A deeper look at things with 'Second Eye'

A deeper look at things with 'Second Eye'

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Even with 20/20 vision in both eyes, people often see less of the
world around them than they ought. Or perhaps they just take the
familiar for granted and become surprised when a more discerning
observer points out to them what should have been obvious.

Photographers, more than others, have the gift of vision. They
can capture a moment in time through their cameras and alter the
way people see the things around them; making the mundane
intriguing.

The exhibition at Antara Journalistic Photo Gallery (GFJA) in
Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta, showcased the work of 25 amateur
photographers based on a workshop they attended for six months at
GFJA.

Which was why the montage of photographs on display were more
about the "awakening" of the people who took the pictures rather
than any particular theme.

The 25 new photographers -- 14 from the basic photography
class, and 11 from the journalistic photography class -- in a
sense are just beginning to discover their "second sight". Which
is also the theme of the exhibition, Mata Kedua (Second Eye).

It may seem unfair to judge the two classes on equal terms, as
students in the journalistic class are expected to already be
familiar with the technicalities involved in analog photography
(as opposed to digital photography).

However, photography as a form of art is not about technical
perfection. When used properly, techniques can improve a
photograph but they do not solely determine whether a photograph
is good or not. A photograph's emotional or aesthetic value may
be more important to the onlooker than its illustration of
technique.

At the exhibition it was obvious that while some photographers
already had the ability to paint a thousand words through their
pictures, others were still struggling finding the words.

From the basic photography class, Handri Karya's Pasar Pagi
(Morning Market) is an example of work in which the creator knows
exactly what he is aiming at: Dynamics.

The glare of the electric lamp shining on a solitary seller
preparing her commodities, the various goods still stacked
neatly, and the fact that despite the blur of activity (people
and a bicycle passing) nobody has yet to stop by the stalls.
Without looking at the title, an onlooker can immediately sense
this was an early morning scene at a traditional market.

From the same class, Over the Top by Anita Desyanti, is about
taking a shot at the right angle, at the right time. It would not
have been so impressive, not to mention out of context, from a
different angle.

On the other hand, photographs displayed by students of GFJA's
photo journalism class leave nothing to the imagination. Instead
of letting the pictures convey their own messages, lengthy texts
were provided to explain the sequenced photographs.

Again the struggle about what to "say" through pictures were
evident here. Many relied on the written words to piece together
their story, resulting in disjointed, often unconnected
photographs.

Only a few really knew how to go about showing their story
through photographs.

Elrika Hamdi's The Dr. DJ is a well sequenced series of
photographs about a disc jockey (DJ) who is also a medical
student in the daytime.

Six photographs in turn show the DJ's night time activity --
the tools of his trade, the distractions of his profession -- and
his daytime student life.

Unfortunately, Elrika failed to show clearly the DJ as a
medical student. What the onlooker sees is a classroom scene --
which, following the photo of the DJ's turntable, made it look
more like a DJ school -- and the DJ donning a doctor's jacket.
Perhaps a campus scene with the DJ wearing a doctor's jacket
would make it clearer, or a scene in which the two worlds
actually collided.

Although not quite achieving his intended goal, Sutrisno's
Kuda Lumping Nasibnya Nungging (Kuda Lumping's Wretched Fate) was
also intelligently thought out. The sequences of Kuda Lumping
traditional art were well-represented in the six photographs. But
they showed little, if any, of the art's marginalized fate.

Writers tell stories through words but photographs are
supposed to speak volumes without the need for words.

Mata Kedua photo exhibition will last until May 16, 2004, at the
Galeri Foto Jurnalistik Antara (GFJA) Jl. Antara 59, Pasar Baru,
Central Jakarta. Open every day, except Mondays and national
holidays, from 11 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.