Postcard from Vietnam

eO artist Robyn Wainman and family have recently returned from a backpacking trip to Vietnam.

In this emailed "postcard", Robyn makes comment on Vietnam's contemporary art culture and in particular, the work of twin brothers Le Ngoc ThanH and Le Duc Hai. Their work can be found here

"Tamara Lempicka appropriations and any other

painting you may want - all over Saigon (Ho

Chi Minh City) - you walk into the galleries

and see the artists reproducing from

a meagre post card size!

Away from Saigon (the Copy City) there

are brilliant artists being shown in galleries

in the funniest locations - conceptual and

bloody brilliant artists - with massive accreditations

and European exhibitions under there belts.

I have been blown away with the contemporary

works (many in lacquer work) that are shown

in down town poverty areas.

The starting prices are not cheap (approx $900

US for 1mt sq. as an average), but that is before

haggling for a 'happy' price! - that is 'happy

for them and happy for us"!

There has been many works that I would have

haggled for at another time. The Vietnamese

artist works are so out there, but when you meet

the artist, they are ordinary, and usually middle

aged, simple 'males' who must be considered

radical amongst there own. I did not come

across a female artist, but that doesn't surprise

me as the female is still a second class citizen

in Vietnam, and lesser than all if she is the mother

of daughters only! Even now, the doctors lie to

pregnant mums about the sex of their babies

until they are into their seventh month if they

are carrying a girl baby, to avoid abortion - as

they are 'women without voice' if they don't first

bear a son. Many times over the last three weeks

I have been congratulated on my 'powerful voice',

as the mother of two sons! - if only they knew!!

In Saigon we met a professor of social (something),

who lectures in Australia and England on the

inequality of Vietnamese females and socialist

doctrines that could bring about his assassination

if it wasn't for the powerful few that he has in his pocket.

The dramatic difference in the social equality

explodes as you travel from north to south. The

people in the north are decades behind those

in the south, with a visible difference in each

province. The people have put the war behind

them, but those in the rural north would have

no comprehension of what has been gained

in the south. Our last day in ‘Nam took us to

the 'Remnant Museum' - a strange name for a

mainly photographic recollection of the

atrocities of the war. There is little reference to

Australia’s contribution - it is the US who altered

the destiny of Vietnam - the US have a lot to

answer for, as we know, but when seen graphically

depicted, as this museum does, there remains

so many unanswered questions.

Getting heavy now - change of subject…….."