"WE ARE LIVING IN THE WORLD OF DIFFERENT THINGS, I WOULD LIKE TO MANIFEST THE REAL PHENOMENON INSIDE OF THEIR EXISTENCES."

My work concerns with the image which originates in the stimulant qualifications from the natural media, elements and objects. I am aquainted with all of this media since they appear in my surroundings. The sensibility of stimulations has evoked and pressed me to conceive the concept, the new method for my personal expression.

The characteristics of my personal expressions are modified causally and changed by the necessity, the condition of physical and abstract significance, the qualification for different media which are chosen for creating work. Thus, it may look as if the content and expression in my work are not created or presented by my will, but from the characteristic of the qualification in the physical structure and abstract meanings of the media and materials which I call "in existence and pre-existence" of the media and materials.

At the element of working, the stimulant sensibility from one medium persuades the other media or materials and an intermediate relation between different materials initiates to present some meanings. Ths kind of relation is a personal experience and natural phenomenon to be perceived comprehensively in general.

The qualifications of an "in existence and pre-existence" in each material spawns the meanings, content and signification by their own structure and meanings not to represent or to transform to another content. The real phonomenon of an "in existence and pre-existence" which has been concealed in the media and materials will reveal their signification, contents and existence.

In the work "Group of Primary Forms" the natural phenomenon of life under the existent circumstances is presented by using the objects and materials associated with their existences and which will be re verted to again. "Earth Pagoda" manifests the image of a Pagoda in three dimensoins to be shown in two dimensions on the plane of papers covered with soil-pigments, sand, powdered detergent and indigo powder. With the construction in vertical juxtaposition from low to high on the wall, the real image of a Pagoda is induced to appear on the wall and floor.

(translated by Helen Michaelson)

Earth Pagoda,1989
Soil pigment, charcoal, detergent-powder and indigo on paper,
320 x 180 x 2.5 cm.

Paintings and Candles,1990
Candles on paper,
420 x 210 cm.

Artist's Message

Montien BOONMA

I. The Source of Inspiration

I am interested in materials and objects available in my surroundings and have been using them to create works of art in a style of my own. The concrete and the abstract characteristics of each piece of material inspire me with ideas and means for this creation. The content and the form of the work are derived from the physical properties and the abstract symbolism of the material itself; I merely transfer the "in existence phenomenon" of the material and express it through my work.

All materials and objects are closely related to society and are known to "have" certain qualifications and to "denote" certain things. However, each individual experiences these materials and objects differently. Such differences in experience attribute to all materials and objects certain concrete and abstract parameters.

The parameters stimulate both my rational thought and my imagination, leading me from one to the other. The relationships between these parameters are the most important factors determining the form and conyent of my work. The thought and the methodology employed to, deal with a particular material's parameter will thus vary according to the "in existence phenomenon" of the material itself.

Natural surroundings, culture, and the Thai way of life are basic factors that constitute the "in existence" parameters of the materials around me. Moreover, these factors become symbols and give localized characteristics to the materials. I am not interested in the kind of expression or creation in which scope and form are predetermined. Ac:tually, I am more interested in the successful "emergence" of the inhereent "in existence" parameters of the materials.

I believe that an artist must understand his own status in relation to the religious, cultural, social, and economic conditions in his surroundings. These are the basic elements that form in me an aesthetic and methodology for creating art work.

In Thailand, contemporary art has not yet been accepted on a wide scale. Expensive imported materials are usually needed to create art work, and, unfortunately, not all artists can afford them. Thus, not al l of them are able to work regularly and continuously, which hinders their development and their artistic creative output and also restricts the form of their work. To overcome this limitation, I avoid using the expensive and traditionally used art media such as oil paints, acrylic paints, and canvas in my work.

Instead, I look for materials and objects in my rural surroundings; materials such as earth, sand, charcoal, baked clay, ash, and wax. These materials are in my affordable range. Not only do they help me carry on with my work; their characteristics are also in harmony with the way of life in the countryside.

II "Real phenomenon" in Materials

I use local materials and objects from the countryside to "manifest" their, "real in existence phenomena." Such phenomena are related to, and are an embedded physical and symbolic aspect of, Thai society.

Tllese materials are not used to "substitute" for other things beyond their own inner qualifications and meanings. The physical features and the abstract symbols known to Thai society are translated into art work in accordance with the socially known parameters and the inner-relationship of all parts of an object as one can see in the following examples of my work.

The 'Pagoda' manifests the "real phenomenon" of the physical features, the construction process, and the objects of constructing a pagoda in the Buddhist concept.

Chetiyas and stupas, or pagodas, are constructed to house the relics of venerated monks and the ashes of laymen. The idea originated from the pile of ash and dirt remaining where the Lord Buddha was cremated. Chetiyas and stupas are places of worship and reminders of the Buddhist philosophy concerning the escape from samsaravatta the cycle of birth-death-rebirth.

In most of my work, I employ direction and the laying of pieces of paper by width and by length to recreate the "real phenomenon" in the imagination of the viewers.

The content of 'Candle' is the phenomenon arising from the belief, faith, and behavior of people in Thai society. 'Candle' is created naturally with the restriction of coated materials affixed to two pieces of board. The candle-burned piece appears in the form of a semi-circle on the two pieces of board. When installed for exhibition, one piece of board is placed on the floor and the other is attached to the ceiling. My intention is to present a phenomenon and an experience from the Loy Krathong (banana-leaf basket-floating ceremony) and to express the belief and faith in time and religion among the Thai people.

In 'Hand Prints and a Belt,' a fist was created from baked lumps of clay. The fist represents the people who laboriously use their strength to produce crops. The lumps of clay were fixed onto a rubber belt that was then stretched and nailed to the wall. The work manifests the symbolic stress and oppression of the material presented.

As implied, materials and objects act as stimulants. They inspire me with means and ideas to create works of art. In addition, the previous experiences of the viewers help to enliven the imagination and thus create a perception of the work specific to each person. This is my intention.

Chiangmai, Thailand

August 1991

Soil Pagoda in Ten Panels,1989
Soil pigment on paper, bricks,
260 x 220 x 15 cm.

Water,1991
Soil pigment on rice paper, terra-cotta,
230 x 300 x 40 cm.

CONVERSATION ON ARTE AMAZONAS

In February 1992, Montien Boonma was invited to Brazil to participate in the artists' workshop in the Amazon basin, six million square km of river and jungle. Montien stayed and worked in the city of Manaus which was once the center of the world's rubber industry. For three weeks, he did research around Manaus and communicated with the local Indians and artists from other countries who were invited to this project. His work was executed with a lot of help from the local Indians and will be exhibited in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992.

The Goethe Institut Bangkok invited Montien Boonma to show works inspired by his journey to Brazil and his experiences in the Amazon region under thc same title "Arte Amazonas" in June 1992 in Bangkok.

The following interview is part of a conversation between the artist Montien Boonnma and Alfrecl Pawlin, founder of visual dhamma gallery.

Alfred Pawlin: How did you get invited to participatc in Arte Amazonas in Brazil?

Montien Boonma The Goethe Institut Bangkok had sent some information on my work to the organizer. Rainer Wittenborn, a German artist who has held workshops ancl also exhibiteded in Bangkok two years ago, was initially invited to the Amazonas workshop. He also recommended me to the organizers as an artist from Thailand.

Indio Uaika na preparacao de Kurari liquido.
Rio Marauia-Alto Rio Negro-AMAZONNAS.

"Two images in The Last Rainforest
inspired me to see nature as mother"

Alfred Pawlin: What is Arte Amazonas all about?

Montien Boonma: Arte Amazonas is an international workshop for artists in Brazil. The organizers invited artists to live for some weeks in the Amazon region and work there. Artists lived in 3 important cities of that region: Belem, Manaus and Porto Velho. The Amazon region is the largest area of the Northern states in Brazil and also the largest rainforest in the world. It is one of the last untouched regions in the world, but many industrial companies move in to deforest. The biggest problems are caused by mining and logging. The government of Brazil also wants to build roads through thc jungle to connect various cities. Again, trees have to be cut for that project. Therc are also so many animals and birds in this region, many rare species including plants and fish. The Amazon area has so many functions for the support of life. It is also called ''the lungs of the earth". To me it is also full of mystery and an opportunity for man to discover the meaning of nature.

Alfred Pawlin: Had you prepared your contribution to the exhihition in Thailand already or did you only decide after going to Brazil?

Montien Boonma: In this project artists were asked to work at the site and receive inspiration from the Amazon environment. I knew the book "The Last Rainforest" in Thailand already, and two pictures in this book gave my work a strong direction. One photo showed nude Indian women at work, with uncovered breasts. The other image was of people at work who put a cup to the tree to receive rubber milk. These two images inspired me to see nature as mother. I did sketches on this concept that were sent to Brazil before I went.

"Reincarnation", Work in Loca, Terra Nova,
Manuas, Brasil 1992.

During my stay in Manaus I went to the island of Terra Nova. I asked the local people for a huge trunk. The island is full of rubber trees, but the locals are sometimes afraid as the trees destroy their houses when they fall.

I started to work on a huge trunk that was ahout 80 years old. I put an oval deepening in the wood and filled it with rubber milk. The elevation in the trunk symholizes the belly of a pregnant woman. So I called this work ''Reincarnation". Then I discovered the hammock and how it is used by the Indians. The hammock is really part of their life and their main furniture. In my work I use the hammock to hold the trunk in a diagonal position.

The title of my work ''Reincarnation" refers to the image of a pregnant woman. But I feel it has also various other meanings. One of these might he that the present situation is had and we would like to givc birth to a new one.

Alfred Pawlin: What do the breasts symbolize in your works?

Montien Boonma: As I told you before, one main inspiration were these pictures in a book of naked women collecting rubber milk. This metaphor of female breasts and milk made me think of the concept "nature as mother''. In Thailand, we also think that the spirit of trees are female (nang mai).

Man on earth receives everything from nature, like humans in their infancy get food from their mother. But if a mother has too many children who want to drink her milk, they might exhaust her.

Alfred Pawlin: In which places will Arte Amazonas be shown?

Montien Boonma: It will open in Rio deJaneiro at Museu de Arte Moderna in June 1992. Then the exhibition will move to Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 1993, the exhibition will be shown at Staatliche Kunsthalle Berlin in Germany.

Alfred Pawlin: I noticed that you used different materials for your forthcoming exhibition "Arte Amazonas" at the Goethe Institut Bangkok.

Montien Boonma: Im my previous works I have used natural materials like soil, charcoal, ash and terra cotta. This is the first time I am going to use heavy materials like bronze and steel to cast the base. We take materials from the earth and cast them into natural forms again. So the image of nature as mother comes out of the earth.

In the Bangkok exhihition I will also use brass which is the same material that we use for Buddha statues in Thailand. The image of the Buddha is very pure and shining and gives some kind of light to the people. For me the image of breasts can be put in a similar context as breasts also represent the power and energy of nature. The surface of my breasts sculpture is very smooth and its fullness is inspired by the volume of Buddha sculptures. The powerful image of breasts full of life should give some kind of energy to people, similar to another kind of energy transmitted through the Buddha image. The brass breasts will be hung in the garden to put it in touch, with and in context to another form of energy, the light of the sun.

Alfred Pawlin: For your "Arte Amazonas'' exhibition in Bangkok you will mainly use the garden and the Institut's outdoor space. Is this the first time you have done that and are you comfortahle with the idea?

Montien Boonma: I did outdoor sculptures before, in 1984 in the suburbs of Bangkok. I worked on a small lake and in the fields. In 1987 when I studied in Paris, I did sculptures in the garden of a Christian church. The form of the environment is important for me to make choices of what I am going to present. For this show at the Goethe Institut in Bangkok, I will use the small garden in the middle of the building. This garden represents an oasis in the middle of a concrete jungle. I like to make this place interesting for the visitors. Usually people come to this Institut to look at works on the walls or in the rooms, and often people ignore this small greenery. This little garden is also the lungs of the Institut. I hope I can realize my idea and attract people's attention to this green oasis.

Alfred Pawlin: Do you see parallels between the situation in Brazil and the one here in Thailand?

Soil Pagoda in Ten Panels,1989
Soil pigment on paper, bricks,
260 x 220 x 15 cm.

Water,1991
Soil pigment on rice paper, terra-cotta,
230 x 300 x 40 cm.

Montien Boonma: It is not easy to compare two countries. Thailand also has a rainforest, but on a much smaller scale. In Thailand, only about 5% of the land is forest, and a lot of that is destroyed already. So we might be in a worse position. Not much forest is left and pollution is in the rivers and in the air of the big cities. The quality of soil is also deteriorating in Thailand. So we should put a stop to this now and start to think seriously how we can keep this natural treasure, the soil.

Alfred Pawlin: Should art and artists support modernization in Thailand, or should artists resist this direction?

Montien Boonma: The problem for the artist in his specific society is to get in touch with the feeling of the society he lives in. One has to feel and sense what is happening and what could help the individual and the society. Artists have to have quicker response and finer sensitivity. They should not follow society but present their own concepts. If an artist feels that society is turning in a wrong direction, he has to act and tell the facts. If we are really sensitive, we can predict some directions and also make people understand us better. We do not have to think so much about advancement and progress. The more important thing is the quality of life. I am not against modernization but we have to find solutions for the problems. We took from our ancestors a lot, and now we have the responsibility to choose what to do with it. We cannot return to a primitive life, but we can find the creativity to solve the problems.

When I work with primitive materials, I want people to rethink the content they stand for. It does not symbolize that I want people to return to the forest. As an artist you are not an expert on environmental problems, but you realize that they exist. Then, if we are sincere about the situation, we can directly show it. But it is not the work of the artist that is the solution. It is the results of the work and what kind of thoughts it inspires in people.

I am interested in creating works that make use of the limited spaces and site. These elements effect the physical conditions and the conceptual meaning of such specific spaces.

For the past 4-5 years, my works have been inspired by the surroundings. In 1994, my project entitled "Room" was constructed in a public park. Itfunctioned as a space for people to enter, rest, sit and sleep inside. Likewise, my two works, "Sala of Mind" (1995) and "Temple of Mind: White Sala" (1996), were built as private spaces in the middle of a public environment. Theywere served as spaces for the mind and the body to relax.

My 1998 work, "Melting Void / Molds for the Mind" was a result of my appreciation in a plaster cast that is a mold for a bee wax to make a Buddha image. This outer mold's appearance is totally different from the void space and its texture inside. This nagative space of the mold creates a new dimension and, personally a new feeling.

I wish to provide this empty space inside the Buddha figure for the people who would like to experience this peaceful dimension.

This show consists of the original sketches of the projects and sculpture; the cast coated with herbs and gold leaves, installed on the metal stands.

Melting Void,1998
Mixed media,
Size variable

Studies for Melting Void,1998
Crayon on paper,
56 x 76 cm.