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Dance Of Life - September 2006
Temptation and Tenacity : Multazam Kamil's Temptation and Contemplation By Suwarno Wisetrotomo
Sensation is tempting. It's a piece of experience that awakens emotional stimulation. The event perhaps only happens in a moment. Resembling the experience flashing during an aesthetic moment, which (perhaps) just last only few seconds, one positioned at the culmination point of aesthetic sensation.
Therefore, sensation constitutes an experience that expected to happen when facing artwork temptation aroused, enchantment burst out, being surprised, joyful, or touched at the boundary of ultimate point. Or at least become imagining.
Of course there are many things that motivate the emergence of sensation. It could be the shape, its color, its sound, its light, its smell, its motion, or its message. All of them can emerge from something simple, or otherwise from something complicated and sophisticated. The aura that appears could be psychological or intellectual sensation. Both have potency to awaken enlightenment. We can make sure, that sensation not just extreme “weirdness, sensational, disturbance, or stir up” and sometimes lack of significant meaning. Sensation with that definition can be seen as something that inclines to deviate (correlating with knowledge or critical attitude). Cheap sensation or maybe that has potential to provoke.
So whenever deal with the artwork, if that sensation can’t be obtained, will be felt insipid. There's nothing challenging, mean correlating with merely enjoying or further to understand and comprehend. The question now, which artwork that trigger the sensation? How far the subjective condition (personal experience) influencing the happening of sensation experience? Then, related to this note, the question is whether Multazam Kamil’s work has the power to trigger sensation experience?
Human and humanity as topic
In general, `successful' artwork is that owning (and combining) "the power to surprise" and "the power to intrude". Its mean, that work have pass over technical problems, at the same time smart to pack ideas by using correct metaphor. Generally, art work which process and compose the theme of human being and humanity - in so many pattern and every style - tend to attend the sensation (intellectual and psychological) powerfully.
Multazam Kamil (born in Makasar at 5 August 1969, completing his higher education of fine arts in Indonesian Art Institute [ISI] of Yogyakarta on 1997, nowadays remain and working art in Yogyakarta), in my opinion, has strong potency to attend the sensation in his painting artwork.
Multazam Kamil, or Zam, is one of the exponents of Kelompok Spirit 90 – group of same generation artists (they on the same year when noted as student of Fine Arts Faculty on Indonesian Art Institute of Yogyakarta), among his colleague were Nyoman Sukari, Made Wiradana, Tomy Faisal Alim, Yani Halim, and Moch. Basori, just mentioning few name which up to now still consistent create artwork as artist. Zam’s concern since beginning is about exploring human being’s figure. Circa 1990s, Zam explore naked body (nude) which (most) signaling woman figure, composed in so many pose, with sharp stroke and colors.
His works is not trapped at merely expose vulgar naked, but rather exploring the problem of seeking and understanding to the problems of human being and humanity. Lie down bodies, that worried, bend, surrendering, and perhaps with bruised mind. Zam, through its works signaling that such condition not only his - the subject that becoming his painting object - but also happened at himself. Worried Zam, that searching, that slammed, and wake up again to continue searching. Such works always he explore till year 90s, along with worried situation of his inner world.
Entering year 2000s, although remains with the same theme, Zam’s painting work showing progressively mature indication; more giving room to his mind for contemplation. There aren’t anymore wild and quick sweep and incision, more few dark and solid colors. His paintings now brighter, more aflame, and felt surer. Seems, Zam now stay in the different condition and situation: seeing and understand, that life not always fast and gloomy. Life does not completely stay on searching alley. Live and life in fact stay in the vortex of fall and rise reality, up and down, sad and happy; from one terminal to another, with the worry and expectation.
Nowadays, Zam’s works is more showing expectation dynamics (optimism). Although sometimes, content or message that want to be expressed felt condensed, talk about worry, but seems more relax. Its brush sweep in controlled rhythm, its colors look brighter (red, blue, yellow, green, black; aligned or intersect). One thing remains: he developing rhythm through bodies’ wriggles that rest on outline. Bodies which on motion.
Zam didn’t present realistic body. On the contrary, those bodies were without identity, without face, sometimes without clear sex identity, although some seems look as woman through her body structure, or her loose hair. I feel Zam’s canvas finally like mini-word’s theatrical stage, or even without word. Theatre that is relies on gesture, which based on body motion, to tell inner world stories. Body wriggle and direction, hand wave, or hair sway for example, is like fragment.
I will highlight several works, as example to explain the description above. "Temptation and Tenacity" (2006) that bright and cheerful for example, look like informing about desire, temptation, and way to repel till hold up and tough. Zam compose this problem with cheerful emotion, although also implied dark atmosphere. Temptation and repel power not expressed with abruptly, or angrily. Otherwise it’s composed with more cheerful and enthusiastic. Those in-motion figures not have clear identity, because I predict, for Zam all of that is not significant. Story and atmosphere becomes the main target.
On “Tegar” [Resilient] (2002); white figure which is being moving, on her chest there are heart picture, with small size and red color. Meanwhile on background, red and green lines crossing, forming moving bodies in black background, and hindmost background with yellowish color. That painting seems expressing that life teaches that toughness is centered on "pure" body and mind. A unique visualization, about three figures; one in position head down (like one of yoga pose), two other figures looks like being speaking. This work entitled "Acrobat" (2002); that can be read as acrobat scene, or acrobat as metaphor.
Another painting with different way of expression, attending unique atmosphere: area swept by yellow color, given horizon borderline (but didn’t resulting room difference or perspective effect), then in right corner of drawing area, naked woman figure, facing horizon, being sit with folded leg. Paying attention to the details; all her body green colored green Tosca, her short hair blue, right on her nape there are tattoo drawing (“Tattoo Ular Betina” [Female Snake Tattoo], 2002). It’s a thick and unique view, in looking into woman figure. For this painting, Zam write, “Woman, perhaps one of the most powerful and noble God’s creature that ever been created, so chosen to bear her child, but she also can become the most dangerous, as female snake poison…” (Zam boldface the word “can”). It’s an appreciation, and at the same time as message.
Relax and joyful atmosphere composed on several works, for example "In the Rain" (2006), and “Peace of Samalona" (2006). On these two works, especially on "Peace of Samalona", the rhythm felt like slow orchestra, with the progression point at three figure colored red, yellow, and black, also a pigeon which is being released free. I will especially note a work entitled "Journey” (2004); three figures moving with tense fill an area that dominated by greenish color. Sprinkling effect make paint become spotted, adding dramatic effect to this work. This work show the effort to explore the technique, though is not special, but interesting.
Theme exploration and shape arrangement technique
Till today, all that attained by Multazam Kamil inspires enough interpretation and understanding. Nevertheless, if not aware, Zam will be awaited by stagnation, both in his way to explore theme or execute his technique. Theme composed by Zam, about human being; in my opinion represent the theme that still contains a number of problems to continue to be composed. Of course this has to be accompanied by the knowledge addition (also reference), so that Zam can enrich his perspective, expanding the way and viewpoint about human being and humanity aspect. Then the next step is extended and enriches the technique and shape arrangement aspect. This can be done if there is effort to explore and being critical to material and its technique. Without critical attitude, can be ascertained that he will be trapped by stagnation that end at frustration. One of its ways, for example, is returning the spirit of playing when creating. Also there is bravery to see something from different side and aspect, other side. Dare to make experimentation.
There is no other way to be continued and remain to be creative, except struggling to do the things above. In the art world, so much temptation besieging, but also so many way to parry and stay till have the endurance. Therefore, creating and preserving enthusiasm remain to blaze, at the same time create rooms for contemplation, and is a necessity to keep the balance.
All of these are easy to tell. However, its still need hard effort (also integrity and morality) to do so. Thus is the true of art activity; its not productive, creative, and enthused by others that became main target (although those are important). Farther than that (and more important) is about values, integrity, and morality, for the sake and on behalf of human being and humanity.
Yogyakarta, Early September 2006
Suwarno Wisetrotomo
Visual Art Critic
