Cartoonists explore paradox of Bali
The Jakarta Post, Denpasar, Bali
The front cover of Bogbog magazine's April edition features a cartoon depicting a cow, several ducks and three Balinese farmers in a rice field, which, intriguingly, was located on the rooftops of three adjoining skyscrapers. "Agriculture Department" was emblazoned across one of the buildings.
The cartoon obviously reflects the currently prevailing anxiety among many Balinese, who believe that the island -- and its people -- had unwisely succumbed to the temptations of tourism and modern development and in doing so, that they had put their own traditional values and way of life on the verge of extinction.
"Of course, you won't find any rice fields located on the top of a skyscraper anywhere in Bali. Presenting 'actual' reality is not our job. A cartoonist dramatizes things, extrapolates trends and presents a stretched out version of the future. We have to bend 'the truth' a bit to slap people awake," Bogbog's chief editor Jango Paramarta said.
The magazine marked its second anniversary this April by organizing "Car2nia for the Future", a series of events that also includes a cartoon exhibition presenting 80 works from 14 local cartoonists. The exhibition lasts from April 26 to May 2 at Denpasar's newly renovated cultural hub, Danes Art Veranda.
Most of the exhibition works present various interpretations of the tension that exists between agriculture and tourism, which could be generalized as the friction that exists between traditional and modern Bali.
For example, one piece depicts a farmer swinging a golf club from amidst disappearing rice fields, while another shows an escalator traversing steep, rice field terraces, and still another shows a father persuading his son to taste a piece of traditional roast suckling pig while the little brat screams for -- what else -- hamburger and fried chicken.
The second most exploited theme was the Bali bombings and their effect on the Balinese. The cartoonists treat this sensitive subject in a solemn, yet optimistic, manner, projecting their belief that "the spirit of Bali will never die".
This exhibition is important because it marks the debut of several young cartoonists, including Panca, Rizal, Arim, Chuk, Winata, Ardi, Anang and Sayong.
Their works are still flawed in some areas: Their artistic concepts and composition are not as captivating as Jango's or Surya Dharma's and their symbolic visualizations are inferior compared to Gunasta's. Naturally, these young cartoonist have not yet reached the level of maturity and substance as their seniors.
Still, their cunning sense of humor, sensitivity toward social issues and capacity for self-reflection and critical thinking have convinced their seniors that in Bali, the future of cartoons -- unlike agriculture -- would shine brightly. -- I Wayan Juniartha