Monday, April 7, 2014

MAINTAINING INDONESIAN MYTHS WITH ART

Sheany finds traditions have the potential of becoming icons


The Jakarta Globe Newspaper
By Sheany on 05:42 pm Jul 22, 2013
Category Arts & Culture, Life & Style
Tags: Art exhibition, Indonesian art, Indonesian artist


"Queen of Rice" by Syis Paindow (JG Photo/Sheany)

The strong and passionate vision Jago Tarung Yogyakarta has for Indonesian arts and traditions is evident in this exhibition and the fact the group is able to take it to an international platform should be a reminder to local artists and patrons to keep on channeling Indonesian values, stories, culture and traditions into their work.

THERE ARE no people in the world that do not carry myths in their cultural baggage. From the Sundanese tale of Sangkuriang and the founding of the Tangkuban Perahu to the ancient Greeks with their pantheon of gods, myths have enriched people’s heritage and provided a counter balance to an often changing world.

As societies evolve, from agrarian to industrial, from rural to urban, people change. The myths that provided meaning and substance for their forefathers remain but are seen differently, turning into quaint stories to tell children before tucking them into bed at night.

Indonesia, with its long history as a maritime trading nation absorbing different religions, a melting pot of ethnicity and languages buffeted by outside occupiers, has its own myths and legends of course, but they remain little known to a younger generation who get their myth kicks from Hollywood movies such as Clash of the Titans.

A group of Indonesian artists called Jago Tarung Yogyakarta (Fighting Cocks Yogyakarta) — consisting of Dedy Sufriadi, Rocka Radipa, Syis Paindow, Tomy Faisal Alim, and Zam Kamil — is aiming to change that by incorporating Indonesian myths and values into their works.

“The Myth is in Our Pocket” is the beginning of a series of programs, which will climax with “Behind the Myth” being shown at AKTO Art & Design College in Athens, Greece in October.

Tomy adapted the saying “Banyak Anak Banyak Rejeki” (Many Kids, Much Wealth) into one of his paintings illustrating the idiosyncrasy of this saying through the incorporation of a teapot and a teacup in the background, and a mother and her children to the fore, suggesting there is no guarantee the cup will ever be full no matter how many kids you have.

Dedy Sufriadi’s “After Text Series, Black White” one of his three “black-white” art works with its newspaper collage in the background, is attempting to crash what has been expressed and its implicit aspect.

“Just as adherents of semiotics assert that behind the language of the media, there’s often a mysterious aspect within it,” Dedy Yuniarto, the group manager  explained.

Incorporating more folklore, tales and legends into his work, Syis paints portraits with stories and meaningful depth. In his “Queen of Rice [The Legend of Dewi Sri]”, he takes the concept of an old story and incorporates a modern touch of a shiny handbag into his painting.

Zam Kamil’s “Waktu Terus Berlari” (Time Keeps on Running), is symbolic for the everyday life of Indonesians, especially people in Jakarta. His painting portrays a figure dashing in black air, and writing the names of world artists on his canvas.

This particular work seems to explore the idea of time and mythology at the same time, how both of these aspects work hand in hand in the creation of the values we hold dear to us today.

Among all these paintings on canvas, the works of Rocka Radipa offer a different touch to the exhibit. His brass etching ‘‘Anthem & Brand’’ takes the form of an iPod and how we have taken this small gadget and consider it an important part of our culture and daily lives, similar to how we view myths in general.

“We do not yet understand the value of our traditions which have the potential to be our own icons or symbols,” Tomy said, implying Indonesians rush to embrace foreign cultural relics, overlooking those closer to home.

The strong and passionate vision Jago Tarung Yogyakarta has for Indonesian arts and traditions is evident in this exhibition and the fact the group is able to take it to an international platform should be a reminder to local artists and patrons to keep on channeling Indonesian values, stories, culture and traditions into their work.

Dedy Yuniarto’s message to fellow Indonesian artists is simple and hands-on. “Believe in Indonesian tradition,” he said.

Source:
http://thejakartaglobe.beritasatu.com/features/maintaining-indonesian-myths-with-art/

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