Creating Paintings on the Rural Lifestyle of Northeastern Thailand in the Realm of Memory

Abstract

The creating paintings on the rural lifestyle of Northeastern Thailand in the realm of memory is intended to study the way of life and living environments of farmers in rural Isan, who live in harmony with nature and rely on ancestral wisdom passed down through generations. Additionally, it aims to create a two-dimensional painting in a semi-abstract style through planar composition, integrating organic forms and traces of rural life. By studying and analyzing data from rural lifestyles in Udon Thani Province,
the Ban Chiang archaeological site, interviews with local villagers in Si That District, environmental photography, documentary sources and the artistic forms used in the analysis, content, form, and unique techniques have been derived. This creative process has led to the development of seven high-quality works. It was found that the content reflects areas and traces of a way of life passed down, blending with ancestral wisdom applied to local natural resources for maximum benefit. In terms of form, it is semi-abstract, featuring a planar composition combined with organic shapes and traces of tools, such as fishnet traps, which overlap to create abstract forms within. Regarding technique, the properties of acrylic paint and gesso primer, used for imprinting traces from objects, were studied and experimented with. The process involved applying layers, scraping, scratching, and soaking with colored water to replicate the appearance of sediment layers in fertile soil. This demonstrates the overlapping traces of life from the past to the present, as though one's life were imprinted on their farmland. This serves both as knowledge and a guide for developing visual artworks with themes rooted in the local community, evolving into contemporary art.