'Warna Trotoar' -- colors of urban community

'Warna Trotoar' -- colors of urban community

Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Suwito, 42, blinked his eyes after the Jakarta deputy governor
Fauzi Bowo officially opened "Warna Trotoar" (Sidewalk Color), a
painting exhibition by Jakarta sidewalk painters on Sunday
evening.

When I met him on Tuesday at the exhibition venue, Galeri
Cipta II in the Taman Ismail Marzuki arts center complex, he
still expressed his disbelief.

"This is a dream come true. We are very proud of this
exhibition. Thank to the Jakarta administration," he said.

For most of the sidewalk painters, this is not their first
painting exhibition. However, the exhibition at the Taman Ismail
Marzuki is their first experience.

This new experience will likely pave a way for these
marginalized artists to enter mainstream of the Indonesian art
community.

Suwito, who uses S. Wito as his commercial name, is one of 60
painters participating in the exhibition. He and his fellow
painters are known as "pelukis pinggir jalan" (sidewalk painters)
because they earn money painting sidewalks next to the Jakarta
Art Hall in Pasar Baru.

Life as a sidewalk painter, however, is not easy.

They have to adapt with the scorching light, the dust, the
traffic pollution and the rain -- not to mention the angry faces
of the Jakarta administration's security and order guards who
often instruct them to "clean up" the sidewalk for pedestrians.

Despite all these unfavorable conditions, their creations are
no less tasteful than those of painters who create pictures from
a serene and fully air conditioned room.

Look at the picture of Menghajar Da Vinci (Assault on Da
Vinci) by Hudi Alfa.

The picture of Monalisa is almost identical with that of
Leonardo Da Vinci, except she is made out of its frame.
Meanwhile, a kris (Javanese dagger) tears apart the canvas.

Hudi said that the inspiration to create the painting comes
from his admiration of Da Vinci.

"This painting shows that any attempt to tear apart Mona Lisa
will be fruitless, because Mona Lisa will always exist. The
painting is immortal," he said.

Many of the paintings present an artistic sense of high
quality, but some others fail to show any artistic taste at all.

Wito, who is coordinator of the sidewalk artists, portrayed
people's hope for better conditions through Merajut Harapan
(Weaving Hope).

The painting shows six frames, featuring pictures of people
crying -- from an infant to an old person.

At the end of the frames, an elementary school student gazes
to the horizon, trying to look at the sunrise -- the symbol of
people's hope.

Some painters also feature portraits of public figures,
including American movie star Clint Eastwood, singer Reza, body
builder Ade Ray, Bunda Theresa (Mother Theresa), Muslim cleric Aa
Gym, national hero General Sudirman, founding president Sukarno
and his successors.

The figure of Nobel laureate Albert Einstein and Iran leader
Ayatollah Khomeini also become objects for the painter.

Some painters also portray the life of common people through
their paintings.

Dol Tinuku/Pasar (Market) by Eko Bhandoyo portrays activities
in a market while Menyusui Anak (Breastfeeding a Child) by Fathul
Muin tells the natural expression of a mother breastfeeding her
infant.

For visitors, the painting exhibition probably gives nothing
new, but for the sidewalk painters it is a recognition of their
existence in the art community.

As Catholic scholar Mudji Sutrisno has said, a metropolis does
not grow from shopping malls or modern buildings, but also from
the numerous sidewalks in the city. We hope this painting
exhibition will become a starting point for further appreciation
of many other sidewalk arts.

Warna Trotoar painting exhibition
Galeri Cipta II, Taman Ismail Marzuki,
Jl. Cikini Raya 73, Central Jakarta
May 8 through May 19