The
Mountain Khuzart --III , 2006
Mixed media on rice paper 290 x 360 cm.
When I back to New York from Mongolia end of September 2006,
I was starting to creat the large painting in New York studio, this
painting are make me to recall the great location for
The Buruning Toono - III on the Mountain of Khuzart in Mongolia
July 9, 2006, and the colorful sky in sunset ...
Mixed media on rice paper 290 x 360 cm.
When I back to New York from Mongolia end of September 2006,
I was starting to creat the large painting in New York studio, this
painting are make me to recall the great location for
The Buruning Toono - III on the Mountain of Khuzart in Mongolia
July 9, 2006, and the colorful sky in sunset ...
September
15, 2006
Artist Speaks As Voice For His Culture
By THERESA JUVA
A burning roof and a parade of galloping horses Ð some of Chaolun Baatar's work can't be placed on a gallery wall. As a performance artist, painter and sculptor, the Inner Mongolian native conveys his culture and ideas through innovative methods.
"What's interesting is that he brings an old traditional art, and a rather obscure Asian country into the 21st century (and) into a modern form," said Philip Gould, a retired art history professor who has taught at Columbia University. "He's integrating two cultures."
Gould is referring to Baatar's usage of the traditional Mongolian house called a "ger," which is marked by its distinctive open roof called a "Toono." Because it is an agrarian society, Gould said the open roof is like "an eye on the sky" that allows Mongolians to still feel connected with the outside world. Baatar puts a twist on the structure when he sets the "Toono" on fire in his performances as a celebration of Mongolian identity, Gould said.
The professor of Asian art met Baatar at an art exhibition in Manhattan five years ago. He remembers first noticing the soft and swift brush strokes in his painting, an indication of he's integrating two cultures influence.
Once he began talking to Baatar, who works out of a studio in Long Island City, he realized he is not only "an artist at heart," but also "practically a one-man publicist for his country." He seeks to bring an agricultural country into the contemporary world of art through the dynamic presentation of a magnified 15-foot "Toono" and the movement of animals. Gould said his attempt to combine worlds makes him unique among Asian artists.
An integration of cultures works well in Queens, a borough that is always experiencing the convergence of people and places. Baatar's work resonates with people in Queens, which is why it will be featured in Queensborough Community College's art gallery next year. The director of the gallery, Faustino Quintanilla, said Baatar's 14-foot sculpture Ð two interlocking circles modeled after the "Toono" Ð is designed for people to walk through.
"The body has to be adapted to the space; you have to become part of the space," Quintanilla said describing the sculpture's structure.
It is symbolic, he said, for how immigrants come to the United States and learn to adjust to a new culture and become part of it. Just as people must adjust and morph their bodies to fit into the sculpture, immigrants are doing the same.
"It has big symbolism and especially in a community college,"Quintanilla said."What better community than Queens? Here we are unified, but each of us has a tradition that enriches us."
Both professors agree that Baatar's vision has something special to offer Queens. He has taken the open roof of the traditional Mongolian home and used it as an entryway into the rest of the world. By letting the world in and tradition out, both are continuously transformed.
Abstract Toono - I Prt of Ger [Model-1 1999]
An Installations, mixed media: Leather, Cashmere / Wool,
wood, Metal, Acrylic, Oil on Burlap 5' x 7' x 14'.
This Project Designed by the Artist 1999 & Collection by the Artist New York
Artist Speaks As Voice For His Culture
By THERESA JUVA
A burning roof and a parade of galloping horses Ð some of Chaolun Baatar's work can't be placed on a gallery wall. As a performance artist, painter and sculptor, the Inner Mongolian native conveys his culture and ideas through innovative methods.
"What's interesting is that he brings an old traditional art, and a rather obscure Asian country into the 21st century (and) into a modern form," said Philip Gould, a retired art history professor who has taught at Columbia University. "He's integrating two cultures."
Gould is referring to Baatar's usage of the traditional Mongolian house called a "ger," which is marked by its distinctive open roof called a "Toono." Because it is an agrarian society, Gould said the open roof is like "an eye on the sky" that allows Mongolians to still feel connected with the outside world. Baatar puts a twist on the structure when he sets the "Toono" on fire in his performances as a celebration of Mongolian identity, Gould said.
The professor of Asian art met Baatar at an art exhibition in Manhattan five years ago. He remembers first noticing the soft and swift brush strokes in his painting, an indication of he's integrating two cultures influence.
Once he began talking to Baatar, who works out of a studio in Long Island City, he realized he is not only "an artist at heart," but also "practically a one-man publicist for his country." He seeks to bring an agricultural country into the contemporary world of art through the dynamic presentation of a magnified 15-foot "Toono" and the movement of animals. Gould said his attempt to combine worlds makes him unique among Asian artists.
An integration of cultures works well in Queens, a borough that is always experiencing the convergence of people and places. Baatar's work resonates with people in Queens, which is why it will be featured in Queensborough Community College's art gallery next year. The director of the gallery, Faustino Quintanilla, said Baatar's 14-foot sculpture Ð two interlocking circles modeled after the "Toono" Ð is designed for people to walk through.
"The body has to be adapted to the space; you have to become part of the space," Quintanilla said describing the sculpture's structure.
It is symbolic, he said, for how immigrants come to the United States and learn to adjust to a new culture and become part of it. Just as people must adjust and morph their bodies to fit into the sculpture, immigrants are doing the same.
"It has big symbolism and especially in a community college,"Quintanilla said."What better community than Queens? Here we are unified, but each of us has a tradition that enriches us."
Both professors agree that Baatar's vision has something special to offer Queens. He has taken the open roof of the traditional Mongolian home and used it as an entryway into the rest of the world. By letting the world in and tradition out, both are continuously transformed.
Abstract Toono - I Prt of Ger [Model-1 1999]
An Installations, mixed media: Leather, Cashmere / Wool,
wood, Metal, Acrylic, Oil on Burlap 5' x 7' x 14'.
This Project Designed by the Artist 1999 & Collection by the Artist New York