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By
PROFESSOR SILPA BIRASRI
The
purpose of this pamphlet is to state the principal factors which
determined the decline of the classic and the recent revival of art with modern
characteristics.
We
have tried to be as objective as possible but, of course, in
dealing with an alive manifestation of our actual culture we
touch sentimental feelings which easily endanger a proper
judgment of real facts. Nevertheless, we hope that this brief
writing will be of some use to people from abroad interested in
Thai intellectual expressions.
Each
time the general conditions of people change according to ,
or reasons, art undergoes first a period of transition and
later it follows completely the spirit of the new social
development . The departure from traditional art to new
expressions is the moment for hot discussions and friction
arising between those who are anxious to preserve tradition and
those who wish to do what they feel towards the new trend. This
friction disturbs the tranquility of the Temple of Art but it is
unavoidable. Therefore, to judge objectively about this dualism
of ideas we have to trace the causes for which young Thai
artists prefer to express themselves in a modern way rather than
repeat conventional forms. Many Thai in these days are so
anxious to preserve their traditional style that they tend to be
strongly prejudiced against any new form of art. This prejudice
makes them altogether passive to the efforts and remarkable
achievements obtained by the young Thai artists in this last
decade. On the other hand, many foreigners, visitors of Bangkok,
are rightly so impressed by the beauty of old Thai art that they
inquire why we do not encourage traditional art instead of
siding with those young artists who strive to create something
new and individual, Under this aspect we cannot help to say that
such idea is rather partial- in all western countries classic
art has been abandoned because it fails to correspond to the
modern intellectual necessities-in those countries nobody seems
to be alarmed about this fact because it is natural development
of modern life. Thus, we would like to know the reasons why an
eastern artist should not express himself in art with sincerity
as others do.
People
who for a long period of study appreciate old Thai art in its
great value and beauty know too well that, since many decades,
traditional Thai art had reached that point of exhaustion from
which creative production is no more possible-at such a point
only the repetition of stereotyped figures are permitted by the
limited boundary of conventionalism.
Let
us study the principal reasons why art has deviated from its
traditional character. We may state at large that what art has
experienced in Thailand during the last twenty years, Europe
experienced eighty or ninety years ago, when modern art started
to replace classicism. There, like here, science and machinery
engendered a new system of life - the sequence was a radical
change in economy and hence the subsequent change of habits of
the people. Speed and communications brought people of the world
closer, effected reciprocity and mergence of their cultures.
So
it was in Europe, so it was in Thailand, so in all countries
which adopted a universal understanding. There are people who
attempt to modernize national forms, making any sort of
acrobatics to appear new in accordance with our age, but in
general this production has not the power to stimulate anything
lofty, because it is not a true emotive creation
Let
us resume our study on Thailand. Like all classic arts we may
divide Thai art into major and minor arts.
Major
Art: Religious structures, Buddha statues, mural paintings.
The
construction of Wats and the casting of Buddha-images, more than
anything else, were the greatest ambition of every Thai king,
members of royalty and other noble men. The Wat, besides to
enshrine statues of Buddha made either in bronze or in stucco,
had to be decorated with mural paintings as well as wood cavings
and lacquer works. Accordingly the Wat was the highest
expression of the Thai for about eight hundred years.
Minor
Art: Objects of minor art for general use such as jewelry,, embossed ,
, and ,
were in the past in great demand by the Thai people.
About
sixty years ago Thailand started to adopt the modern western
organisation which implied also a new economic system.
Consequently the funds of the revenue which in the past were
largely used for religious artistic purposes, under the new
system had to be distributed for public buildings, roads,
railways, irrigation, etc. Besides the economic factor
,
in that time the majority of the buildings were planned in
western style by foreign architects. Imported European objects
of minor art were preferred for their novelty to those made in
Thai style. This meant an almost abrupt end of Wat building and
of the activity in making works of minor art. In respect to the
latter, once the appeal for novelty of European objects was over,
the economic matter came to interfere with the resumption of
doing again objects of art in Thai style as fine as those done
in the past.
Any
connoiseur of Thai art knows that the execution of an object of
art in old style requires a considerable time-finesse of drawing
and perfect accuracy of execution are indispensable to approach
the fine standard of the old specimens. Unfortunately nowadays
time means money, that is to say, the cost of very finely
executed objects of art would be so high that the demand would
be extremely limited. This limitation would handicap the rebirth
and possible existence of a school of talented artisans. Thus in
our days the financial factor renders impossible a standard of
execution of objects of minor art as high as in the past.
The
art of Buddha casting which in the past was a glory of the Thai
art became also a matter of mere commerce with the most
disappointing artistic result. The beautiful old Thai painting
was badly affecedt by the influence of western painting losing
its fine and beautiful peculiarities.
This
sketch of the regrettable art-situation which lasted for about
five decades, and just when the artistic activity in Thailand
was mostly in the hands of foreign artists, should impress upon
the reader, the importance of the revival of art realized by the
talent of the generation born during or after the first World
War. War is terrific and horrible but in the instance of the
first World War, it stirred the people far away from Europe and
America to progress. Principally it was education which opened
the mind and widened the purpose of life this modern generation.
A
wide gap divides the elder from the younger Thai generation and
this not for lack of veneration on the side of the young people
towards their elders but in consequence of the evolution of life.
The
elder Thai lived in that contemplative life which a wonderful
dreaming nature had formed during so many centuries. The
appearing words of Lord Buddha were their spiritual support.
Hence that spiritual and so delicate art of the past.
Any
person who compares the existence of those old folk with the
dynamic life of modern Thai cannot sincerely expect from an
artist of our age to get inspiration form a world which does not
exist any more. Any honest artist would refuse to do so.
Only
for commercial purposes old forms can be repeated in all
countries, because foreigners are reciprocally attracted by
exotic art. In fact a Thai visiting Florence will certainly buy
some leather work decorated with ornaments in Renaissance style,
or buy jewelry in old Florentine style, While a Florentine
passing through Bangkok will buy some Thai nielloware or some
painting reproducing . But although this kind of art is very nice looking
and also necessary for our daily aesthetic pleasure, it must not
be confused with what is referred to as creative art, that is to
say the free expression of the artists' soul.
We
should not misunderstand traditional art for traditional spirit.
To do means to
repeat a certain style of the past, while traditional spirit
means to transmit in a work something individually proper to a
race. Accordingly, although the young Thai artists live a
universal life, their production is essentially Thai- Thai, of
course, in representation of human figures, Thai in traditional
spirit. Indeed the art of each people is imbued with a proper
character due to atavism and due to that complexity of factors
which determine the peculiarities of the people.
To
explain our idea more practically we illustrate with a particular of an old mural painting and with a modern statuette made by Khien Yimsiri. By comparing
the outline of the old and modern figures we note their strict
relationship. This relationship was not looked for by the Thai
sculptor, it came by itself through that atavistic feeling
already mentioned.
Certainly,
one cannot expect to find in all the works of the Thai modern
artists the same relationship with old specimens as quoted above.
When for instance, a Thai painter is touched by the beauty of a
landscape and paints it according to the sensation he receives
from nature, his work has no relationship with sceneries painted
in the old time because the were merely conventional.
With
reference to landscapes, remarks have been made that the Thai
painters are influenced by the western impressionism. In such
respect we would like to say that the Thai painters have a
natural style, they do what they see and what they feel. If they
succeed in rendering every part related to others and the whole
to space, and succeed in conveying the atmosphere and light of
Thailand, then they have succeeded in their artistic aspiration.
If not, the work is considered a failure, for lack of artistic
value and not because the painter imitated any foreign school.
Again,
a sculptor modelling a portrait has no chance to link the
character of his work with that of the past for the simple
reason the in old time Thai statuary was limited to modelling
Buddha images. Besides, we have also to realise that real art is
an individual expression and as such it corresponds to the
personal style of each artist. This style may be realistic,
impressionistic, may be that of cubism, conventionalism or
anything else. It is not the style with which we express our
feeling that counts in art, it is that abstract quality
conveying the essence of the Spirit a work of art is pregnated
and which humanises Humanity. |
