On Oct 4th, I was lucky enough to be invited by Nigel to attend an exhibition talk at the Museum of Vancouver. I was a naive little girl, having no idea who this internationally acclaimed artist, Tobias Wong, was, yet entering an intimate circle of his -- friends + family -- at the talk.
I have all sorts of mixed feelings about this night. So I think I will just point form my thoughts.
a) I didn't like how yuppy the crowd was. I didn't like myself for not being as open to talking with any of the people there. I thought that I was someone who really likes "art," including all the pretentious fuckeries and beautiful bullshit phrases that are involved with it. But it wasn't so. And I had many internal conflicts.
b) I thought his death was super interesting. I liked this guy, Tobi Wong, more due to his death. He was one helluva sleepwalker. He finished art pieces and cleaned his whole house while he sleep walked, and that is FASCINATING already, right!? But he had committed suicide while sleep walking. Now, that. That gives me the shivers.
The NY Times made a limited edition newspaper scented candle in honour of his death
c) He was an asshole artist. He created stuff with objects that already existed as his mediums. He gold-plated everything cheap and made it into a luxury while he destroyed everything luxurious to make it into cheeky art. I can't deal with that; it is unethical and immoral BUT IT'S SO GENIUS so I'm really jealous. Again, I'm conflicting with myself.
The Money Pad made out of one hundred $1 bills and sold for $199.
The $20 000 Warhol print wrapped around a box....
The gold plated things...
The ring series including the Killer Ring.
Nigel having fun with the silver plated light switch.
d) Needless to say though, his pieces are pretty cool. I liked how some of them were super TRENDY but you can tell that some are timeless art and they definitely deserve love and special care.
e) The thing that Nigel said which was BANG ON about the evening (and I am not a living voice recorder so I don't remember the word-for-word quote, but it was something along the lines of...): "It's almost like it is not enough to just like his art, but we have to like him, too. I've never been to such an event where they ask for us to like the GUY making the art as much as his work." Then we kept talking to come to a conclusion that the leading and famous artists of today must be liked in 360 degrees point of view. For example, we not only like their music, but they have to be talented, beautiful, a good dancer, and also a philanthropist. Go figure.
Intrigued?
Meet Tobias Wong through NY Times: The Mysteries of Tobias Wong
In the Georgia Strait: Object(ing): The Art/Design of Tobias Wong praises a true provocateur
tweet @rachelchungg tweet
D-3 til K-Town
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