The Art in the Real: Singaporean Artist Yeo Tze Yang and the Lomo'Instant

Painter of everyday life, Singaporean artist Yeo Tze Yang embraces human lives as it is and creates masterpieces which he hopes can speak for themselves. This young local artist of only 22 aims to have his art appreciated by people from different backgrounds.

Tze Yang gives the Lomo'Instant a try and the resemblance of his shots with his paintings is just incredible.

• Name: Yeo Tze Yang
• Tumblr: YeoTzeYang.trumblr.com
• Facebook: /tzeyang.yeo
• Email Newsletter: Yeo Tze Yang: Art Newsletter
• Country: Singapore
• Camera: Lomo'Instant

Please introduce yourself to the Lomography community and the readers of the Online Magazine.

I am Yeo Tze Yang. I am a visual artist, specializing in the medium of oil painting, as well as an undergraduate student at the National University of Singapore, reading Southeast Asian Studies.

How did you get started with painting?

I have always liked art. From doodling and scribbling as a toddler to taking art as a subject in school, it has always been present in my life. I began exploring painting specifically when I was 17 when being exposed to both the practice and history of it in school. I have been hooked ever since.

For you, what makes an artist?

This is a tough question, for which there are no straightforward answers, I think. Often, anyone can make the claim of being an “artist” and with enough persuasion and belief from an audience does the person become an “artist”. We see that so often in the contemporary art world. Perhaps the more important question would be “What makes a good artist?” which is ultimately a definition that is personal to each and every one of us. For me, a good artist sees the ordinary world around us in a different light and through the process of art making, makes something out of it, offering a different perspective to the simple things.

Which art forms are you currently exploring? Was it your first time to explore analogue photography?

I am primarily a representational painter, though photography forms a large part of my practice as well, since I use photography to make my paintings most of the time. With a camera mobile phone I am constantly documenting my everyday life. I have played around with film photography and dark room techniques before, and I must say my experiences doing photography has influenced my current painting practice a lot too. This is my first time exploring instant analogue photography though.

Can you tell us a little more about your Lomo'Instant experience? Any interesting things you encountered or challenges?

It definitely is a very different experience from other forms of photography I have done before. I had to explore the various settings and what they were capable of for quite a while before I understood the camera better. Being so used to the convenience of mobile phone photography, the act of snapping a shot with the Lomo’Instant is definitely a more conscious one. Every shot feels precious and so one takes more consideration to make that photo happen. Nonetheless, I enjoyed how unpredictable things can be, by applying different settings to different environments or subjects can yield very interesting results. It was also interesting to see how many older people reacted when they saw me shooting with an analogue camera, telling me how old fashioned it is. Little did they know that this is a new product!

Please choose your favorite photo(s) taken with the Lomo'Instant and tell us about the image(s) and why they’re your favorites.

My favourite photo is of the cuttlefish being dried on a piece of newspaper in the sun, at a market near my grandma’s place. In my artistic practice I look no further than the everyday life around me. For that photo I felt that it reflected something very simple that is very close to our hearts but often taken for granted. I loved how Lomo’Instant was able to capture that moment profoundly.

What is your favorite feature or what do you like most about the Lomo'Instant?

I particularly enjoyed the multiple settings on the camera that allowed more flexibility to explore creatively, as compared to other instant analogue cameras I’ve seen around. Playing with these settings allow for very interesting and unpredictable results.

Any tips for first time shooters?

With photography becoming increasingly accessible with smartphones and apps like Instagram it becomes too easy to follow online trends, or rather, follow what photography “should look like”. With the Lomo’Instant this is bound to happen too, with notions of “hipster” surrounding the brand. For me, it is simply a different camera, a different tool for art making, and it’s up to each of us to maximize its potential in our own different ways.

Any advice on how to fully utilize the Lomo'Instant?

Get many packs of film. I feel that trial and error is the only way to fully understand this camera.

Do you have ongoing or upcoming projects that you would like to tell the community about?

I have a couple of exhibitions coming up both in Singapore and overseas in the middle of the year. Stay tuned!

written by Crisselda Robles on 2017-03-10 #gear #people #painting #singapore #lomo-instant #yeo-tze-yang