Walking Around In The Night (Salatiga)

It was cold and raining that night. But i decided to walk around the town to see what's happening in Salatiga at night. Not much changing since i left this city and moved to Bali. Some chinese old buildings still standing, and some are replaced with the modern one.

The smell of the rain on the ground mixed with the smell of boiled ginger from the "ronde stall" and spicy flavor of fried rice, accompany me along the way. Old people talking in front of their shop that about to closed, some others playing chess. Sick people looking for "Jamu" to cure their illness. The old bummer sleeping without blanket and bed. an Empty market! and some walls full of gravity.

well, i quiet enjoy that freezing night!

The Analog Photographer #1

So, on my previous blog i mention about a project "BW LAUNDRY" and we are about to have an exhibition at Lingkara...  Now, i would like to introduce each of the photographer! Let's start with Kass Sudrajat. 

My first meeting with him was about 5 months ago, when we were joined the 10R Animus Essay Photo Exhibition. He's a father of 2 beautiful girls. Had lots of analog cameras and really enthusiast in photgraphy and cooking. He's doing well in italian food! So, here is the biography of Kass Sudrajat. Unfortunately, i'm not allowed to publish his works before the opening of EUNOIA...  Be patient, i will make different post about the artworks later on.........

KASS SUDRAJAT

In 1999 I bought Nikon f100 with lens nikkor 28-200, this was a time when im totally own the camera, as previously I just admire and borrowed from my friend.

Many years at the back when I was a small kid, I was really love to see my uncle using the camera with big lens and I just hold it but really no idea of many button and some number on it, most of the time he just ask me to buy a film with 100 or 200 0r 400 asa without any doubt what’s those number mean?

Since then back again to 1999, its always with me to go anywhere any occasion always bring a camera ( I found it those days with a big camera I feel more cool, even though the result is a big question ). Most of my friend called me “Mr blurred Photographer”

But then I get used with it, it’s a part of my A list in my bag, with many various film, color or bw, or slide (positive), those days to by a film is available everywhere.

I learn it from the book mostly, very rare to ask my friend for technical things, the more I spend a roll film exposed the more I know the result, and start to post to magazine in dubai ( I was work there ), and really happy as my picture was in “Photography Middle east “ Magazine.

In 2004 I moved to Bangkok, and jobless I just have the camera which is I think I can make a money with it, as I bring it everywhere even though In party ect, I met the guy who own a night life magazine called “Partisan” since then I became a photographer for night life or even in Bangkok.

Then I m doing a free lance photographer at “lifestyle and Travel magazine” base in Bangkok, then im exploring more about Bangkok ect.

In 2006 Im back to Indonesia, work again in Hospitality industry then its very seldom I use the camera for daily activity, as there is not enough time to do photography. Also the digital era is really happen film camera is far behind.

In 2008 im back again in bali and meet POPO, and his friend in bali who still keen about analog camera later those community called “ SUKU ANALOG”, then its start again “ the golden age “ to use my camera again, until now ….

photo taken by me with 550d canon digital camera. loc: beratan lake

photo taken with 550d canon digital camera. loc: beratan lake

BACK TO FILM PHOTOGRAPHY

Film Photography for some people is like such a waste of time and energy. For us, a group of friends with a shared interest in film photography;  it’s about excitement when we pressed the shutter and counts 36 frames only on one roll. And we find it surprised to see the result of 36 frames. Sometimes it's as we expected, sometimes is not.

So, now we had darkrooms being opened in Lingkara PhotoArt Gallery in Denpasar at the moment, for the first time in years. And we’re running a project called LAUNDRY BW WORKSHOP. Here we learn about chemical to develop the negative film and chemical for paper photo; learn how to develop the negative film; experiments with the enlarger for priting the photo, and lots more.

As the result of this workshop, we will exhibited our photographs that everything done by ourselves, from taking picture, develop the negative film and print it on paper in the darkroom. This exhibition will be held on December 13th 2014 and entitled "EUNOIA" means beautiful thinking.

For us, photography is not about how good and bad your photos, but it’s about how we understand the process of creating the photos from the scratch. From capturing moment with the analog camera, processing the negative and print the it on paper in the dark room. We love taking pictures in all it’s form, and film photography is not an old fashioned one, but it’s about back to our soul.

dua manusia canggung bertemu

tak saling mengucap sapa

hanya mencuri tatap

ada banyak cerita 

ingin dibagi

ada sebentuk rindu

ingin dipeluk

ada cinta

urung diungkap

ahh...

manusia pemalu dan pengecut

hanya mampu berharap 

di sudut angan

19092014

‘Home’, Upadana’s take on self, identity | The Jakarta Post

‘Home’, Upadana’s take on self, identity

BY RICHARD HORSTMAN ON 2014-05-28

The most creative of Bali’s contemporary artists, keen to create their own individual “voice”, have developed their own style by returning to age-old symbols and representing them with a stroke of fresh aesthetic gloss.



One of Bali’s most dynamic young artists, Wayan Upadana, a well-known name on the national stage thanks to his sculpture work, only began to focus on exhibiting his 2-D works in recent years.



Upadana’s third solo exhibition, Home, which includes 14 paintings in acrylic on canvas and watercolors on paper, went on display on May 26 at the Ganesha Gallery in the Four Seasons Resort in Jimbaran.



“My sculptures require a lot of time. Care and attention is needed during planning and construction,” Upadana said.



“Painting, however, allows me to explore ideas spontaneously. Making sculptures is more controlled and restrictive; therefore, I really enjoy the smaller format.”



Born in Gianyar in 1983, Upadana is a graduate of the Indonesian Art Institute (ISI) in Yogyakarta, majoring in sculpture, and he often appears in some of the most prestigious group exhibitions held in Indonesia. A regular finalist in major recent art awards, Upadana’s name is often bounded about by art lovers, critics and collectors alike.



Having spent 10 years in Yogyakarta while studying at ISI, living outside the complexities of his traditions, Upadana became adept at self-observation and being critical of his Balinese Hindu culture. Becoming increasingly sensitive to the social, cultural and environmental changes confronting him and his island, Upadana’s works boast aesthetic quality as well as having something relevant to say.



“Home communicates from the two different spaces in my imagination, from the personal and emotional to the collective, combining social, cultural and environmental values,” he said.



“While home is the theme of exhibition, it is derived from the question ‘who am I?’.”



“The figures in these paintings are a meeting of modern culture with Balinese mythology. The topeng [mask], along with other traditional or philosophical symbols represent virtues of tradition while being positioned in a composition that identifies with the modern world.”



In Passion 2014, the Barong mask is juxtaposed with items from the contemporary consumer world and is complete with a body suited in a jacket. Yet, the barong’s eyes are studying these modern items while grinning with joy.



In The Wise Man and his Lucky Bird 2014, Upadana creates a parody of the wise talking spiritual guru. While The Devotee of the Material 2014 and Looking For Peace 2012 emphasizes obsession with material possessions.



Upadana’s images communicate with an array of emotions, being poignant and humorous, playful and contemplative. However, in Relax Time 2014, the subject — a male with a pig’s head, the pig a metaphor for the human greed — communicates from a place of power and arrogance.



Works such as The Devotee of the Material and Looking for Peace are more complex, whereby he attempts to obscure the meaning of each symbol by fusing them together. While Upadana is not out to denounce modern culture he accentuates that the preoccupation with the material world he is witnessing needs to be given much greater critical consideration.



Home continues until July 23 at the Ganesha Gallery, Four Seasons Resort, in Jimbaran.

one beautiful morning in Lovina

My friends Tata, came from Jakarta to Bali for her friend's wedding party in Singaraja. So, she asked me if i can drive her to there. And of course i would love to. Singaraja is one of my fave spot in Bali.

So there we go... 

it took 4 hours to get to Singaraja. We came from Denpasar at 11 am and arrived in Singaraja at 3pm. Singajara is located in the top north of Bali island. And has a beautiful places to visit, like buleleng harbour, chinese temple, vihara at the banjar village, hot spring banjar, gitgit waterfall and lovina beach.

So, the wedding party was great, good food, good wedding singer, and beautiful couple with balinese wedding suit. We were at the wedding until 4.30 pm.

We just think, okay it was not possible to drive back to denpasar, since it's already late and i'm so tired to drive back four more hours. So, unplanned, accidentaly we had to stay one night at Singaraja. Which was a perfect decision we've ever made! We try to find a cheap accommodation, and we found one! So glad that i have so many good friends in Bali, who could always help me in any situation, including helping me at that moment to find good and cheap accommodation and of course to introduce me to one of the "dolphins guide tour". Yes! Dolphins Tour in Lovina beach is one of the best attraction that Singaraja could offer! 

We had to woke up really early in the morning to see this gorgeous dolphins and to see the mesmerizing sunrise from the sea! The tour starts at 6 am, with the boat that could fit for 6 person include the guide. It was only cost us 60.000 rupiah for 2,5 hours tours, to see the dolphins and the sea garden.

It was sooooooooooooo amazing! we were so happy that morning!

yes, we were so lucky that so many dolphins showed up that morning.

I will definitely go back to lovina one day to meet the dolphins!!!

Happy Tummy Happy Me