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Actions Displays	Details Remove from selection Add to selection CollectionSouth & Southeast Asian Collection Object numberS1999-0006-002-0 TitleWaiting for Godot CreatorSulaiman Haji Esa DescriptionWaiting for Godot was produced in a series and can be viewed in relation to the formative year he spent in Atelier 17. In employing the technique of photo-etching, Sulaiman Esa experimented directly on the plate, setting off a chemical process allowing parts of the metal surface to be eaten away by acid. The title of the works is appropriated from Irish dramatist Samuel Beckett's 1952 play titled Waiting for Godot. Sulaiman Esa has adopted the interpretation of Godot as a symbolic representation of God as his starting position in this work. Ornate traditional Islamic architectural elements have been extrapolated and juxtaposed to a reclining nude from western art history. The incongruity highlights the tension-ridden confrontation between traditional Islamic and western culture whilst reminding viewers the similar visions and aspirations of both religions.“These were produces as part of a suite of pictures during a phase of acute crisis in this artist’s art practice and life. They are designated with the title ‘Waiting for Godot’ (after a play of that name by Samuel Becket). In it, two motifs from two cultures that are often cast as diametrically opposed to one another (Europe/West and Islam) are juxtaposed. A female nude sprawls in apparent abandon in the lower section, while the upper section features intricate designs, characterizing Islamic mosque architecture. They are presented as separate and separated domains, without prospects of connecting.” (Past, Present , Beyond: Re-nascence of an Art Collection, Page 66) Production placeMalaysia Production date 1979 - 1979 Object categoryPainting MaterialPhotoetching on Paper TechniquePrintmaking Dimensions H: 49.5 cm L: 36.5 cm H: 71 cm L: 56 cm

CollectionSouth & Southeast Asian Collection

Object numberS1999-0006-002-0

TitleWaiting for Godot

DescriptionWaiting for Godot was produced in a series and can be viewed in relation to the formative year he spent in Atelier 17. In employing the technique of photo-etching, Sulaiman Esa experimented directly on the plate, setting off a chemical process allowing parts of the metal surface to be eaten away by acid. The title of the works is appropriated from Irish dramatist Samuel Beckett's 1952 play titled Waiting for Godot. Sulaiman Esa has adopted the interpretation of Godot as a symbolic representation of God as his starting position in this work. Ornate traditional Islamic architectural elements have been extrapolated and juxtaposed to a reclining nude from western art history. The incongruity highlights the tension-ridden confrontation between traditional Islamic and western culture whilst reminding viewers the similar visions and aspirations of both religions.“These were produces as part of a suite of pictures during a phase of acute crisis in this artist’s art practice and life. They are designated with the title ‘Waiting for Godot’ (after a play of that name by Samuel Becket). In it, two motifs from two cultures that are often cast as diametrically opposed to one another (Europe/West and Islam) are juxtaposed. A female nude sprawls in apparent abandon in the lower section, while the upper section features intricate designs, characterizing Islamic mosque architecture. They are presented as separate and separated domains, without prospects of connecting.” (Past, Present , Beyond: Re-nascence of an Art Collection, Page 66)

Production placeMalaysia

Production date 1979 - 1979

Object categoryPainting

MaterialPhotoetching on Paper

TechniquePrintmaking

Dimensions

H: 49.5 cm
L: 36.5 cm
H: 71 cm
L: 56 cm

Details