LOT 19
TAN THEAN SONG
B. Kedah, 1946 – 2017
Rubber Tappers, 1970’s / Taking a Break, 1970’s
Batik
79 x 53 cm (2 artworks)
Private Collection, Canada
Signed on lower right
RM 2,500 – 5,000
Tan studied at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Art in Singapore and won the 2nd Prize (Batik) in the 1969 Salon Malaysia with Flying Kite, which is now in the collection of the National Art Gallery. Tan also won 1st Prize in the Malayan Young Artists competition in 1964. He took part in the Adelaide Expo when Georgetown and Adelaide sealed their ‘sister cities’ relationship in 1974. Rubber Tappers, created in the 1970s, is a compelling tribute to one of the country’s most iconic rural occupations. Tan’s stylisation of the human form, elongated, simplified, yet expressive imbues the scene with both grace and purpose, elevating a quotidian activity into a poetic narrative of livelihood and perseverance. This 1970’s work has a muted backdrop with the typical cracking line technique. It shows a couple sitting on the ground, taking a break surrounded by nature.