A walk in the CBD

 
Artist: Unknown
Title: Unknown
Type: Bronze sculpture
Dimensions: Unknown

This is a bronze sculpture of a mother and a child. I think the scale is too small and the location is not suitable. It is situated among the bushes and behind a pond, which caused it to be unnoticeable and insignificant. It is indeed a pity. People can just walk past and not see this sculpture at all.

A successful sculpture should have a catchy theme, attractive composition and subject matter and of course, a good site to showcase the sculpture. Although this sculpture has a catchy theme- mother and child, attractive subject matter- contorted body of the mother, attractive composition- mother writhing in agony and naked baby helpless and vulnerable, the sculpture should be placed in a better location. For example in front of the entrance of a building or perhaps in the middle of a pond to enhance the effect and add on to the helplessness portrayed by the baby.

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Artist: Henry Moore
Title: Reclining figure
Type: Bronze Sculpture
Dimensions: Unknown

This is an artwork by Henry Moore, a sculpture of a large reclining figure, weighing four tonnes and one of the largest works ever made by Henry.
The reclining figure is a female, stylised and possesses a flowy form. It is placed in a shallow man-made pond and the places where the sculpture touches the water, there will be patches of pebbles. There is also a tiled walk way across the pond, in front of the sculpture, for viewers to get a closer look at the bronze figure.


Tiled Walkway

This is a successful sculpture since the size is really big and the form is interesting. The water is also an enhancement since it reflects the sculpture’s image, giving the whole sculpture a totally different effect, making it look ethereal. There is also a slope for viewers to walk up towards the sculpture. Both the tiled walkway and the slope enable viewers to feel as though they are included or even part of the art work, giving a whole new experience to viewers. Thus, viewers may have a good impression on the artwork and thus, they may even like it.

Slope

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Artist: Unknown
Title: Unknown
Type: Bronze sculpture
Dimensions: Unknown

In front of One Raffles Place

This is another bronze sculpture outside One Raffles Place. It looks like a karst formation of limestone, just that this is not made of limestone but bronze. I like the location of the sculpture. It is right in front of the building, which serves to lead viewers eyes to look at the building as they look at the sculpture. This is a good tactic, like what some would say— kill two birds with one stone. As viewers admire the sculpture, they admire the building as well. Thumbs up!

Adding on to the idea that it looks like a karst formation, I think the karst formation has got something to do with One Raffles Place. One Raffles Place belongs to UOB now, an established bank. The process of karst formation involves what is referred to as “the carbon dioxide cascade.” Thus, soluble bedrocks are being moulded by natural elements (rain with dissolved carbon dioxide), karst formation is formed. This could mean that even though there were countless setbacks, UOB emerged through the tough times to become what it is today, just like the karst formation, beautiful even though it has encountered acid rain. Thus, the sculpture could be a symbol of UOB, tried and proved to be a champion.

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Artist: Yang Ying-Feng
Title: Progress & Advancement
Type: Bronze sculpture
Dimensions: Unknown

Front view (skyline)

This is a bronze sculpture near Raffles Place MRT station, with many commercial buildings surrounding it. It is a spiral-like sculpture with intrinsic details on it.

Firstly, we can see the developed, prosperous and famous skyline of Singapore, showing our economic prowess and status. However, as I went around the sculpture, I saw scenes of the fishing village Singapore once was. There is a Malay kampong and on the river, there are different types of ships, Chinese junk, British ship etc. This shows the pretext of Singapore before it was developed. I also noticed that there are a few Chinese junks, malay fishing boats and other  trading boats moored by the riverside, with traders streaming into the kampong. I guess this is perhaps the earliest form of racial integration in Singapore?


Fishing boats



Malay kampong


Deck of Chinese junk

As I moved on, I saw some buildings of old Singapore, a scene that depicts Singapore in its 1900s, with bullock carts and British architecture etc. A bustling city then already. Then, as I continued, I came back to the present, the established city again. This sculpture is like a time machine that transports viewers back to the past and to the present again, perhaps to remind viewers, especially Singaporeans, of the effort made by our forefathers and to urge us to work on the progress made and advance. Onward Singapore!


Old Singapore

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Artist: Chong Fah Cheong
Title: The First Generation
Type: Bronze
Dimensions: Unknown

A bronze sculpture of a handful of naked boys ready to jump into the river. And this river is no common river, but the iconic Singapore River. I like this particularly because of the facial expressions of the boys. It was pure joy. This is a successful sculpture since it is site-specific and able to evoke strong emotions from viewers.