Around a month ago we registered to a mural open call competition, which will be held in Bras Basah. What quite interested me was their objective to brighten up the mood of Bras Basah Complex, to visually appeal more to the youngster and tourist. I know, we were spoonfeeding the much-needed Instagram post background, but it can't only be that, right.
Some brainstorm later, we were looking at how their shops sell mostly antiques, arts, so we figured that sums it up and vintage seems to make its comeback, or perhaps it is indeed timely. I am a regular visitor for secondhand books and art supplies here.
After a few days waiting, we received information on the corner given to every single group. We were one of a few unfortunate ones that got an outdoor spot. Being the only group which wall is on the side of the road, it will be pretty exposed, right across the traffic light where passerby is. Consideration as simple as color palette that won't overpower traffic light was taken into account. The project was to start on December where rain pour down almost daily. It was a big challenge and it drained us out, even more day by day.
However we had fun sketching out our ideas, perks of having close friends in your group. We narrowed down to put the idea of time and made a copy of a staircase and shop next to it and insert all nostalgic elements, the figures represent the old childhood days' of our current pioneer. After a few stages; panels presentation, revision, we were good to go.
By the time we reach there, we were hit by the fact that the wall is an enormous thing stretched out of a rough-textured cement. The sun burned and squeezed out the sweat in a flick minute. We had to whiten the whole wall as we kept thinking how to work our way out of it and the only artistically convenient solution was to simplify everything to the lines and minimum colors. I have to say the cliche that less is more. This time, it has to be less, but how do we make it more!
Drizzle lasted long enough for us to paint the most we can do. The attention we got is real and locked brief eye contact is enough to initiate conversation. A couple of question came mostly from old people, asking if we were permitted to do so and a couple of compliments as the drawing took shape.
"It is a big wall everyone can see it, it better be good." He laughed, we ached.
Some took pictures of it and even wanted us to pose in the frame.
We had to hide under the shadow of a tree whenever the heat got unbearable, a few seconds under a shade is like a recharge before we struck back to the heat. None of us got sick oddly. As the rain subsided and the sun went down, the after-rain sky compensated what the extreme weather did. The light switched on changing the mood of our painting. The pinkish square paint is approved by the sky like a pat to our head.
As the color took shape more various sort of interaction happened.
I heard audibly vague yell from the street, which turnd out to be directed to us. Two men on motorbikes gave us thumbs up as the traffic light hold them still. One rolled down a window and yelled, "nicee!!" as we turned around, he hid behind dashboard, the driver laughed and run the car. We were confused but I don't see much of childishness of working adults in Singapore so it was quite funny.
On the last day I could not come down so Amirah and Lisa were left to do the final touch up. I had my trip back to Indonesia so I could only help by suggesting some visual preferences. They think over the suggestion from the beginning which had smoothened so much internal progression and made it fun. They reported that they got interviewed randomly by someone whose research involved mural in Haji Lane and found it fortunate to stumble upon us. Our chat has implied an ending to the mural.
It was not a constant fun and excitement, there came a point near the end of the day where all your joints could seem to come off anytime. The first day the reluctance was undeniable as we were quite stuck to work it out on such an unexpected spot, the rain teased us as it heavily poured down. "f*ck it we stick to previous concept."and finally we could do something, solid progress. None of us would expect an uphill process afterward, we were tired but the attention that at first put us in an awkward situation became a booster. People showed enthusiasm. It is not all that matters but the pleasantly pushed you forward bit by bit. All it took for us was anything but a glamorized idea of a finished outcome, our printed sketch was not even your appealing artsy-fartsy piece at all. It was a lot of on the spot decision constituted of small step one at a time to at least get up walk to the freaking spot. The daily narrative is pretty much about squeezing in as much as you can do before the rain gets you soaked.
I can't remember what a comfy weather was it to stay home spoilt by a recently bought good book but my friends came from the end of Singapore.
I don't want to sound like all motivating self-help guru but we really had no willpower at all at the beginning. It happened simultaneously with our school assessment which gives a convenient excuse to withdraw at least now we are kind of glad we did not.
It applies to me personally that when outcome and feedback is least expected, there is a valuable process to take away. I bet my friends too, have forgotten that this is a competition and there is a reward for the winner. It has never been to win. "Come on just do it we won't win anyway" the mentality of competing is rarely with me but it has made things easier to focus on, also doing it for the sake of doing it fills you up in its own way. There was no drama our temper is rarely triggered there was a lot of singing, icecream, and cheesefries too I guess we had a nice balance of fun.
Some brainstorm later, we were looking at how their shops sell mostly antiques, arts, so we figured that sums it up and vintage seems to make its comeback, or perhaps it is indeed timely. I am a regular visitor for secondhand books and art supplies here.
After a few days waiting, we received information on the corner given to every single group. We were one of a few unfortunate ones that got an outdoor spot. Being the only group which wall is on the side of the road, it will be pretty exposed, right across the traffic light where passerby is. Consideration as simple as color palette that won't overpower traffic light was taken into account. The project was to start on December where rain pour down almost daily. It was a big challenge and it drained us out, even more day by day.
However we had fun sketching out our ideas, perks of having close friends in your group. We narrowed down to put the idea of time and made a copy of a staircase and shop next to it and insert all nostalgic elements, the figures represent the old childhood days' of our current pioneer. After a few stages; panels presentation, revision, we were good to go.
By the time we reach there, we were hit by the fact that the wall is an enormous thing stretched out of a rough-textured cement. The sun burned and squeezed out the sweat in a flick minute. We had to whiten the whole wall as we kept thinking how to work our way out of it and the only artistically convenient solution was to simplify everything to the lines and minimum colors. I have to say the cliche that less is more. This time, it has to be less, but how do we make it more!
 |
| The first day when the wall is no longer so hard to look at. See the grey wall behind her? That is the amount of space added to our work so the composition is a little more decent. |
Drizzle lasted long enough for us to paint the most we can do. The attention we got is real and locked brief eye contact is enough to initiate conversation. A couple of question came mostly from old people, asking if we were permitted to do so and a couple of compliments as the drawing took shape.
"It is a big wall everyone can see it, it better be good." He laughed, we ached.
Some took pictures of it and even wanted us to pose in the frame.
We had to hide under the shadow of a tree whenever the heat got unbearable, a few seconds under a shade is like a recharge before we struck back to the heat. None of us got sick oddly. As the rain subsided and the sun went down, the after-rain sky compensated what the extreme weather did. The light switched on changing the mood of our painting. The pinkish square paint is approved by the sky like a pat to our head.
As the color took shape more various sort of interaction happened.
I heard audibly vague yell from the street, which turnd out to be directed to us. Two men on motorbikes gave us thumbs up as the traffic light hold them still. One rolled down a window and yelled, "nicee!!" as we turned around, he hid behind dashboard, the driver laughed and run the car. We were confused but I don't see much of childishness of working adults in Singapore so it was quite funny.
On the last day I could not come down so Amirah and Lisa were left to do the final touch up. I had my trip back to Indonesia so I could only help by suggesting some visual preferences. They think over the suggestion from the beginning which had smoothened so much internal progression and made it fun. They reported that they got interviewed randomly by someone whose research involved mural in Haji Lane and found it fortunate to stumble upon us. Our chat has implied an ending to the mural.
It was not a constant fun and excitement, there came a point near the end of the day where all your joints could seem to come off anytime. The first day the reluctance was undeniable as we were quite stuck to work it out on such an unexpected spot, the rain teased us as it heavily poured down. "f*ck it we stick to previous concept."and finally we could do something, solid progress. None of us would expect an uphill process afterward, we were tired but the attention that at first put us in an awkward situation became a booster. People showed enthusiasm. It is not all that matters but the pleasantly pushed you forward bit by bit. All it took for us was anything but a glamorized idea of a finished outcome, our printed sketch was not even your appealing artsy-fartsy piece at all. It was a lot of on the spot decision constituted of small step one at a time to at least get up walk to the freaking spot. The daily narrative is pretty much about squeezing in as much as you can do before the rain gets you soaked.
I can't remember what a comfy weather was it to stay home spoilt by a recently bought good book but my friends came from the end of Singapore.
I don't want to sound like all motivating self-help guru but we really had no willpower at all at the beginning. It happened simultaneously with our school assessment which gives a convenient excuse to withdraw at least now we are kind of glad we did not.
It applies to me personally that when outcome and feedback is least expected, there is a valuable process to take away. I bet my friends too, have forgotten that this is a competition and there is a reward for the winner. It has never been to win. "Come on just do it we won't win anyway" the mentality of competing is rarely with me but it has made things easier to focus on, also doing it for the sake of doing it fills you up in its own way. There was no drama our temper is rarely triggered there was a lot of singing, icecream, and cheesefries too I guess we had a nice balance of fun.
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