[Artist’s Studio-Residence-Garden/ Open-Air Sculpture Museum Influences]:
TAN: What are the sculpture garden experiences that have inspired Lee’s own sculpture garden?
LEE: When I was studying in Spain, I had the opportunity to visit the studio of the artist Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida (Valencia, 1863 – Cercedilla, 1923). There was a garden in front of the studio, which inspired me to create my own sculpture garden. During the time I was teaching at the Taipei National University of the Arts, I visited the sculpture garden at the Hakone Open-Air Museum in Japan. I have also seen pictures of Monet’s garden in catalogues on the artist and the photographs of sculptor Henry Moore’s studio. All these experiences strengthened my desire to create my own garden.
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[Garden & Sculpture in Lee’s Art Practice]:
TAN: What is the relationship between Garden and Sculpture in his art practice?
LEE: The lessons I often draw from gardening are applied in my sculptures; likewise, the experiences I gain from sculpture are used in gardening matters. It is the same artist that is behind the garden and the sculptures. Hence, there is no conflict.
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[Artistic Intent]:
TAN: What is the artist’s intent and vision for creating his Secret Sculpture Garden?
LEE: There is no specific agenda behind my intention to create a garden. I just want to present my work, my life, my art and my garden with all sincerity. Everyone has a beautiful vision in mind. The same goes for me as well. I have always pursued a kind of naturalness (that is, the connection between the inner world and the external). I don’t have a fixed plan of how my garden will look like, because my ideas change from day to day. But no matter how they fluctuate, my aim of presenting a ‘beautiful world’ that has both depth and breadth remains unchanged.
The core value in my art is ‘beauty for its own sake’. It is what I pursue in my art, it is what I love, and what I strive for in my interactions with people, issues and things. In this world, we often see the ugly side of others or ourselves. Hence, the value of something beautiful becomes a kind of belief. A person with a spiritual belief will be able to forge a beautiful world, because his actions and deeds spring from a core belief. I aspire to see or hear beauty. Therefore, my body, my art, and of course my sculpture garden would be ‘beautiful’.
There is an important purpose behind human living. The human heart is forever changing, with no end in sight; the spiritual nature is constantly transformed, enabling one to gain new insights into life. I do not have a fixed idea of how my garden will look like, because what’s on my mind today will certainly change by tomorrow. No matter how it changes, my fundamental goal is to create a better world. But the breadth and depth of this beauty that we can explore is boundless. I know for a fact that we shouldn’t be uncompromising or inflexible in life and in making art. We should embrace both the good and the bad in the concepts and ideas we come across and accept what went right or wrong in a work.
In the financial or material world, it is all about the survival of the fittest. However, the concept of ‘competition’ does not apply in the humanistic world. In the humanistic world, the concern is about presenting different scenarios and exploring the inner soul. It requires a sensitive spirit and a sharp mind to detect a potentially great proposition hidden in the finest detail. For example, how do you remain ‘still and quiet’, or how do you ‘leap and bounce’? In any given word, there will be a hidden potential for a great plan. If we look at the scenario that I would like to create in a rational manner, then I would say that I want people to find tranquillity in my garden. This is a colossal concept, because it embodies the multi-sensory experiences of sight and smell that come from encountering the plants, trees and air in the garden. It is a sensorial encounter in synergy with my sculptures. It inspires my experience of beauty in this world, and puts me at ease with myself.
I will rely on my intuitive response to mix and match the different types of plants I receive for my garden. This intuitive approach excludes personal experiences, thoughts and ideas. Everything just comes together naturally.
Perhaps it’s a question of whether I have confidence in my intuition, and in my ability to free my mind of any restraint. My soul is indestructible as I am spiritually inspired. When I am spiritually active, my soul is indestructible. These concepts shaped my perception of tranquillity. Whenever I encounter any issues in daily life, I will reflect upon these concepts as part of my rational thinking process.
When I am making art, I rely completely on my intuition, because I want to grasp and make sense of that encounter of the first touch. I will understand its characteristics from examining the details. As a result, my art has personality, characteristics and presents a unique scenario.
Art making is our response to a stimulus from the external world.
Just as activity itself is integrated, so is our life. An activity of the inner mind is usually a focused practice in search of an answer. But if we use this experience in our observation of the external world, then we would tend to interpret what we see in this world. Therefore, everyone will describe and interpret this world according to his personal knowledge system. But this knowledge system lacks change, which is why we should abandon it and return to the initial state of mind we have as babies, return to that feeling we have when we first encounter the external world. At the stage in life when we nestle in our mothers’ embrace, we experience our mothers’ love and the truth that every life is equal. Because of this, we are able to display a greater compassion and humility toward people and things. Since we have this inner ability – one that is very delicate and reflects the sophistication of one’s taste – we are able to respond to external matters. The extent of your inner mind is reflected by how broad your vision of the external world is. This is what being natural is all about. There is harmony between the external and the internal, and there is no conflict between the two. As human beings, we exist in a world of duality. When the sounds of ‘beauty’ and ‘pain’ come together, music is made.
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[Artistic Statement]:
“In the process of creating a garden, I see myself more clearly and understand myself better. ‘I think; therefore, I am’. It enables me to understand human nature; because one can only understand others by understanding human nature. When we look at an artwork, we see a reflection of our hearts. Hence we need to keep pruning our minds and spirits in order to transform from crudeness to refinement. Looking down on ourselves or singing praises of ourselves are actually traps we should avoid.”
- Lee Kuang-Yu 2019
Artist’s Response to Curator’s Interview Questions
“Rest is of significant value to the modern man. Gardens can make one feel wonderfully at ease because it provides rest and respite and it is beautiful… In a world that has become paralyzed by numbness, what can inspire one to move again? It is the power of art and the power of the secret garden. Situating the artwork on site creates an energy that makes the world move again.”
Lee Kuang-Yu 2019
Artist’s Response to Curator’s Interview Questions
In life, it is in accepting brokenness that we have the chance to learn about wholeness.
“In Life, people who are willing to accept “shattered/ broken pieces” (or “imperfection”) would have the opportunity to learn about “completion” or “perfection”
Lee Kuang-Yu 2013-2014
Mountain·Emptiness: Lee Kuang-Yu 2014 New Artworks
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[Artist’s Reponse to Different Garden Cultures & Cloud Forest]:
TAN: Does Lee view different types of Gardens as a distillation of the essence of various cultures and philosophies? What is the difference in his view between an English Garden, Chinese Garden, Japanese Garden, Garden in Singapore?
LEE: The concept of ‘volume’ in three-dimensional representation is an integral part of visual arts in the west. But in China, it is the ‘line’ that dominates the visual arts, which create an overall lightness in the work. Hence, we have this saying: a life form is like a limitless, everlasting line that does not focus on the sense of volume. In Eastern culture, we use simple, elegant colours. For example, Japanese cuisine embodies a pristine simplicity. In contrast, western food is full of volume, from the use of milk in the cooking, to dishes like mushroom soup, beef steak and so on. A three-dimensional feel is developed from a sense of volume. We see this in the three-dimensional changes in wine: from the moment the bottle is opened, it comes into contact with air, releasing its flavours in layers that transform over time.
Because of its emphasis on a three-dimensional experience, the plants and flowers in an English garden tend to be vibrant and colourful. You see myriad ways in which the tiers and textures of plants are created by mixing and matching various species. It excites you and arouses your passion. In contrast, you feel a sense of tranquillity once you enter a Japanese garden which allows you to quieten your mind and think with clarity. In Japanese aesthetics, there is great emphasis on refinement, serenity and pristineness. On the other hand, the Chinese garden is decorated with Taihu stones, flowing water, and plants. Hence, the garden setting is not as pristine and tranquil as that of its Japanese counterpart. In particular, the shape of the rocks, which appear porous and contorted, reflects the multifaceted nature of the Chinese personality.
To me, gardens reflect the aesthetic values of different cultures. Their historical legacies, personal experiences and even the entire country’s natural environment, culture and heritage and so forth are the basis upon which an aesthetic expression is created, reflecting the direction in life that a particular people desires to pursue.
These observations have become food for thought when I design my gardens. I don’t have any special requests or specific demands for a favourite type of flower or plant. I will accept any species that my local supplier provides. To me, different plants come with different usages, and everything has a purpose of its own. My approach has always been to take it as it comes.
“In the process of gardening, I see myself and get to know myself. ‘I think; therefore, I am’. It enables me to understand human nature; because one can only understand others by understanding human nature. When we look at an artwork, we see a reflection of our hearts. Hence we need to keep pruning our minds and spirits in order to transform from crudeness to refinement. Looking down on ourselves or singing praises of ourselves are actually traps we should avoid.”
The siting of Lee’s sculptures at Cloud Forest, Gardens by the Bay was inspired by the Curator Tan’s visit to artist Lee’s secret Garden in Taipei…
TAN: What is Lee’s response to the exhibition sites at Cloud Forest, Gardens by the Bay?
(i) L2 The Water Fall
(ii) L2 area including Former Orchid Enclosure
(iii) L7 Lost World
(iv) L1 Secret Garden
LEE: When I first visited the Gardens by the Bay, I felt a strong affinity to the place. It is a beautiful place, aligned with my core values. I felt as though I have come home, returning to a beautiful place. During my visit to the Gardens, I think about how to situate my sculptures based on the characteristics and conditions of the site. I am used to displaying my works in the museum, but this is the first time that I am exhibiting them in a naturally beautiful environment with many colours and textures.
In the hustle and bustle of our mundane life, the garden provides a place of rest and respite, where one can also enjoy something beautiful and be moved by it. If sculptures are added to this garden, it will enhance what it has to offer. When I first visited the Gardens by the Bay, I was very moved by what I saw. I already knew the effect on the plants once I place my sculptures there. They will transform the Cloud Forest, bringing about an energetic vigour that will rejuvenate the mind and soul. It all depends on this word – transformation. My sculptures will transform the Cloud Forest into a different world. I am truly excited, as my works have never been placed in such an environment before. Indeed, by embracing this transformation, one can experience so much joy and wonder in life.
If The Falls site is without the “Thinker” one would just experience a magnificent waterfall in constant dynamic flow… Once the sculpture is placed, the site is transformed into a whole new world… At the same time, it raises the question of how one should contemplate quietly in an environment in constant flux. These two form a perfect match, for it is between movement and rest that we find that life is not one-dimensional. We can enjoy the things in life, and we can also contemplate about them. The work is about immersing in a tranquil world, where one can abandon the mundane triviality, complex issues, worries and anxieties in life to find peace and solace.
