Artists play in the name of contemporary arts

I Wayan Sunarta, Contributor, Denpasar, Bali

In one corner of the gallery, pieces of old, rusty iron, corroded by the salt seawater and twisted by the power of the waves. In another corner, piles of plastic bags and shreds of fabrics are placed alongside other discarded goods.

The piles of iron and other waste are part of an artwork on display at the Galeri Seputih in Denpasar, the creation of Malcom Mauchline, a contemporary artist from Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.

The unique art exhibition, titled Undone, which is to run until July 31, also presents works by four other Darwin artists, Elle Parsonson, William Davies, Julie Milton and Bridget O'Brien.

The idea of displaying the work of these artists came from Indonesian contemporary artist Dadang Christanto.

According to Dadang, who is the "informal" curator at the gallery, which is owned by famous Balinese artist Made Wianta, the works of these Australian artists represent an endeavor to get away from the formulas and elements of mainstream or conventional fine arts.

The theme of the exhibition, Undone, is evident from each of the displays, and every artist has expressed his or her artistic endeavors in a different way.

For example, Malcolm's creative processes are quite unique. He spends many of his days strolling along beaches or garbage dumps collecting piles of abandoned items. In the hands of this imaginative artist, the waste items, like plastic bags, twigs, stones, are transformed into valuable and contemplative artworks.

Through the piles of waste and unused goods, the artist is trying to illustrate what a lot of people do not realize: that they are physically weak and doomed to decay.

The contemporary arts have always communicated with the audience through various metaphores. Everybody is free to interpret each work and the artist can use any concept without having to verbally reveal it in his or her work.

The five artists from Darwin display more symbolism in their creations. Each spectator interprets their work in accordance with his or her capabilities, knowledge, experience and artistic backgrounds. Almost all of the artworks have no titles, thus allowing local art lovers to explore their own imaginations as regards these works of art.

Elle Parsonson, for instance, displays a combination of an installation artwork with drawing. She utilizes paper, black ink and threads. She has arranged threads on the wall to create vertical lines and deliberately entangled them in other parts. She has also boldly drawn black lines on paper creating a magical atmospheres.

Similar to Elle's works, William Davies continually brushes black lines on thick paper, brooms, strings and pieces of wood. For Davies, art is a process of meditation. His brush strokes on various objects become a long and continuing process of self- contemplation.

The works of the two artists, Elle and Davies, mostly illustrate the complicated city of Darwin, the capital of Australia's Northern Territory. They symbolically portray the social, cultural and political differences among its citizens. They also illustrate the city's uneven population composition, ongoing migration and low-paid workers. Amid the chaotic conditions, Darwin is a haven for contemporary artists. Numerous talented artists have emerged in the city, which frequently hosts various international contemporary festivals and discussions.

It is interesting to view the works of Bridget O'Brien as she has created them using uncommon techniques. She splashes colorful acrylic paint on plastic sheets. When the paint dries, she separates them from the plastic sheets and sticks them on the gallery's wall. Her works resemble lumps of bubble gum stuck on the wall by children. At a glance, O'Brien's works could also resemble caligraphic artworks, and yet they do not represent or symbolize anything. For O'Brien, a work of art is a playful thing. It should not have to be meaningful or to contain any message.

Meanwhile, Julie Milton has displayed a series of photographs. One of her works portray an everyday object, a kitchen sink. Using soft focus, Milton took the picture of the sink and processed it digitally. The result is amazing. The picture seems to contain certain meanings and humorous symbols. The bubbles of detergent, the flow of the water in the sink have created something sensational.

In this exhibition, the five artists from Darwin are actually exhibiting "playful things" in the name of contemporary art forms. But, their works should not be viewed as "low-quality". Their bold and fresh ideas should encourage their Balinese and Indonesian counterparts.

These five artists belong to the category of strong-willed and dedicated artists who are brave enough to display artworks which are not commercially viable. Bravo!