Social Realism/Socialist Realism

Ryan How
Ryan How
Jul 20, 2017 · 3 min read

“These four teachers [Lim Yew Kuan, Chua Mia Tee, Lee Boon Wang and Tan Tee Chie], who were responsible for emphasising a more socially oriented approach toward creativity, based on the depiction of the harsh realities of everyday life devoid of any romantic or sentimental implications. These ‘Realists’ seem to have rejected the kind of works produced by the older teachers, and concentrated in the production of oils and woodcuts which projected images that were clearly geared toward a didactic objective.” (Redza Piyadasa, qtd. in Syed Muhammad Hafiz, “Manifesting the Nation: Realities and Realisms,” Between Declarations and Dreams: Art of Southeast Asia Since the 19th Century, 60)

“In promoting independence from the British and merger with the Federation of Malaya, artists from the Equator Art Society were actively articulating a ‘new culture of Malaya’ through their depiction of the social realities that were affecting the fledgling state of Singapore.” (Syed Muhammad Hafiz, “Manifesting the Nation: Realities and Realisms,” Between Declarations and Dreams: Art of Southeast Asia Since the 19th Century, 60)

“a movement intent on reflecting the life and times in Singapore. Proponents of Social Realism advocated a realist-style of painting and a socially engaged form of practice that directly involved their subjects to create works that comment on social issues.” (Seng Yu Jun & Cai Heng, “The Real Against the New: Social Realism and Abstraction,” Siapa Nama Kamu? Art in Singapore Since the 19th Century, 54)

“In addition, the Social Realist artists challenged the boundaries of self-portraiture. […] The artist’s insertion of his like­ness emphasises the agency of the individual as a critical witness to and actor in the country’s history. […] Regardless of his intention, the artist’s insertion of his ‘self’ into the event makes him a participant of it, whether real or imagined. These am­biguities in the work demonstrate how the primacy of the individual remains important in the production of multiple subjectivities that play a role in the construction of national narratives while remaining critical of it, thus opening up possibility for different interpretations.” (Seng Yu Jun & Cai Heng, “The Real Against the New: Social Realism and Abstraction,” Siapa Nama Kamu? Art in Singapore Since the 19th Century, 59)

“Social Realism is distinguished [from] Socialist Realism in that the latter is based on Soviet doctrine institutionalised by Stalin using the academic techniques of realism to achieve the goals of communism. Social Realism is a much broader movement to represent the lives of the working class to elicit social changes and social justice.” (Seng Yu Jin, qtd. in Syed Muhammad Hafiz, “Manifesting the Nation: Realities and Realisms,” Between Declarations and Dreams: Art of Southeast Asia Since the 19th Century, 60)

“Socialist Realism tends to be an official policy produced by an existing state, which serves to articulate a vision of the ideal society under Communism, while Social Realism tends to have more of a critical orientation towards existing conditions, and a greater stylistic plurality.” (Syed Muhammad Hafiz, “Manifesting the Nation: Realities and Realisms,” Between Declarations and Dreams: Art of Southeast Asia Since the 19th Century, 60)

“Socialist Realism at the time implied a simple, easy popular realistic style harmoniously combined with a revolutionary content[,] which means: to draw pictures of the cheerful, enthusiastic people engaged in socialist construction and the Resistance war for national independence; to create works extolling the love and confidence in the Party and Uncle Ho (Chi Minh) or praising collective optimism, patriotism and the love of socialism.” (Bui Nhu Huong, qtd. in Syed Muhammad Hafiz, “Manifesting the Nation: Realities and Realisms,” Between Declarations and Dreams: Art of Southeast Asia Since the 19th Century, 61)

“This figure of the heroic farmer, the worker or the soldier permeates the socialist realist works of artists in North Vietnam where the Communist government was imagining a reunified Vietnam whose foundation was built upon the toil and efforts of the working class.” (Syed Muhammad Hafiz, “Manifesting the Nation: Realities and Realisms,” Between Declarations and Dreams: Art of Southeast Asia Since the 19th Century, 62)

Glossary of Southeast Asian Art

This is a discussion platform for the building of a glossary of Southeast Asian art. The aim of this is to see to scope out and tease out the vocabulary and the language that has emerged in this discourse, or that is being imagined.

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    This is a discussion platform for the building of a glossary of Southeast Asian art. The aim of this is to see to scope out and tease out the vocabulary and the language that has emerged in this discourse, or that is being imagined.

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