MOCKERY
Seni ViaGra dan Spirit yang Menyertainya
A group exhibition by Kelompok Canda
(Andika Industriyana, Angga Sukma Permana, Mahendra Pampam, Muhammad Fikri Muas, Putra Eko Prasetyo)
Written by Mayek Prayitno
Printmaking is perhaps the only discipline within visual arts that has held
onto its traditional conventions. It has strong traditions in the production: of
using certain types of media as a work’s master copy, and where the final
product, as a matter of principle, is printed. As the discipline itself
emerged as a response to artists’ boredom with older mediums, it was
natural and necessary to explore other materials and employ more
specific techniques, such as lithography, etching, mezzotint, aquatint,
linocut, woodcut, serigraphy/silk screen, and stenciling.
In this new phase, printmaking further developed and differentiated itself.
The choice of printmaking material was completely freed from the traditional
printmaking code of ethics. All editions and print series are now
considered original works, whereas previously artists would produce and
distinguish between different editions or duplicates printed on paper.
Printmaking techniques eventually spread to other art disciplines as a
result of adaptation to technological developments, namely digital
printing.
In essence, this is how artists have a commitment to exploring their
chosen medium, as shown by the artists in this exhibition, both the choice
of using media, techniques and ideas. This kind of spirit was
re-interpreted by the Canda printmaking group (Andika, Angga Sukma
Permana, Fikri, Mahendra Pampam, and Putra Eko Prasetyo) which was
stimulated through “Viagra” (via graphic media),. Inspired by the
widespread use of the term “Viagra” (performance-enhancing drug),
the Canda group regards printmaking as a spring from which they extract
a desire to create. It gives the impression that printmaking necessitates a
‘drive’ in its intention, continuity, and approach towards materiality as well
as technique; not all too dissimilar to the ‘drive’ that the eponymous drug
provides.
The Canda group presents their exhibition concept under the sheath of
mockery. The group’s members are graduates of the fine arts department
of ISI Yogyakarta, which has a tradition of students mocking each other
with non-serious insults that serve to awaken the creative spirit.
What these graphic artists are conveying are actually responses resulting
from their sensitivity to their individual experiences and views on daily life
– thoughts accumulating in the mind and anchored to the soul, then
made to form meaningful aesthetics. The works Kelompok Canda are
presenting helps us read more deeply into contemporary issues, as they
reflect the artists’ concern for the environment, self, and social
relationships.
