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Woodleigh station
Woodleigh station is
located at the junction of Upper Aljunied Road and Upper
Serangoon Road. The station's three entrances lead to nearby
office
developments.
The station's entrances
adopt a sculptural, terrain-hugging form dominated by a
curved roof in zinc titanium. Vent shafts located near the
station's entrances are
integrated into the curved roof and hidden by aluminium
louvers.
This sweeping dynamic form
is echoed by lighter structures in the link way connecting
the entrances to bus and taxi shelters. A high degree of
side glazing allows
commuters to gain early orientation to the station's
external surroundings.
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A snapshot of our lives
and times as revealed in images of people in transit -
artist April Ng has taken a slice of urban life in Singapore
and captured the moment as
prints of commuters etched on zinc plates.
The zinc etchings are
found on the concourse level of Woodleigh station. They
comprise 30 panels split between the north and south ends of
the station concourse.
The patterns, shapes and textures of the images on zinc seem
to make the station walls busy with people, adding a
story-telling dimension to the commuting
experience.
April is a printmaker who
combines screenings, etching and embossing techniques in her
work. Her immediate thought after receiving this project was
to build her
concept around people.
Her main idea was to use
photo etching to capture images of people in transit for
Woodleigh station. To flesh out her concept, the artist got
her students at the
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, where she teaches printmaking,
to help her take photos of people on the streets.
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The idea of showing people
in movement also fulfilled the functional role of art within
the station. The LTA had asked all the artists to
incorporate a "wayfinding"
element into their works. She felt that by taking photos of
commuters moving in a certain direction and arranging the
photos carefully, she could help guide people to
the trains or out of the station.
In selecting the photos
that would be used in the final work, the artist chose
images that reflect Singapore's multi-racial, multi-cultural
aspects with the different races
and age groups represented.
Now that the etched images
of commuters are fresh, art imitates real life in the
station. The passage of time however will highlight the
differences, rather than
similarities between art and life. It is this constantly
changing dynamics between real life commuters and the people
whose images are frozen in zinc that lies at the
heart of April Ng's works.
The photos might look
ordinary to us now, but in 20 to 30 years' time, people will
look at our clothes, hairstyle and thinking differently. The
point is that over time,
these images of people at work and at play will cease to be
a record of our present and evolve into a visual documentary
of our past.
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Before starting work,
April sands paper and degreases the zinc plates. A photo
polymer film is then laminated onto the plate in the etching
press. In the ultra violet
exposure unit, the film is then exposed to the enlarged
photos of commuters. The plates are then developed and the
images appear on them. To add bite to the
images imprinted on the plates, April often puts the plates
through a chemical bath before touching them up for better
definition.
To April's credit, hers is
one of the few artworks on the
North East Line to be made completely by the artist.
The artist made a
considered decision to work in zinc rather than copper,
which is also suitable for photo etching. The human figures
in her images reproduce better
in zinc. As zinc is used for the station's distinctive roof
feature, the zinc in the artworks strengthens the design
integrity of the station and complements its neutral
flooring and light walls.
April feels that the whole
big scale project for Woodleigh station was an exciting
journey and a learning experience. It has given her
confidence and helped her to
grow as an artist and teacher.
*Woodleigh station will be
opened at a later date.
Artist:
April Ng Kiow Ngor
Born: Singapore, 1963
Education:
- Diploma in Fine Art (Painting Studio), 1989
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore
- Higher Diploma in Printmaking, 1993
The Slade School of Fine Arts, University College of
London, London
next: Serangoon station
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