The first four lectures in the series provide an introductory narrative of art history from its origin in prehistoric caves to the Nanyang art of Singapore in the 1950s. The lectures aim to present a parallel account of art historical developments in Asia and the West, and highlight inter-cultural artistic influences and exchanges between the two regions. At the same time, they will also uncover the distinctiveness of art forms and practices of each region.

About the Speaker
Jeffrey Say has been teaching at LASALLE College of the Arts since 1997, during which he helped to develop its art history programmes. In 2009, he designed the first M.A. programme in the world that focuses on modern and contemporary Asian art history. He is presently the programme leader of the M.A. Asian Art Histories Programme.

Art for all Eternity (30,000 BCE to 200 CE)
Tuesday, 10 January

The art that was produced by early civilisations centred on the cult of the dead and a desire to achieve immortality. A great majority of works dating to this period were discovered in tombs or places of worship that indicated a strong belief in the afterlife, most famously seen in two of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century—the tomb of King Tutankhamun and the necropolis of Qin Shi Huang. This period also recorded some firsts in art. While the Greeks created the first nudes in art, the Chinese and Japanese made the earliest pottery in the world.

Art of the Great Religions (200 CE to 1400 CE)
Tuesday, 17 January

Among the most magnificent works of art in human civilisation were those that were inspired by religion. In India, some of the best examples of Hindu architecture were cut directly out of the rock. The Buddha image originated in India and gradually spread to other parts of Asia, where the form was adapted locally. As Islam expanded from the 7th century CE, it inspired the creation of an art that was invariably decorative in character. In Europe, Christianity provided the main impetus for art and architecture after the fall of the Roman Empire, culminating in the monumental Gothic churches.

Art of Empires and Nations (1400 CE to 1850s)
Tuesday, 31 January

The Renaissance introduced innovations that were to influence art for the next 400 years. While the Church continued to be a major patron of the arts, some of the most important art of the period was produced for the courts and the nobility. Two of the biggest royal palaces in the world, Versailles and The Forbidden City, were constructed during this time. Works of art produced under the patronage of the Mughal and Chinese courts were unsurpassed for their detail and craftsmanship. European imperialism and increasing contacts between Asia and the West resulted in the introduction of Western realism and oil painting to Asian art.

Art in the Modern World (1850s to 1960s)
Tuesday, 7 February

The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries witnessed the most far-reaching changes in art since the Renaissance due to developments in the political, social, cultural and technological spheres. Beginning with Impressionism, a revolt started against tradition and the establishment. The disenchantment following the First World War led artists to experiment with the realm of the abstract. Abstraction, exported as the International Style, became the dominant aesthetic for a greater part of the twentieth century. Nevertheless, in Asia, artists continued to be conscious of tradition and indigenous practices while the merging of the modern and tradition led to the production of art forms that were unique to the region.

The second half of the lecture series explores the diverse issues that have long preoccupied and informed artistic endeavour: notions of the self and community; ideas about faith and the divine; the experience and translation of the abstract concepts of space and time, and the perception and representation of reality. The lectures will trace how artistic attempts to grapple with these subjects have evolved over time, even as these ideas continue to fascinate contemporary artists today, and challenge the artists of tomorrow.

About the Speaker
Dr Susie Lingham is a writer-artist whose interdisciplinary research synthesises ideas relating to the nature of mind across different disciplines, from the humanities to the sciences, and whose art practice incorporates writing, performance, sound and image. Currently an Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Education, Singapore, Lingham has taught at universities and art colleges in Australia, Singapore and the U.K.

The role of the artist has evolved over time: they are no longer to be perceived as withdrawn, isolated individuals working in a studio producing beautiful works that are bought and sold. Artists live and work in the context of the society they are in, and many contemporary artists play important roles in society—as critics of the society they live in, as educators, as cultural workers and as activists. Art has evolved to take many diverse forms as artists take on myriad roles, issues, and modes of expression—from the contemplative self-portrait to action-oriented art in and for the community, and society as a whole.

From the very beginning, art has been one of the most important means through which individuals seek to explore ideas relating to faith and the divine. Questions of good and evil, the spirit and the soul, the much hoped-for utopia of 'heaven', the fear of death, and the meaning of life have been represented in art from age to age, ranging from the monumental sculpture of antiquity to the ephemerality of contemporary art.

The attempt to recreate and explore seemingly ordinary, everyday phenomena such as light, space and time has been pursued by artists throughout the ages. The study and rendering of the 'structure', colour and effect of sunlight, the physicality of the body's occupation of space, and the passing of time as experienced by growth and aging continue to challenge artists. This lecture looks at the various ways art has attempted to comprehend, map and represent these phenomena, from the use of gold-leaf lines and halos, to optical illusions and performance and video art today.

How do we experience, locate and attempt to 'know' 'Reality'? And how do artists represent this 'Reality'? For centuries the measure of 'good' art was dependent on how closely it resembled 'real life' and artists sought to mimic external reality as much as possible. However, human understanding of the world has rapidly evolved and the development of new knowledge and technologies has opened up fresh perceptions of what reality could be. Armed with these new developments, artists continue to explore and present the idea of 'Reality' in innovative ways. Whether through sculpture, painting, photography or film, this quest for reality has taken many forms, ranging from realism and hyperrealism to symbolism and virtual reality.

Art has always been an effective medium through which complex and abstract ideas have been expressed. Artists continue to invent creative and interdisciplinary ways to investigate, demonstrate, and reveal new areas of thought. While art can be aesthetic, it can also produce intellectual pleasure, creating delight in the 'beautiful idea'. Breathtaking moments in art when rules are broken and new ideas are born are as exciting as discovering fundamental new truths about the physical universe.