Photo exhibition shows the surreal in the every day

Photo exhibition shows the surreal in the every day

By Aendra H. Medita

JAKARTA (JP): Two photographers from Germany and Indonesia
display their works, showing different angles that are both
inspiring and phenomenal.

The two photographers, Sigrun Janiel and Rama Surya, tend to
let their imagination run free in their works while at the same
time exposing spaces left untouched by most photographers.

And surprisingly, both have touched the reality of daily lives
amid ordinary objects captured in their works.

Photography, just like other reality in art, tends to build
independent aesthetic and meaning as shown in the works of the
two photographers being displayed at Galeri Milenium in South
Jakarta until Sept. 8.

Janiel, a German woman photographer who learned visual
communication with Prof. J. Bostrom and Prof. G. Heinemann at a
vocational institute where she received her diploma on photo and
film design in 1988, started her aesthetic experience with
journalistic photos, portraits and experimental works.

The 47-year-old lecturer of photography at the Graphic Design
Vocational Institute in Ravensburg, Germany, lives in Germany and
sometimes in Jakarta. She sharpened her ability to change
phenomena around her life. This included photographing a doll
factory in Tangerang, West Java, creating surrealism works of
art.

Although Janiel acknowledged it was difficult to photograph
the doll factory, in the end she produced complex works,
revealing adventure which was far from boring, but more a focused
search presented through imaginative, subjective surrealism
captured by her camera.

The captured objects build subjective surrealism which
eventually raises one's curiosity through the objects, especially
the broken dolls spread all over the factory's corners.

Her photos are left untitled, but to create certain images out
of the photos, she cited text taken from Wina Erich Fried's
poetry. Janiel said that both the photos and text retained their
own characters.

"Basically, the photos and text reveal spaces and events that
each wants to tell," said Janiel, who has had two solo
exhibitions in Jakarta since 1988.

Janiel's other works are subjective, but it makes one feel and
realize untouched spaces. The photos are far from simple at a
quick glance, since there are certain images and auras behind
them.

Janiel's work process might be tiring, but it offers her space
for new communication. But it can be said that such works tend to
be very European in nature as seen in the works of, among other
things, Man Ray, Silke Grosmann and Moholy Nagy.

Janiel's works are different from Rama Surya's. After
presenting present phenomena and social reality in the country
through his works Yang Kuat Yang Kalah (The Strongest, The Loser)
from 1996, the 30-year-old photographer is now trying to open
people's eyes to daily realities which have been left untouched
by most photographers.

Rama, who learned photography from the Bandung-based
Photography and Design Arts Institute (ISFD), does not only
present the political euphoria affecting the country, such as
capturing campaigning events, but also problems happening in
small corners.

Although his presentation is more like a note exposed after
being silenced for over 30 years, it seems like Rama wants to
express how the present social phenomena dream about prosperity,
freedom and democracy.

He reflected an ideal picture of painter Joko Pekik in Joko
Pekik Berburu Celeng, (Joko Pekik on Pig Hunting), which showed
Pekik creating a painting of a hunted pig after former president
Soeharto resigned from his position.

He also captured a street tailor working with a poster of
Megawati Soekarnoputri, the presidential candidate of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, and first president
Sukarno, Megawati's father, in the background.

Another work features a tattoo artist placing an ad of the
National Mandate Party's (PAN) chairman, Amien Rais, having an
arm wrestling contest with Soeharto with the slogan, Masih Kuat
(Still Powerful), which showed sharp irony.

Rama's works are strong and creative in unveiling small
matters. The reality of his works are social realism that open up
one's eyes to see social problems of urban people and more.

Rama reads complex reality and his objects make his works talk
without a need for further explanation while trying to remind one
to seek a figure that will set all Indonesians free.

The exhibition's curator, Hendro Wiyanto, said Janiel and
Rama's works represented real interpretation.

"In Janiel's works, one can clearly see symbolical
representation, while Rama's works show dynamic social
anxiety ...," Hendro said.