Final Paper A Guided Tour for Non-Singaporean Visitors

At the center of my guided tour for non-Singaporean visitors is Cheong Soo

Piengs Drying Salted Fish, an artwork of Chinese ink and watercolor on cloth.
Chiefly, I have chosen this artwork because of the significance and implications it
can have to Singaporeans by being one of the rare artworks to be printed on the
current Portrait series of Singaporean currency notes. Taking on the stance as a
nationalist, I want to use these two forms of the same artwork, especially the printed
one, to show how Benedict Andersons concept of print-capitalism gives rise to the
imagined community in Singapore. In addition, I will be using Leo Tolstoys theory
of art to show how the same artwork can be possibly used by different artists to
transmit different feelings and meanings.
Before I show the visitors the artwork, I will provide a brief description of the
artwork, as well as other background information.
Cheong Soo Piengs Drying Salted Fish, as the name suggests, paints a
scene from rural village life where fishermen hang up their catches to dry.
In the foreground, women appear to be talking, possibly bargaining and
bartering. The painting is filled, too, by plenty of flora and fauna.
This painting came about after Cheongs trip to Bali in 1952, where he
obtained inspiration for his Nanyang-style paintings recognized as a
creative blend of West and East.
The purpose of describing the painting is to allow each visitor to form, in his mind,
an image of the scene, before he sees the actual artwork. I assume that the visitors
come from diverse and possibly privileged
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backgrounds. It is likely, too, that many
of these visitors may have grown up in cities and have never encountered rural
villages, just like myself. It will thus be an interesting experience for them to first
conjure in their minds images of this described scene and then compare it to a
representation of an actual one.
I will then proceed to let the visitors engage with the artwork. While they are
doing so, I will give them a brief summary of Singapores history, which will form
the foundation for my use of Tolstoys theory later.
Ever since Singapore declared independence and separated from Malaysia,
or Malaya as it was known back then, Singapore has been rapidly
industrializing and urbanizing. In a short span of a few decades, the
kampongs and villages in Singapore were replaced with high-rise and
high-density flats and offices.
When the visitors appear to have eased themselves in, I will then probe about
their feelings, based on Tolstoys theory, which describes art as a means of union
among men, joining them together in the same feelings, and indispensable for the
life and progress toward well-being of individuals and of humanity (Tolstoy, 1904,

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I assume that because the visitors are able to travel overseas to view an artwork, they are very likely
from privileged backgrounds.
p. 50). Art is about the infection of feelings, and this, in turn, is dependent on the
individuality, clearness and sincerity of the feelings transmitted (Tolstoy, 1904, p.
153). I believe the visitors different backgrounds and biases will enable them to
receive and interpret the artwork differently, such that each persons experience is
unique and individual to them.
How do you feel about this artwork? This artwork was produced in 1968,
at a time when Singapore was undergoing rapid changes and uncertainty
lingered in the air. Scenes of drying fish, which were also common in
Malaysia, a place that was perhaps as homely as Singapore during the
artists childhood, were quickly disappearing from Singapore. By
featuring this salted fish-drying scene from Trengganu, which is now
known as Terengganu, the artist was very likely reminiscing the times
before Singapores industrialization and urbanization (National Library
Board Singapore, 2011). Regardless of where you come from, think of the
rural life that existed before city life replaced it, and let the artists sense of
nostalgia infect you.
When the visitors appear to have largely immersed themselves in the experience
of engaging with the artwork, I will then request for them to take out a Singaporean
fifty-dollar note and take a look at the designs at the back. This is when I justify, in
greater detail, the choice of this artwork.
Notice that this artwork is printed on the fifty-dollar notes. Since
Singapores independence, only four sets of currency notes have been in
circulation. Prior to the Portrait series currency notes, which are currently
in use, the Orchid, Bird and Ship series currency notes do not contain
original artwork of this nature
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. There are not many opportunities for
original artworks to be printed on currency notes. This artwork must have
been really special and hold great significance to be one of the selected
artworks to be printed on the fifty-dollar note. Let us examine its
significance and what implications it has on Singaporeans.
Before we continue, I would like to introduce Benedict Andersons idea of
a nation. At the heart of Andersons Imagined Communities is how print-
capitalism, the combination of capitalism and the revolution in
communication, has made possible new ways of imagining abstract
communities (Spencer & Wollman, 2002, p. 37). The improved access to
print as a result of print-capitalism gave rise to national consciousness as
people imagined themselves to be part of the same community.
Money, as a state-controlled printed commodity, also allows people to
think of the imagined community. Money has always been a unified form
of exchange and communication, and is very much a reminder of others in
the community who use and accept the same currency. Even though non-

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By this nature, I refer to artwork not originally meant for the design of currency notes.
Singaporeans like you can hold Singaporean currency, ultimately,
Singaporean currency will only be accepted for use in the Singaporean
community
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thus reinforcing the idea of national consciousness associated
with the printed money.
The original artwork, which required people to take special effort to view
it in person, has now become very accessible as it is now printed on mass-
circulated currency notes
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. At first glance, it may seem that the purpose of
printing the artwork on Singapores currency is to commemorate Cheong,
celebrate his tireless and daring spirit, and appreciate his contributions to
Singapore. However, if we consider the state as the artist and the printed
design as the artwork, we would likely derive a different meaning from it
and be infected quite differently from before, instead of getting a sense of
nostalgia.
Keeping the states involvement in mind, I would like to focus mainly on
the implications stemming from how this artwork reminds people of
Malaysia. By choosing this artwork to be printed on Singaporean currency
notes, to a certain extent, the state is silently, yet respectfully,
acknowledging that Singapore was once part of Malaysia. Now, the
artwork on the note has subtly infected me to think of the bond with

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This Singaporean community is independent of geographical location.
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I recognize that people need not necessarily view the artwork on the currency notes, but for the
purpose of this guided tour, I have chosen to focus on the idea of accessibility instead.
Malaysia. The shared history with Malaysia may have been bitter to some,
but it is what defines the Singaporean identity.
I will allow a few more moments for the visitors to re-engage the artwork and
consider the deeper implications. After the visitors have finished engaging with the
artwork
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, I will conclude and end off with a couple of questions as food for thought.
Today, I have presented to you two different perspectives of the artwork I
have chosen. When the state steps in by choosing an artwork to be printed
on state-controlled mass-circulated currency notes, it inevitably replaces
the original artist and alters the artworks interaction with the audience, as
you have experienced. In the latter, the sense of community is driven not
just by the artworks original content, but also by the medium on which it
is printed.
To end off, I would like you to think about the following questions. How
did you see Singapores relationship with Malaysia? How about now?
What role has the relationship played in shaping the imagined community
Singaporeans belong to today?
Bibliography
Anderson, B. (1991). Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of
Nationalism. London: Verso.

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I refer to both forms of the artwork, both the original and the version printed on the fifty-dollar note.
National Library Board Singapore. (2011, April). Drying Fish in Singapore Art:
Making Sense of the Nanyang Style. Biblioasia, 7(1), pp. 4-9. Retrieved April 24,
2013, from http://www.microsite.nl.sg/PDFs/BiblioAsia/BIBA_0701Apr11.pdf
Spencer, P., & Wollman, H. (2002). Nationalism: A Critical Introduction. London: SAGE.
Tolstoy, L. (1904). What is Art? (A. Maude, Trans.) New York: Funk & Wagnalis
Company.

Drying Salted Fish (1978) by Cheong Soo Pieng
May I ask that you, too, take out a fifty dollar note that you have?