Tan Colin Swatch Book

SUPERNATURAL FEAST

Colin Tan

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Pattern Swatch Book

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Folklore The 7th Month in the lunar calendar is also known as the “Hungry Ghost Festival”. Chinese folklore tells of a young man gaining supernatural abilities after attaining a high level of knowledge and skill in the Buddhist doctrines. Using his new found powers, he sees that his mother was starving in hell due to the lack of charitable deeds as a miser during her lifetime. He immediately tried to feed his mother but the food turned into ashes and burnt her throat. The Buddha advised the young man to accumulate merits on his mother’s behalf.

The young man then went on to do everything the Buddha instructed to alleviate his mother’s suffering and his actions of filial piety moved the heavens. It was then decreed that the 7th lunar month was the only time where the ghosts of hell may roam the realm of the living once more.

Inspired by the calligraphic properties of talisman writing and its uses in the rituals of the chinese culture, this piece features different ways of writing the character for “ghost” in the Chinese language.

The product is then “Rorschached” to create the elements used in the overall banner.

Experiments The compositions that follows in the later pages are inspired from the folklore of the 7th lunar month. The elements that are used to build them are featured with short narratives that accompanies the pattern swatches.

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Methodolog y and Inspiration

The Return

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The following few compostions are divided into 3 overlapping blocks for ease of viewing. This composition is actually quite representational. The top left hand of the composition is a portal, and there is a faint figure that is being sucked in to a waiting figure. A depiction of the ghostly return from the earthly realm.

The Two Realms

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This composition separates the space into black and white, creating two disticintive realms. The black is really a negative of the white, and this idea mirrors our reality and imagination of the world that exists beyond ours.vv

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Talisman The only piece that features colour in this collection; “The Talisman� is inspired from the actual colours of Chinese talisman writing. The red is often interpreted as chicken or other sacrificial blood, written on the iconic yellow paper often found in Chinese rituals. This piece shows the paper melting into a puddle.

One can imagine that each talisman holds a special power that is released when incinerated.

Release

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The focus of “Release� is actually the little bit at the end of the composition; the piece escaping from the tail-like structure represents a spirit and an alternative way of seeing the crossing of dimensions.

Burnt

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The piece that was printed into a banner was “Burnt�. The idea of Chinese talisman writing is conveyed by the bit at the bottom that appears to be singed. The entities within the composition seem to be fighting to escape the boundary that is the paper.

The Gate Cydnidae Dragon Cauldron Wanderers Prayer Timer Sentinel Deity Little Girl Moth

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Motiffs

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The Gate Like all the other elements found in the later parts of this collection, “The Gate” is a byproduct of a “Rorschached” ghost character. As with all Rorschach pieces, it is symmetrical, with more negative space than positive. The similarity to a gate is most apt because in the 7th month, one would usually hear the supersitious talking about the gates of hell opening.

Cathedral

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The pattern that was created from this piece is done by duplicating and scaling. This creates dimension and perspective. The finished product resembles many corridors leading into uncharted spaces.

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Cydnidae This particualr element resembles a black shield bug. Insects are sometimes known to bear ominous looking designs on their wings or carapaces.

Swarm

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The swatch is created by basically repeating. The result looking almost geometric, resembles a swarm of bugs invading the surface it is on.

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Dragon Dragons are one of the most iconic mythical creatures across most cultures.

This particular Rorschach resembles a frontal view of a dragon’s head. Its flaming eyes are bearing down on its viewers as it flares its nostrils.

Caterpillars

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The repeat of this element created a caterpillar-like pattern that again invades the space. They look almost like an army of creatures getting ready for an attack.

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Cauldron According to folklore, commiting different kinds of sins would result in different punishments in the 18 levels of hell. One such punishment is subjecting the offender to dip into boiling cauldrons of oil. This element looks like the said activity in motion, with the oil splashing out of the cauldron.

The Tenth Court

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The tenth court of hell is one meant for violators of tombs, lazy and neglectful teachers, and drug and nostrum makers from living creatures. The swatch, being repeated cauldrons, looks like a chaotic place of mass-dipping.

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Wanderers During the 7th month, wandering spirits roam the lands, accepting offerings left by practitioners of the faith.

They are also known to return home.

This particular element resembles two wandering spirits missing each other by inches.

Transient Reunion

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The swatch is created by scale and repeat, showing direction and motion. The wanderers meet breifly, but pass through each other and continue on their way.

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Praying This element is one of the few where the Chinese character of ghost is still fairly visible. However, when presented to people unfamiliar with the nature of this project, it has been said to look like a figure deep in prayer. The arm-like shapes clasped together in the center, with its body straight looks almost like a monk.

Abominable Sight

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The collective noun for monks is known as an “Abomination”, or an “Abominable Sight”. This is especially interesting when considering it is used to describe the holy and pious. The pattern is titled so because “Prayer” is repeated , looking almost soldier-like, in rows of three.

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Timer Since there is a deadline for the ghosts to return to hell at the end of 7th month when the gate closes, it makes sense for them to have a timer of sorts.

This piece resmebles a grandfather clock, with the indices that usually indicate the hour, looking like fangs.

Forest

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The repeat and scaling of “Timer� creates an illusion of entering a forest. The repeat causes the units to look like trees, bearing down on the veiwers.

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Sentinel The element looks like a figure seated in a cross-legged posture, as if waiting or guarding something. Some Buddhist scriptures speaks of a Bohdisattva who will remain sentinel in the hellish realm, until the day hell has not a single soul.

Net

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The base of this swatch is actually the tip of the element. If we apply the context of the element, the sentinel Bodhisattva seems to be standing vigil over the entrance of the realm.

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Deity This particular Rorschach actually looks like the Buddha. The central figure depicted in the negative space is in a cross-legged posture. However, the figure seems to be seated on a throne with twin blades extending from the arm rest.

Nirvana

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The swatch is again, multiplied and rotated. The result is a perspective view of “The Deity�. They are stacked and it pulls you into the center.

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The Little Girl Another popular folklore in the 7th month is about how malignant spirits disguise themselves as harmless entities, spiriting unknowing victims away.

Maybe one of these forms is that of a little girl? The element has two knobs on it’s head, resembling the hair knot of a little Chinese girl.

Spiriting Away

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The stacking and multiplying of “The Little Girl� creates a tunnel that leads into the unknown. The inverting of colours for the motiff seems to also mirror the idea of revealing the real identity of the spirits.

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Moth The moth is another symbolic creature in the 7th month. They are said to symbolize the return of the ancestors. The older generations would discourage the swatting of these creatures for this very reason.

Portal The stacking of the moth from the circular composition creates a passageway. Seeing as it is made up of “hMoth�, it may lead to the place that our ancestors return to in the afterlife.

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