In a conversation between curator Hannah Sender and Khmer artist Lorn Loeum, the artist emphasises the influence of Buddhism in the creation of his work. “Buddhism is not a philosophy: to me, it is a science,” he says. But in spite of Lorn’s assertion, the connection between his work and his belief is not immediately obvious in the work itself. One can come across it (as with Enlightenment) through a training of thought.
The series of images in Yesterday, No More establish the place of science within the overarching context of the temporary and unpredictable. This paradigm is achieved through a meeting of different artistic methods, including sculpture, painting and photography. Lorn carves into blocks of ice, seen carried from the markets daily in Phnom Penh, and filters paint through the grooves he creates. The result is a sense of experimentation with colour and form. He then photographs his creation and paints over parts of the image to draw out certain shapes and colours already emerging.
Lorn is not the first artist to use ice as a medium, but he is the first to treat it in such a way. The result is art which hovers on the border between abstract painting and landscape photography. What is special about these landscapes is that they are manmade and zoomed in to such an extent that we lose any surrounding environment or context. This is why the language Lorn uses to name his pieces is essential to our comprehension of it and our appreciation of his belief that Buddhism is a science.
The role of photography in Lorn’s work – to capture the moving paint as it travels through the carved ice – is in contradiction with Lorn’s choice of names for his works, and indeed for the whole series. The title Yesterday, No More establishes then negates the event of ‘Yesterday’. Contained within the three-word title is the contradiction which his work embodies. Not everything is destroyed by the ‘No More’, but ‘Yesterday’ becomes foundationless. What is left behind is faith: faith that ‘Yesterday’ refers to something in the past; now imperceptible, but indelible too.
Through the names of the pieces, Lorn indicates where science falters and belief reigns. When we look at these carved blocks of ice and dribbled paint, we are told to believe that we are witnessing unfolding beauty. We are told what we can see in the title, but we can only see its beginnings; the moment of emergence, not Beauty incarnate and obvious. Belief is the saviour of meaningfulness in Lorn’s work. We are not looking at nothing when we look at his work, but we must certainly invest some effort to see what Lorn tells us is framed in front of us.
The capacity of Lorn’s work for intellectual manoeuvering is staggering, but one needs to be told about Lorn’s beliefs before one begins to see what he wishes us to see. We are certainly not led by the hand by the artist, but contemplation will draw out the complexity of this work. Grab a coffee and sit in front of one of these paintings. You’ll be amazed at what you can get out of it.
WHO: Loeum Lorn
WHAT: Yesterday, No More
WHEN: Now until May 13
WHERE: Java Arts Cafe, Sothearos Blvd.
WHY: To see beauty, emerging