#SuddenlyTheGrass
People have asked: what is this book about?
Inevitably, the work and the book will mean different things for different people, and that is precisely what makes making art and photography alluring and vulnerable at the same time.
The author is dead they say. I prefer a slight bit more optimism – the author surrenders, when the work is released from his or her grasp. Intent lingers on, however faint or weak its breath.
Suddenly The Grass Became Greener is a book of photographs made in Singapore during her 50th year as a nation, and the coincidental death of her gardener. It is a portrait of Singapore, her epic and her condition, all of which are inseparable from her making and her maker. The pictures, however, reject epic depictions and grand drama for mundaneness and abstraction.
You may also consider the book an obituary, pondering birth, death, and in turn, renewal.
I invited two fellow Singaporeans to contribute essays for the book. Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh is 39 years old and is an accomplished sociopolitical writer. Charmaine Poh is 26 years old and pursues writing, art and photography.
An excerpt from Charmaine’s essay:
“In 1967, John Berger published A Fortunate Man, an observation of a country doctor living a rural existence in England. An environment, he surmises in the thought, is a mere hint to the life stories that possibly take place. In Suddenly the Grass Became Greener, Kevin invites us to peek behind the curtain through images of greenery that exist within the confines of this city. Lee Kuan Yew, adamant about turning Singapore into a Garden City, kick-started tree-planting in Singapore in June 1963 with a Mempat Tree at Farrer Circus. Through the years, he would continue to display his love for fauna, in his characteristically unparalleled way. If he loved something, it would flourish. The opposite also rang true.”
An excerpt from Sudhir’s essay:
“All of Singapore’s glories, successes, tensions and contradictions are played out in the green… Even in our crowning green glory, the Botanic Gardens, Singaporean exceptionalism is evident. World Heritage Sites are typically celebrations of ancient, traditional culture. Singapore’s is an homage to a colonial legacy. We are arguably the only post-colonial state that is comfortable with, even glorifies, our colonial past. While other countries bicker over reparations, we worry about our English.”
All pages for the book were printed last week by Grenadier Press in Singapore under my supervision. As I write this, the hardbound cover is being wrapped with fabric and foil stamped. Over the next few days, the book will be thread-bound and finished with a final imprint on its cover of an original sketch by illustrative artist Mindflyer.
I’d like to thank everyone who have supported this book with sponsorships and pre-orders. I’d also like to thank Sony Singapore for supporting my photography and this publication.
Join me for the book launch on Friday 13th May at Objectifs.
Launch Event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/2046441278914267/
Local and International Online Purchase: