Suja captures plastic existence of modern man

I Wayan Juniartha ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Ubud Bali   |  Thu, 01/17/2008 2:58 PM

A young Balinese painter reveals the plastic nature -- both literally and metaphorically -- of modern man's existence in an ongoing solo exhibition in Bali's cultural capital of Ubud.

Born in Batubulan in 1975, Wayan Suja is one of Bali's most promising artists, not only because of his fresh, unique visual language and symbolism, but, more importantly, because of his ability to use that language to interpret and represent the factual, prevailing realities of the current world.

Titled Plush-Tick, the exhibit is held at Komaneka gallery in Ubud's Monkey Forest road. It will run until Jan. 22.

The gallery's owner, Koman Wahyu Suteja, said he was very proud to be staging the exhibit. "Suja will be one of the island's most important painters in the future and we are very excited to host his solo exhibition," he said.

One of Suja's main strengths, Koman pointed out, is his critical and skeptical view toward various changes in his own society.

"Some artists tend to overly romanticize Bali, other artists view it with cynical eyes, while Suja manages not to fall into either of those camps," he said.

Suja, Koman said, was able to see and then to speak about the flaws of modern Bali, and the modern world for that matter, with a calm, and sometimes humorous, demeanor. He is neither enraged nor depressed by these flaws.

"He doesn't like what he sees but he doesn't hate it either. He never lose hope that mankind will learn to overcome its flaws in the future," Koman added.

Plush-Tick is the obvious representation of Suja's view of the current world. He calls the exhibit "the celebration and apprehension over changes (in our world)".

On the surface, the exhibit speaks about the relationship between man and consumer goods -- from fast food to clothes to malls and department stores. On a deeper level, it explores the intricate, intertwined connection of the representation of material goods, lifestyle, identity, or the lack of it, and the idea of being modern.

In his 18 displayed works, Suja presents his argument that the acquisition of consumer goods is not based solely on the necessity to fulfill man's basic and natural needs. Instead, it is also driven by the need to affirm one's social status. Being seen in a plush mall, purchasing luxury items, is a sign (according to Suja) that a man belongs to that specific, envied social group with high stature and strong financial ability.

In this context, a material, inanimate object has acquired a new function as a living sign for a social, dynamic entity. A tie is not just part of an outfit but is also a silent representative whose sole task is describing his owner's successes, power and achievements to the world around him.

Moreover, the acquisition of these goods is also an act, conscious or otherwise, of declaring ones's identity. Consuming a portion of fast food or a cup of coffee disbursed by a global corporation is a way of stating our own internationalism.

The aggressive marketing policies and powerful advertising campaigns employed by these corporations have further strengthened the connection between the consumer goods with the perceived personal images, status and identities the consumers try to attain.

"Plush-Tick is that department store-issued plastic shopping bag, a sign of one's ability to buy luxury. Yet, we often forget that a single plastic bag could have a devastatingly complex impact, from mounting garbage to pollution to an unsustainable lifestyle," Suja once said.

The impacts aren't limited to those physical, tangible objects but also to the intangible, psychological ones, including the identity of man. When man has mistaken his identity for a certain set of consumer goods; a specific brand of perfume, a specific type of sports car or a specific place to spend a vacation, then the whole idea and philosophy of mankind must be reinvented.

Suja's installation work, Celebration of Change, is an intriguing take on that phenomenon. Eight bamboo dolls are erected in the pond in front of the gallery. All of them are dressed in traditional Balinese attire, fashioned from plastic shopping bags bearing the colors and logos of popular malls on the island.

The installation clearly speaks of the plastic quality of the modern Balinese's identity; an existence that is both fragile and artificial because it is solely determined by the ability to acquire material goods.

"His works speak in the present tense, they are about our world at our time. They are about our growing concern for the environment -- about our demanding lifestyle -- about our fear that our lifestyle has damaged our environment -- about our false notion of identity," an art lover, Kadek Purnami, said.

"Naturally, we cannot help but be touched by these poignant portrayals of our flawed humanity," she added.

In short, Plush-Tick is an aesthetic interpretation of the tidal waves of consumerism that threaten to sink the world, and with it; mankind.

Plush-Tick
A solo exhibition by Wayan Suja
Dec. 22 to Jan. 22
Komaneka Fine Art Gallery
Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud
Phone: 0361-976090
gallery.komaneka.com

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.