Social Identity: Portraiture as a reflection of the subject's status in society: Georgette Chen

Lai Foong Moi, Labourer (Lunch Break), 1965, Oil on canvas

What you need to know about the life of Lai Foong Moi:

• She studied art in Paris
• Came back to Singapore and became one of the most important painters of the Nanyang Style.

What is the Nanyang style?

• Check out this very informative webpage. You should know what the Nanyang style is, or at least the very basics of what it is, for your examination. Click here!

• She paints the everyday, that which is found all around.
  

Just like the last post, in which I analyzed the symbolic nature of Georgette Chen's portrait of her late husband, please do the following to analyze THIS artwork:

1. DESCRIBE the artwork.
2. Analyze the symbolism in the artwork. Based on the title, you will need to:

• find the typical labourer's dress of the day. See how his attire relates and compares.
  
• look at the posture and gaze of the subject
  
• look at the surroundings
• look at any other "things" in the artwork. Why were they purposefully placed there?

Please complete and submit via your blogs.