Mae Mai: July 02, 2006

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Subtext? or no-text? (pt. 2)

Artist: Jirapat Tasanasomboon
Title: Superman vs Phi Pek
Technique: Acrylic on canvas
Size: 50 x 70 cm
Year: 2004

Jirapat Tasanasomboon was born in 1971 in Samut Prakarn and completed his Master Degree from Silapakorn University in 1999. He applies a pop-art style to his subjects who often feature well known (super)heroes from cartoons such as Batman, Superman and Spiderman as well as science fiction movies. His heroes are depicted in a distinctive Thai setting and are often seen interacting with traditional Thai heroes and mythical figures, most of whom are characters in the Ramakien (Ramayana). It might be seen as an indicator of the complex relationship between Thailand and one of its closest allies. Sometimes a loving relationship, but at other times struggling. Jirapat has participated in several art shows in Thailand and also in Korea (2003).

Jirapat Tasanasomboon

Related Links:
Subtext? or no-text? (pt. 1)
The Oral Tradition and the Many "Ramayanas", by Philip Lutgendorf.
The Poetics of the Ramakian, by Dr. Theodora H. Bofman
Many Ramayanas: The Diversity of a Narrative Tradition in South Asia, ed. by Paula Richman.

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filed under: Asia; Southeast Asia; Thailand; Jirapat Tasanasomboon; Phi Pek; Superman; art

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Superman or ghosts?

From an old review of Richard Nisbett's book The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently . . . and Why in the Village Voice, Orienting the East: U. Michigan Psychologist Richard Nisbett Asks: Do Asians and Westerners Think Differently? by Hua Hsu (April 16-22, 2003)

In 1944, the eminent Chinese anthropologist and sociologist Fei Xiaotang accepted an offer from the State Department to spend a year working in the United States. Fei's stint began with all of the excitement and wonder promised by this still-rising star among nations, but as the months drew on he grew exhausted with the fidgety, restless nature that outlined every feature of American life. He returned to China wiser and more attuned to American customs, but thankful that they were not his own: "American children hear no stories about ghosts. They spend a dime at the drugstore to buy a Superman comic book. . . . Superman represents actual capabilities or future potential, while ghosts symbolize belief in and reverence for the accumulated past. How could ghosts gain a foothold in American cities? People move like the tide, unable to form permanent ties with places, still less with other people. . . . In a world without ghosts, life is free and easy. American eyes can gaze straight ahead. But still I think they lack something and I do not envy their life."