Only half the picture seen in Britain, RI photo display

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.