Photo expo -- a must-see for collectors, hobbyists<\/p>\n
By K. Basrie<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The one-month-old Cahya photo gallery at its new
\nsite in Kemang, South Jakarta, is currently packed with fallen
\ntrees, blossoming sakura (cherry flowers), tranquil jungles,
\nbushes, windows, buildings, local artists and smiling children.<\/p>\n
But there is no noise in the 200-square-meter room, except the
\nsoothing tunes of a classical orchestra coming from the gallery's
\nstereo system.<\/p>\n
The objects are some of the scenes pictured in 101 photographs
\non display from May 5 to May 31 in a joint exhibition of 14
\nphotographers, including five expatriates, being held at the
\ngallery.<\/p>\n
Titled Private Expression 2000, the 27-day exhibition is the
\nsecond event at the gallery, which has been at the site since
\nApril 12, when it moved from its former location in Menteng Plaza
\nin Central Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian photographers in the expo are James Yip Hong
\nSeng, J. Januar, Kumara Prasetya, Marsio Juwono, Roy Genggam,
\nSuherry Arno, Syaiful Boen, Windiarto, and Yusuf Budi. Most of
\nthem are well-known in the Indonesian photography world.<\/p>\n
The foreigners are German national Karin Sukarya, South Korean
\nKim Yoon Ho, Dutch national Paul Beiboer, Tshuji Tsuji of Japan
\nand Vivek S. Bammi from India.<\/p>\n
The \"colorful\" backgrounds of the participants is reflected in
\nthe works exhibited at the show. Each of the photographers
\nexpress in their work their own style, tastes and moods.<\/p>\n
One of the works by Kumara, a photography teacher, portrays
\nthe fuzzy configuration of poorly constructed wooden houses along
\nwith a dark tree, green bushes, a bamboo fence, a red perahu
\n(boat) and blue sky in the background.<\/p>\n
Ratih Widya Hadiastuti, the manager of the gallery, quoted
\nKumara as saying the picture was a reflection of houses located
\nalong a riverbank in Semarang, Central Java.<\/p>\n
The \"fuzzy\" effect, strict composition and the careful choice
\nof objects reminds visitors about the basic theories taught in a
\nphotography class.<\/p>\n
The question is why is the untitled photo displayed in
\ninverse, as if it was not of a reflection?<\/p>\n
While photographer Roy Genggam displays black-and-white prints
\nof local female models in elegant poses, Tshuji Tsuji shows his
\ntalent in snapping the first blooms of sakura in his hometown of
\nKyoto, Japan.<\/p>\n
The most gorgeous of his pictures is the one titled Sakura-
\nSakura, which depicts a large branch crossing from the lower left
\nto upper right of the well-composed picture, with bunches of
\npink cherry flowers on it.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, the flowers dominate all of his photos on
\ndisplay in the exhibition, giving visitors not a single
\nopportunity to see his photographs of different objects.<\/p>\n
Karin, the only woman in the exhibition, presents her talent
\nin the so-called up-to-date skill: digitalization. Glimpsing at
\nher works, viewers might only see outrageous colors, the result
\nof a personal computer.<\/p>\n
But there is no doubt that Karin, a professional graphic
\ndesigner, has her own style which is clearly different from that
\nof her husband, photographer Deniek G. Sukarya, who is also
\npresident director of the gallery.<\/p>\n
The natural color of a fallen tree, the beach, the water and
\nthe sky in Karin's works have been refurbished into an extreme,
\nbut artistic, touch and tone, without washing over the importance
\nof composition, lighting and balance.<\/p>\n
Windiarto Tjandra exhibits a series of his shots of different
\nobjects, mostly people, in Vietnam, which he took while working
\nat a mining company in the country. Among his stunning works in
\nthe exhibition are the photos of a Cathedral church in Hanoi and
\na Vietnamese man with his bicycle.<\/p>\n
The view of the church, shot at an angle in the frame,
\nprovides an unusual perspective without disturbing the eye.<\/p>\n
The picture of the back of a Vietnamese man sitting on a bench
\nwith his bike close to him would not be eye-catching without the
\ntiny tree branches that frame the upper part of the portrait.<\/p>\n
The works of South Korean Kim Yoon Ho, who is also the head of
\na toy manufacturer here, deserve to praise, particularly Peace,
\nwhich he snapped in China.<\/p>\n
It is a shot of two birds -- both looking to the left --
\nstanding on wooden poles located in the middle of the frame. The
\nempty sky of China in the background is beautifully fitted in the
\nlower part of the photo, with bird-shaped lampposts.<\/p>\n
In the first week of the exhibition, three of Kim's works have
\nbeen sold, the highest number among the participants.<\/p>\n
But the most sizzling photos on display might be the brilliant
\nworks of Syaiful Boen, who learned photography at the University
\nof Alaska.<\/p>\n
At a glance, his photos look like the experimental works of an
\nenergetic and creative newcomer.<\/p>\n
Most of the \"photos\" on display are produced with mixed
\nmaterials: a torn portrait (as the main object), color threads
\nand scratches of green and orange markers.<\/p>\n
While other photographers in the exhibition priced their works
\nbetween Rp 1 million and Rp 3 million each, Syaiful daringly set
\nthe price of his works from Rp 5 million to Rp 12 million.<\/p>\n
So far, the most expensive portrait ever sold in the country
\nwas photographer Eky Tandyo's black-and-white The Seven Steps to
\nHeaven, bought last year by a foreign businesswoman for Rp 5
\nmillion.<\/p>\n
The exhibition at Wisma Surya Kemang on Jl. Kemang Raya 33 is
\na must-see event for photo collectors and hobbyists, with the
\nworks on display coming from different minds, talents and tastes.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, visitors have to repeatedly ask gallery staff
\nfor information on many of the pieces because the photographers
\ndid not provide notes about them and, more importantly, the
\ngallery did not produce a catalog for the event.<\/p>",
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