Margono sees colors of life in Jakarta shacks

Margono sees colors of life in Jakarta shacks

By Stevie Emilia

JAKARTA (JP): Gleaming skyscrapers may be the foundation of
Jakarta's proud image as a metropolis.

Its less picturesque face of slums and rows of squalid shacks
along riverbanks is ever annoying to city officials -- and ever
fascinating to artists.

To painter Margono, whose exhibition Kumuh (Indonesian for
dirt) is on until Sunday at the Taman Ismail Marzuki arts center,
"slums cannot be separated (from the capital) and have become an
integral part of one's life".

Realities of life along the riverbanks are clearly portrayed
in pieces such as Jakarta, in which high-rises stand arrogantly
in the background, ignoring all that goes on below.

The 35-year-old artist is inspired by his daily experiences,
but he realizes he is in the fortunate position of observer.

"I often pass a smelly river, but people actually live
there ... "

Kumuh is the word always cited by city planners to justify the
resettlement of slum residents to low-cost apartments.

Ignoring that prejudiced view, Margono shares a fascination of
the dynamic life inside these public eyesores, which, ironically,
are often a rainbow of colors.

"In my opinion, even though those buildings are just shacks,
there is still hope for those living in them."

Aside from his oil paintings, the exhibit includes four crayon
works and two sketches.

Margono plays with reds, yellows and blues in the crayons,
while his slums in the sketches are more intricate.

He also paints other parts of the urban tableau -- pollution,
poverty and land appropriation.

Transportasi Rakyat (People's Transportation) has the
traditional wooden raft often used by riverbank dwellers to cross
to the other side.

Simplicity

Its simplicity is contrasted with a surrounding circle of
cars, a reminder that they are one of the main causes of
horrendous air pollution.

Kenangan I (Memory I), and Kenangan II (Memory II) are
nostalgic snapshots of what the Senen triangle was like before
one phase of its development. The latter shows the desolate
rubble of a house torn down in the name of improvement.

Unlike other painters who can support themselves through their
art, Margono must earn his living through teaching.

He is employed at the Saint Theresia elementary school and
kindergarten in Central Jakarta, and also gives private drawing
courses for children.

"Painting needs a lot of money," he said. "I am grateful that
many people are willing to help me in my work, such as the
students at the Jakarta Institute of Arts who lend me art books."

Margono, who has exhibited publicly since 1983, plans more
solo events. Expect another one based on Kumuh, he said, but this
one won't feature shabby buildings.

"I plan to feature it from the other side, from its people.

"There are people whose souls are dirty, such as those
involved in corruption."