preface

Preface

"The modernist impulse in Malaysia painting and sculpture has a pedigree much older than that signaled by the launching of the Gallery in 1958. Even so, it could be argued that the history of the "hot centre" of modern Malaysian art very nearly corresponds with the history of the Gallery. Indeed, the opening of the Gallery was a self-conscious declaration that the notion of the modern in the visual arts had arisen in the national consciousness. This view is reinforced by the fact that many of the seminal achievements legitimizing modern Malaysian art, both at home and abroad, have occurred mainly during the lifetime of the Gallery." -- Krishen Jit, in the Introduction of the book, Vision and Idea - Re-looking Modern Malaysian Art, 1994.

The idea of the modern art museum was originally a Western one and it was imported by the non-Western world. The arrival of the modern art museum in the non-Western countries followed in the wake of the new, secularistic art traditions that had inevitably appeared, as a consequence of the historic, modernising process that had taken place. In the case of modern Malaysia, the emergence of the National Art Gallery had been a belated one. It was established only in August 1958, one year after the achievement of the country's independence. The colonial British government had not found a useful political role for art in this country and had thus not officially encouraged artistic activity nor the building of any art museums. The formation of the National Art Gallery by the new, young nationalist government in 1958, was therefore a significant event in that its very appearance, as stated by Krishan Jit in the above quotation, had signalled ＂a self-conscious declaration that the notion of the modern in the visual arts had arisen in the national consciousness."

Bearing in mind that our pioneering modern artist had originally founded the new modernist art tradition without any institutional support whatsoever, the Gallery's formation had been especially significant and timely. The Gallery would become the legitimizing agent for the new modern Malaysian artistic tradition. And any art tradition must need its recognition and validation. The Gallery would undertake the task of systematically promoting artistic activities and promoting Malaysian artists, both locally and internationally, in the decades that followed its formation. It would also become, in time, the official national repository and guardian of the nation's finest modernist art productions. We may be reminded that the Gallery had begun its humble existence with only four hurriedly donated art works in its permanent art collection in 1958. Today, it boasts an impressive collection of more than two thousand and five hundred art works as well as an impressive new, permanent building. And indeed, it has fulfilled a vital and impressive role in nurturing our modernist art movement to its full maturity. And this role becomes especially vital in non-Western countries where secularistic art contexts are still relatively new and all the necessary support systems are not yet fully in place. That the Gallery has become the "hot centre" of modern art activity in this country is not surprising, in retrospect. That had been its original purpose as envisioned by the small number of enlightened men and women, all genuine art lovers, who had worked so hard to help it come into existence, during the late 1950s.

The primary purpose of this publication is to introduce to our local art lovers, tertiary students and the public-at-large, both local and foreign, a sampling of outstanding art works that have been produced by our modern Malaysian artists. The works featured here have been drawn from the Gallery's own permanent collection. Eighty significant art works produced by four generations of artists were chosen. Bearing in mind, the many art colleges and other tertiary educational institutions that exist in this country today and also, the sizeable number of Malaysian middle class today, publications such as this, undertaken by the Gallery, can further encourage appreciation and understanding of modern Malaysian art. In envisaging the book, it was decided that it should be written in an easy, readable style that will appeal to the interested layman as well as to the serious researcher. There are many people in our society today who are curious enough to want to know about the Gallery and about modern Malaysian art. It was decided that the book should be, first and foremost, usefully informative and illuminating. It was decided that the book could be conceived as a healthy cross between an art historical publication and an attractively enticing coffee table books. Its main purpose is to fulfill a vital educational function. Of course, it should also serve as a useful promotional exercise for the Gallery and win still more friends for the Gallery.

The choice of the word "Masterpieces" as it appears in the title of the book may inspire some discomfort and debate in some quarters and this is to be welcomed. Recent art critical pursuits, inspired by the post-modernist model, for instance, have tended to question the institution of the art museum and any kind of attempts made to construct a hierarchical order in the discussion of art works. We may be reminded here that the post-modernist trait to resist and dismantle hierarchies is only possible because properly constructed art traditions and art historical contexts already exist! Institutions like the National Art Gallery of Malaysia and other national museums take it upon themselves to project a vital sense of history, context and tradition. And, it is expected by the public that such an art institution embody standards of excellence in the acquisition of its permanent collection. It is with these thoughts in mind that a number of pertinent questions may be asked, namely: Is the Gallery's collection meritorious? If so, in what way? Can these eighty chosen works withstand prolonged and close scrutiny? Do they mirror the excitement, flavour and history of our own modernist tradition? It is my belief that these chosen works, when viewed within the contexts of the times when they were created and also when viewed within the overall story of an evolving modern Malaysian art tradition, are indeed significant and outstanding art works. They reveal the diversity, complexity and richness of artistic expressions in a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural nation. These indeed are some of "our own" masterpieces. And a young, dynamic nation like Malaysia needs her own artistic masterpieces and artistic heroes that her citizens can be truly proud of. These selected works are unique when they appeared here at a particular time in our history and they have helped reaffirm the story of our unique and complex culture journey as a multi-ethnic nation thus far.

Whether we like it or not, we may be reminded that the moment an art work slips through the door of the art museum and is displayed in its spaces, or is collected by a national art museum, it immediately assumes an aura, a marvelousness and a distinctness that was not there when it was on the artist's studio floor. Marcel Duchamp's famous found object, the urinal, which set out to determine the Western art establishment and destroy establishment values in its own day exists today, quite paradoxically, enhanced in an art museum collection, exuding its own mythically aura. Duchamp's urinal is today viewed quite differently from its original state as a mundane object or even when it was first projected in a controversial exhibition in Paris. That is exactly what art museums tend to do to art objects. Whether art museums will ever become insignificant or stop fulfilling their legitimizing function in the construction of artistic traditions and myths can be speculated upon. It seems unlikely that art museums will ever become redundant. We may be reminded that even as there are today art critical position drawn in invalidating institutions like art museums, never in the history of mankind have museums been built with such frequentness and passion everywhere as is being witnessed today. And, in non-Western contexts, where secularistic art activity is still relatively new and all the necessary support systems are not yet fully in place, the role of the national art museum will continue to occupy a special position and it will continue to feature significantly. Art traditions and artists will need to gain respectability and be properly validated and a legitimizing institution such as the National Art Gallery of Malaysia public's perception of artists and their significant contributions. To discount this significant fact is to shoot oneself in front!

In planning the format of this book, it was decided that the chosen art works would be presented under four distinct categories: (1) Place/ Environment / Things; (2) Mythology/ Belief/ Tradition; (3) Society/ The Self/ Memory; (4) Abstraction/ Concept/ The New Real. Each section contains twenty art works that relate to the specific themes and issues that have been worked out. These categories are not intended to be used or read in exclusive terms. They have been selected with the aim of enabling the framing of art works within broad, cognitive categories, which in turn leads to the way we construct and perceive the world, communities and ourselves. They should enhance ways of looking and seeing. It was decided that the arrangement of the works should emphasize a chronological order of presentation, wherever relevant, in order to allow the reader a sense of the actual historical contexts and the times in which the works were produced, thereby revealing as well the peculiar problems faced by each generation of artists in their search for pertinent forms and artistic meanings. By and large, formalistic and stylistic pursuits have dominated our artists' attention. It was only in the late 1980s that post-modernist tendencies appeared within the local art scene in any significantly influential way. Bearing in mind the essentially multi-ethnic and multi-cultural realities of the Malaysian situation, it is only to be expected that the artistic approaches would be diverse and often reflect influences that betrayed the artist's own ethnic background and personal preferences. Yet other artists have borrowed freely from the diverse multi-cultural influences existing in their midst. If the beginnings of the movement had been dominated by the role of Chinese artists, it was because that community had been initially better placed economically and better exposed culturally to accept the new modernist art influences. The emergence of Malay and other indigenous artists as a strong artistic force was only possible during the 1950s and after. The number of Indian artists has remained relatively small even if their contributions have been significant.

Lastly, it may be pointed out that a population that knows and appreciates its significant artists and their major artistic productions is indeed a more informed, culturally enriched one. It is hoped that this publication will contribute towards achieving this objective. It is hoped that this book will bring to the reader many meaningful moments of pleasure as well. More significantly, it is hopes that this book will help inculcate in all Malaysian a genuine sense of national pride in the outstanding achievements of our visual artists.

REDZA PIYADASA
KUALA LUMPUR