Dayak tribe 'in' according to Gotot Prakosa<\/p>\n
By Chandra Johan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): There are artists who like changes and there are
\nthose who don't. Gotot Prakosa, one of Indonesia's multimedia
\nartists, is one of those belonging to the first category. This
\nmeans that style and identity are not things important to reach,
\neven perhaps they may be ignored, for the sake of change itself,
\nor for the sake of the context of the problem which the artist is
\nfacing in his environment.<\/p>\n
Therefore, never expect works of the same style from this
\ngenre of artist. In every exhibition, he comes up with pieces of
\nworks completely different from the previous ones, although it
\ndoes not necessarily mean innovative or new.<\/p>\n
Gotot is proving this in his seventh single exhibition held at
\nGaleri Cipta II TIM from Dec. 18 through Dec. 28, 1998 where he
\npresents a number of his newest works which totally differ from
\nhis previous ones.<\/p>\n
This time Gotot displays a number of techniques and media of
\nexploration ranging from water color, oil painting graphics or
\ncomputer graphics to installation work using video and slide
\nprojector.<\/p>\n
Besides, he also presents a kind of \"visual essay\" about the
\ncondition of the Kenyah Dayak society in East Kalimantan, which
\nhas become his study project since 1978 and has greatly
\ninfluenced the themes of his work, whether in graphics, painting
\nor installation.<\/p>\n
This article focuses on a number of his paintings and
\ninstallation works. Physically and pictorially, Gotot's paintings
\ndo not show new idioms and style. However, thematically his work
\nattempts to reveal social problems at this time.<\/p>\n
In passing, Gotot's paintings start from analysis of form. He
\ndoes this by eliminating perspective, by breaking plots, giving
\ncolor tones which could suggest the subject's position or things
\nin his paintings. The subject in his painting does not look
\nintact, but is fragmented into angular planes of color, reduced
\ninto solid geometric forms, like a pyramid, rectangle or square.<\/p>\n
This is very clear in his work Tebang Habis (Indiscriminate
\nCutting) 1998, Wanita Kenyah Duduk (Sitting Kenyah Woman), 1998
\nand Duduk (Seated), 1998. The last two paintings show the Kenyah
\nDayak human figure with analysis of form that is quite far.<\/p>\n
At first glance the object he paints does not reflect anything
\n-- fragmented -- just drawing spaces and coloring them. However,
\nthe fragmented planes are made so that the position of the
\nsubject relative to the other flat planes can be differentiated.<\/p>\n
It is true that in most of the paintings the presence of the
\nsubject is hardly important. Its existence can merely be a
\nmedium, not an aim. However, in Gotot's work we can see an
\nattempt not to let the subjects become a mere medium. In this
\nsense, his painting is not then trapped in the aesthetical
\nproblem although this problem looks like being taken care of in a
\nnumber of his works.<\/p>\n
For example, through Tebang Habis Gotot tries to unveil the
\ncondition of the forest which has turned into a desert because of
\nthe actions of some greedy people. The scenery presented in this
\npainting is a barren plain of land, while the rest of the forest
\nwill still be felled entirely by a number of monster-looking
\nfigures. According to Gotot this tragic scenery is not only a
\nfantasy, but a reality he had seen in person when he was in East
\nKalimantan.<\/p>\n
\"The Dayak community has no forests any more although they
\nwere born in the forest environment. Facing this reality they
\ntried living like nomads, moving between places, but at this
\nmoment that is not possible any more, the land has been made into
\nconcessions. Sad and painful, because these are human deeds, and
\nthe victims are also human,\" said Gotot.<\/p>\n
In his other paintings like Penculikan (Kidnapping), Tragedi
\nTrisakti (Trisakti Tragedy), Lapar (Hungry) and Cafe Gaul
\n(Friendship Cafe) for example, we are presented with actual
\nthemes, both social as well as political problems.<\/p>\n
Penculikan shows a sequence of a drama or a kidnap scene
\nthrough three different setting planes. The first plane shows a
\ngroup of people in the darkness, the second plane shows a figure
\nready to ambush, while the third plane suggests a setting of a
\nlock-up.<\/p>\n
While Tragedi Trisakti shows a number of figures, topsy-turvy,
\nfilling the whole canvas, with a share of contrast and light
\ncolors here and there. But, because of the rosy color, the
\natmosphere of the tragedy is not too obvious. This painting
\nperforms as a \"nice-to-look at-painting\". The same case can be
\nfound in his other paintings too, like Lapar or Duduk.<\/p>\n
Beside paintings, Gotot also presents a number of installation
\nworks. In his installation entitled Sampah (Rubbish) we are
\npresented with metaphorical idioms which are not too difficult to
\ncatch. Several drums of garbage are put in a row, then in each
\ndrum there is a television set propped with garbage of the print
\nmedia. Aren't these media in this information age becoming merely
\ngarbage of life ?<\/p>\n
In a society where information media appear very greedy
\nattacking community, their presence has no value, just like
\n\"garbage\". We are experiencing this reality now. We are besieged
\nby the media, then we are faced with a number of options which
\nare confusing. Should we be trapped by it we would become part of
\nthat \"garbage\". The meaning is implied in Gotot's installation.<\/p>\n
Beside Sampah there are two other installations, Paket
\n(Package) and Mural Kenyah that present a metaphor which bears a
\nnumber of interpretations. In Paket is presented a container
\nfilled, among other things, with a television set and a number
\nof animal skeletons. What kind of warning Gotot wants to send
\nthrough this installation is not easy to catch.<\/p>\n
While in Mural Kenyah the message appears clearer, presenting
\na kind of visual essay about the situation faced by the Kenyah
\nDayak culture. In this installation the garbage drum is still
\nused as an idiom, then on it a slide projector spotlights a view
\nsequence in Kalimantan which has turned into a desert while the
\nKenyah community mural ornaments are presented to accompany the
\nview setting, suggesting a destroyed culture.<\/p>\n
Gotot Prakosa is not a new name in the visual art circles or
\nin the world of audio visual. Beside being a lecturer on the
\nArtistic and Animation system in the Film and Television FFTV
\ndepartment, IKJ, he also is known as a writer on films in several
\nmedia, a cartoonist and film-maker.<\/p>",
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