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Saturday, March 6, 2010

Tang Da Wu, "Tiger's Whip" 1991







9 comments:

  1. It is a performance art which involves the carrying of the tiger around chinatown. The tiger do not have stripes so as to show the innocence of the tigers being killed for their body part. The rocking chair showed that the tigers were killed to satisfy the traditional sayings of the people mostly taking place in chinatown, also where his performance take place.
    i like his work as the details of his work were well-thought of, like the place of performance and his ideas were well-represented.

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  2. 1.What does the artwork consist/what does it look like?
    - The artwork is made up of ready-mades like the chair and the red cloth and sculpture of a stripeless white tiger. The instillation actually contains ten life-sized tigers and one of the tigers had its paw rested on the edge of the wooden rocking chair. Also, there was a red cloth being attached to the wooden chair.

    2. What is the artwork about/what is the artist trying to say through the artwork?
    - The artist's main intention of the work was to highlight the plight of the endangered tigers which were hunted down for their genitals due to the chinese superstition that they make a powerful aphrodisiac. The artwork was to show protest against man's contribution to the entinction of the endangered species. Also to provoke his audience to think about the social issue.

    3. Why I like or dislike the artwork?
    -I dislike the artwork for the lack of its aesthetic qualities. However I like the significance of the artwork as it serves as a reminder/warning to the audience of man's contribution to the extinction of endangered species. Also at the same time, I like how the work was being conveyed to its audience as it was easy to comprehend through the use of symbolism in the ready-mades and the actions in the performance of the artwork.

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  3. well, the art work is mostly based on readymades. (WHY IS ALL CONTEMPORY ARTISTS SO FEVERISH OVER READY MADES?! lazy bums) anyways, the readymades are the rocking chair and red cloth attached to it. I suppose (and hope. and it is) the stripeless white tiger is being sculpted.. by him.. He's main intention is to address the problem of eating tigers' penis to improve their fertility (sick guys!) and is mostly based on Chinese myths and legends? It is sort of a reminder to the audience that.... WE SHOULD DO OUR PART IN SAVING THE ANIMALS! especially endangered species! and.. also.. to make us think that... does eating penis help to improve fertility, or is it just our psychological thinking make us think so? and.. i've never like tang da wu for his tiger whip, but i suppose that is because it's weird, and.. simple, and ... gross. the thought of penis gross me out okay! i do like his workshops tho. (random)
    but then, it's rather symbolic, so i guess if i didnt knw about the penis part, i will still like this art work.

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  4. Tang Da Wu is a very dynamic artist. He knows how to play with the viewer's mind. Therefore, his performance piece had him doing provoking actions and big, exaggerated movements. I like how a rocking chair symbolises a lust-filled elderly man. It is quite interesting, because the elderly man is not there, but you can feel his existence through the tiger leaping on the chair. Also, the enlarged size of the tiger, relative to the size of the chair, shows us that the emphasis is on the tiger and not on the elderly man that wants to kill him for his selfish desires. This makes the viewer clear of what he should do - save the tigers, not condemn the selfish men, because condemning them will not help the situation. Doesn't that make Tang a pretty sensitive man..

    However, his work is not aesthetically pleasing. :S I am not attracted to look at this work at all.

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  6. 1.Tiger’s Whip, one of Tang Da Wu’s performance, was presented at the former National Museum Art Gallery of Singapore and Chinatown from 1991 to 1992. The title of the work refers to the tiger’s penis. During the Tiger’s Whip performances, Tang Da Wu uses various symbolic readymades such as a bed, a basketball and boat oars. The performances included ten life-sized tigers made from wire mesh covered with white linen, while he played the various roles of the poacher, the tiger and the man who consumed the tiger’s whip (by wearing a sleeveless white garment and dragging one of the tigers behind him). There is an absence of strips, colours and physical features on these tigers. The Tiger’s Whip installation is then inspired by his own performance, comprising of a lone tiger spirit with its paws resting and lugging on a rocking chair, and a piece of red cloth which is draped across the floor, with a phallus painted on it in red.


    2.The intention of the artwork is to comment on the senseless killing of animals and the unnecessary bloodshed accompanied by the killing. Such is represented by the spirits of the dead animals (portrayed as white tigers without strips and face). It also represents the notions of intercourse, manhood and sexual prowess, for which the tigers have been sacrificed The work highlights how the tiger is being hunted to extinction for its penis, which some Asian belief in the aphrodisiac qualities of the animal’s reproductive organ. It reflects the Asian belief in the The work also addresses the plight of poached tigers in the region for the purpose of its consumption for increased virility. The engagement with contemporary issues and the importance of spontaneous play allows the artist to depict the collective manipulation of mythologies and narratives. Lastly, Tang Da Wu’s work also shows how traditional beliefs can clash with the reality of the ultimate extinction of the species, while expressing the concern about environmental and social issues through his art.

    3. I like the artwork to a large extent as it allows the viewers to be engaged with the artist's themes and concerns of the man's contribution to the extinction and harming of animals due to their superstitious beliefs. However, the artwork does look a little eerie due to the absence of colours and features on the tiger. It is also rather haunting and hence, is quite effective in warning mankind to stop such irresponsible and selfish behaviors.

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  7. i think that the prformance art relates better with the audience as compared to the installation. this is because in the installation one would have to think hard and look at the still tiger to sense the cruel killing of mankind to satisfy their needs.in this case it is to satisfy human desire to make tiger parts as a traditional medication. the movemnets allows the viewers to have a clearer picture of the whole underlying meaning to it. the tiger is shown witout colour nad stripes does give the suggestion to he is protraying these tigers as the innocent part while the rocking chair do give the impression that it represents humans. i do agree with marilyn that his artwork is not appealing because it lacks in vibrancy .

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  8. Chia Xing, Marilyn and Kai Ling, good insights!

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  9. ***YING LING SAID:

    1. Omg, this work is discussed to death ! hahaha.

    2. The location is in Chinatown which is a risky proposition giving its critique of a revered cultural tradition, a direct provocation of the Chinese's traditional belief. The white tigers, the animal which is being violated and white symbolize the lack of life force, also a traditional colour of mourning. Rocking chair symbolizes traditional beliefs and back and forth motion of sex. Red cloth represent blood, which tigers had been sacrificed to perpetuate a false belief for the sake of men's desires. Eating the painted penis is a symbolic of man's dominance over animals, however, it is a ridiculous act. As Tang may try to contradict that penis is a power aphrodisiac by using a fragile material. Bouncing ball and rowing boat, simulating back and forth motion of love making.

    3. I like this work as this work is a social commentary on the exploitation of animals. As a performance art, it opens up people's perception and awareness "thinking space" and also acceptance and openness "public space" also explores the relationship between man and environment. However, a performance art is not permanent therefore it may also enrage the audience about the issue in a short run.

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