Photograph by Robert Scheer
The art of Mynor King is on display at the Sunnyvale Creative Art Center Gallery through March 8.
By DANTHANH HUYNH
For Mynor King, land has a spiritual and cultural meaning. His drawings recall a forgotten time and place. Taiwan, during the 50 years of Japanese occupation before World War II, was green and peaceful, King remembers.
"There weren't many material [possessions], but it was a very spiritual life and very enjoyable," King said. "People were good to nature, and they lived in harmony."
But now that life remains frozen in King's detailed drawings.
"I went back to Taiwan last year, and I almost cried," King said.
"I remembered 40 years ago, the river where I swam with the buffaloes, where people drank from it and did their laundry there. That river was life, and it's now dirty and muddy. That river was once 30 feet wide, and now it's a 3-foot ditch."
It's those memories and the need to keep them alive that drove King to be part of "Land Values," an art exhibit currently on display at the Sunnyvale Creative Art Center Gallery in tandem with a larger "Land Values" exhibit at the Euphrat Museum at Cupertino's De Anza College. King's watercolor drawings and Rebecca Palmer's photographs of plant life and land in California examine different ways of valuing land.
King searches through his childhood memories to define land values. In such drawings as "Farmers of Four Seasons," "Town and Country Professions," and "Childhood Memories," King describes irrigating, planting and harvesting rice. He illustrates memories of making rice turtle cakes and of children catching crickets in bottles. The artwork is accompanied by extended explanations of the activities--in both Mandarin and English.
"I want to promote cultural understanding," King said. "I also want to promote old values. People neglect what was in the past.
"Today, most people see Taiwan as a good tourist place. They think it's modern and Westernized, but they don't know the essence of Taiwan's culture. I hope my drawings help them understand what went on in Taiwan in the good old days."
Like King, Los Altos artist Palmer takes viewers to tranquil places. Her photographs are taken from sites on the Peninsula and from treks in the high Sierras near Lake Tahoe. They are taken with infrared film, which is sensitive to heat as well as light. Her "Mountain Journey" series consists of distant shots and refers to the dark side of nature. The series "Spring Leaves" presents close-ups of magnolia, apricot and plum trees, taken in nearby gardens.
"All my life I've gone to the mountains," Palmer said. "It's so natural to be there and have a break from urban life.
"The garden photographs are related to stepping back from daily activities, a chance to be free. Leaves, landscapes, oceans are opportunities to step back and feel refreshed."
Although both King's and Palmer's works capture the environment as beautiful and sacred, the artists are not involved in any environmental organizations.
"When I was out of college, I was involved in conservation causes," Palmer said. "I did come to an understanding that people need to pay attention to the environment, but my work isn't political. It's about enjoying the outdoors."
Palmer doesn't want viewers to see her photographs the way she sees them. It's important that they feel rewarded by looking at her work.
On the other hand, King wants to inspire viewers, especially Taiwanese people and the younger international community, to preserve their environment.
"Land has to be kept clean. It has to be used respectfully without pollution," King said. "I hope through understanding of the good old days, we can use [the understanding] to develop the future.We must not forget heritage and traditions. We need to seek our roots, hold onto them and develop them for the future."
"Land Values" runs through March 8 at the Sunnyvale Creative Art Center Gallery, 550 E. Remington Ave. Hours are Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday and Friday, 1 to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. to noon.
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, February 19, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.