Dreams by TZP

DREAM, by Teo Zhi Ping

The coursework journey has just ended for AEP4 and I'm very proud to have been a part of this group of artists. Just as I put a whole lot of effort into my small-scale coursework, I've seen my fellow friends work so hard as well, be it creating installations, digital work, or canvas paintings. 

Last Wednesday, I had my viva voce (I'll talk about this in another post!) and during the waiting time,  a group of us went on a "tour" to see all our completed works, and we came to Zhiping's large installation. To me, it seemed to have conjured out of nowhere (cos I wasn't in schl during the earlier parts of Sept holidays when she was working on the structure), but it's one of the works that I really really like, for more reasons than one.

Dream is an installation that is meant to be interactive. As you can see from the photo above, it's meant for one person to enter at a time. My first impression upon seeing the full work, hanging just outside the school art gallery, was that it was really majestic. I've heard many others say that it resembles a jellyfish, but I beg to differ because jellyfish tentacles don't grow from the top of the bell!!!!

Anyway, my first experience with the work was in the early morning of 13th Sept, and I was probably one of the first people to touch the completed work. I was intrigued by the softness of the feathery yarn/threads that hung down from the shell above, because they seemed so endless. The colours chosen were red, black and white, and the richness of the red had such an attractive force to it. I think it was a smart move to use red as its richness really draws viewers to the work. Stepping into the work was an interesting experience as well. I must admit that I was one of the culprits who wore shoes in, because I didn't realise that we had to take them out until zhiping told us!

Stepping into the work and onto the mirrors, I realised myself becoming subconsciously cautious and careful, trying my very best to avoid the fragile paper cranes and black parts. This lead me to form a few questions in my mind. Was the work about apprehension? about how people tend to hold back before making the next move? about how people allow their lack of confidence to restrict their maximum potential? That's somewhat the sensation that the work made me feel. When I got settled onto the mirror in the middle, I looked above and around me. The work was rather overwhelming - swirls all around, a wide array of colours from the paper cranes, and the closely packed threads that seemed to be keeping me trapped inside. What enhanced the sensation was the MIRRORS. There at least 20 circular mirrors and not just below, but on top as well. Everywhere I looked, there was something, and a reflection of something else. 

My guess was the the work was about life--- about how life is full of uncertainty, of apprehension, of doubt; but when you dare to take the next leap of faith, to take the next step into something new, it's life becomes full of wondrous things beyond your imagination.

Eventually, zhiping gave us a brief "tour" of the work and told us what she actually envisioned it to be about. This "tour" also gave me a revelation and helped me to see it from a different perspective. 
Each segment of the work was symbolic of a something she wanted to express. The overall shape of the work was representative of a bell jar or a cage. The dome was made out of papier marche (cardboard + wire frame + newspapers pasted with white glue). I believe she took some inspiration from her EOY 2010 work as well, as I remember it having a bell jar and paper crane inside, if I'm not wrong. 

>> A bell jar is a piece of laboratory equipment used for creating vacuums.
>> A cage is a structure of bars or wires in which birds or other animals are confined.

Either way, the idea of enclosing something was trying to be established. 
In this case, the work was enclosing its audience.

Here are some questions I asked her in a mini interview:

Q: Why did you choose red?

TZP: The most human colour something like that, it's in our blood, it's the colour of life and it's very vibrant and it's one of the most outstanding colours

Q: Why thread?

TZP: I feel that thread flows, you know like a river, like a constant process

Going deeper into the work: 

A reflection of the "ceiling" on the mirrors below reveals the shape of an eye. The eye white is made up of a wooden board (painted white), and the things that go on it are swirls of black polyester thread, a circle of mirrors, and wire with mesh to create a more 3-D effect for the centre of the eye. This part hangs down when you look at it from below and seems rather threatening as it's in such close proximity to the viewer. The eye is symbolic of the critical eye of society that judges and watches every move we make. Quoting the artist herself, it is "Society's eye reflected in an endless process which leads to the depths of infinity- like the mirrors". I guess that zhiping may have gotten her inspiration from an artist we studied in SOVA, Lucia Hartini. 

Q: Why did you give your work the title "Dreams"?

TZP: Because I'm trying to tell people to stay true to their dreams. Don't give in to the pressures of society or the people around you. 

From her art blog, :"it is about holding on to the hopes and dreams you have throughout all the obstacles you face in life, whether it is the judgment of those around you or other personal challenges, because there will always be those around you who believe in you and care about you, who add colour to your life"

So we come to the part about the cranes. The cranes in her work hold an extremely great significance. These are the cranes that 201'09 came together to fold for her (to celebrate her being elected as the ny council vice-president) and they hold a very deep meaning for zhiping. I was personally very touched that zhiping included these little gifts of friendship that we gave her into her coursework, and also realised how something that seemed 微不足道 when standing alone could be given such a strong meaning when brought into a different context! 

In conclusion, I decided to do this review as 1) there are many aspects to explore in terms of materials used and the significance behind it, that perhaps this post isn't enough to cover (as zhiping said, "it is so hard and almost impossible to truly explain your artwork to someone within a few seconds") and 2) the title of this work seems very closely linked to mine: Dare to Dream. 

With a similar message to convey, zhiping and I have portrayed it so differently,

...and that's what makes art beautiful.