Only half the picture seen in Britain, RI photo display

By K. Basrie

JAKARTA (JP): Dual photo exhibitions are common. But when photographers from geographically and culturally different nations turn their lens on the other's land, the results should rank as a must-see.

Face to Face: Indonesia and Britain, the ongoing exhibition of 91 black-and-white pictures, is bound to draw comments from visitors, be they locals, Britons or other nationals.

Reactions may be positive or negative.

During the opening ceremony on Friday evening, an Indonesian woman in her 60s nervously questioned: "Hey, why are the Indonesian pictures on display mostly about women and schoolgirls in jilbab (Moslem head coverings) in the remote villages?"

Organized by the British Council to mark its 50th anniversary, the Dec. 11 to Dec. 18 exhibition sets out to show how two Indonesian photographers view British culture and education, and, conversely, the perspective of two British counterparts on Indonesia.

Judging from the photography skill, there is no doubt all four snappers -- Hariyanto, Andi Kurniawan, Lucy Davies and Tina Norris -- used formidable talent in recording journeys through the countries.

The prints and frames with corresponding colors add strength to photojournalistic-style pictures, sending vivid messages on how "strange" eyes spot "strange" views.

Objects are carefully framed and composed.

Take in Hariyanto's picture of three couples hugging and kissing on the lawn of Holyrood park in Edinburgh.

The couples are situated in three different spots, lined up from the upper left to the lower right of the photo. The falling sunset from the right enriches the romantic scene, which was shot from behind the pairs.

At first glance, it appears the picture was carefully arranged.

"This one I took without the couples' noticing," Hariyanto, who now works for Panji Masyarakat weekly, told The Jakarta Post.

Backgrounds of most of the photos are beautifully chosen, or set up, to support the meaning in a bid to meet the focus of the exhibition.

Davies' Kid in Front of Women Praying is a prime example. Many photographers or exhibition organizers would prefer to crop the photo to achieve powerful, "more focused" picture without too many confusing details in the background. Forget about the title, the message of this picture is clear in drinking in the entire atmosphere -- sandals, handbags, shops, and those pointedly not praying -- of a Moslem prayer service at a mosque in Jombang, East Java.

As all the photographers have worked for print media, the angles are also varied.

Lubis, a photographer of Medan-based Analisa daily in North Sumatra, for example, chose a low-angle when he took the picture of an elderly Moslem reading the Koran in Middlesbrough.

Light filtering in through the big window in the background provides a solid silhouette of the bearded man.

The photos in this brilliantly conceived exhibition are dominated by the laughter of boys and girls, who naturally enjoy hearing the click of a camera or flash of the blitz.

Indonesia is more than Java and Bali (Davies and Norris were assigned by the organizers to the two islands) and Britain is not only the West Country, Teeside, Newcastle, Edinburgh and London, but the photos do represent several aspects, or perhaps differences, about Indonesian and British culture and education.

But visitors should not expect too much of an insight.

There are no photos of British teenagers with pairs of rings piercing the rims of their ears or nose, or a metal stud in their tongue.

There are no downtrodden beggars shuffling along with dirty blankets and nasty dogs on the streets of London, Cardiff or Edinburgh. No shot of the crowds lined up for a Shakespeare play, nor a single glimpse of the neon lights of bustling, famed Soho.

British students in this photo exhibition are all in smart attire, attending schools which provide great free lunches.

"Yes, they (the organizers) took us only to the good schools and we only had one day in London," Hariyanto said.

"Worse still, of our two-week trip to the U.K., the sun only appeared for three days."

Indonesia is represented in images of scarfed girls, poorly constructed schools, shabbily dressed young students, remote villages and street boys of the capital.

No place here for photos illustrating Indonesia's diverse religious and ethnic mosaic, or student brawls in the cities, street protests or the daily life of many villagers.

The British Council's arts and publicity officer, Markus S. Hadipurnomo, acknowledged the venture is the first photo activity organized by the council.

Hopefully, future endeavors will represent more facts of the cultural and education aspects of both countries to Indonesians and Britons, without the impression that something is being hid.