accompanied the elegant texts well, but also delivers the comprehensive values, the positive attitude to our daily life. For children, they are attracted by the colorful illustration featuring adorable animals. For teenagers, they may experience the bitter-sweet feeling of leaving childhood and entering adulthood. For adults, they can receive the heart-tugging loneliness and anxieties of the urban life. Everyone may be comforted by Jimmy’s artworks.

the mural painting in MRT Nangang Station

The exhibition of  The Starry Starry Night

The exhibition of The Starry Starry Night

The exhibition of The Starry Starry Night

The exhibition of The Starry Starry Night

 

 

 
The video is talking about the aim of jimmy to create a book "The Starry Starry Night". He hope this book can raise parents awareness to their children who cannot be understood by the adults.
 

 
The visit reveals the experience of Jimmy to create his new artwork "The Rainbom of Time". Creating the artwork about the time in cinema, Jimmy tried to watch movie in there frequently in order to expressed his feeling into his artwork. Meanwhile, he would like to give his respect to all film directors.


Reference:

http://taiwanpedia.culture.tw/web/content?ID=4657

cultural department of Taiwan
 http://www.scmp.com/article/632403/taking-colourful-look-life
Taking a colourful look at life       Miranda Yeung (April 3, 2008).
http://www.scmp.com/article/631161/solitary-man
Solitary Man               Joyce Siu( 25 March, 2008)
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90782/7240982.html
exhibition of jimmy Liao

Visiting Fortanian Open Studio

Where the creative ideas come from? Do artists possess unlimited ideas? I visited the Fortanian Open Studio last week and admitted different form of artworks. Then, I understood the gradual art generation. Not only is it living in our surroundings, but it is also acquiring its own story letting the artworks more meaningful and specific. That’s why the artworks can attract us.

  

Many sockets were painted on Ama Huen Ning’s artworks. I asked Ama why she painted these. Being a mother, Ama spent lots of time in her house with her baby, hence started to notice a lot of little things on which she never paid much of attention in the past such as light switches, sockets. She said” Even though they are ordinary things that seem mundane, but our lives cannot function without them.”I was interested in it because Ama can seek a channel to link her daily life through painting different type of sockets. Art is unrestrictive. Although it may come out from mundane things, it can be a spring of creation and break our banal living style. Therefore, we may appreciate different parts of our life in order to generate different angles of views, which like Ama’s artworks—different angles of sockets.

"The construction site march"

I visited Chan Siu Min’s studio, Chung Fung Studio. Mr. Chan likes painting artworks relating to Hong Kong’s social event and his daily life. Both “The construction site march”(工地進行曲) and “To be demolished”(待拆) reflected the development of Hong Kong. “The construction site march” generated an unpredictable situation. Looking down the site, workers and machines were crisscross. The taller the building was, the closer the noise was. Was it a symbol of flourish or the beginning of nightmare? Nobody knew what the next melody of the march was. “To be demolished” showed the consequence of development in Hong Kong. Experiencing different stories around it, the building cannot avoid being demolished eventually.

"To be demolished"

Although some old buildings will disappear during the development, some events or people cannot be easily to forget because they create their own remarkable histories such as the artwork “6.4 party---mourn for Szeto Wah”. I love Mr. Chan’s artworks because they seem like history books.

Finally, I believe that some expressive artworks may come from artists’ daily experience even though they are ordinary and simple things, they possess their own stories. Admiring our surroundings may let us discover some interesting things.