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Lot Essay
The idealization of village life and the tropical native is a leitmotif in Cheong Soo Pieng's oeuvre. Lot 1176 Wild crossing depict three villagers attempting a river crossing to a village on an opposite bank. The viewer is granted a back view of the villagers - long-limbed, slender figures drawn in Cheong Soo Pieng's signature style. Dense foliage creates a circular clearing in the picture and the perhaps treacherous attempt at river crossing is given Cheong Soo Pieng's typically lyrical treatment. The picture becomes a poetic and idealized interpretation on the charms of village life.
Cheong Soo Pieng was fascinated by the various indigenous cultures of Southeast Asia, especially in Borneo. The depicted longhouse in Lot 1178 Longhouse Scene is a representational intepretation on Soo Pieng's observations, juxtaposed to Lot 1177 Scene of boats and houses, which is a distinctly lyrical rendition of village life. These three pictures demonstrate the artist's varying but sustained interpretations village life and are exemplary of the varied styles that Cheong Soo Pieng worked in throughout his artistic career.
Cheong Soo Pieng was fascinated by the various indigenous cultures of Southeast Asia, especially in Borneo. The depicted longhouse in Lot 1178 Longhouse Scene is a representational intepretation on Soo Pieng's observations, juxtaposed to Lot 1177 Scene of boats and houses, which is a distinctly lyrical rendition of village life. These three pictures demonstrate the artist's varying but sustained interpretations village life and are exemplary of the varied styles that Cheong Soo Pieng worked in throughout his artistic career.