Photographer captures images of Balinese art
By Alpha Savitri
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Except for one small room in the Ksirarnawa Building, the month-long 23rd Bali Art Festival in Denpasar would have been just another routine annual event in which the arts were placed center stage.
In that room there is a display of some 40 photographs, recording important events in this annual art festival between 1991 and 2000. The pictures show how the festival, which opened on June 15, is not simply about the percussion, dancing and handicrafts on display.
For photographer Joko Sugianto, the events in the art festivals over one decade have allowed him to demonstrate his skills, the results of which are being shown in the exhibition titled Bali Dances.
Joko has explored and exploited the exoticism of this world- renowned island, and his works also reflect how the aura of peace within the area wooed him. The exhibition, sponsored by Fuji Film and the Bali chapter of the Alliance of Independent Journalists, focuses on the long-held image of Bali as an exotic, mysterious paradise.
Critics may note that not a single photograph presents the "unspoken" other side of Bali, away from the charmed images. For example, there are no tourism pictures depicting the expressions of dirty child food vendors mesmerized by their more fortunate peers appearing on the stage during an art festival.
Most pictures are records of stage performances, with the performers dressed in all their finery. But there is something special about this exhibition. Most of the pictures give a mystical impression, such as the dancers shot against a dark, somewhat ominous background.
Joko resorts to panning, a technique in photography usually used to record movement-rich sports events. This is a highly difficult technique suitable only for a master photographer.
Photos like Rangda, Barong and Sangyang cannot fail to impress the viewer with their rich movement and mysticism. In Ni Ketut Cenik, Joko has demonstrated his great photography skills. The world's only Joged Pingitan dancer, now elderly, appears on the stage, dancing with all her strength to show her mimicry, hand gestures and inscrutable expression.
"It is not without reason that I have called this exhibition Bali Dances. Dancing has movement as its main source. My photos present movement," Joko said.
The photos show Joko's patience in waiting for the right moment. To be able to get a good result, he must be willing to stand for hours for the split-second moment in a dance performance when all of the elements come together.
"I've got to look for it myself. It is no easy job but, as a photojournalist, I consider it my duty to find this momentary scene. Otherwise, I'll get frustrated," he added.
He instinctively feels when the climax of the performance is approaching.
"There are always moments when a dancer seems to have greater energy than usual so that whatever he or she does will mesmerize the audience. It is this very moment that I seek to record with my camera," said Joko.
Joko Sugianto is a self-taught photographer. A graduate in architecture from Udayana University in Bali, he has developed his love for photography since he was a university student. Every year, he would take his camera to the Bali Art Festival to record events of great interest to him, just because he loved photography.
Between 1994 and 1999, he worked for NUSA, a Bali-based newspaper, as a photojournalist. He became well known for his ability to capture stunning images from usually difficult subjects, particularly those with fast movement, such as soccer or equestrian sports.
In 1999 he joined the Bali Tribune, a Bali-based tourism magazine. His photographs, usually cultural in nature, appear in the magazine, often providing surprises for photography buffs.
To be able to concentrate fully on photography, he has opted for freelance work.
"I want to be free so that I can hunt for good pictures any time I want to. My short-term goal is to set up a photo gallery," Joko said.