Yogyakarta artist likens reform to fashion trend

Yogyakarta artist likens reform to fashion trend

By Putu Wirata

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): "Reform", which, as a word proper and a
yell, is expected to bring about a change for the better in our
social and political lives, and after Soeharto's fall, it has
been shouted by Indonesians in places across the country.

Unfortunately, it is nothing but fashion. At least, that is
how the word is perceived by Yamyuli Dwi Iman, a Yogyakarta-based
graphic painter, whose works are currently being exhibited at the
Chedi Gallery in Ubud by the Cemeti Arts House in Yogyakarta. The
exhibition will last through to the end of February 2000.

It is a sociopolitical fact that it is not easy for the
Indonesian people to lift themselves out of the crisis which has
affected practically all aspects of life, as manifested in moral
decadence with large-scale practices of corruption, collusion and
cronyism, acts of violence committed by both the powers that be
and the uncontrollable masses and also the yet-to-be-successful
enforcement of the supremacy of the law.

"To my way of seeing, people shout the word "reform" just to
turn the word into a new piece of clothing of sorts," said
Yamyuli, 39.

Yamyuli completed his fine arts education at Yogyakarta Arts
High School and then the Indonesia Arts Institute, both in
Yogyakarta, majoring in pure arts.

In the exhibition entitled Reforfashion, most of the works
exhibited can be visually comprehended as "clothes". Reform began
to emerge as a political discourse after the acute economic
crisis began to hit Indonesia and when rupiah dropped in value to
almost Rp 20,000 to the U.S. dollar. The reform drive could
mobilize all social components to oust the New Order regime from
its seat of power.

After Soeharto relinquished power, reform euphoria swept
practically all over the country. The emergence of BJ Habibie as
the successor to Soeharto allowed freedom of the press, something
which had never been enjoyed during the period of the Soeharto's
tenure. In the Habibie period, a number of political convicts and
detainees were freed and a broader public space for expression
and the freedom to establish political parties was allowed.
However, the reform remained rhetoric as the Habibie reform
regime left a number of problems unsolved.

Even after the general election, considered the most
democratic ever held in this country, resulted in Abdurrahman
Wahid and Megawati Soekarnoputri being elected president and vice
president respectively, the tug-of-war between the real reform
and the reform in guise continued and is ongoing. The yells for
reform are shouted by just about anybody -- people who aspire to
enforce the law in accordance with the people's mandate or those
who pretend to take sides with the people but actually are
tricking them and manipulating their aspirations. Yamyuli
satirically alludes to this situation when presenting reform as
simply a fashion, or as clothes that cover the body and a
rhetoric decorating the lips.

Take Reforfashion 1-6, for example. These works feature a half
body of a man donning a smart dress and smart tie. The man sports
a neat moustache and his tie is decorated with pictures of a car,
a woman, a knife and many other items. Reforfashion 6 is the
picture of a whole body of a woman wearing a gown with a flower
motif, showing beauty and tenderness. However, beneath her there
is a picture of two persons -- which may be interpreted as
military officers -- standing erect and placing one of their
hands on top of a standing rifle.

In Reforfashion 4, which is printed on hardboard, Yamyuli
shows how a dress becomes a vulgar ornament on a woman's body.
Set against a dark blue background, the slim body of a woman,
dark gray in color, is wearing a dress in vulgarly striking
colors and styles. Red, yellow, white, violet, the part that is
hanging, the exposure of beautifully white calves and thighs and
the long and slender shoulders -- all of these are sufficient to
illustrate how Yamyuli has captured sociopolitical phenomena
quoting the discourse of reform in their rhetorics. A woman's
dress with vulgar colors and in an odd fashion ignore its
function to protect and maintain the beauty of the shape of a
body. It is like the rhetoric of reform which has lost its
essence and moved away from its substance.

Indeed, it is not easy to understand Yamyuli's messages or
comprehend his perception or criticisms about reform from these
works. One may only see that there are results of various dresses
now in fashion in the community but may find it difficult to
understand the symbol of reform used as a topic of discussion in
his works. Perhaps, this is the presentation of the refined
Javanese culture in which criticism is launched indirectly and a
satire is presented in a refined manner to ensure the target will
not be offended. This criticism is as refined as the Bedhaya
Javanese classic dance.