Artist : Community of People with Physical Challenges
Genre : Painting
Period : February 1 till March 31
Everyday, 8.00AM to 8.00PM
Location: Café Hanoman Juice Ja
Jl. Hanoman 44, Ubud.
Tel: 977917
Within any group exhibition one expects to find a subtle repeating motif which unites the work, or, put in another way, an underlining curatorial decision that presents a particular point of view. Currently, at the Café Hanoman Juice Ja in Ubud, the Community of People with Physical Challenges have organized a group show that asks us to put aside any preconceived ideas we might hold about artists who are physically challenged, and requests us to view this exhibition, as the name of the show suggests, as the work of “Normal Artists”.
Due to the great disparity in style and genre found in the show I find it difficult to say that this is a successful group exhibition. Sadly, this show lacks a curatorial direction and the result is a collection of images that have slight relevance to each other. Billed, perhaps instead, as a show to promote the diversity and skills of physically challenged artists I would have warmed to it more, for there is no denying that each of the chosen artists demonstrates within their genre a remarkable degree of proficiency and talent that would rival any artist.
But, for this group exhibition, it is hard to overlook that the artists gathered together (Putu Suriati, Wayan Damai, Made Tempo, Gede Naya, Wayan Piadnya, Nyoman Budiarta, Ketut Budiarsa, Wayan Tono, Wayan Purnawan, Ketut Sri, Dewa Adnyana and Holis Sudin) have little in common except for the fact that they are all physically challenged.
Having offered what I consider to be a satisfactory enough critique for the group exhibition, I hasten to add that this show does contain many moments of pleasure. Two paintings that caught my eye, and will have some readers wondering where on earth Dr. Rob is coming from, are “Astronot” by Dewa Adnyana and “Kucing” by Wayan Purnawan.
Possibly deriving from a NASA type photograph, or a still from a Sci-Fi movie, “Astronot” is a highly rendered and highly detailed piece of Pop Art “Super-Realism”. Caught in an acute “Dutch tilt” camera angle, the head and shoulders of an astronaut are seen floating against the blackness of outer space. Reflected in the astronaut’s shining helmet visor can be seen another astronaut adrift in the vastness. Maybe a rescue operation is underway. The action of the painting is highly cinematic, and the viewer feels we are witnessing a moment of heightened tension and drama. Wonderful paintings like this remind us that we are living through the Dawn of the Space Age, and that the conquest of Outer Space is the Great Romantic Adventure of our times.
“
Kucing” is a work of cloying sentimentality, but in the Post-Jeff Koon world of contemporary art sentimentality is “in” and kitsch is “hip”. In this painting three adorable kittens are grouped around a goldfish in its bowl. They are placed on a Victorian table with a crocheted lace runner. In the background are puffy pillows and drapes. It is all very romantic, and my initial reaction is to completely disregard the work. Closer examination of the painting, however, reveals that something much more interesting is going on. While the kittens, goldfish and bowl are meticulously painted, the background is left fuzzy and indistinct. This device draws attention to the subject of the painting. Here the angle of a paw, the curve of a tail or the swish of a goldfish fin moves the eye in a circular motion around the central group, but never allows the eye to wander off to other areas of the painting. We are forced over and over again to take in the action that is occurring around the bowl. Suddenly these cute kittens do not look that sweet after all. In fact, they are downright evil. They are depicted at the very moment when they are about to kill the fish for what seems to be the fun of it! Obviously derived from a print, or a genre painting, the artist has highlighted the crucial action to make us see below the surface value of the image. As a metaphor for the callousness of life or the arbitrary machinations of fate, what appears as a harmless sentimental painting actually carries quiet a subliminal punch.
While I am reluctant to endorse this show as a successful group exhibition I can, and will, enthusiastically recommend it as a stirring example of the power of all artists to harness their creative energies, and to find expression no matter what particular liabilities they may be suffering.
