Review Of The Thean Hock Keng Temple

The Thean Hock Keng Temple is a watercolour painting painted on paper. The artwork is painted by Gog Sing Hooi in 1984, two years after the temple was built. He was well known for his transparent watrecolour portrayal of Singapore. It is a painting portraying a temple during the 1983 peiod. It is very likely the paiting was painted in the morning during his visit to the temple as the paining shows mainly warm and neutral colours. Cool colours are shown too but it is very minimial. This painting was created with well blended and light washes of colours making things in the paiting a little blurry but structures seen clearly. The painting mainly shows a clear visable lining of structure of the temple like the walls and pillar of the temple. Other then the structure, other objects were visably seen but blurry, for example the people and bulidngs in the painting. Since the paiting was painted in the past, colour used were mainly warm colours using tint, tones, shades and hues giving it a vintage vibe to the picture.

The painting is organised in a way that striaght lines are used to emphasise the structure of the temple and bring out the focal point. Moreover, he also used curved and short lines to show the details and pattern of the painting and to add texture. In the elements of art, he added line, colours, form and texture. Firstly, he made use of thick and thin lines to show clear distinct features of the temple and objects present. Secondly, Colour was added in the painting making it warm and calm as there were mixed of intensity of colours. Adding to the colour, value is also shown like the tints, tones and shades which add a historical feel in picture. Thirdly, form was used like the lanterns that have volume that creates a 3 dimentional effect. Also poeple were also painting but are amorphous as it is not the main focus of the painting. Lastly, different textures were present as rough and smooth surfaces can be seen at different parts of the temple making the picture more realistic. The subjects are the poeple, building, structure of the temple and lanterns. Overall, the painting was well blended with different colours and points that are suppose to be focused on were empohasised more with the different elements used.

Looking at the photo, the artist was probably trying to create a memory by drawing the temple. This painting also gives us Singapore part of an identity as Singapore is a hormonious country and by drawing what was created, it will gives us memories of what was built. When i look at this painting, it gives me a very peaceful feeling and a sense of familiarty as it the pace seems very calm and harmornious and also has a well organised flow. The painting as reminds me of my childhood days when my grandma would bring my counsin and i to the temple. As she talks to her friends, my cousin and i would go exploring around the temple. This also made me miss the days back then as now everyone is busy with their own schdule that we hardly meet up anymore. Moreover, many teenaegrs doesn’t like to go the temple any more as it is usually filled with smoke and crowded with poeple. However looking at this photo made me reminisce about the past.