Kadarisman explores transvestite fashion

Christina Schott, Contributor, Jakarta

Photographer Paul Kadarisman is courageous. He is holding his first solo exhibition with two experiments. First, he chose the Polaroid size, and second he has two transvestites as models for his pictures in the style of fashion photography.

"It is very good, that at least somebody approached this subject not via the usual cliches as sex, drugs or disease, but via the positive sight of their fashion and attitude. It should be an experiment to be further explored," says Firman Ichsan, himself a well-known fashion photographer and curator of the exhibition.

The exactly 100 pictures show Baby and Resti with an amazing variety of costumes and makeup. Depending on lighting and the poses, the result strolls between nightclub and gala dinner, underground and haute couture. The one-day marathon shooting took place at a location near Taman Lawang park in Menteng, Central Jakarta, where the two transvestites often hang around at night.

"Since I stay in Menteng close to this neighborhood I have often seen them there on the street," Kadarisman says. "Normally people think only of prostitution, AIDS or other negative things when hearing the word transvestite. But they (the drag queens) also want to have fun and they always carry a very happy attitude towards other people. I wanted to catch this point of view and could not think of anything better than to express this via their colorful fashion."

Kadarisman, 29, known for his extravagant settings and lighting, graduated from the Institute of Arts Jakarta in 2001. Since 1998, he has taken part in exhibitions at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Photo Gallery Antara and the Oktagon Gallery. Last year he was chosen as "Young contemporary photographer of Jakarta" by Lucky Strike.

Kadarisman took the offer to participate in Pushing the limits, an exhibition series launched by the Japan Foundation, to realize his project.

The first exhibition Skyworkers, showed reportage photography by Didi Raharjo, focusing on the physical limits of human beings working at extreme situations. Now, in the second exhibition, Kadarisman tries out mental borders of both - its subjects and its observers.

"This exhibition is really interesting and has a very controversial impact," says Oscar Motuloh, director of Photo Gallery Antara. "And due to the small Polaroid size they cannot keep the distance. People are forced to come closer to have a dialog with the pictures about their content."

A visitor entering the Japan Foundation's Mini Gallery first might be irritated by the sight of the empty room. Although there are a hundred pictures lined up, they hardly fill two walls.

"I wanted to get a more private atmosphere: Because of the small format, people have to come close, like they are looking at a private photo album," says Kadarisman.

While studying the photos up close, one can certainly feel this effect. But to get the intimate feeling of being at a close friends' living room while watching his private album, it would require many more accessories at the gallery - at least some plants or other neutral decorations. The red Christmas candles on top of the frames do not make up for this shortfall and the pictures seem somehow lost in space.

Still there is a second reason justifying the format. "Usually Polaroid is used by professional photographers as a proof before they start their real shooting. I always find it very hard to get this first spontaneous moment of the proof back again in the following photographs," says Kadarisman.

"Especially for this experimental shooting, I once wanted to use only Polaroid."

On several of the photos, it is not clear if the model is a transvestite or a woman. "Those pictures, where one does not think about the gender anymore are the best," Firman Ichsan says.

"The ones, where the models still try to be more feminine than a woman, produce an artificial attitude. But in fashion photography, usually everything distracting from the fashion has to be eliminated - also details giving a link to the social environment."

Oscar Motuloh though sees the focus on the personality as a challenge. "The character of the models becomes more important, their expression and attitude dominate the scene," he said.

The models themselves are very pleased with the result. It is very exciting to be suddenly focused in the context of arts, Baby and Resti said, both having experienced discrimination against transvestites.

"But the best thing is that the people coming here and seeing these photos are the same as you find at every other art exhibition," Baby adds.

"They are not primarily interested in our social problems, but in the artistic work. So they do not judge us just as transvestites, but due to our presentation in the pictures - which really means a lot to us."

The photo exhibition will last until Oct. 21, 2003 at Galeri Mini, Japan Foundation, Summitmas I, 2nd floor, Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 61-62, Central Jakarta.