derrically

Breaking Traditions, 2008 by Nicole Leong

I went to the show two nights ago with my friend Sandi. We had a lot of insightful discussion about the works in the show and, since we had the most discussion around this work, I decided to post this one and share with you some of the points we talked about. Jump to read and see more photos.

Sandi was able to point out some of the details I missed, and most of the details seem to point the audience to the direction that the artist was trying to present many dualities in Western/Eastern struggle and breakthrough. It can be argued that the work shows a Chinese dragon breaking out of a western teapot and an European dragon breaking out of a eastern teapot, and the detail Sandi pointed out seem to support that observation. However, I have some reservation about that reading because the intent and the execution do not match.

I woule argue that there are many misses in the execution if the duality is indeed what the artist intented to present. the western dragon is missing an important signifier, the leathery wings, and without them it cannot be definitively recognized as western dragon. Also, if metaphorically the two teapots are supposed to be the confining traditions of western and eastern societies. The details such as the shape of the teapots and the patterns on them are not definite enough to support that reading. Moreover, if the two teapots and dragons are supposed to be viewed together and feed off each other, the size difference between the two makes it harder to be read as equal. Because of these misses, it is possible to suggest that the reading of duality in cultures are not intented and it weakens the work.

Still, some might argue that the concept should be above all the technical execution, and it should be read based on its intent (which I argued previously is weakened by some execution choices). I agree that the concept of “breaking traditions” presented with a Chinese dragon breaking out of a western teapot and an European dragon out of an eastern teapot has its merits because it suggests that cultures tend to confine and frame foreign cultures in the way that it’s easy to digest and control and it is much harder to break the “traditional” constructed hold one culture has on another. This is a point that makes me glad that I had the discussion with Sandi. However, the way this work presents those cultural constraints and breakouts suggests that these are separate and independent processes. There is no connection between the two confined spaces within cultures (teapots) and there is no connection between the two foreign cultures (dragons). As we know how the world functions, it is hard not to see the non-connection as an oversight and not an intented choice; which makes its message less effective.

Still, after the criticism (I hope it was constructive), I still want to say that I do like the work and I can’t wait to see more work from Nicole.