"The World Is Our Book"
Research Festival Work
The World Is Our Book
Scale Reference
This work is a large scale artist book with a sketchbook page and multiple landscape paintings on another page, in book layout format.
It is a reflection of my encounters with the alps for the past year, with route I took, sketches, and paintings inspired by my encounter, including mountains from the alps in winter and summer, sunsets from my place in London, an imagined night scene of the mountains.
Date
Details
Dimension
Oct' 24
Oils on canvas, acrylic marker on canvas, handmade 'bookshelf' with repurposed stretcher, metal brackets
90 x 180cm (when fully extended)
Details
Slide for more photos
Mindmap for first draft
Idea Development - first draft
Initially I wanted to create a painting with a book layout, featuring scenes from my encounters with landscape during my time here in London, with elements such as portholes, airplanes windows, to reflect on the portal we view the world with.
The idea of claude glass came out during a tutorial, the idea of ‘framing’ landscape, also reflecting back on my summer show work, ‘into the alps’, where I was trying to ‘frame’ the viewer in the work. The mirror elements echo my unit 1 project — "into the landscape", where I tried to polish the metal to be reflective to include the viewer in my work when they approach.
This idea allows me to experiment with various workshops. I was planning to do casting for a porthole, ceramics for airplane windows and wood for a building's window. Hanging them with fishing wire, or have them free standing. Viewers will view the painting via the porthole.
The idea of painting a book layout featuring multiple scenes was inspired by Romania pavilion in the Venice Biennale, where the artist, Șerban Savu was representing ‘multiple post-utopian historical limbo’ in his work.
However this idea was not feasible as the installation of hanging accessories on top of paintings looks too messy, upon few discussions with tutors, I received feedback that this looks like an artwork more than an artist book.
First Draft of Idea Development
Slide for more photos
Idea Development - Final draft
Upon multiple discussions with tutors and technicians, I decided to make a large scale artist book, with the painting on one page and map (of my route in the alps) on the other.
I planned to build a bookshelf to hold both paintings in a V shape, mimicking an open book. Taking inspiration from Maison Assouline, a book store in Piccadilly which has a collection of large art books. The exploration of claude glass (mirror) still continues at this stage, however due to the angle of the book, it was not ideal, thus the idea is abandoned.
Sustainability was a concern, how can I use repurposed material, and how should I store it afterwards, thus the possibility of folding the bookshelf when not in use. As my intention was to reflect on my journey, I wanted to include quotes from “The Living Mountain” by Nan Shepherd due to its impact on me.
Brainstorming notes
Final Draft of Idea Development
Slide for more photos
Painting Process
The painting was started in studio and completed during my summer residency at Millbank, shortly after visiting the Venice Biennale. Without the pressure of time, I had the opportunity to slow down and truly enjoy the process. I aimed for this piece to be a collage of places that inspire me throughout my travels in Europe, while also allowing for some technical experimentation. Each square of the painting was primed with a different color, which let me explore the effect of complementary colors primers.
I also tried out various mediums, such as liquin, walnut oil, and orange solvent, in contrast to my usual linseed oil. This experimentation helped me think about different paint thicknesses and color palettes.
The painting consists of nine squares, inspired by book layouts and influenced by the aesthetic of Șerban Savu in the Romania pavilion. These squares feature both real and imagined landscapes, including: Alpine scenes from various locations (like Tignes and Flaine, noted on a map in my sketchbook), a sunset from my accommodation in London, the mountains of Grindelwald during summer, an imagined night scene based on a photo I took when tourists were not allowed to visit the mountains at night.
This work reflects my experiences, combining reality with imagination in a way that feels authentic to my journey.
Painting Process
Slide for more photos
Painting Process - sketchbook
For the sketchbook page, I aimed to recreate the authentic feel of my actual sketchbook. I included quick mountain sketches, personal reflections, and maps of the routes I took through the Alps. I also added quotes that had a significant impact on me during my journey.
Without access to a studio, I worked on this piece in my room, using a projector to help with scale and proportions. I found that the projector was most useful for transferring the basic outlines of drawings onto the canvas. However, I quickly realized that relying solely on the projected image for details and overall appearance wouldn't capture the essence of my work. Instead, I used the projector as a starting point, then completed the drawing without it.
Painting Process
Slide for more photos
Creating bookshelf
Sustainability and storage were key concerns when designing the display for my work. Initially, I considered creating a freestanding book stand, but I realized this would require a significant amount of material that would likely be discarded after the exhibition, especially since I'm returning to Malaysia in a month.
To address these concerns, I came up with a more sustainable solution. I repurposed my existing stretchers to create a wall-mounted bookstand. This design uses two stretchers with a wooden button placed between them. The button serves a crucial function, allowing both paintings to sit properly without overlapping each other.
To make the structure more versatile and easier to transport, I attached hinges to both stretchers. This modification enables the bookshelf to fold after the exhibition, significantly reducing its size for storage and shipping.
I chose to display the book horizontally against the wall to create an experience similar to reading a traditional book, where viewers naturally look down at the pages, mimicking the act of reading.
Creating bookshelf process
Slide for more photos
Creating brackets to support the bookshelf
Given the substantial weight of the paintings with their stretchers, we needed to design robust brackets for support, opting for three in total: one to support the central wooden button and two for the ends.
The bracket creation process began with cutting the metal to size and measuring where to drill holes. With the stretcher measuring 90cm, we determined that optimal support required the brackets to extend 50cm on one end and 35cm on the wall-mounting end. After marking the midpoint for drilling, we bent the metal at a 90-degree angle 35cm from one end. We then cut shorter pieces of metal to reinforce the brackets, filing them to a 45-degree angle before welding them in place.
However, the initial brackets weren't as strong as expected, so we added longer metal pieces for further reinforcement.
Most of this work was expertly handled by Daniel Boyle from the metal workshop, and I am very grateful for his assistance.
Creating brackets process
Slide for more photos
Installation
This artwork heavily relies on its installation to create the illusion of an open book. We made a deliberate choice to position it lower on the wall, mimicking a bookstand, which allows viewers to engage with the piece more comfortably, as if they were reading an actual book.
The installation process began with securing the middle bracket to the wooden button. We then attached brackets to both ends of the stretchers. Due to the curved nature of one end of the stretcher, we encountered a challenge in fixing the bracket seamlessly.
However, it was crucial to have the flat end of the stretcher facing upwards to provide better support for the painting. This meant that the bracket had to be fixed to the side of the stretcher facing downwards (the curved end). We addressed this issue by using longer screws, ensuring that the gap between the stretcher and bracket didn't compromise its supportive function.
After securing all brackets, we fine-tuned the ceiling-mounted exhibition lights to achieve the optimal viewing experience.
Installation
Slide for more photos