New Millennium Exhibition takes influence from the past<\/p>\n
By Emma Cameron<\/p>\n
JAKARTA(JP): Photographs taken in Indonesia have been fairly
\ngrim lately. Captured in immortality have been riots, beatings,
\nbegging and demonstrations.<\/p>\n
An ongoing exhibition, The Spirit of the New Millennium,
\nprovides a picture of hope for the next thousand years while
\nstill referring to the history of Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Held at the Galeri Foto Cahya on the second floor of the
\nMenteng Plaza, the exhibition that will be on until Jan. 31
\nfeatures 18 photographers.<\/p>\n
Many of the photographers are businessmen who use photography
\nas a way to unwind in their travels all over Indonesia and the
\nworld. As well as Indonesian photographers, the exhibition also
\nincludes a Korean and a Dutchman as well as one female.<\/p>\n
Soedjai Kartasasmita is one exhibitor who started
\nphotographing 20 years ago as a \"diversion\" and has now taken
\nphotographs on almost every continent as part of his travels as
\nchairman of the Indonesian Planters Association.<\/p>\n
He is the only exhibitor to include photographs of a country
\nother than Indonesia with his two shots of Melbourne. Although at
\nfirst the photographs look incredibly out of place, they begin to
\nmake sense after talking to the artist.<\/p>\n
Hanging next to the photographs of Melbourne is a close-up of
\na red flower, the petals long and thin, layered together to
\ncreate a sphere. According to Soedjai, the flower is used to make
\nsalads and \"it's in my own backyard, I found it in my own
\nbackyard\". Despite the beauty of the many cities Kartasasmita has
\nvisited, he continues to find inspiration right at home.<\/p>\n
Soedjai believes the amount of businessmen as photographers,
\nnot only in this exhibition but in the wider population, stems
\nfrom the difficulty of making a living from the art as well as
\nthe huge costs involved in photography.<\/p>\n
\"I never feel satisfied, I want to get better and better and
\nthat means a lot more money.\"<\/p>\n
Another artist who stands out from the crowd is Karin Sukarya
\nand not only because of her responsibility as the only female.
\nKarin used Photoshop to enhance the colors on her photographs and
\nthe result is reminiscent of a psychedelic, drug-induced dream.<\/p>\n
If Karin is to be believed, anyone can achieve the same
\nresults with the right software. \"You scan the picture first,
\nanybody can do it, select the image, adjust the dialog box curves
\nand then push it and pull it and see what kind of colors you
\nget.\"<\/p>\n
Karin found her main problem to be the fact that after she had
\nplayed with the results she could never remember the steps she
\nused in order to recreate a particular color design. The tie-dye
\ncolors of the photographs fit in neatly with the theme of trees
\nchosen by Karin.<\/p>\n
Originally from Europe, where trees are always in the center
\nof the village, she is in awe of the huge trees that grow in
\nIndonesia which are much rarer in the colder climate she was born
\nin.<\/p>\n
Karin talks of the trees of Indonesia like old friends, and of
\none in particular.<\/p>\n
\"When we travel past we always have to see what our tree is
\ndoing. When it is full of leaves it is not so interesting but
\nwhen it's bare you can see all the branches, bird nests. It has
\nall different faces.\"<\/p>\n
Karin is also aware of the relationship between humans and
\ntrees, especially in Bali where small temples are built and
\nofferings given to the spirit of the trees.<\/p>\n
Deniek G. Sukarya is Karin's husband and continues the theme
\nof bringing the past culture of Indonesia to the new millennium.
\nDeniek is president director of Galeri Foto Cahya and his works
\nare widely published in books, magazines, advertising, promotion,
\nposters and calendars.<\/p>\n
Deniek chose to photograph Taman Sari in Yogyakarta to
\nhighlight the degradation of a historical sight. \"It's a protest
\nabout Taman Sari, it's being left alone to rot either by weather
\nor nature. I took pictures to try to inspire people to see the
\nbeauty of this place as part of the history of Yogya,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Other photographers in the exhibit are Suherry Arno, Noes P.
\nMoeksan, Effendy Bong, Warren Kiong, Imam Pribadi, R. Hertanto,
\nT. Hartono, Kim Yoon Ho, O.K. Kim, H.J. Kang, Paul Beiboer, J.
\nJanuar, Darto Satoto, Rohan F. Mochtar and FX. Ratkocodomo.<\/p>\n
Recurring themes in the photographs are boats on water,
\nexperimentation with light and shadow in historical ruins, people
\nat work selling goods or involved in manual labor, detail in
\nplants and flowers and portraits.<\/p>\n
The gallery opens daily from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/new-millennium-exhibition-takes-influence-from-the-past-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }