- 期刊
Zaya: A Contemporary Mongolian Painter, Melding Music From East and West
摘要
This essay discusses the paintings of Zayasaikhan Sambuu, the Mongolian contemporary artist who is known as Zaya. The focus is on the theme of music, which is the most notable motif that often recurs and conveys this artist's fundamental concerns. From his youth to the present, often with images that evoke music, Zaya has explored and expressed both Mongolian identity and cultural hybridity through his paintings. His taste in music appears to have guided and affected his development in visual art. Like most his compatriots, Zaya especially enjoys vocal music. Music's importance for Zaya, has its roots in Mongolian culture, where it has long been an integral part of that culture's development. Mongolian music's unique contributions include long songs that feature extended syllables; throat singing, also called overtone singing; and morin khuur, the two-stringed horse-headed fiddle. Contemporary Mongolian songwriters often pay homage to archetypes from Mongolian folk song and performance styles in their compositions, just as Zaya alludes to Mongolian visual archetypes in some of his paintings. Although not much recognized outside of Mongolia, a popular music scene thrives in the capital city of Ulaanbaatar. Contemporary pop musicians often include traditional Mongolian melodies, instruments, and singing traditions in their music. Zaya says that he enjoys listening to both traditional Mongolian and Western musicians and their instruments appear in many his paintings. At the same time, like many of his compatriots, Zaya knows and enjoys a world-wide music scene. His enthusiastic enjoyment of foreign pop music is not unusual in Mongolia, especially since the contemporary popular music scene uses English and sometimes other languages for its lyrics. But Zaya appropriates from the West not only musical culture, but also visual culture. A close look at his development as a visual artist reveals how he borrowed from the West and shaped his own synthesis in order to transform local culture and create his own version of contemporary Mongolian painting.