Oppening of the Penang Oil Painting Societ

Yesterday I spent some time in the afternoon with two of my closest friends Ambi Devi and Joe Sidek after meeting them at the Beach Blanket Bistro Bar where the Little Penang Street market will take place tomorrow like it has always been every last Sunday of the month. Tomorrow i will be having an art class for the kids from the orphanage and i had planned on getting them to do collarge. Joe is having his hands full with managing everything else from running his company and managing the LPS Mrkt to taking care of his mother who is in and out of the hospital for the past few months. He seems on top of it all eventhough he seemd a little worn out around the edges. Ambi is also herself worrying about running he car into gates and not having transportation as a result, otherwise Ambi is Ambi. Two great people who has been dedicating their time and money towards the betterment of others. It is my rpivillage to have become accepted as one of them.

After the brief discussion at the Bistro we heade for the Penang State Art Gallery where the oppening ceremony of the Oil Painting Society was held. As usual there was a very poor and and disheartening turn out for the ocaision. Barely twenty guests mostly the same faces of fellow Artists the number of whicih is alot less than the number of entries for the show. Is Art really becoming extinct in Penang or is it because of the day and time of the event?Has the general public really become so removed from art and aesthetic appreciation, have artists and what they do become aliens in this age and times? This insensitiveness towards those who are the vanguard of creating and enhancing social and cultural identity of a given society is becoming alarming and I am very thankful that there are people like Joe and Ambi and my friend Leekhai and fellow artists like Soo Kow and Rashid who are attempting to keep alive the art scene here in Penang. Without these individuals and some others who patronize the art exhibitions most distinguishable among them Dato'Tan Chee Kuan who is also a collector and supporter of the Arts, Penang will be poorer in her collective aesthetic conciousness.

The lack of any Malay or Indian Artist participation was also very discouraging and a sad thing to note as it reflects the lack of a joint effort among all the existing artist in the state in promoting art and aesthetics in a collective spirit. Apredominantly Chinese affair this does not do much for Penangites in terms of creating a cohesive multi-ethnic joint venture in creative thinking and expression. Most people would only point a finger of accusation and blame when something like this occurs whereby one nationality dominates what must be a collective venture involving all the other nationalities as well. However blaming and fingerpointing does not and never will create any better environment for future integration of the art and artists works in furutre shows, but a positivie drive for and understanding of the dilemma that had been faced by the artists whatever their nationality may be might help to create a better avenuse for better coorperative efforts in promoting a more multi-ethnic exhibition that would raw more wider variety of audiences rallying unfavoured or biased support for the arts and art exhibition.

Art Galleries and gallery owners, Art collectors and critiques, the lay person and artists alike has to make a concert effort towards the reintroduction of an aesthetis awareness for the State. The schools and institutions has to awaken the sense of a need for a renewed sense of creativity among the younger generation and parents are to be made aware that art actitivities are what their children need in order that their creative minds and spirit can flourish. Politicians and lawmakers,educators and the health institutions too have to find ways and means in ensuring that aesthetic and artistic talents among the people are not sidelined or neglected to make way for a sterile, economically driven society. It is encumbent upon all to not let the Arts fall into the waste basket of our so called developmental projects. If this be so Penang will become just another factory for the developed nations and Penangites will serve merely as cork and screws or a sweat shop for the functioning of other bigger factories elsewhere.

Tomorrow, the 31st of August when the whole country celebrates the Nation's Independance Day it is wise to ponder upon what and how we are addressing our sidelined citizens. Those who finds no venues towards their sense of creative imouls and urges, those who through the lack of support and encouragement from the power that be finds no forms of expression or release from this day to day mundane living and most who one way or another ended up finding it in drug abuse. The synthetic release of the trapped souls that could not cope with being caged and astrapped from lack of creative windows of expelling their passions. Most drug abusers and alcoholics are inherently creative in nature, they get high to play the guitat along street corners and scribble cartos on wall as a creative protest we call graffiti or vandalism. Most of our disjointed members of society in mental homes are treated with art therapies the only open door for them to dare enter and let their feelings be known and yet we who are in the know treat the arts and artistic talent as a wasteful endeavor and most of us prohibits our children to indulge in drawings or painting as a pasttime much less enciourage them to get more involved.

MERDEKA!