I have written here for more over than 3 years and this journal have recorded some of my thoughts and feeling but now and then I feel that sometimes it’s not good enough, then last week I decided to make my website. As blind as earthworm I try to build it bit by bit and of course incorporating all the elements I have here.
So here it goes, I’m outta here, please visit my blog at www.blog.ridzkinoviansyah.com and I promise to write more.
Cheers
R
Pictures of my last travel to Jogjakarta, in December 2009
Yesterday some of the people that I follow on twitter is buzzing about a certain photo-journalistic class, the class is already exceptional because it’s conducted in Rwanda, by the VII Photo Agency and conducted by none other that Gary Knight and Marcus Bleasdale, however people aren’t buzzing because they are excited about the opportunity. They are excited because one particular sentence which appear on the announcement, which I paste here
This workshop will be conducted using digital cameras only. All students are expected to supply their own cameras and lenses. Marcus and Gary really encourage you to come with one body and a 35mm lens or equivalent and a spare camera and lens. Zoom lenses are not really encouraged.
Can you guess which one make the ruckus?
Hint: it’s not the digital part.
Anyway I’ll be travelling to Jogjakarta and because of that line in the advertisement, I have decided to carry out an experimentation with my camera and the photographs resulted. It’s a call of revolution perhaps or a revival of a long lost idea.
It all began here and then I posted that article on my twitter and my editor began to ask me:
@trugiaz so what’s your perspective on the matter? re: moral article.
And I said I couldn’t write it in 140 words, nor do I wanted to make a series of lectures, so I suppose Notion is the place to go.
To start, I have no exact idea where the Indonesian’s obsession of morality come from; it could come from the last 32 years during the Soeharto era, it could come from the East tradition (respect your elders, your country etc), it could come from religions or it could be learn from the society or cultures. Anyway, as the article mentioned there are increasing number of obsession on morality and unfortunately this uphold of the morality is still pretty much a double standard issue.
Why double standard? because the people who impose such laws, governance or rules are immune of this moral code they passed. They expect people to follow them but they didn’t want to follow it by themselves. Take a look at the porn loving legislature, Arifinto. He keep porn in his tablet (that’s right sir, I don’t buy your so-called email link excuses), get caught watching it in a plenary session, forced to step down from his position and till this date he’s still in the parliament (waiting for recess period he said) and no police officer to take him to jail, but a man who make porn for himself (not distributing it) is caught and get 3.5 years in jail time. For more information this Arifinto is a member of the PKS (Justice and Prosperous Party) which pushed the Pornographic Bill (and according to this it’s illegal to posses, download and distribute pornographic material but not) to be legalized, then when this kind of incident happen they said that the action that he did (stepping down) is already more than enough.
and let’s leave that double standard issue with the infamous saying:
What. The. Fuck?
Let’s head back and see the questions that my editor is asking:
Is there a standard for morality?
In my opinion yes, there’s a standard. I believe that there are raw, unrefined values of morality that all the people in the world could agree regardless of their views or beliefs. As I understand it nowadays we have so many moral values surrounding us, these come in the form of religious dogma or logical consequences of our action however the principles behind it are the same. In Indonesia, this standards of morality or the raw, unrefined values of morality came in the form of Pancasila (the five principles) or to be precise it’s the 5 principles and its 45 points and I’d say that the best ever values known to mankind. Why? because since its birth it balances between the liberal view and the socialism, it also acknowledged religious values yet at the same time not taking side of one religious dogma.
Can moral virtues be taught in classes?
Again I would say yes, moral virtues can be taught in classes, however it would need more than just classroom to taught about morals. The homes, the parents are the first and foremost place and people responsible for teaching this moral virtues. A classroom, would act as a place for the children to practice their moral understanding by interacting with society (IMHO classroom/school is just a smaller model of society) and at the same time teaching them about the more complex understanding of morality. Returning from my point above I believe the values of Pancasila need to be taken in seriousness by the ministry of education, not only as a main subject to be taught but also a guideline on how to shape the future Indonesians.
In my final words, I would say that we now live in a strange time and age, where Pancasila has been degraded and understood only as a statue of Garuda with a shield on its chest and its values are no longer considered as part of our identity but at the same time there’s an increase of nationalism. I believe simply because that Pancasila as a moral guidelines doesn’t offer anything like any religious doctrines, it doesn’t offer 72 virgins like when you defend your religion nor it would punish you into the depths of hell if you don’t follow it. Nationalism on the other hand although it is also a part of one’s identity would not have anything to do with moral values.
It must be understood by anyone, not just the government that if we want to live in a country like Indonesia, we can’t depend on morality which is based on one religious doctrines or even only the view of the majority. If we want to live in Indonesia we need to follow that value of morality which respect and acknowledge the differences. Therefore my suggestions regarding this moral issues are simple; reinstate our belief in Pancasila, our standards of morality and apply its values in our everyday life.
And live through it.
Anyway, there’s this branch of photography called “street photography” essentially the street become your studio, you can capture everything you see in front of you if you’re fast enough. You can capture candid expression, humorous irony or sometimes divine geometry precision in which all or some will involve people and their life. Judging from what I write above, this street photography are bound to be voyeuristic in nature, however unlike pornography it is conducted for the sake of art.
Putting our dirty mind aside, there are a lot of reason why people didn’t want to get photographed in this time and age, where releasing a portrait to the internet is the same as putting a potential meme, however we didn’t want that, we just want to get that portrait of a stranger up in the internet as a source of discussion looking at the relationship between photographs and the classical arts.
Yes, what we do will irate a lot of people and sometimes it’s also bugging me to become such douche to put up a camera and then get close to the subject and capture their unawareness, but then again aren’t all things and living creature in the public space are deemed to be public’s?
Eskapisme
Saya ga habis pikir, penduduk sepadat itu ada di Jakarta. Mungkin lama-lama nanti orang Jakarta itu tidur berdiri semua.
Itu kata teman saya, urang Bandung seorang entrepreneur yang punya hotel di Cihampelas, dekat dengan para pool travel. Tentu saja usahanya sukses berat, itulah yang saya simpulkan karena saya waktu itu ngobrolnya di hotel dia yang cabang ke 2.
Tapi saya tidak mau menulis tentang teman saya itu, yang saya mau bicarakan adalah kenyataan di Jakarta dan budaya eskapisme para penduduknya.
Kabur Dari Jakarta
Kenapa kabur?
Bukankah Jakarta adalah tempat dimana saya bisa mendapatkan apa saja dengan mudah? makanan murah, tempat tinggal dengan beragam fasilitas, mall-mall yang menjulang tinggi, rumah sakit yang beragam beragam fasilitas transportasi.
Bukankah Jakarta adalah tempat dimana teman-teman berada? dimana orang-orang berada dekat dengan kita sehingga ruang tak lagi menjadi suatu keberatan ? dan apabila kebetulan mendesak, maka telekomunikasi pun masih menjadi suatu kemudahan disini.
Maka sesungguhnya yang saya sebutkan memang fakta, fakta tentang ruang tetapi tidak tentang waktu.
Karena waktu itu berjalan dengan cepat sekali di Jakarta, tetapi kita habis hanya untuk mengarunginya.
Belum lagi masalah konsumsi.
Barang, jasa, barang atau jasa, barang dan jasa, barang dan/atau jasa, atau bahkan komoditas-komoditas unik lainnya. Uang seakan-akan hal yang pasti anda perlukan dan dapatkan bila ada disini.
Letih.
Dan hanya memang keletihan yang terasa di akhir hari. Letih bertemu orang yang sama, letih berjalan mengais hidup, letih ketika di akhir pekan harus bekerja ketimbang tidur sampai siang, letih yang sama ketika bangun terlalu siang dan letih menyesal kenapa tidur sampai siang.
Kabur adalah jawaban, kabur adalah solusi. Kabur dari Jakarta berarti kabur dari permasalahan, Kabur dari keletihan. Lalu kabur pun menjadi kultur, kultur eskapisme.
Kultur eskapisme ini sendiri pun tergantung kepada orang-orangnya. Para realis menuju sebuah kenyataan bahwa kabur selamanya bukan pilihan, mereka perlu bekerja, berbakti kepada orang tua, mengejar kesejahteraan dunia dan kalau bisa mengejar sebuah kebahagiaan akhirat, kalau mereka bisa bertahan menjadi seorang realis.
Seorang idealis, tak akan berpikir bahwa dirinya harus kembali ke realitas, mereka bisa kabur selama-lamanya. Terus-menerus lari, to become a stranger in a strange lands, sampai pada akhirnya ajal menjemput saya kira. Mereka bisa datang dari berbagai kalangan, mereka yang bisa melawan dan bertahan. Mereka yang menjadi role model dari para realis, dan mereka juga yang mungkin menginginkan menjadi seorang realis.
Akhirnya mengingat seorang teman yang menjadi seorang realis dan idealis pada saat yang bersamaan, karena pekerjaan dan nama besarnya sudah memungkinkan ia untuk kabur berlama-lama tetapi tetap memiliki simpanan untuk akhir hayatnya.
Jakarta makin panas yah, gw sekarang udah kaga demen keluar-keluar, mending disini aja. Kerja.
Tar Juli aja baru jalan, mau 2 bulan ke Eropa.
Ngapain?
Ya, kerja.
Damn that’s a long title.
Anyway here’s Mike Monteiro from Mule Designs talking in SF: Creative Morning about how sometimes, creative workers (designers, developers, photographers or just any kid with MacBook pro) are being undervalued by the clients but even sometimes by themselves.
Mike’s talk are the ones that you need prior engaging a project, possibly even when you’re just starting out or when you want to fire your clients (yes you read it right)
So enjoy and please apply this for your next project negotiation.
Citra & Sondang, the two may met in a very orthodox fashion, but the way they take their relationship is somehow an unorthodox one, because they spend a very long time for themselves to start their relationship. Having knew each other since high school to university life and finally working together in the same city, but they only start their relationship two years ago.Why? simply because they want it to be perfect.
Citra & Sondang, started off by becoming friends, they have the same circles whom they always met when they’re back to their hometown. Citra, a pharmacist by training, is a serious person who’s keen on adventures, designs and arts. Sondang, on the other hand, is a shy engineer with calculated minds but possessing of what I called a natural talent to break the ice. A bit of a mismatch? I highly doubt so.
Citra & Sondang, they posses something that some other couples might not have. Sondang didn’t try to become a new person when he’s with Citra and vice versa and they certainly did not do so in front of the camera. One’s might frown or even laugh when they’re together, but then when you think about it, they have what it takes to carry them against the times and tides. The ability to convey the exact words of what their feeling can express, a raw value called honesty.
Because when you think about it, what matter most isn’t what you see now. What matter most is how to carry it forward, a relationship between two persons should not be stagnant such also the persons should be evolved from time to time, and when you see Citra & Sondang you’ll understand that there are no better ways to evolve, rather than to learn and listen.
Carpe Diem Banner
The poet Horace had once said “Seize the day, putting as little trust as possible in the future”, a definition comparable to the “decisive moment”, a simultaneous recognition in a fraction of a second the significance of an event. In photography, it meant to worry less about all other things and concentrate on what’s in front of you and in the right moment, immortalize it.
Such are the works of Antara PhotoJournalistic Gallery Workshop Class of XVI, they seize day after another, chasing for that perfect moment and finally be able to exhibit their work in the Gallery at Pasar Baru from March 11 to April 9th 2011.
Unlike other workshops which are conducted over a short period of time, this workshop actually is conducted for almost a year, bringing not only knowledge but also many great experiences for the students. Susi Muhammad, one of the Basic Program student who had initially accompanied her child for the selection process, only to find that she’s the one that gets into the program had said that the program was a great learning experience for her, to know more about the process of photography and apply it in her interest such as cultures and craft. Mira, a student on the journalistic program who made a photo essay about lesbian lovers affectionately titled “Story of Pineapple & Strawberry”, said that now she has completed her education in Antara, she views camera as not a mere instrument to document something, but a medium to produce expressions or opinions. She also said that being in a journalistic class also forced her to be more creative with written words, to create a story to accompany the pictures.
Mira Amira
Unlike other workshops which are conducted over a short period of time, this workshop actually is conducted for almost a year, bringing not only knowledge but also many great experiences for the students. Susi Muhammad, one of the Basic Program student who had initially accompanied her child for the selection process, only to find that she’s the one that gets into the program had said that the program was a great learning experience for her, to know more about the process of photography and apply it in her interest such as cultures and craft. Mira, a student on the journalistic program who made a photo essay about lesbian lovers affectionately titled “Story of Pineapple & Strawberry”, said that now she has completed her education in Antara, she views camera as not a mere instrument to document something, but a medium to produce expressions or opinions. She also said that being in a journalistic class also forced her to be more creative with written words, to create a story to accompany the pictures.
Oscar Motuloh
Oscar Motuloh, the curator of Antara Gallery, state that Carpe Diem and the class of XVI is special; due to the fact that there are many events happening in Indonesia in 2010, which directly or indirectly help to shape the student’s instinct and more importantly perspectives. Oscar also said that every class of Antara Workshop have their own style, due to the outside influence although the syllabus (and mentors) remain the same.
After finishing my interview with Oscar, I looked at the profiles of the class of XVI and attendees of the gallery whom are armed with every kind of camera; DLSRs, Analogs, Lomos, Cellphone Cameras and Pockets, although they held a different kind of cameras, they all had the same passion. Photography. One of them could be the next Cartier-Bresson, the next Capa, the next Julian Sihombing or probably the next Oscar Motuloh.
Then it comes to my mind, the words that was being held by the Class of XVI: “Lalu bagaimana besok? Tak perlu risau, karena mereka adalah mentari hari esok fotografi kita” (So how’s tomorrow? No need to worry, because they are our future photography suns) and I go back with a smile because I know that there’re still great photographs and great photographers in the making.
Mentari Esok Fotografi Kita
