Comments on: Confessions Of A Farang Artist http://absolutelybangkok.com/confessions-of-a-farang-artist/ The Portal for the Bangkok Connoisseur - The Elaborate & Profane of Big Mango Sun, 25 Jul 2010 02:43:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: BangkokDan http://absolutelybangkok.com/confessions-of-a-farang-artist/comment-page-1/#comment-3593 BangkokDan Thu, 19 Feb 2009 03:25:43 +0000 http://absolutelybangkok.com/?p=4150#comment-3593 Thanks for this <em>chang</em>, chapeau my word as well. Backstage is probably easier to make a living in Bangkok's art world than on stage. There's quite a vibrant, commercially hardly sustainable "counter-establishment" active in Bangkok. The small event has a life on its own. <a href="mailto:absolutelyBangkok@gmail.com" rel="nofollow">BangkokDan</a> Thanks for this chang, chapeau my word as well.

Backstage is probably easier to make a living in Bangkok’s art world than on stage.

There’s quite a vibrant, commercially hardly sustainable “counter-establishment” active in Bangkok.

The small event has a life on its own.

BangkokDan

Quality comment? Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]> By: chang dek http://absolutelybangkok.com/confessions-of-a-farang-artist/comment-page-1/#comment-3592 chang dek Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:55:10 +0000 http://absolutelybangkok.com/?p=4150#comment-3592 Art in Thailand is mostly valued pragmatically, therefore it's traditional manifestation is mostly seen through religious icons, subjucating it to its role as a craft rather than a serious form of cultural expression. Artisans abound, and excel in crafts and technologies that are unique in exquisite miniaturization and attention to detail. Communal storytelling such as Niuw or Likkey are mostly based on cautionary tales, while still useful as local cultural-glue, they fail to embrace a larger view that embraces humanity on a broader scale, bringing a world relevance to Thailand's individuality and personal cultural issues. Where Butoh is visual, the Butoh seen in Thailand isn't as Hijikata intended, exposing the underbelly of society, and even as that Japanese masters inspiration came from the Western theater of the absurd; when Thais do western "inspired" work it's often limited to entertaining a rarefied strata of society attending hallowed theaters such as Esplanade's new arts complex or Thai Cultural Center. Now with the new Guggenheim inspired Bangkok Art Center, finally art isn't limited to being relegated to hotels and shopping malls. But that hasn't had a significant impact on a society who's true art is in living life - enjoying the fruits of a lush tropical landscape and climate, luxurious fruits, exquisite cuisine and relatively un-prudish sexual mores. World class directors like Nonzee Nimibutr may inspire a new generation of brave filmmakers, whose excellent work is mostly only appreciated by international or festival audiences. Artists like Kevin Jesuino have to struggle to push their own work to be seen in obscure venues; my hat off to those who believe in their own work enough to dare to show it to a world largely indifferent to art, where art is what you copy. The latest-best T shirt caption I saw read: "Fake is easy." Art in Thailand is mostly valued pragmatically, therefore it’s traditional manifestation is mostly seen through religious icons, subjucating it to its role as a craft rather than a serious form of cultural expression. Artisans abound, and excel in crafts and technologies that are unique in exquisite miniaturization and attention to detail. Communal storytelling such as Niuw or Likkey are mostly based on cautionary tales, while still useful as local cultural-glue, they fail to embrace a larger view that embraces humanity on a broader scale, bringing a world relevance to Thailand’s individuality and personal cultural issues.

Where Butoh is visual, the Butoh seen in Thailand isn’t as Hijikata intended, exposing the underbelly of society, and even as that Japanese masters inspiration came from the Western theater of the absurd; when Thais do western “inspired” work it’s often limited to entertaining a rarefied strata of society attending hallowed theaters such as Esplanade’s new arts complex or Thai Cultural Center. Now with the new Guggenheim inspired Bangkok Art Center, finally art isn’t limited to being relegated to hotels and shopping malls. But that hasn’t had a significant impact on a society who’s true art is in living life – enjoying the fruits of a lush tropical landscape and climate, luxurious fruits, exquisite cuisine and relatively un-prudish sexual mores. World class directors like Nonzee Nimibutr may inspire a new generation of brave filmmakers, whose excellent work is mostly only appreciated by international or festival audiences. Artists like Kevin Jesuino have to struggle to push their own work to be seen in obscure venues; my hat off to those who believe in their own work enough to dare to show it to a world largely indifferent to art, where art is what you copy. The latest-best T shirt caption I saw read: “Fake is easy.”

Quality comment? Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0

]]>