Aris @ ZigfridUnderbelly London: REVIEW BY THE SUNDAY MAIL

THE SUNDAY MAIL
16 April 2006

Written by Haliza Hashim-Doyle
Photos by Andy Craggs

At its most fundamental, Live Art is when an artist chooses to make his work directly in front of the audience in a particular space and time. Many artists have left the galleries and seek more public and specific sites to showcase their work. London itself has become a gallery. Live art tends to involve the unexpected. It may have elements in common with performance arts such as drama or dance, but it moves beyond the conventions and the usual boundaries. Some live artists use shock tactics to draw the audience - fighting in the street; suspending oneself from the side of a tower block; or holding a steady pose for hours at a time. Other live art simply involves hours of high-energy work producing spontaneous and vibrant paintings. Moving beyond the conventions and the usual boundaries is what Aris Ahmad Yaacob, a self-declared radical Malay Anglophile artist, hopes to achieve. The 29-year-old who hailed from Seremban, Negri Sembilan intends to `modernise the traditional understanding of certain genres in Malaysian art'.

Held at a trendy club in London, Aris faced the audience through two frosted perspex blocks to perform a shadow-figure-like performance onstage while painting. He moved sinuously with the music using his palms, fingers and a length of plastic attached to his body to paint. "I love painting and I love performing, so I combine the two. My ideology, my way of documentation of the moment is more important than just a final result. The audience at the show will appreciate the painting sentiment. It is personal and meaningful." Bare chested, wearing a cloth mask and his trademark `plastic cape', Aris stressed that his bizarre outfit represented him. "The subject matter is puppetry. My appearance is irrelevant, in fact it added a visual impact to the performance." Asked if he was successful in interpreting wayang kulit in his live art show, Aris replied that there were mixed reactions from the audience. Most loved the performance, some disagree with the paintings while others said the paintings are insignificant compared to the concept and ideas. He said: "My idea was to challenge the existence of wayang kulit. Usually it is performed in days but I presented it in 20 minutes. Wayang kulit puppets are ready-made but I made my puppet using the plastic on stage. I documented the narrative via painting instead of a moral story. Finally, my interpretation of wayang kulit is for the contemporary audience, you either like it or hate it." He reiterated that: "To me, criticisms and comments of my work can only mean that my work is being noticed and talked about!" Aris has held a number of exhibitions in Britain for the last 12 months including a modern interpretation puppetry performance at a conference on Southeast Asian Studies held at the University of Exeter, and solo art work exhibitions at the Farmilo Fiumano Gallery and Nolias Gallery in London. The Malaysian High Commission Office, The Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board and shoe designer, Datuk Jimmy Choo, are among Aris's supporters in London.

Aris went to Britain in 1996 to study architecture in Manchester. Knowing that his interests and talents leaned more towards art, he then did a Masters degree in Scenography (time-based art namely puppetry) at Wimbledon School of Art, London. Not surprisingly, Aris who is very much inspired by wayang kulit and expressionism, is currently writing a dissertation on wayang kulit and puppetry. When asked if an artist needs to redefine the role and concept of paintings in order to be recognised, Aris said: "I have no pressure, I do it for passion. I do not redefine the role and concept of my paintings but instead I challenge myself." Aris, who is planning another exhibition for a much bigger audience, admitted that: "To put on an exhibition in London, especially as a young, struggling artist - no matter where you're from, even if you're British. Passion, will power and determination can only bring you so far. There is no easy way because there are many artists in London. You have to persevere if you want to be the next Picasso."
Photos by Andy Craggs www.andycraggs.com


Read ZigfridUnderbelly London exhibition review
http://www.malaysiakini.com/rentakini/48573

Read the review of Sarkah Exhibition in Mayfair, London
http://www.malaysiakini.com/rentakini/43033