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.