(Abstract) 

Bui Xuan Phai made this abstract artwork, date unknown, using paint. At first glance, it could be any abstract work of the period, but its origin in Vietnam gives it a particular depth. Made during a period of intense social and political change in Vietnam, it’s worth asking whether the lack of clarity in the image reflects the social upheaval of the time. What does it mean to produce abstract art in a nation undergoing colonial transformation? The artwork’s splatters, drips, and chaotic lines could be interpreted as a rebellion against traditional artistic conventions, and a rejection of established social norms. In order to understand the painting better, we would need to know more about the artist’s training, and what his relationship was to art institutions, state patronage, and other artists. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social context. Researching the artist and period, one can begin to disentangle the relationship between art, society, and history.