A deeper look at things with 'Second Eye'<\/p>\n
Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Even with 20\/20 vision in both eyes, people often see less of the
\nworld around them than they ought. Or perhaps they just take the
\nfamiliar for granted and become surprised when a more discerning
\nobserver points out to them what should have been obvious.<\/p>\n
Photographers, more than others, have the gift of vision. They
\ncan capture a moment in time through their cameras and alter the
\nway people see the things around them; making the mundane
\nintriguing.<\/p>\n
The exhibition at Antara Journalistic Photo Gallery (GFJA) in
\nPasar Baru, Central Jakarta, showcased the work of 25 amateur
\nphotographers based on a workshop they attended for six months at
\nGFJA.<\/p>\n
Which was why the montage of photographs on display were more
\nabout the \"awakening\" of the people who took the pictures rather
\nthan any particular theme.<\/p>\n
The 25 new photographers -- 14 from the basic photography
\nclass, and 11 from the journalistic photography class -- in a
\nsense are just beginning to discover their \"second sight\". Which
\nis also the theme of the exhibition, Mata Kedua (Second Eye).<\/p>\n
It may seem unfair to judge the two classes on equal terms, as
\nstudents in the journalistic class are expected to already be
\nfamiliar with the technicalities involved in analog photography
\n(as opposed to digital photography).<\/p>\n
However, photography as a form of art is not about technical
\nperfection. When used properly, techniques can improve a
\nphotograph but they do not solely determine whether a photograph
\nis good or not. A photograph's emotional or aesthetic value may
\nbe more important to the onlooker than its illustration of
\ntechnique.<\/p>\n
At the exhibition it was obvious that while some photographers
\nalready had the ability to paint a thousand words through their
\npictures, others were still struggling finding the words.<\/p>\n
From the basic photography class, Handri Karya's Pasar Pagi
\n(Morning Market) is an example of work in which the creator knows
\nexactly what he is aiming at: Dynamics.<\/p>\n
The glare of the electric lamp shining on a solitary seller
\npreparing her commodities, the various goods still stacked
\nneatly, and the fact that despite the blur of activity (people
\nand a bicycle passing) nobody has yet to stop by the stalls.
\nWithout looking at the title, an onlooker can immediately sense
\nthis was an early morning scene at a traditional market.<\/p>\n
From the same class, Over the Top by Anita Desyanti, is about
\ntaking a shot at the right angle, at the right time. It would not
\nhave been so impressive, not to mention out of context, from a
\ndifferent angle.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, photographs displayed by students of GFJA's
\nphoto journalism class leave nothing to the imagination. Instead
\nof letting the pictures convey their own messages, lengthy texts
\nwere provided to explain the sequenced photographs.<\/p>\n
Again the struggle about what to \"say\" through pictures were
\nevident here. Many relied on the written words to piece together
\ntheir story, resulting in disjointed, often unconnected
\nphotographs.<\/p>\n
Only a few really knew how to go about showing their story
\nthrough photographs.<\/p>\n
Elrika Hamdi's The Dr. DJ is a well sequenced series of
\nphotographs about a disc jockey (DJ) who is also a medical
\nstudent in the daytime.<\/p>\n
Six photographs in turn show the DJ's night time activity --
\nthe tools of his trade, the distractions of his profession -- and
\nhis daytime student life.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, Elrika failed to show clearly the DJ as a
\nmedical student. What the onlooker sees is a classroom scene --
\nwhich, following the photo of the DJ's turntable, made it look
\nmore like a DJ school -- and the DJ donning a doctor's jacket.
\nPerhaps a campus scene with the DJ wearing a doctor's jacket
\nwould make it clearer, or a scene in which the two worlds
\nactually collided.<\/p>\n
Although not quite achieving his intended goal, Sutrisno's
\nKuda Lumping Nasibnya Nungging (Kuda Lumping's Wretched Fate) was
\nalso intelligently thought out. The sequences of Kuda Lumping
\ntraditional art were well-represented in the six photographs. But
\nthey showed little, if any, of the art's marginalized fate.<\/p>\n
Writers tell stories through words but photographs are
\nsupposed to speak volumes without the need for words.<\/p>\n
Mata Kedua photo exhibition will last until May 16, 2004, at the
\nGaleri Foto Jurnalistik Antara (GFJA) Jl. Antara 59, Pasar Baru,
\nCentral Jakarta. Open every day, except Mondays and national
\nholidays, from 11 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.<\/p>",
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