Pictures of a crisis

Over the last few years, several of Thailand creative talents have brought their feelings about the seemingly unending political conflicts to canvas and the screen.
The latest to do is established painter Natee Utarit whose new exhibition “Illustration of the Crisis” at Bangkok University Gallery (BUG) illustrates his frustration at the political events that unfolded between 2010 and 2012.
Singapore’s Richard Koh Fine Art Gallery has puts together 23 paintings – many of them borrowed from collectors and organisations in Asia and Europe – for this major Bangkok show.
“If I could, I would choose to close my eyes and go to sleep and only wake up when all of this was long over,” says the 40-year-old painter.
His paintings depict a number of figurines like dolls, plastic dogs, tanks and soldier juxtaposed with body parts, including the an eyeball and false teeth. These are combined in various contexts, challenging the viewers to decide what is real and what is imaginary. The artist uses the language and grammar of the past, which relied heavily on metaphors and hidden symbols to communicate.
In “Tunnel of Crisis”, he paints a little dog staring at over-sized dentures. “We Ought Not to Believe Others Just Because of Their Look” depicts an ear atop a pastel blue gas stove. Another painting portrays the figurine of a soldier in front of a human head open to reveal the organs inside.
“In my search for answers to certain questions, I’ve had the growing suspicion that the language of suspicion that the language of contemporary painting, which has been stripped of so much of what mattered to classical painting, is simply not up to the job of conveying the complexity of modern issues and the multifarious nature of ‘truth’ today,” Natee notes in the catalogue.
He adds that seen from the outside, the country’s political crisis may appear somewhat worrying, It could destroy investor confidence and this could have impact on future economic and social conditions.
“But in my opinion, there’s another crisis taking place at the very core of who we are and how we see ourselves that is much more worrisome – because it’s invisible and intangible,” he concludes.

 ANATOMY OF TRUTH
 “Illustration of the Crisis” is at the Bangkok University Gallery (BUG) at Kluay Nam Thai until August 31. It’s open from 10 to 7pm Tuesday to Saturday. Call (02) 350 3626.