Keeping it real. Historically it is accurate. Great respects for these Samsui women.They laid the foundations and are also part of the building blocks of this nation. Thank you very much.
As long as it is not vulgar and is historically accurate, I do not see the harm the masterpiece. It is honoring the Samsui women of the past. Their hard work, pain and efforts are the very foundation of the modern Singapore, and should not be denied. It's like those who complain about Singapore honoring our colonial masters. You may dislike them, but it still cannot change the fact that they laid the foundation of our society today.
红头巾 , samsui wonen, actually meant 广东三水，they are part of Singapore history. I have seen them working hard in construction site under hot tropical sun in the 1960s and early 1970s. Smoking in those days was not uncommon. For the samsui women, smoking was one of the very few pleasures they had. Agree with your view. I don't think there is anything wrong with the painting.
The first lady is a Malaysian (from her accent), the second probably from HK, only the 2 young girls are Singaporean, the fourth lady doesn't sound like Singaporean too, probably Taiwan, China or even Malaysian. They might be Singapore new citizen.
Good day, James. Samsui Women are an integral part of 🇸🇬 construction history. A lot of Samsui women do 🚬 smoke in their daily lives especially after lunch or during breaks. if this Samsui Woman mural reflects the truth, i don't see why the 'cigarette' is an issue. Though 🇸🇬 government discouraged 🚬 smoking through their policies but don't overdo it by removing the 'cigarette'. （矯枉過正） i agree there is a need to categorize art according to age groups BUT in this case "NO" ! An example is if the mural is depicting a WWII 🇯🇵 invasion of 🇸🇬 by illustrating 🇯🇵 public executions "Sook Ching" (heads chopped off by katanas)(heads blown off by machine guns) These are the types with the need to categorize in my opinion.
Bonjour James. Another great discussion . Enjoys it and your point of view. You speak on a neutral ground with calmness and understandings. Tks and cheers.👍💪🙏
艺术本来就是很主观的。据说有报导说这个工程是有申请，但还没批准下来。红头巾应该在80，90年代最后出现，所以年龄比较资深的国民才会有印象。个世界国家都在努力减少烟客，还是很多人在抽烟。，If you smoke, you smoke. If you don't, you don't. 就凭这个画，就能引起不抽烟的而开始抽吗？作画者也应该对这文化有深深了解。有接触过红头巾的，应该是在她们年龄比较资深时吧。红头巾抽烟是事实，在那时也是很普遍。那为何不能画出真相？我个人认为如果画中的红头巾是为老奶奶，更加符合更加确实，会大大减少争论。经过岁月和苦干的红头巾，留下了痕迹，好比刚过番年轻的她们，是不是有更大的意义吗。。。？
You're absolutely right about being a minority, everyone of us will experience it at least once in our lives. You may be a minority because of your race, your age, your beliefs, your sexual orientation, or even your medical conditions. It's important for society to be inclusive, so that everyone can be the best version of themselves.
This is the kind of dilemma Spore always faces : There is no right answer. 😂 Emotionally, I like to see the real picture of the smoking woman, the hardy woman of pioneer Sporeans. Intellectually, I know that the brain picks up smoking as acceptable or cool. This negates the efforts of a non-smoking society. As we know in advertising, putting a cool guy or woman with a cigeratte sends a cool picture to the brain.
Sanshui women speak Cantonese in Taishanese accent. Here is an sample how Taishanese accent sounds like ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hyOoSQes1Ig.html
I don't really like this mural as I feel that the woman looks more like an Eurasian model. My image of a Samsui woman is one that shows the hardship on the face and they tend to be aunties and above. But maybe the artist in his research, did come across someone that looked like this.
Just imagine, change the blue dress to a cheongsam , remove the red head dress and what does it look like to you ? Some old china cigarettes poster right ? obviously the painter doesn’t understand samsui woman , his research most probably seen alot of these old shanghai poster. Samsui wiman doesn’t hold the cigarette like that nor do they sit so upright , alot of them have hunchback cos they work in the construction site.
I think there is a need to differentiate between art and the social sciences. Art is an expression and an interpretation. Social science, including history and anthropology, focuses on observation and "accuracy". The artist here may or may not have undertaken thorough research on Samsui women, but this is his interpretation of who she is, might have been, or who he wished she could have been. We remember images from our youth, and if you have lived through the 70s and 80s, would recall Samsui women being old, wrinkled and haggard. But Samsui women were also young once, and many of us have probably never seen what they looked like in their youth. This is just the artist's imagination of what one such woman could have looked like. Probably a glamorous interpretation, but nevertheless, just an interpretation, not a study.
@@suanchim4147 The argument that art is ART and is just an interpretation is too simple an answer. Of course art is an interpretation, but does the artist know the history, background and social situation, not only of the subject but also of the audience? As far as I know, the artist is not a Singaporean. When I look at the mural, I see a romanticised and, most importantly, shallow depiction. That is what grates on me about the mural.
It is true that the red hat women smoke. I have seen them when I am very very young. Why pick on small matter like the cigarette? They contribute to the economy of those times.
Because It makes smoking looks cool, it’s also true that beautiful people smoke but if u allow a large mural depicting cool people smoking, it tells young people it’s cool to smoke. Evidence is the 2 young girls response in the video
if the majority of samsui women smoke, then no issue depicts smoking. but that not true n no survey. i grew up in 70s seeing them. at most 3/10 smoke. if mural show 3 women n 1 smoke. also ok. both govt n artist says to show historical accuracy.
I did not follow this samsui mural very very closely but it was done on a conservation building and the regulations states that authorities should be informed and approvals obtained before work is done. However the building owner did not apply or carry out those applications before having the works done and then come out to make artistic - expression supporting statements after the fact when the artwork was finally allowed to remain unedited, after stirring up the controversy. I strongly disapprove of their rather self-righteous attitude because it stinks of 先斩后奏 attitude, kind of doing things by the back door by using the 'freedom of artistic expression' kind of angle to put public pressure on the authorities. This kind of behaviour sets a negative precedent in that other people may try to pull this kinds of stunts in future. It makes a mockery of rules and laws plus it is unfair for other people who try to do things 'the right way' in compliance to said guidelines and rules. I do not believe the building owners or that artist (who has resided in Singapore for quite some time, were not aware of the applications and approvals needed for work done on conservation buildings. There are limited numbers of conservation shophouses around so they actually cost a lot of money.
The point is not whether it is historically accurate, but that smoking is actively discouraged in SG and any form of publicity/advertising is not allowed. Even though murals are artworks, it can also be considered a kind of billboard. Imagine if this is allowed, then the various cigarette companies could use it as a loophole and comission more such ‘artistic’ murals that depicts their products.
Agreed. Because It makes smoking looks cool, it’s also true that beautiful people smoke but if u allow a large mural depicting cool people smoking, it tells young people it’s cool to smoke. Evidence is the 2 young girls response in the video
I object to the ‘ painting ’ of a Samsui woman suggestively smoking a cigarette. It is naughty of this American painter to portray samsui woman as if she is Singapore Girl ( Singapore Airline ‘s advertisement). Previous paintings of Samsui ladies show a few of them squatting together on the ground drinking tea together and boiling kettle nearby. This insensitive US painter does not know what Samsui ladies represent. He makes them out to be seductive women , may be engaging in some immoral activities on the side. Singapore arts and culture ministry should engage a Singaporean to redo the wall painting . Bad taste 😮
Historically, it is a fact that the majority of the Samsui women do have a cig during her rest time or to destress. It's no easy feast doing hard labour work that is comparable to man. There is nothing wrong with that mural painted by the artist. By asking the artist to remove the cig, only served to misrepresent the actual life of a samsui woman. Whoever is representing the government should go back to school to learn the history of Singapore's pioneer builder, the samsui woman. They contributed much to Singapore history.
