liu-bolin

Invisibility as art

You might have come across photos of an artist who paints himself and “vanishes” into background. That artist is none other than Liu Bolin from China or commonly known as “The Invisible Man”.

Liu aims to draw attention to social and political issues through his works. I came across this video in my YouTube feed and I must admit, the thing that attracted me was the shirt he was wearing. It’s best that you view the video to learn the secret behind this shirt. There’s a surprise at the end of this video.

This video triggered a question in me: does being invisible deliver the message? I believe it does when one takes a closer look to find Liu in the photo that, unknowingly we tend to explore the background further in terms of the visual and the issues involved.

As Liu said, “If an artwork is to touch someone, it must be the result of not only the technique, but also the artist’s thinking and struggle in life”. Well, Liu has certainly touched us by camouflaging into the surroundings.

Featured image source: Liu Bolin Art Studio

Library resources on Liu Bolin and his works

Liu Bolin : hiding in the city
Brisac, Geneviève, 1951-
Thircuir,2011.
TR655.B859
Stairway to heaven : from Chinese streets to monuments and skyscrapers = Tong wang tian tang de jie ti : cong Zhongguo de jie dao dao ji nian bei he mo tian lou
Bessire, Mark.
University Press of New England ;c2009.
TR659.8.B559

New Books – May 2013 – Issue 3

Monsters, miracles and mayonnaise
Drewscape.
Epigram Books,c2012.
PN6790.D776
Ten sticks and one rice
Oh, Yong Hwee, 1973-
Epigram Books,c2012.
PN6790.H36
The print and the process : taking compelling photographs from vision to expression
DuChemin, David.
New Riders,c2013.
TR146.D828p
The books that shaped art history : from Gombrich and Greenberg to Alpers and Krauss
Shone, Richard.
Thames & Hudson,c2013.
N7480.B724
The prosthetic pedagogy of art : embodied research and practice
Garoian, Charles R., 1943-
State University of New York Press,[2013], ©2013.
N84.G237
Influences : art, optics, and astrology in the Italian Renaissance
Quinlan-McGrath, Mary, author.
The University of Chicago Press,2013.
N6915.Q7
Fear and art in the contemporary world
Albano, Caterina.
Reaktion Books,2012.
N8217.F35A326
Ai Weiwei : fairytale, a reader
Ai, Weiwei.
JRP/Ringier,c2012.
N7349.A5A288awf

New Books – May 2013 – Issue 2

The photographer’s story : the art of visual narrative
Freeman, Michael, 1945-
Focal Press,2012.
TR267.F855ps
Magnum revolution : 65 years of fighting for freedom
Anderson, Jon Lee.
Prestel Pub.,2012.
TR820.6.A547
ZBrush digital sculpting human anatomy
Spencer, Scott, 1975-
Wiley Pub.,c2010.
T385.S746zd + 1 DVD
Found footage : cinema exposed
Bloemheuvel, Marente.
Amsterdam University Press :2012.
N6494.V53F771
18th Biennale of Sydney 2012 : all our relations
Biennale of Sydney (18th : 2012)
Biennale of Sydney ;2012,©2012.
N6488.A8B588
Disturbances
Critical Art Ensemble.
Four Corners Books ;2012.
N6537.C75C934
Tokyo, 1955-1970 : a new avant-garde
Chong, Doryun.
Museum of Modern Art :c2012.
N7355.4.C548
20+ years Witte de With
Gray, Zoe, 1978-
Witte de With ;2012.
N2505.4.Y39
Travelers : Daniel Lezama
Krieger, Jurgen.
Jovis,c2012.
ND259.L49T779
Artistic touch 5
Unwin, Christine M.
North Light Books,c2012.
ND2420.U62

NTU Confessions, 3-D Films, Confluences and more in Library Xpress Vol. 7 Issue 3!

We present to you useful information, services & resources in this issue with:

IMG_0407

Undiscovered in Melbourne – Hollywood Costume Exhibition

From early silent era to today’s digitally enhanced productions, have you wonder what role do costume designers play in bringing characters to life – from script to screen?

While in Melbourne couple of weeks ago, I visited the Hollywood Costume exhibition at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI). The exhibition celebrated 100 years of cinema and documented the process of developing costumes. From Scarlett of Gone with the Wind (1939) to the characters of the epic Ben Hur (1959) and Gladiator (2000), majestic Elizabeth (2008), and The Last Emperor (1987), the quirky Addams Family (1999), Dracula (1992) and Frankenstein (1994), and the super heroes, Superman, Batman and Spider-Man, costume designers played an integral role.

Unlike fashion, which is designed for our 3D world, works from costumer designers are designed for on-screen inside a 2D frame that is a flat moving image. Costume designers translate the characters from the script, transform the actors and actresses, and realise the director’s vision. Below are some examples:

 

Titanic

Designed by Deborah Lynn Scott, the iconic white and aubergine striped suit truly introduced the character of Rose in the boarding scene of Titanic. Not only the dress showed us how the upper class will dress in the 1920s, but also the lifestyle she lived. The striped suit shows that she have been living a very structured and systematic lifestyle, and have little say for her life.

Superman

More than 20 suits have been designed for the character of Superman. As the cape is the iconic element of the suit, a lot of emphasis is placed on it. Although it is of the same colour, the material used for the Superman’s cape is of different weight. This is to reflect how the cape would fly or wave in breeze. 

Avatar

Avatar is filmed using extensive motion-capture and CGI (computer-generated imagery) techniques to produce ground-breaking visual effects. As mentioned by costume designer Deborah Lynn Scott, “CGI doesn’t reduce the role of the costume designer. To the contrary, it increases the design possibilities through variables including movement, scale and details”. in order to ensure that the visual effects are realistic enough, Scott and his co-designer, Mayes C. Rubeo, had to painstakingly select the fabrics for each garment and to design each accessory worn by the characters. This is required for the animators to effectively assemble [the] computerized image that corresponded to the vision of the character”, shared by Scott and the director, James Cameron.

Overall, costume designers works for different genres and for low- or high-budgeted films, but the ultimate goal is always the same, i.e. to realize the authentic people in the story.

Check out the the available books on costume design here.

1 Minute Tip: From Google to NTU Library Catalogue

Most people start their search for information via Google or other Web services.

If you’re looking at a book or DVD, you can easily get to the NTU Library Catalogue in just 3 simple steps!

Step 1:

Step 1

Step 2:

Step 2

Step 3:

 

Step 3

WorldCat.org is partnering with Google and other Web services, allowing users to be linked from one source of information to another. More than 10,000 libraries, including NTU Libraries, have come together to cooperatively produce and maintain WorldCat, “the world’s most comprehensive database of library materials”.

Try this out today. Happy searching!

New Books – May 2013 – Issue 1

John Heartfield and the agitated image : photography, persuasion, and the rise of avant-garde photomontage
Zervigón, Andrés Mario.
University of Chicago Press,2012.
TR140.H43Z58
Photography : the groundbreaking moments
Heine, Florian.
Prestel,c2012.
TR15.H468
Exchanging hats : paintings
Bishop, Elizabeth, 1911-1979.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux,2011.
ND237.B5939E96
Painting of the realm : the Kano house of painters in 17th-century Japan
Lippit, Yukio, 1970-
University of Washington Press,c2012.
ND1053.44.K35L765
Modern art : the groundbreaking moments
Finger, Brad.
Prestel,2012.
N6490.F497
Pop art Europa : aus der Sammlung Grosshaus ; Pop art USA : from the Grosshaus collection
Stiftung Schleswig-Holsteinische Landesmuseen Schloss Gottorf.
Walther König,2012.
N6512.5.P6P825a
IMG_3116

Undiscovered in Melbourne – Street Art

Melbourne is known as one of the world’s prominent cities for street art. Colourful works of expressions, which include stencils, paste-ups and murals, can be seen on approved outdoor locations throughout the city.

Below are some of the photographs I have taken while in Melbourne over the last weekend.

 

Check out the books on Street Art that are on display from now till 15 May 2013.

New Videos – May 2013 – Issue 1

Hanna [videorecording]
Wright, Joe, 1972-
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment ;c2011.
PN1995.9.F42H243
Martha Marcy May Marlene [videorecording]
Durkin, Sean.
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment,2011.
PN1995.9.C84M377
Abraham Lincoln, vampire hunter [videorecording]
Bekmambetov, Timur, 1961-
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment,2012.
PS3607.R348A159
Wrath of the Titans 3D [videorecording]
Liebesman, Jonathan, 1976-
distributed by Warner Home Video,[2012]
PN1995.9.F42W942 2012a
The Hobbit [videorecording] : an unexpected journey
Jackson, Peter, 1961-
Warner Bros. Entertainment :2013.
PR6039.O32H682u 2013 DISCS 1-2
Chronique d’un ete(Paris 1960) [videorecording]
Rouch, Jean, director, interviewer.
Criterion Collection,[2013]
B187.H3C557 2013
Week end [videorecording]
Godard, Jean-Luc, 1930- screenwriter, director.
The Criterion Collection,[2012]
PN1995.9.T728W394 2012
The lady [videorecording]
Besson, Luc.
Cohen Media Group ;[2012]
DS530.53.A85L157
Cirque du Soleil [videorecording] : worlds away
Adamson, Andrew.
Paramount,[2013]
GV1821.C578C578d 2013a