Expanding the Singaporean discourse: Exploring artist materials from the 1950s to 1970s

Abstract

Understanding the conditions of Singapore’s vast cultural record is crucial in building knowledge on the artistic practices of mid-twentieth century artists. These narratives are familiarly anchored by historical junctures of Western colonisation, Japanese occupation, the country’s independence and more broadly, post-war. This paper expands on the discourse through material data generated from a technical examination of two Singaporean artists, Georgette Chen (1906–1993) and Cheong Soo Pieng (1917–1983), and their techniques and material availability of the 1950s–1970s. Primary data from archival exhibition catalogues and recent art historical literature indicate that the Chinese diaspora community played a vital role in developing a modern art scene, including the sale of artist supplies through Chinese bookshops. Findings on canvas support and its preparation from a broad technical study of 67 Cheong Soo Pieng and Georgette Chen paintings are discussed. The presence of canvas stamps by Japanese canvas manufacturer, Holbein, was found on 50% of paintings produced in the 1960s. Additionally, trends in cotton and bast fibres are observed through the decades. Through the production of new empirical data located in a relevant knowledge eco-system, future technical art research in Singapore and the broader context of Southeast Asia are considered and examined.