A Bridge of Brilliant Colors

When it comes to art and Pacita Abad, you learn to expect the unexpected. Just as the brilliant, dazzling colors jump from her brushes in wild abandon, so you will find her art on canvas and cloth, with buttons and rickracks and leather scraps, on plates and cups and saucers. But on a bridge?

Singapore’s Alkaff Bridge, a modern pedestrian bridge that crosses the Singapore River at Robertson Quay, is Pacita’s latest canvas. The steel structure comes alive with splashes of vibrant color and whimsical circles in a bold and daring move to bring art into the community in the city-state famous for rigid discipline and strict conformity.

"Painting the Alkaff Bridge is my gift to Singapore," says Pacita, a Singapore resident for the past three years. "I passionately believe in public art and hope that this project inspires many more like it and brings art into the everyday lives of Singaporeans."

The project was conceived by Pacita last year during her three-month stint as artist-in-residence at the Singapore Tyler Print Institute (stpi), which is located next to the Alkaff Bridge. A non-profit organization conceived by foremost American master printer and published Kenneth Tyler, stpi collaborates with artists from around the world to create fine art prints and papermaking through its Visiting Artists Programme.

Pacita’s residency resulted in a large body of paper works that was exhibited at the stpi Gallery last month. The collection, entitled "Circles in my Mind", will be exhibited at the AndrewShire Gallery in Los Angeles, California later in the year.

Well known for her use of rich colors, textures and shapes, Pacita’s colorful bridge design is an outdoor extension of her art work done at stpi.

"Singapore’s rapid progress towards becoming a ‘city for the arts’ is resulting in greater public awareness and appreciation for the arts," observes stpi general manager Leong Weng Kee. "We hope that the transformation of the Alkaff Bridge into a work of art will both enhance the local environment and enrich those who live, work and visit the area."

Nippon Paint (S) Pte Ltd. offered thair palette of 11,000 colors for Pacita to choose from. The actual painting of the bridge was done by members of the Professional Industrial Rope Access Services Pte Ltd. (piras), highly skilled rope specialists who have undertaken a number of projects in Singa-pore.

Says Terence Chan, piras director, "piras is honored to be part of this momentous project. The team is thrilled to be able to contribute their technical knowledge and skills to help bring color and art to public spaces in Singapore."

The "Art Bridge" represents the successful collaboration of the artist, stpi, private companies, government agencies and committed individuals, all of whom donated their services to the project. Permission to paint the bridge was granted by the Land Transport Authority and CPG Consultants Pte Ltd. Also supporting the project are the Singapore Tourism Board and City Developments Limited, which is developing The Pier, a luxury commercial/residential complex at Robertson Quay.

Born in Batanes province, Pacita has over the past quarter century lived and painted in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and North America. Her travels around the world have exposed her to rich cultures that have significantly impacted her artistic style.

Never limited by conventions–even of art–Pacita goes beyond paint and brush, using buttons, beads, mirrors, cloth scraps and a myriad other objects in her works. Her signature trapuntos–large quilted tapestries richly embellished with all kinds of objects–set her apart as an artist of innovation. She has also done a line of dinnerware featuring the wayang puppets of Indonesia, where she and husband Jack Garrity lived for several years before moving to Singapore.

Who knows where her art will take her next? As she says of her residency at stpi, "Anything is possible!" And with Pacita, that is almost an understatement.