HE is from the little town of Sungai Petani. But there is nothing small about the accomplishments of 33-year-old contemporary artist Tan Tatt Foo in New York City.
His latest artistic endeavours are seen in Lower Manhattan now after he was selected by two local organisations which started “Re: Construction” in an effort to beautify unsightly construction sites there.
The outcome? Those boring concrete traffic barriers that surround an ongoing subway expansion project have been given a dash of colour. Orange zebra stripes have been painted on 14 of them, which Tan has named “Concrete Jungle.”
“I could have decided on leopard prints but I preferred something more subtle, more whimsical,” Tan said.
Public art like Concrete Jungle, he said, was meant for people to discover if they had sharp senses in their daily life.
Indeed, those zebra stripes struggle to be noticed amidst the chaos, especially if the passer-by is in too much of a hurry to take note of his surroundings.
But the creativity of the project has caught the attention of the local press.
The New York Times noted that the two organisations – Alliance for Downtown New York and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council – “have transformed commonplace street impediments into objects that are meant to be more aesthetically appealing.”
It briefly mentioned that Tan was the man behind the idea of painting zebra stripes on the barricades, which are also known as Jersey barriers. (There was, however, no mention of Tan being Malaysian.)
Besides Tan’s artwork, the two organisations also adopted other ideas from two other participants for the Re: Construction project.
New Yorkers were divided over the beautification effort; some loved the refreshing change, others saw it as an exercise in futility, while the rest could not be bothered.
As for Tan, it was another project he has undertaken with enthusiasm.
“I found out about it through the website of the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA). So I sent in my proposal, which was later accepted,” he said.
Artists like him often refer to the NYFA site. “Whether you are a dancer, poet or painter, NYFA is a good resource that offers grants, support and information on all sorts of subjects such as studio sub-letting, workshops and exhibiting opportunities,” he said. “I check the site several times a week.”
Malaysia, he noted, had something quite similar in kakiseni.com, but it was not as extensive.
Trained in graphic design at The One Academy in Selangor, Tan prefers to describe himself as a contemporary artist.
“This means that I have ideas and concepts that I want to convey. I do not sell you the tangible product as I may not necessarily have the know-how to carry out the agenda,” he said.
Tan undertakes commercial work as well, such as designing business cards, posters and menus. His next art show, titled “Cuisine du Jour”, will focus on the food of immigrants from Latin America, Eastern Europe and North Africa.
New York City, he said, was truly a melting pot made even more diverse by immigrants who introduced their cuisine here.
He worked with 10 immigrant students on this project, asking each of them to bring a personal memento and photographing them holding it.
“Each picture will be placed inside a jar. It would be like making pickles. We are preserving memories in that jar,” he explained.
“Cuisine du Jour” will go on show for six months beginning next month at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum, a national historic site that was once the home of working class immigrants arriving in the United States in the 19th century.
Tan, who came to New York seven years ago upon being offered a job as a senior designer with an advertising agency, worked for several companies before branching out on his own.
“I use multiple mediums and platforms to engage the audience, to explore ideas about individualism and communities, thus continuously blurring the boundary between art and life.”
He feels that he is still young in the art world and that he has much to learn. “Hopefully, I can go back to Malaysia one day to contribute my knowledge and resources to build a more vibrant art scene back home.”
Tan, whose Malaysian wife is also an artist, said his parents were pleased with the achievements of their only child.
“Like most parents, they are proud of me, but they don’t understand what I’m doing,” he quipped.
