COMING SOON to the Cathay Gallery at the Cathay Cineplex, Utterly Art’s first showcase in a cinema, “POPcorn Combo: movie-inspired paintings by Andre Tan”. Since movie stars and characters provide fertile grounds for Andre’s pop appropriations, there can be no more suitable venue than The Cathay Gallery, 2 Handy Road, #02-16, The Cathay, Singapore 229233, which also showcases the history of the Loke family and their various business interests in Malaysia and Singapore from the mid 1800’s till now.
POPcorn Combo will run from WEDNESDAY 8th Oct to Sunday 1st Nov2014, and Cathay Gallery is open Monday to Saturday, 11am to 7pm, but closed on Sunday & Public Holidays, including Deepavali on Wednesday 22 Oct 2014.
NOW SHOWING at The Cathay Gallery, POPcorn Combo showcases Singapore artist Andre Tan’s latest collection of movie-themed paintings inspired by its venue in a historic cinema. A premiere local pop artist, Andre samples visual icons from desirable consumer playthings and re-contextualises them in quirky, often humourous ways. The cinema has provided fertile grounds for Andre in appropriating star idols and movie characters, and placing them in unlikely scenarios by juxtaposition with brands, the injection of local contexts or graphic re-imaginings. Drawing from his library of pop visual devices, a combination of various styles make up the collection, including a heavy layering of media and comic images, monochrome reductions on brightly-coloured backgrounds, the subversion of designer bands, repeated patternings and an orientalization of characters in porcelain blue and red papercuts. Like the popcorn consumed in movie theatres, Andre offers sweet and salty bites of sinful treats, and a craving for more.
About the artist:
Andre’s work is often viewed in relation to the sensibilities of Pop Art, of reproduced images from pop culture, in the commercial style of advertising and mass communication. His artworks explore popular icons and cultural motifs under a bright color palette. By juxtaposing images from his selection of content for his work, Andre is interested in exploring the effects and the reflective processes that negotiate our self-identity in a world driven by western culture and influences.
He obtained his Diploma in Fine Arts (Painting) from Lasalle-SIA College of the Arts, Singapore in 2000. He continued his study at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University and obtained Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art with Honors 1st Class in 2004.Later in 2005, he continued study at Lasalle- SIA College of the Arts and obtained his Master of Arts in Fine Arts in 2006.Andre is the recipient of the Judge’s Choice for UTGP08-Kenichiro Mogi Prize (2008, Japan), Studentship Scheme (2005) in Lasalle-SIA College of the Arts, and also received the Georgette Chen Arts Scholarship (1999).
Andre’s works can be found in private collections in Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, Italy, Hong Kong, Italy, Switzerland, Australia and UK.
