TERM 4: Week 3 - Tiffany Singh "COLORS"

Our guest speaker this week was Kiwi born installation artist Tiffany Singh. With a Maori, Samoan and Indian descent she has explored and exhibited in New Zealand, Samoa and India. "Engagement and participation are two important element to consider when your an Installation artist" is how I have summed up Singh artwork throughout he seminar. But as our lesson for this week being around the use of color. Singh idea of color originated from Hindu/Buddhism religion on chakra and how there are seven colored chakras within living human beings.

Her work "What color is sacred" really emphasis her idea of color and its meaning and feelings towards others. Her artwork are small (palm of hand) scale mimic of Hindu goddess and the Virgin Mary positioned inlined with over 400 models of the form but using the seven color chakra to give each model a meaning through its form and color. She quoted "Shape and form are intellect with each other throughout her work" and telling me they both work together in one mind, people reacting or relating to each clone form differently. The conclusion she got on this artwork was the that religion/ethnicity/Western society plays a major role of people choice of color models. Singh explained that one lady was emotional because of a purple Hindu goddess she choose to trade with was like her see her past.

It seems that spirituality connection seem to contribute to Singh work and to me that a bad thing. Singh is pushing the boundaries of religion and spirituality because of her practice being really focused on religious and ethnicity forms or colors. People may be offended or angry by her artwork "what color is sacred?" as depiction of mary used as an art piece kinda of offended me because being a catholic, any depiction/statue/painting of Mary is highly regarded as a spiritual symbol/object/form that we heavily pray to through our rosary beads and must be blessed by the Priest/Archbishop or Pope. Singh colored models of the Virgin Mary is creative and authentic as an artist but its bit offensive to me as a Christian(Catholic) believer, however I can understand her idea of colors relationship with individuals.

When Singh first mentions about chakra in her talk, I immediately fought about of Japanese Manga writer and Illustrater Masashi Kushimoto "NARUTO". In Kushimoto manga Chakra is molding physical and spiritual energy together within an individual. Then once controlled, the energy can be exploited out of the body into visible physical form. There are different forms and color that are visible and relate to the element that an individual uses. The five elemental chakra nature system is associated except lightning with the Japanese philosophy of the Five elements. As I read the definitions of Fu(Wind), I realize that Naruto, the protagonist in Kushimto manga characteristic and color highly associated and related to Wind as its his main chakra element. The use color in Singh work is tied to the philosophy of chakra in the Hindu religion as to Kushimoto chakra system similar to Wu Xing (Chinese philosophy) and giving chakra visible/elemental form and color that is distinctive to each element.

As of my favorite color, I'll have to say BLUE because of the childhood memories of being raised in Tonga. One thing I remember and loved about Tonga was the sky and the ocean. One memory of mine was lying in top of a container during the night, staring at the sky daydreaming, wishes, looking for shapes or form clouds create and wondering how my mother was doing back in New Zealand. Blue to me is a peaceful and meditate color that makes me think about the world and God. Another memory of mine was walking to a nearby wharf for swim with my cousins and family on the weekends and holidays, As I look out into the sea/ocean, the ocean color blue seem like a never-ending sight as the blue looked real dark and deep as I looked out from the wharf. I thought NZ ocean had the same feeling and sight I remember in Tonga but it didn't catch my imagination. My childhood and nature plays a major roll on the colors I remember well and love.

http://www.aucklandprintstudio.com/tiffany-singh.html (Singh latest project "Wave of Possibility"

http://vimeo.com/10592897 (Singh "What color is sacred" by Mic Oti Rerehiko)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA6j5jNyBz4 (interview about "Stealing the Senses"2011)

http://www.sanatansociety.org/yoga_and_meditation/seven_chakras.htm

http://www.maryourmother.net/Mary.html

http://www.fengshuinatural.com/en/five-elements.html (Chinese philosophy)

http://www.aetw.org/jsp_godai.htm (Japanese Philosophy)

http://www.naruto2.com/Information/Chakra_Guide/Naruto-ChakraGuide_Main.aspx (Kushimoto "NARUTO " world Chakra system)

http://naruto.wikia.com/wiki/Chakra