Abstract Art

There’s this stall at the flea market at The Curve, KL selling relatively cheap and beautiful art paintings.

I was there a couple of days ago and I bought two art pieces to decorate my otherwise dull and boring bedroom walls. But when I finally got back to Kuching, I showed my purchases to my mom, who unsurprisingly was rather unimpressed.

My mom is a Traditional Asian Mom who doesn’t know how to appreciate abstract art.
When she saw the paintings, our conversation went a little like this.
Kenny: “Look mom, I bought these paintings from KL. Nice or not?”
Mom: “What is it? Can’t see anything leh.”
Kenny: “It’s abstract art. Abstract art is liddat one, mom.”
Mom: “How much is it?” (Note: Traditional Asian Moms must know exactly how much every single one of their children’s purchases are. It’s in their genes.)
Kenny: “Don’t want to say lah.”
Mom: “How much?”
Kenny: “Don’t need to know lah.”
Mom: “…”
Kenny: “RM300…”
Mom: Cb>”HAR?!!!??!!?”
Kenny: “… plus another RM200 for the framing.”
Mom: “FIVE HUNDRED RINGGIT!?!?!?!!?!?!”

Kenny: “For two paintings!”
Mom: “YOU SPENT FIVE HUNDRED RM ON THOSE UGLY PICTURES!!!!!”
Kenny: “It’s nice what!”
Mom: JAYDEN ANYHOW DRAW ALSO LOOK BETTER THAN THAT!!!!”

For the record, Jayden is my mother’s grandson and my three-year-old nephew. The last time I saw Jayden draw something, it looked a little like this.

Yes, my mother said this “masterpiece” is better than the RM500 paintings I bought from KL.

Don’t you just love Traditional Asian Moms?


Quote of the day: “Lately, there’s a lot of new cafes in Kuching to go drinking. 1 glass of drink there can buy 7 glasses of Teh-C-Peng! Amazingly, eventhough it’s so expensive, those cafes are still filled up night after night.
Kuching people must be very very thirsty.”
Shyang, from his comic book Kuching Life: I Have A Dream.

119 Replies to “Abstract Art”

  1. Eh Kenny, those paintings you bought are what the cognoscenti call “kitsch”.
    In other words, it is to real modern art what an Ah Beng’s souped-up car is to an Aston Martin.
    Next time, get a poster of a Kandinsky or a Miro, smear a few layers of egg-white over it (so that it has some texture), and frame that. RM20 or less, guarantee.

  2. haha m’sian mums r like that one.. but i hav 2 say 500 is a tad bit steep…
    i’m a kuchingnite currently living in akld, nz. luv ur blog, its my daily hometown-gossip fix haha. keep up da gd job.

  3. Your mum is right. Coz atleast she can understand what’s in Jayden’s drawing: Kenny aka Happy Ju-On, correct?

  4. Go to IKEA near the Curve there lah, the painting not so abstract lagi cheap somemo. Then your mum won’t go crazy, save you money and peace of mind.

  5. *lol* You are absolutely accurate on the part where Asian moms (Singaporean and Malaysian moms at least) MUST find out how much each of their children’s purchases cost. I may be that way next time too. It’s in the genes!
    But nice paintings overall (I’m referring to Jayden’s :P).

  6. hey, kenny. i m afraid you mom might have an eye for art after all. the second painting of the sheep animals can be found all over Bali island. i was there afew months ago and i bought a similar one for a friend for less than RM20 from a shop in Kuta. in some better galleries in Ubud they d even throw in the frame for free. but, dont worry, i still quite like the Abstract Animals.

  7. The paintings aren’t bad… but yeah, for someone who’s very traditional, you can’t expect anything more than “not nice!”.
    Jayden is VERY cute by the way. 😀

  8. i don’t think abstract art is art …. rather ugly. And its a load of crap, what they make up saying its conceptual and what not, but realy they just suck.

  9. u can find the 2nd painting at Jambu Restaurant too. it’s in the VIP room. i remember i asked my fren exactly the same Q too. are they dogs or cows? 🙂

  10. i’ve seen the second painting before… BUT WHERE!!!!!! ….WAIT IT’S COMING…..
    *2 minutes of silence*
    can’t remember….. wth……
    i still think that 500 for both is expensive, kenny..

  11. I once had a color portrait of my ex gf and her twin sister and it only cost me about Rm250 including framing at Central Market.
    I have to say it was a great job considering the on-the-spot drawing and coloring of the two person portrait which took about 2.5 hours. It was pretty big but it was an achievement even hauling it to the car lol.
    Either way, I think Rm500 is a bit much for those two paintings. I do like the three distorted dogs though. The other painting wasn’t very intriguing despite its boldness in abstract sense.

  12. Abstract art is special because it can be anything we perceive it to be. There’s no correct answer, it depends on your powers of imagination.
    People who think it’s ugly like shit have that same level of imagination. Am I right or what ? 🙂
    Just for fun, let me tell you what I think of the two abstract pictures you’ve shown us.
    First : A blue planet connected to a extremely large bridge, who has a nearby green moon. The yellow colour around would be the sunlight.
    Damn, it’s beautiful and elegant.
    Second : A blue, yellow, and green dog that accidently got sucked into a paper flattening machine. Damn, it’s so cruel and sadistic.
    What did you think of the abstract art ? 🙂
    (to anyone)

  13. Kenny you are so rich! 500!!!! that is alot.. i can buy a digital camera with that amount of money.. the first painting looks like a face?! 😛

  14. Kenny, ernest’s egg-white treatment isn’t at all original. It was what Mr Bean used on a poster of Whistler’s Mother in his movie.

  15. .
    .
    .
    Kenny
    next time you try ZEN Art
    it is both abstact and traditional
    your mama will have nothing to say
    .
    .
    .

  16. your mom’s right but this is what you can do….try selling them for RM1000 a piece….this is how you earn your money back and do the “in your face” to your mom…i’m sure with your limitless number of die-hard fans here, you can find one “water fish” to buy them from you…

  17. i love the first painting! 2nd one is not too bad but the first one is really cun. lol. wei to those who doesnt know how to appreciate art pls stfu. =)

  18. hahaha…
    i wont buy those paintings for rm500…so damn expensive…maybe coz i never had interest in abstract art:)
    from a not-that-thirsty-kuching-nite..*cheers*

  19. Hmmm….I prefer scenery oil painting than these abstract ones. Last time during my oil painting classes, the lecturer asked us to paint what you know…??? Fire extinguisher wor……-_- After finished the painting and everything, I can’t even hang it in my room…stupid betul.

  20. hahaha… i m new here (as in, i’ve never posted a single comment b4). abstract art is never my cup of tea.
    RM500, i think i would have use it to shop or to eat (“,) but it depends on people’s interest ba…
    anyway, it’s really funny (that reminds my mom =p

  21. kenny you become waterfish adi la…. 250 for 2 also need to consider liao…you never see the owner laugh at you until mouth big big meh?

  22. .
    .
    .
    .
    Kenny I think u might kena tipu liao
    the paintings in Florence, Italy is cheaper and nicer than those “masterpiece” lah
    listen to your mama advice
    she has seen more than you do.
    those who has been to Florence please agree with me 😛

  23. omg kenny…. what a waste… RM500 on those….
    the one who sell those sure L-O-L after u bought em….
    both drawing is not special… let’s say the drawing graded by standard 1-6, just like our primary school, and those 2 drawings just belongs to standard 2… or maybe lower…
    sorry for it…

  24. Honestly, I do not understand what is inside the paint. Ha ha. So I have to agree with your mum. I don’t want act like an expert…

  25. Migosh!That’s so funny!Kept me laughing for a while!~
    I agree on the part “Traditional Asian Moms must know how much every single one of their children’s purchases is. It’s in their genes.” Totally Agree!!!
    Haha~

  26. As long as you like it; that’s all that matters … but on the other hand, it’s a good thing that you’re not an architect ‘cos your taste in art is terrible!!
    Just kidding! 😉

  27. Yah Daniel got it. Mr Bean did the same thing.
    Smearing uncooked egg-white (in brush stroke patterns) on a poster and then letting it dry will give a flat poster texture; from a distance it will look as if the poster was hand-painted.

  28. IMHO I think you have been overcharged. For painting at a carnival/market shouldn’t cost that much as it’s not from any famous artist. Oh well, at least you like it… 😉

  29. Kenny, your mum right. You might asw well have your nephew, Jayden draw you a picture and then frame it up. There are so many of these crap modern artists which I think a 5 year old can draw equally good. Most importantly, get a nice frame and have a clear and clean white wall at the background to hang. Then have a nice but lighting shining on it. There it will look like a masterpiece!
    In short, the frame and lighting matters most.

  30. For the record, Kenny, don’t let other people place a price on art you appreciate. There is no cheap or exorbitant art work, only “value”.

  31. to me, i think rm500 is way too expensive for the art you bought.
    also, conventional people think very differently compared to liberal people.

  32. I guess for abstract art, if you like it than it worth alot. If you don’t like it, it is just absolutely worthless

  33. Sorry to say this but ur mom is right. That pic is hardly abstract at all… 🙁 oh well… we all need to learn something sometimes. I like Jayden’s pic better, at least it makes me smile so sweetly thinking of a nephew’s drawing!!!

  34. first one shows like a mutated Pac-Man after being infected by T-virus or something
    second shows something like 3 cows staring back at who are the idiots staring at them back.

  35. Appreciation for Abstrat Art is one thing, but the willingness to fork out RM500 for paintings from a fleak market? Whew, count me out.
    You are really one filthy rich fella, Kenny sia. Care to share your secret? haha

  36. Those art work are nice!
    but RM500 for those?and from flee market in curve?
    urrrr.count me out.
    and i didnt know curve have such nice things on sale.when i stay so near to curve only.lol

  37. Haha..
    these pieces of modern abstract arts really need people who hv artistic taste in order to appreciate them…and the problem is that not everyone can do that.
    But c’mon, this is no longer the era of Mountain n water art…so why not expose ourselves to sthg new right?
    Its cool to try new things out Kenny!!!

  38. i just see the video clip of ur niece!Aww..she’s so damn cute!!! LOL..and i got surprised when the person who hide in the blanket was actually u!! I tot it’s ur niece with some cute actions again..mana tau..!Haha..creative!

  39. I never favor abstract arts (whether on canvas or performance art) but I do care for abstract music. It’s much more soothing and worth it IMHO.
    Of course, it’s all up to each other taste and opinions. 🙂

  40. both drawings is too simple and not very special, some circle and square from the first, and the second cow dog or watever is way too simple… everyone can draw that but colouring, any begginer can do that

  41. kenny, whatever suits your fancy. you can buy whatever you want with your money. 🙂
    but to me, i will never fork out rm500 for 2 pieces of paintings. and i love jayden’s drawing of u!

  42. That art u’ve bought is just a piece of dirty ugly useless GARBAGE! if like tat can sell 500, Jayden can be millionaire today! lolx!

  43. Kenny kena “catch water fish” by the smiling-sweaty abstract painting seller! (look at the sweat stains on the guy’s shirt). you sure he didn’t gave birth recently?

  44. Hey, I know that guy . . . the shop owner I mean, sparring buddy sometimes . . . he may have a pot belly but you should see his side kicks !!

  45. … 500 bucks for 2 artpiece considered cheap liao wey(for those whom really know how to appreciate art)… are u all saying they are expensive engineers? artist rocks!!! 😛

  46. Such an insult to art! My dad is a professor in fine art. and his latest project is on abstract. definitely your mom gonna burn his exhibition down

  47. sigh…local designers and artists are being treated like insects…hardly get appreciated and recognision 🙁 sad case, comparing a fine art painting to a kiddies drawing.

  48. The second painting (the one with the dogs?)
    is realllly nice! No comment on the first one though. But for RM500, those two paintings AND the frames are more than worth it 🙂

  49. support MALAYSIAN ART!!
    and well, i must say you’ve got your own tastes, and there’s nothing wrong with that. and no there’s nothing wrong with using rm500 to buy two paintings neither (though i think you can frame it up yourself, it’s cheaper, that’s what i’d do hehe XD)
    and like what the previous ppl said, abstract art is what you perceive it to be. What, you think artists can’t draw real human portraits or beautiful landscapes just like ANYONE else? of course they can! or else how are they TRAINED to be an artist. = =”
    they are drawing it because they have a certain meaning behind it. art is not just about everything you can KNOW and BEAUTIFUl you know.
    anyway, those two paintings are really beautiful. especially da second one. so damn cute. 🙂

  50. the abstract art sucked, seriously. I’m into paintings myself but those are just average stuff. RM 500 is way too much to chop ppl on – unfortunately this case it’s you. haha.
    ANyway, I do also thnk that Jayden’s drawing is nicer 🙂

  51. Actually i think ive seen those paintings in Bali, Indonesia. and if im not mistaken, thailand as well. so sorry to say this, but i think uve been ripped off =(

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