Dayak tribe 'in' according to Gotot Prakosa

Dayak tribe 'in' according to Gotot Prakosa

By Chandra Johan

JAKARTA (JP): There are artists who like changes and there are
those who don't. Gotot Prakosa, one of Indonesia's multimedia
artists, is one of those belonging to the first category. This
means that style and identity are not things important to reach,
even perhaps they may be ignored, for the sake of change itself,
or for the sake of the context of the problem which the artist is
facing in his environment.

Therefore, never expect works of the same style from this
genre of artist. In every exhibition, he comes up with pieces of
works completely different from the previous ones, although it
does not necessarily mean innovative or new.

Gotot is proving this in his seventh single exhibition held at
Galeri Cipta II TIM from Dec. 18 through Dec. 28, 1998 where he
presents a number of his newest works which totally differ from
his previous ones.

This time Gotot displays a number of techniques and media of
exploration ranging from water color, oil painting graphics or
computer graphics to installation work using video and slide
projector.

Besides, he also presents a kind of "visual essay" about the
condition of the Kenyah Dayak society in East Kalimantan, which
has become his study project since 1978 and has greatly
influenced the themes of his work, whether in graphics, painting
or installation.

This article focuses on a number of his paintings and
installation works. Physically and pictorially, Gotot's paintings
do not show new idioms and style. However, thematically his work
attempts to reveal social problems at this time.

In passing, Gotot's paintings start from analysis of form. He
does this by eliminating perspective, by breaking plots, giving
color tones which could suggest the subject's position or things
in his paintings. The subject in his painting does not look
intact, but is fragmented into angular planes of color, reduced
into solid geometric forms, like a pyramid, rectangle or square.

This is very clear in his work Tebang Habis (Indiscriminate
Cutting) 1998, Wanita Kenyah Duduk (Sitting Kenyah Woman), 1998
and Duduk (Seated), 1998. The last two paintings show the Kenyah
Dayak human figure with analysis of form that is quite far.

At first glance the object he paints does not reflect anything
-- fragmented -- just drawing spaces and coloring them. However,
the fragmented planes are made so that the position of the
subject relative to the other flat planes can be differentiated.

It is true that in most of the paintings the presence of the
subject is hardly important. Its existence can merely be a
medium, not an aim. However, in Gotot's work we can see an
attempt not to let the subjects become a mere medium. In this
sense, his painting is not then trapped in the aesthetical
problem although this problem looks like being taken care of in a
number of his works.

For example, through Tebang Habis Gotot tries to unveil the
condition of the forest which has turned into a desert because of
the actions of some greedy people. The scenery presented in this
painting is a barren plain of land, while the rest of the forest
will still be felled entirely by a number of monster-looking
figures. According to Gotot this tragic scenery is not only a
fantasy, but a reality he had seen in person when he was in East
Kalimantan.

"The Dayak community has no forests any more although they
were born in the forest environment. Facing this reality they
tried living like nomads, moving between places, but at this
moment that is not possible any more, the land has been made into
concessions. Sad and painful, because these are human deeds, and
the victims are also human," said Gotot.

In his other paintings like Penculikan (Kidnapping), Tragedi
Trisakti (Trisakti Tragedy), Lapar (Hungry) and Cafe Gaul
(Friendship Cafe) for example, we are presented with actual
themes, both social as well as political problems.

Penculikan shows a sequence of a drama or a kidnap scene
through three different setting planes. The first plane shows a
group of people in the darkness, the second plane shows a figure
ready to ambush, while the third plane suggests a setting of a
lock-up.

While Tragedi Trisakti shows a number of figures, topsy-turvy,
filling the whole canvas, with a share of contrast and light
colors here and there. But, because of the rosy color, the
atmosphere of the tragedy is not too obvious. This painting
performs as a "nice-to-look at-painting". The same case can be
found in his other paintings too, like Lapar or Duduk.

Beside paintings, Gotot also presents a number of installation
works. In his installation entitled Sampah (Rubbish) we are
presented with metaphorical idioms which are not too difficult to
catch. Several drums of garbage are put in a row, then in each
drum there is a television set propped with garbage of the print
media. Aren't these media in this information age becoming merely
garbage of life ?

In a society where information media appear very greedy
attacking community, their presence has no value, just like
"garbage". We are experiencing this reality now. We are besieged
by the media, then we are faced with a number of options which
are confusing. Should we be trapped by it we would become part of
that "garbage". The meaning is implied in Gotot's installation.

Beside Sampah there are two other installations, Paket
(Package) and Mural Kenyah that present a metaphor which bears a
number of interpretations. In Paket is presented a container
filled, among other things, with a television set and a number
of animal skeletons. What kind of warning Gotot wants to send
through this installation is not easy to catch.

While in Mural Kenyah the message appears clearer, presenting
a kind of visual essay about the situation faced by the Kenyah
Dayak culture. In this installation the garbage drum is still
used as an idiom, then on it a slide projector spotlights a view
sequence in Kalimantan which has turned into a desert while the
Kenyah community mural ornaments are presented to accompany the
view setting, suggesting a destroyed culture.

Gotot Prakosa is not a new name in the visual art circles or
in the world of audio visual. Beside being a lecturer on the
Artistic and Animation system in the Film and Television FFTV
department, IKJ, he also is known as a writer on films in several
media, a cartoonist and film-maker.