Tan Tee Chie陈世集

Society and culture:

Ways of life

Tan Tee Chie 陈世集• 1928-2011• Born in Hainan• Graduated from NAFA in 1951• Lectured there

• Art critic, calligrapher, painter, seal carver

Tan Tee Chie - Brobak Birds Competition, 1966, woodcut, 48x63 cm

Woodcut

• Carve away unwanted parts of wooden block• Cover with pigment, and print

• Tan Tee Chie was inspired by woodcut movement in China (1930s-40s)

Li Hua – Roar, China!, 1935, woodcut

Tan Tee Chie - Brobak Birds Competition1966Woodcut48x63 cm

• Depicting a bird singing competition

• Bird cages hung from poles in field

• Spectators of all races, as seen from clothes/skin

• Judges at table with trophies

• Some vegetation in background

Tan Tee Chie - Brobak Birds Competition1966Woodcut48x63 cm

• Clear outlines

• Variations in thickness and spacing of lines to create tones, textures, patterns etc. (e.g. leaves, fabric etc.)

• Does not follow linear perspective

• But still has sense of space and depth – Objects recede into space

Tan Tee Chie - Brobak Birds Competition1966Woodcut48x63 cm

• Contrast between

• Tightly packed crowd at bottom, almost a grey mass

• Birdcages at top, strong outlines standing out strongly from white background

• Contrast and space

• We follow the gaze of the crowd

Tan Tee Chie - Brobak Birds Competition1966Woodcut48x63 cm

• Ways of life back then

• Depicting common pastime of that period

• Simple lifestyle conveyed through straightforward composition and simplification of details

Tan Tee Chie – Cigarette Seller/Transaction, 1953, woodcut

Tan Tee Chie – Family, 1961, oil on canvas, 76x61 cm

Tan Tee Chie – 2 Carps, ink on paper

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mr-Tan-Tee-Chie-%E9%99%88%E4%B8%96%E9%9B%86%E8%80%81%E5%B8%88-In-memory-of-our-beloved-teacher/150673584988090

References• http://tfcsea.nafa.edu.sg/artist_biography.aspx?id=33• http://www.singaporeartmuseum.sg/press_release/1998/

imprints_on_singapore_art.pdf • http://www.nus.edu.sg/museum/forms/

simplifiedWrkSheetConstructedLandscapes.pdf • https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mr-Tan-Tee-Chie-

%E9%99%88%E4%B8%96%E9%9B%86%E8%80%81%E5%B8%88-In-memory-of-our-beloved-teacher/150673584988090

• http://depts.washington.edu/chinaciv/graph/9polwood.htm