KVT’s January Briefs… True Blue and Le Quy Tong

Playing with the truth until January 11

Before I start my zig zagging opinion piece on Le Quy Tong’s 5 star exhibition @ Manzi I’ll direct you to a very good critique of the exhibition by a savvy art critic, and in particular to Ilza’s introductory quote by Wilfred Burchett.

To my mind there are 3 pivotal works in the show… which I’ll highlight as I meander through the gallery spaces trotting out my own impressions that may or may not be in accord with the artists intent and getting more sure as I go that I should probably reconsider the whole thing and start all over again

In the main, Le Quy Tong’s series is seemingly about manipulating images of the Paris Peace Accords – which to those who grew up without a background knowledge of the American War/invasion etc… of Vietnam – were a series of talks on neutral ground between all the Vietnamese political groups involved in the conflict plus the American aggressors who, as Burchett points out, kept on putting spokes in the wheels of accord and who in the end refused to sign any agreement. Perhaps even with their backs to the wall and defeat unblinkingly staring them in the eyes, they might still have had some sort of secret weapon (probably nuclear) trained on Hanoi.

The Accords are dimming in memory and like Polaroid photographs of the time distorting and fading and changing color. Le Quy Tong has manipulated actual images of the various meetings so that only vague images can be picked out and perhaps recognized in the hazy scenes. Perhaps many will have recollections that have been manipulated by historians from all sides of the political spectrum
A trio of canvasses emphasizes this….

…with the last also being an apt metaphor about similar international agreement conferences (take the recent Paris Climate Change semi fiasco) where the big boys’ obfuscations ensure wheels keep slowly turning in never decreasing, fatuous circles around the really important issues and implementations.

In the following group of works on canvas or paper many viewers may assume that they recognize characters that had major roles in the Accords

Behind the scenes meetings re: factional wrangling, are included

My favorite work is the largest piece – HIGHLIGHT 1

The huge chandelier hovering like an avenging angel – or even a lethal explosive – over the circle of suited males charges the painting with dramatic tension

It’s (the chandelier) been painted and over painted with impatience until it’s loaded heavily and embedded with sparkling hints that almost sizzle. It’s as though we are spectators of a nondigitalized 1940/50 black and white movie melodrama and we are on tenterhooks anticipating if and when the crystal light fixture will crash downwards and cause pandemonium-and endless re-criminations

A necessary, melodramatic foretaste of impending doom may be suggested below in an expansive view.

The artist has played with chandeliers as symbol in works from other series not included in this exhibition – also using charged historical references.

THEN THERE’S BLUE

Blue in Vietnamese is said to equate with calmness, hope and growth, all of which the official North Vietnamese delegation to the Peace Accords may have kept to the fore… Calmness in the face of continued obstruction; hope for an accord that would bring about an end to war and for growth as a reconciled and united country?

A modern guide to doing successful business in Vietnam stresses that light blue is the third favorite Vietnamese color (after red and black) and symbolizes neutrality, hope and peace – values the researchers say are high in the Vietnamese consciousness after over half a century of long term wars

It’s blue in various shades that, in washes and geometric designs, highlight sections of Le Quy Tong’s work.

In one it’s the blue spotlighting the contingent of media personnel that maybe emphasizes the True Blue of the exhibition’s title… in all the various shades of truth that media – and artists – use as truth or propaganda

HIGHLIGHT 2 is the small, manipulated work on canvas that hangs prominently besides the impending chaos of Highlight 1

We could assume that this manipulated image is a true representation of an iconic 1963 self immolation on a crossroads outside the Cambodian Embassy in Saigon, about which J F Kennedy stated: No news picture has generated so much energy around the world as this one

However if we compare it with the Pulitzer Prize winning photo of Thich Quang Duc’s suicide in protest of the southern regime’s persecution of Buddhists, we notice that the image has been reversed… so has truth been intentionally tampered with?

The artist’s playing with truth makes me want to know if those images of the Peace Accords have similarly been reversed

Another powerful work can be paired with the above

HIGHLIGHT 3 is that of bombers releasing lethal cargoes that will probably cause more collateral damage (to use today’s euphemism for mass slaughter of the innocents) than destruction of military targets

Because of the perceived truthfulness of the rest of the exhibition the viewer could assume that these are American B22 planes pulverizing at random somewhere in Vietnam… or are we being deliberately deceived… perhaps by the insignia?

To conclude Le Quy Tong’s conundrum inducing exhibition here are two of his statements about his recent works that involve altering images:

It seems that we cannot predict everything. Unexpected and illogical occurrences force us to adapt and resolve things in the most creative way. That is what’s interesting. Thus, it’s important for me to create unexpected messages in images. And gradually images take shape, irrespective of the realities of time, space, distance, culture, habit, sensibility and observation point… to fall into complete confusion, haste and uncertainty… and that is a great environment for creativity and awakening.

And:

“I really like the idea of diverting or altering the initial meaning of a random image. The materials used for my creativity are mainly images from public media and available on the internet. The images could be anything from entertainment, traditional culture to history, world culture or past and present images of sexual-emotional changes. I intend to create different emotional sensations through the interactions between these images. The sensations could be a new conflicting mode, an incredulous perception, a stimulating reminiscence, perceptions of the present or a fundamental personal value, all of which give viewers different ways of understanding and feeling.

And:

In this exhibition, I do not intend to create a specific message. My only concern is to create a catalyst for thinking.” (Le Quy Tong)

Le Quy Tong is a major force in Vietnamese contemporary art here’s a couple of links that I put together in 2014 that overviews some of his trajectory in the international art world

https://hanoigrapevine.com/2014/09/kvt-le-quy-tongbefore-catalyst/
https://hanoigrapevine.com/2014/09/kvt-le-quy-tong-vol-2-catalyst/

And finishing with two of Le Quy Tong’s small works that I wouldn’t mind having in my collection

The first is on the wall in Manzi’s gift shop gallery

and the second – in the manipulated style of, or perhaps not of, Andy Warhol – was part of the Grapevine’s first Collection a couple of years ago