Simple yet aesthetic, the photos of Boediardjo

Simple yet aesthetic, the photos of Boediardjo

By Amir Sidharta

JAKARTA (JP): In the past, I used to see Boediardjo taking
pictures with his Leica at cultural events in Jakarta. However,
until recently, I had never seen his photographs.

When I was asked to write a short article for a book of his
photographs last year, I finally saw his photographs. As it
turned out, Pak Boed's photographs reflected his highly observant
perspective in choosing subjects to photograph. His diverse
interest and concern was also reflected in the subject of his
photographs, which ranged from daily life to Indonesian cultural
heritage, as well as the military.

In addition, Pak Boed seemed to be straightforward in his
work. He did not attempt to beautify the scenery he captured on
film. Everything was presented as it appeared. However it was
clear that they were presented with a high consideration for
aesthetics, so his photographs always appeared sound and
interesting.

His straightforward approach in photography was certainly
related to his role as a military figure. Since 18 years old, he
had been familiar with the military world.

Two years later, he was involved in a military assault in
Singapore. In 1943, in Magelang, Pak Boed succeeded in capturing
a railroad station from the Japanese. In 1945, he was asked to
join the Badan Keamanan Rakyat/Tentara Keamanan Rakyat Udara
(People's Security Council/ People's Security Army) Air Force
Divison in Yogyakarta. The next year he joined the Army, and then
was recruited back to the Air Force in 1947. In approximately 20
years, he worked his way up the career ladder until he reached
his final rank of vice marshal.

Pak Boed's role in building and developing the Indonesian
military certainly provided him with a sense of pride. This could
clearly be seen in his photographs of military ceremonies.

His concern about daily life in Indonesia was reflected in his
photograph which shows young women wearing veils who were looking
out from a window of a simple prayer house constructed of exposed
bricks. It is an attractive contrast between the human figures
appearing from the dark chamber, framed within the window, and
the texture of the regular but coarse brick wall. It was clear
that the photographer intended to feature the image as it
appeared, without any intention of beautifying it.

Nonetheless, his photography still had many aesthetic aspects.
Beauty was presented through his choice of angle and lighting.

His concern with the life of the disenfranchised was usually
expressed indirectly. His subject matter was placed in a larger
context. For example, a simple shack with a deteriorating tile
roof was shown in front of the Prambanan Temple complex in
Yogyakarta. What he related to his viewers was not just the
simple shack, but its relationship with the environment. Now the
story became clear, as there were no longer any houses within the
Taman Wisata Candi Prambanan (Prambanan Temple Park). It seemed
that Pak Boed wanted to express his concern over what was going
to happen with the residents of the shack when the park project
started.

Those who know Pak Boed also know that he had a close
relationship with Borobudur. Seventy-five years ago, Pak Boed was
born in the village of Tingal, Borobudur, not far from Candi
Borobudur.

Since the 1980s he paid special attention to his birthplace.
Finally, he conceived of Pondok Tingal, his own retreat which was
available for use by tourists. Candi Borobudur was also one of
the main subject matter in his photography. In one of his
photographs, he recorded the solar eclipse which happened above
Java in the 1980s with Candi Borobudur. Placed on the bottom of
the image's composition, Borobudur became a symbol of the earth.

Boediardjo was also familiar with Yogyakarta and figures at
its cultural center. This could be seen in his photograph of
Affandi. This artist, a monument of modern Indonesian art, was
depicted wearing a blue T-shirt and woven sarong, squatting while
making a sketch using chalk on the cement floor.

Another Yogyakarta figure, Umar Kayam, was shown as Rahwana in
a Javanese wayang orang costume. With wit, Pak Boed showed a
different side of well-known public figures.

National borders mean diversity to this cultural figure.
Therefore, in the Museum Wayang (Puppet Museum), which he
conceptualized and realized in 1974, not only Indonesian wayang
were displayed, but also many forms of wayang from other Asian
countries. There were even Punch and Judy puppets in the museum.

An Indian version of the Mahabharata wayang orang was in
Boediardjo's collection. The beauty of the costume that was worn
in the performance of Kathakali was shown in attractive
compositions presenting the figures Duryudana and Drupadi.

In 1965, Boediardjo became the Indonesian ambassador to
Cambodia, and in 1976 he became ambassador to Spain. Many of his
photographs came from his experiences in Spain. Pendekar Konyol
dari Spanyol (Silly Warrior from Spain) was the original title
of a picture of a Don Quixote statue, also a kind of wayang from
Spain. This photograph showed Don Quixote with his head tilted up
and mouth open, as if he were shocked. His thick eyebrows,
prominent nose, thick moustache and wavy beard, all enhance his
humorous aspects. Someone placed a pair of modern spectacles on
his face, making him seem even more silly.

Although he had a sincere concern with the preservation and
conservation of culture in Indonesia, he was by no means
ethnocentric. Any subject which interested him had the potential
of becoming subject matter in his photographs. Boediardjo's
photographs, recorded in Fotografi Boediardjo (Penerbit AIA,
1996) showed that this son, from the village of Tingal, had a
global view.

When he exhibited his works on the occasion of his 75th
birthday in November last year, I was surprised to find that the
photographs that were displayed in the exhibition were even
stronger than those which appeared in the book. Yet, the book
remains a lasting memory of Pak Boed's life, oeuvre and vision.
Boediardjo, former minister of information, passed away last
Saturday.