Tag Archives: chinoiserie

Week 7: My Own Room

This is a hard one.

I would pick Chinoiserie.

Anyway, I really wish I can live in a time zone where China is not open to the world yet so I can have imagination of what China looks like, maybe looking at my plates could help.

Let me tell you why I am not picking Japonaiserie. Because they attack us asian thats why. They got the idea of colonising other countries because of the western thinking they picked up after they open up to the west, again. But this is whole another topic.

I like Japanese art, they are very distinct and very original. Japanese are very discipline people and it reflect through the artwork that they make. Imagine those craftsmen drawing all those Namban Art, made up of very detail up to the very finish. While woodblock painting originated from China, Japan was able to make it look like they invented it because of the popularity of the ukiyo-e prints. Ukiyo-e’s composition was the inspiration to many western artist.

Looking at Van Gogh turn to try his hand on Japonaiserie, it didn’t really look like is a classic Van Gogh painting style but there is attempt there I think. Even though this kind of style is not really into my liking, I appreciate his attempt and somehow his signature style was influenced by Japanese art.

The Courtesan (after Eisen), Van Gogh, 1887, Oil On Canvas

Even Claude Monet was attempting to include Japanese culture into his painting. It was Hokusai’s Japanese flower prints that actually influence Monet to start doing his water lilies series. Hokusai’s flower prints doesn’t need to have a landscape at the background instead just focussing on the flower. Monet would blend that idea with his style and give birth to the water lilies series that make him famous. Comparing the two different paintings below, the composition is very different but you can see that Monet have some landscape painting on the fan.

DSC08579 copy

Claude Monet

Claude Monet

On the other hand, Chinoiserie speaks to me. Even the legend/story in the willow pattern is very romantic and I am able to relate it. I found an artist who does chinoiserie painting and it is very beautiful. I realise in Chinoiserie art, the most stand out element is actually the plant, those long branches and florals.

Dreamworlds-Hotel-Hallway-murals Dreamworlds-Jardin-Japonaise2

Dreamworlds-Jardin-Japonaise

Looking at those two paintings above by Rainer Maria Latzke, she has elements of China on them, for example, the pagoda and the china vase. There is also the composition of background and foreground which is also an element in Chinese painting. Rainer-Maria-Latzke-forbidden-city-bedroom

Behind the bed, there is a painting of a chinese landscape, there is a pagoda, those tall mountain, which depict an exotic fairyland like how they depict in the distant cathay.

With that being said, I would rather have chinoiserie as I am able to get lost in a temporary world of imagination and dream, which is perfect for a bedroom where its main purpose is to rest and dream.

Anyway, I know of a hotel which I came across before way back and I manage to find some pictures on the net. This is the Majestic Hotel!

Screen Shot 2015-10-07 at 4.10.28 pm Screen Shot 2015-10-07 at 4.10.48 pm SINGAPORE-New-Majestic-Hotel-Attic-Suite-Samsui-Suite-by-Justin-Lee-

The wallpapers have some element of chinese art and modern art combine! It is very interesting because in the first picture, you can see some chinese lady wearing a traditional clothing, holding a badminton racket and a mobile phone. The second picture, is a chinese women looking like mickey mouse and lastly, an image of samsui women. These graphics are from Justin Lee, a local artist who juxtapose the modern with the old, where east meets west. Here’s a link if you guys are interested to look at more of his work. In fact, Justin exhibit his works at the Asian Civilisation Museum actually some time back. I remember it now.

It might not be link to Chinoiserie or Japanoiserie, but I feel that artists now are very influenced with other culture and it reflect it in their work, in a case of Justin Lee, his juxtaposition of west and east emphasise on the point of how we are always influence by other culture.

Anyway, let me share with you guys some of the decoration I have in my room! I call it Industrinoiserie. IMG_4874

I collect car plates about 2 years ago. Everytime I go overseas, I will try to find car plates to add to my collection. Flea market at New York City have tons of it!

I also have two clocks which I want to try copy concepts of hotels which shows a lot of different time from different time zone. I believe the right is time of Los Angeles while the right is the local time. I always think it is very interesting to see big hotels displaying about 5 clocks on their lobby, maybe they want to reflect how ‘international’ the hotel chain is.

IMG_4875