PONIMIC

UK International Ceramics Festival 2011

2011-06-14T13:19:00.000+07:00

Artwork Concept for Demonstration:
"Terracotta Ceramic Mask Dance of Human Face Characters"
UK International Ceramics Festival
by Ponimin Indonesia

In Aberystwyth, I plan to perform a ceramic Mask Dance and Ceramic Music Instrument Playing. The dance came from philosophy about the true characteristic of human. Human has different attitude which reflected in his/her face. Anger, happiness, sadness, calm, wisdom, and patient.

There are some good characters and there are bad characters. These characters I would like to present by ceramic Mask Dance. Indonesia has philosophy which showed relation between human and soil, the major material which composed ceramic.
There is a belief that human made of soil, so there is a mythical connection between soil and human. Ceramic, as elements made by soil, could reflect the whole human. So here, I put expression of human characters through ceramic masks to keep the mythical essence.

I would open the perform with ceramic music instrument playing, where I would play some musical instruments made of ceramic, then the music would be continued by music from CD record. At that time, I would perform the ceramic mask dance. The movement I do would be reflected the characters as described by the mask I would wear.
The perform would be closed again by musical instrument playing.

The Concept of ’CEREMONIAL OF HAVING MEALS WITH UPSIDE DOWN YELLOW RICE CONE'

2011-06-04T19:33:00.001+07:00

On September 2010, I've got a chance to follow an International Exhibition in Jakarta which involved many foreign ceramic artist. Here I exhibited my artwork titled: ’CEREMONIAL OF HAVING MEALS WITH UPSIDE DOWN YELLOW RICE CONE'
The event run well, and I was so grateful for many attention given to my artwork from the audiences at that time.

The Concept of ’CEREMONIAL OF HAVING MEALS WITH UPSIDE DOWN YELLOW RICE CONE'

Indonesia is rich of various and meaningful local culture. From this country, there are so many inspiration sources for meaningful latest aesthetic expression. Also local culture “kenduri tumpeng” (ceremonial of having meals with rice cone – dining in togetherness). In this cultural process, a group of people have meals together with yellow rice cone. The yellow rice cone has tremendous symbolical meaning. It teaches glory, relation between macrocosmos and microcosmos. In ceremonial of having meals with yellow cone we are inherited values of togetherness, fairness, tolerance, and honoring people rights. Having meals teaches social culture in getting rights as the responsible owed, so that there would be fairness. The edge of yellow rice cone is for the leader or people figure who considered as wong agung (honorable person), since they owed position in the social group. While the next layer would get the lower layer which was much more since many more people ate it. The wider yellow rice cone is the lower people (wong alit) rights. The lower people refers to social community who are more than the ceremony participant.
How great our ancestor, creating high philosophical culture to be given to the next generation, and until now many people are still doing it. But the latest generation has betrayed the glorious value of kenduri tumpeng. Kenduri tumpeng is done with reversed intention (value fighting). So that the value implementation is contradictive. It showed the greediness of higher power people or individual (wong agung group) in their community. They took the part of weaker people, while grass root society with many amount ate from the edge of the upside down yellow rice cone from the dining residue. They fought each other. It is social reality existed everywhere in social group. Having meals in yellow rice cone is cultural deception.
This social phenomena inspired me to visualize it in aesthetic expression of ceramic installation titled: Ceremonial of Having Meals with upside down yellow rice cone” formed in a group of human statue ceramic with fighting expression in a giant rice steamer and small rice steamer composed in ceramic installation. In the upside down edge, there were some people snatched the rice edge from upside down yellow rice cone. While in wider diameter, fewer people, expressed the powerful people in group, freely eating the grass root people’s right.
In visual, it has contradictive aesthetical meaning from cone composition form. The cone made from bamboo with wider diameter composed with fewer statues, when in the edge, there were more people statue (as the figure of grass root people fought for the edge of yellow rice cone), in visual it was a contradictive aesthetic composition (against maturity).
Artwork specification:
-Artwork: ceramic installation consisted of ceramic statues installed in bamboo cane work with cone shape. The height was 150cm with 90cm diameter; completed with 3 supported cones. All cones hung in upside down position in exhibition plafond.
-Main material: stoneware ceramic and earthenware. Shaping technique: pinching.

2010 2nd International Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary Teapot Art

2011-06-04T19:21:00.000+07:00

At April 27-29 2010, Shanghaitrg, an art institution invited me to an Exhibition titled "2010 2nd International Biennial Exhibition of Contemporary Teapot Art". Although there were some internal conflict on the Exhibition, thank God everything was running well, and I was given chance to exhibit my artwork, "TIGER FACED THE LIFE CHALLENGE" and "FLYING HIGH WITH EAGLE TO REACH LOVE"

Here are the complete concept of my artwork:
1. "TIGER FACED THE LIFE CHALLENGE"

Human life this year got more complex and competitive. We are faced to life competition which needs strength, tenacity with care. There needed patience, carefulness, and strength to face the competition. In order to make fortune and safety always belong to us, in this metal tiger year, we should increase the power by drinking holy water or tea water from the tiger teapot figure. Teapot with tiger figure which seemed to jump represent symbol of human fight to face a challenge. The tea from the teapot represented a symbol of holy water which gave strength to face challenges in this more complexes life.
The artwork made by hand-building pinching technique using stoneware, and coil and carving (sgrafitto) ornamentation technique. The artwork was burned with 12000C temperatures with antique glazed effect finishing.
The artwork height is 60 cm, with 20 cm width, and 35 cm length

2.FLYING HIGH WITH EAGLE TO REACH LOVE

Building love between man and woman is a major expectation of human being. Loving each other honesty would bring peace and happiness. All people wanted to fly high in order to get love. Eagle is a symbol of strong animal which could fly high. Two individuals who fly high riding eagle, hoped to reach pure love, so that the happiness could last forever. That’s why they wanted to fly high without any disturbance. The only one could help them is an eagle to be rode.
The teapot is made from stoneware ceramic with human figure, male and female who wanted to reach their love hope, by riding an eagle. It’s a symbol of human who reach love that made him/her felt like flying high in the sky. Teapot represented a holy water container of love which granted pure love of human if they drank it.
Technique used to make the figure is pinching, and coil and sgrafitto ornamentation. The artwork used stoneware element with antique glazed effect.
The artwork height was 30 cm, with 20 cm width, and 40 cm length.

05 Becoming a Wealthy Traditional Artist - Basic Knowledge in Our Field

2009-09-25T21:47:00.000+07:00

Artists or Ceramic Artists should owe Basic Knowledge in their field. The Exploration and elaboration of the basic skill would make the artist special...
I think I have to write about it since in this information era, somebody could get a benefit from a field which he/she didn't master it well. Without strong basic knowledge, I agree that somebody might be able to make profit from certain field. But, just like a building without a strong foundation, it could be collapsed at any time.
As a ceramic artist, we should know the origin of ceramic, basic skill to shape ceramic, philosophy of ceramic, etc. It might take years to learn, but I'm sure that different learning method would create different result. No wasting time in learning. You will get special touch that couldn't be achieved by just some newbies. So, let's deepen our basic knowledge in ceramic to create a strong foundation in ourselves as ceramic artist. Clenches onto any surface with a tight unremovable grip.

Jinan 7th International Expo 2009 - Culture Park for Culture Exchange

2009-09-25T20:45:00.000+07:00

In July 26th to 30th 2009 I followed an activity abroad, that was in Jinan Province – China. I was a design supervision/consultant to give advice for park as East java Participation in 7th China International Garden and Flower Expo Event. My participation in the program was to fulfill the invitation from China Government to East Java Province for the program participation.
About March, Jinan Province through Jinan Mayor with the Committee came to Surabaya offered the program to East Java Province. Next, East Java Government appointed Batu City Government to choose Park Designer also presented it in front of committee in Jinan, Meeting Public HallEast Java Province Office.
My concept and design was considered as interesting artwork to be formed in 7th China International Garden and Flower Expo program. Since my design has its own uniqueness which described the ethnicity of local-culture combined with agro-tropical nuance, describing the beauty of nature united with East Java local culture. That’s why my theme in this event were East Java Agro-Local Culture Miniature Park.
The interest brought Jinan representation serious to ask my participation as supervision in the design, so I should go to China in order to make it come true. In this program, the committee gave chance to choose whether I create them myself or leave it to the committee, in which I have role as designer to give some advice and presented in the park-making. In this, East Java government ordered me to be designer and gave some advice to develop the design, where I should go to China to give advice and additional elements which could not be done by Jinan’s Park worker.
So I went to China as designer and conceptor to Jinan in July 26th to 30th and I had gave some advice and additional elements, those were East Java’s dancer statues. The statues made of fiber-glass. I also directed the placement. I also give suggestion about the park working condition which had done by the committee with changes in technical and conceptual.
In September 2nd 2009, the event would be open in the same time for the public through ceremonial opening by the local government, inviting each participant from the countries involved in the event. In this event, my artwork was considered as one of the best by Jinan government, so that the Municipal Government and the Committee gave certificate stated that I had invited in 7th China International Garden and Flower Expo event and my artwork was considered as one of the best.
The government hope me to be present at Jinan in the ceremonial event to present the East Java culture in the park. It would be shown at the gazebo, like doing traditional statue-making, batik making, and doing ‘Wayang’ show as part of cultural activity. It is planned to be a unity in park concept, between park and East java activity in East Java park.

Why Should be a Registration Fee in Great Art Event?

2009-05-13T07:02:00.000+07:00

If you read this posting, I beg your pardon since I didn’t mean to offend any institution. I just want to state something I have in mind and also some international artists who had intention to follow SERES’09 event in Eskisehir. I read some statements written by the artists which in general they were surprised about registration fee in SERES ’09.
From my experiences in following several international events, I never found any registration fee to follow the events. Some strict terms and conditions for me were good to assure the competency of the event, and I could accept them with some negotiation in here and there. In my opinion, the registration fee would make the ‘sacred’ event would seem commercial and reduced the quality of the event since skilful artists with bad financial condition certainly would find hard-way to follow the event, moreover if you needed 300 euros to follow the event (If I’m not wrong, the registration fee for SERES’09 is 300 euros). Wouldn’t it a great loss for the event?
At last, I try to collect positive reasons so that I could think positive about the registration fee. The registration fee was a useful tool to increase the quality of the event and also insurance for the artist’s accommodation along the event. The event would run well and the artists were served great along the event. I think it would be reasonable. Besides, international event would be a huge media to express the artist ability and also introduce his/her name in international community. So, it would be a fair cost.

04 Becoming a Wealthy Traditional Artist - Vision and Action

2009-05-13T06:59:00.000+07:00

You might hear before. Vision and Action. Both of those terms should run together. In art, making creation without vision would be messy. In the contrary, vision without any action would be a daydreaming. Nothing happened. So, to be successful ceramic artist, you have to apply both, vision and action. I would give a description about applying both terms.
1. Vision
In making artwork, the most difficult part for me was finding the clear vision about what kind of artwork I would make. Here I considered all aspect, starting from theme, material, and process. When I got idea about making certain artwork, I kept it in my mind, I considered all things related to the idea. Just say I want to make a ceramic statue. I would imagine the philosophy behind the statue, how I express the philosophy into the statue’s form. I imagined how the looks, expression, signs in the statue that could represent the philosophy, etc. Then I tried to build the statue in my imagination. What material it would be formed, how it would be seemed, how the process to make it come true. I imagined it so strong so that I felt that I could touch the artwork, felt it textures, smell it, and watched the color very clear. This is really important process. It’s true that some people said that everything was created twice – once in mind and second in reality. When I found the clear vision about the artwork I would be made, I started to take action.
2. Action
If I’ve already have clear vision about the artwork I would make, I usually had no trouble in making it come true. Skill is the most powerful tool that helped the artwork in my mind come true. That’s why for beginner, practice is really important. I should say that there’s no skill find in one day. Every achievement was reached by long efforts. Don’t dream that in one day you could owe new skill without doing anything. Skillful artists found their ability through long career, experience and practice. It would be so important for you to repeat basic skill in any art without doubt, since it is the base of a great skill. With skills you could construct any imagination you have about art. Your work would be easier when you took action to do that. With no hard effort, we could create and express an artwork as we imagined in our vision if we’ve already have the skills to construct the artwork. Persistency was the most important thing here to construct a raw material into fine artwork.

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION WOULD BE HELD IN INDONESIA!

2009-05-12T01:29:00.000+07:00

Among Asian countries, Indonesia a little bit rare to have chance in creating international event in art. This event would answer the judgment. Supported by State University of Malang (Universitas Negeri Malang), there would be an exhibition held in City Library in May 15th 2009. Some international ceramic artists would take part in this event. The event has one unique theme: “Peace”. The theme would be explored and presented through artwork, especially ceramic.
As one of the participants, I would presented a figurative relief described about Rama and Shinta from Ramayana Epics. Why Rama and Shinta? In this competitive global era, we were often faced by social phenomena where our society focused on materialism. What happened was people try to reach the material with all their strength so that they forgot the value of wisdom. It is the source of heart disease like egoism, envy, and greedy. The growth of the attitude is the root of dispute, competition, and war. People lost their sense to understand each other, accept one another and sincere in receiving what life has given. Through this two dimensional ceramic artwork, I tried to dig back the local wisdom of the past formed into the sign of Rama Shinta relief, where the roman of Rama and Shinta expressed the understanding, supporting, harmony, and love in facing life. The value has long forgotten and if it was formed back, it would create peace. Life in peaceful nuance is a beautiful life.
Lastly, I hope this event would be success as expression media for various ceramic artists whether from Indonesia, or from abroad.

02 Becoming a Wealthy Traditional Artist - Be Rich in Idea

2009-05-03T06:46:00.000+07:00

Be Rich in Idea and You'd be Rich. Almost all pioneers, whether in science, business, or art focused on the importance of idea. It means that we have to be creative. Making something new or making something different could attract people's attention.Idea brought us to the new level of understanding and chance, especially in art, where everything came in mind first before it became an artwork or art performance.But how could we be rich in idea?...

I would take an example from my dimension, Ceramic art. In finding idea, I did these steps, and I hope these steps could also help you in finding new ideas, in any art application.
1. paying attention to the environment around you
The best idea source is the environment around you. If you don't mind to stop for a while, pay attention to the environment around. What can we do to make it more beautiful, comfort, or just different. While you think of that, it would bring new perspective to you which would be the basic of new idea you could apply. One of my artwork titled "Reaching of No Hope" came from my anxiety while seeing the social-politic reality. In the artwork, I describe people who fought hard to reach a stair, but there was nothing in the top of the stair.
2. don't forget the history
The past would bring many inspiration to you. In my artwork making, I looked at the ancient history, local culture in the past which was rich and full of unique moments and properties. It often became my basic idea in creating artwork. ancient temples, tomb, or ornament were pure inspiration for me to be presented in this modern era. One of my artwork, "Against Evil" was inspired by the old ornament of the temple, described the Ramayana fragment where Rahwana was attacked by Hanoman and the monkey army.
3. search for new knowledge
Idea could come from the wide knowledge we owed. It would be great if you are learning continuously about everything. Wide-knowledge could bring us many idea to be developed in making artwork. From the development of knowledge, I have idea to make aquarium from ceramic which have art taste and health for the environment.

The three little-tips above brought me to new understanding and inspiration which would be benefited in making artworks. Whatever art you worked on, I'm sure the simple steps could bring you new ideas in art. Idea is the basic of art creation, so it would be great if you try to develop ideas by the steps I suggested.

01 Becoming a Wealthy Traditional Artist - Basic Capital of Traditional Artist – Heart, Brain, and Skill

2009-05-03T01:07:00.000+07:00

To be great successful traditional artist, we should owe certain basic capital. They are mental attitudes that guide us to success. Our basic competences that would support us as traditional artist which made us special, different from the others.

The basic capital of traditional artist are:
1. Heart
Art is close related with heart. Our heart should have sense of art. We feel something beautiful, aesthetic, comfort, and excellent by heart. That’s why heart and sense are important for an artist. We feel our emotion and the art’s emotion into one harmony with heart. Heart made us possible to feel the greatness or luxury of an artwork or art perform.
2. Brain
Brain is the leader of the action. The creator of behavior we need to make an artwork. Brain lead us to make a logic and reasonable actions related with art, so that we could create an art with certain precision, shape, and expression. The Experts of self-development stated that we are what we thought. So what we thought is really important for our action. All of us have a certain target in doing action. Our thought would lead us into right direction.
3. Skill
Without skill, our taste of art and our knowledge about form would be useless since we couldn’t express what we want into an artwork. Skill is important factor. No matter what art you do, all need skill to express the value of art. Somebody may have talent, but skill is found through a long way of journey, experience and practice. I have my skill now by spending hours, days, months, and years to practice making various shape of ceramic artwork. Skills don’t lie. It shows your experience, knowledge, and long way practice. Even a story told that the legendary painter, Picasso, was asked to make a sketch by a noble woman. The noble woman was surprised since Picasso asked a high price for the rough sketch which he drew only for some seconds. She asked, “How could you ask such price?! … The picture were only took minute to be drawn…” Picasso calmly said, “No lady, I have passed twenty years to make the picture…” Picasso realized that his skill was not become his instantly. He took long painful years to have it. Whatever art you focused on, still you should practice for better skill.

Those three factors are the most important things should be owed by an artist as a base that guaranteed their success. At least in their art performing, they would be success. The other things would follow one by one, but three of these should be owed first to be a real artist.
The unity of heart, brain, and skill could make any imagination possible, in this case, your imagination of prestigious artwork or art perform. So don’t forget to make the three of them into your self-properties

00 Becoming a Wealthy Traditional Artist - Preface

2009-05-02T22:39:00.000+07:00

One of my biggest desires is to share my knowledge about how to get wealth in traditional art. From what I’ve seen, at least in my own country, Indonesia, traditional artists were a group of people who truly care about Indonesia’s original arts. They were lack of attention and admiration, lived in poor condition, battle to survive, and what they thought only how to maintain the traditional art from the ancient ancestors.

I want to stand and fight the condition!
I want to prove that we don’t have to be poor artist. We could have a better condition. We could be rich in the same time we maintained and developed traditional art. What the benefits we got if we become a wealthy traditional artist?
Well, first of all, certainly we would have enough money, which mean that we have more option to do something. If we were rich, we could use our richness to build some facilities in order to maintain the traditional art. It is better than becoming a poor artist who couldn’t do anything to develop the art, here especially ceramic art.
If we were rich, we could be a motivator. We would be role model for anybody else. There would be more persons who care about the environment than we do. It would be benefit for the company. Everybody would watch us as an example. Pioneer of success. So, more benefits we gave to the society.
We could also eliminate a stigma that traditional artist was rarely become a rich person. So traditional artist is not a good work today. Wrong! I’m sure if we loved something that much, there could be many possibilities for us to get benefit from the hobby. I mean that if we love traditional art, there also some way for us to be success and rich in the scope.
Here I would reveal some steps and basic personality I applied to be successful person. Am I a successful person? Well, I myself prefer to say that I still chase the top of the world. But nowadays, at least I never worry about financial condition, I have facilities I need to make an artwork and production, I also visited several countries as art ambassador. I satisfied with myself, and I hope you will too.

Future Exhibition in National Gallery Jakarta Indonesia

2009-04-13T00:15:00.000+07:00

About next month, I will attend exhibition held in National Gallery Jakarta Indonesia. The exhibition would be attended by local ceramic artists from Indonesia. There I would exhibit one of my artwork. It is terracotta creation titled “Kenduri di Tumpeng Terbalik” (Celebration of Upside down Ceremonial Yellow Rice Cone).
It is a description of partying people who eat ‘yellow rice dish’, but the people who got the most part are the powerful people. While ordinary people fight each other to get the end of reversed ‘yellow rice dish’. It is a symbol of injustice in society where powerful are always get the most part.
This kind of Terracotta artwork is formed in installation artwork of 15-20 fighting people statue at bamboo cane-work with reversed cone shape. The statues would be installed in climbing position at the bamboo cane-work. It described a group of people who fought for ‘upside down yellow rice dish’ (in reversed cone shape). The upper position statue are just small amount, while the lower part which close to the end of reversed cone are many amount. It described unfair distributed justice. Who has power got more part, while ordinary people only got a few part of the ‘reversed yellow rice dish. This terracotta artwork is made by earthenware material with pinching technique and unglazed burning technique. After burning, the statue’s shape would be displayed in installation artwork with bamboo basket cane-work in reversed cone shape supporting media.
Wish me luck on this future program.

Future Park Exhibition in Jinan

2009-04-10T14:14:00.000+07:00

This year, if everything run well, I would participate in Jinan Park Exhibition. Actually I don’t have much information about the Exhibition since my participation will be arranged by China and Indonesia Government. As far as I knew, China government representative personnel visited me in Indonesia to see my concept about cultural park. I have a vision to make a park based on combination of Indonesian culture characteristics, especially East Java.
East Java is a province in Indonesia which owed various natural resources and various cultures. It has philosophical and aesthetical value. The various natural resources have interesting thing to be formed into park element. The natural resources also have aesthetical visual contain, whether from color aspect, shape, and texture. It could give extraordinary character if the park/landscape artist could process them by considering exterior design aspects. The natural aspects would be more interesting and unique while combined with potential East Java local-culture elements in exterior landscape artwork unity. Local-culture elements from the past could be presented in modern landscape context which would be different than the other tropical landscape outside East Java. Certainly, it needs aesthetical sense and technical ability to create both elements. That was I often said as “ability to combine / innovate” the landscape elements which consisted of hard elements and soft elements, whether consisted of rock or ornamental elements, architectural elements, and statues. All of them could be taken from the past culture of East Java, since East Java in the past was the source of Majapahit Kingdom and some other great Kingdom center of development which had given enrichment for East Java local culture elements. By the combination of East Java local culture elements and park resources element in tropical region could create special uniqueness while presented in international forum landscape.
In this park creation, I was inspirited by the park condition where I lived, like in Batu village with mountain natural condition, waterfall, and bamboo bridges connected one village with the others. Also my living place architecture which had Java structure, house surrounded by rock, path from river coral, water whispered from a river, the green trees, statues in front of house which was a temple replica, etc. Combination of natural elements and cultural elements are so important in East Java landscape artwork creation so that it would enrich the park creation in Indonesia. The past uniqueness like high temple architecture, ‘andesik’ coral elements, and statues from East Java temple sites like Dwarapala and Ken Dedes, Majapahit flower vase, divided temple’s gate, they are all the specific East Java elements. Combination of those cultural elements with natural view aspect like mountain, banana’s tree, and water fall to river are the natural portrait of East Java which came from the view of Batu City, Malang, etc.

THE JOURNEY OF CERAMIC ART CRAFT OF INDONESIA BETWEEN OLD AND CONTEMPORARY CULTURE AS THE BASIC IDEA OF PONIMIN’S ARTWORK

2009-04-09T01:31:00.000+07:00

A.Indonesian Local Culture as Base
1.Cultural Treasure of Nusantara (Indonesia)
In Geographic, according to cultural growth evaluation, Nusantara (old mention for Indonesia) could be told owning a geo-strategist area. There was a reason behind that term since geographical position of Nusantara --
as mention; Nusa means the island, archipelago, laid between strategic positions, those are:
a)Between West cultured Australian continent and East cultured Asian continent.
b)Between India and China which in the past were Culture centers in Sea Silk Road Line.
At that position, Nusantara became center for cultural diffusion, also became a center of cross culture. The culture diffusion and Cross Culture process happened along Nusantara’s journey. Since Prehistoric era, Precisely at cultivation and pre-craft periods there have been two waves of culture diffusions from Indo-China to Nusantara, which became successful in enriched cultural treasure of Nusantara compared with previous period (a period of hunting and collecting food-stuff). At the start of Christ (Masehi) till at least XV century, cultural influence of Great India and Chinese colored the cultural shape of Nusantara at a period of Hindu - Budha. Later, during the same time, since XV - XVI century until now there were influences from : ( 1) Islam culture from West Asia, primary from trade contacts:, 2) European Cultures especially Dutch, Spain And Portugal through colonialism and imperialism, and also, 3) cultural element from all over the world since The Independence of Indonesia. Outside Cultural wave influences which acculturated and adopted by local society formed a cultural layer and created a colorful shape of Nusantara Culture.
Nusantara Geo-strategist laid in intersection between region and located in the middle of cross section between regions (culture area) that made it as melting pot for various cultural elements. Cross Culture and Cultural Mixing happened : 1) Between regions or ethnical cultures in Nusantara which was Multi-Ethnics ; 2) among external and regional cultural or foreign culture which has changed into local culture ; 3) among foreign cultures; and 4) combination among things. Such cultural growth and development Process were enriched the cultural treasure of Nusantara and progressively enriched by its archipelago geographical form. Because at previous period, those large regions grew by itself, because of the effect natural isolation, formed the region and tribe cultures which has various kinds. When inter-regional communications and traffic got easier by the technology development, cultural contact and inter-regional cultural mixing existed more intensive, moreover after those regions integrated into frame of The Unity Republic of Indonesia

2. Contemporary Art Based On The Local Culture
There were a lot of cultural bases which can be alternated as bases for profile seeking and contemporary art development. One of them was local culture. The Local Cultural sculpture can be show the ethnic cultures, but can be only cover the smaller area scope to, that are cultures sub-ethnic or even certain community in the region. The local cultural world, as a former description: (A.1)can be the form of pure inquiry from local society, or also can be in the form of focal culture enriched by goodness foreign culture nor other region culture pass the cultural contact, diffusion, acculturation. etc.
With the whole cultural properties, the local cultures have potency to be made as resource for seeking and artistry development for the sake of nowadays ( contemporary). A tot of matter which can be bailed from that, for example: (1) idea, artistic concept and idea; ( 2) local substance for the production of artistic, and also (4) alternative design. In case that way, modern foreign culture is not the single potential source for seeking and contemporary art development in a region or state. This matter because of local culture (as there are various region in Nusantara) owning potency which do not fail abundance, likely represent the " water source which have never run dry to be bailed''' for that importance.
Exactly from that local cultural source, pass the creative actor hand touch, can be attended a swan song owning: (a) characteristic (individuality), (b) unique in meaning differ from other, (c) the culture root caused pass by quickly the generation and looked into urgent. (d) Friendliness with the consumer's candidate because have been long attending in environment's, and also good relevance with the local condition, local requirement and also cultural background and enthusiasm's. Contemporary art have been attending being based on the local culture not felt as an enforcing, not viewed as a foreign goods, or at least enough familiar with the consumer's candidate.

B. Transformation of Past Culture for The Importance of Present Day
Old world Culture could be differed into various perspective depended an importance manner attached to it. Through the Tri Kala classification (past, nowadays, coming), the old culture at least earn in perspective into: (1) old world culture; (2) old world culture for the benefit of now; and (3) old world culture to welcome the importance of a period to coming. If a terminology" contemporary" highlighted by as an importance nowadays, so passing as in perspective above, cultural elements of past which is to our hand have been opened wide opportunity for the transformation of to fulfill immeasurable of an importance in present day.
Transformation non transferring cultural form from a period to next period, than one place to the other place, from an importance to the other importance etc. in existence's of. in this case, there is space for actor to do the transfiguring to art which transformation, good to adapted for new importance, enthusiasm of consumer candidate, new environment and or for the shake of periodic enrichment. The Meaning there is space for actor
creativity. Exactly with this creative touch, art which transformation own the value more if compared to previously, namely become more relevant with the enthusiasm of requirement consumer or new function's and also new condition's and become richer.
One of art form which transformed is coming from old past culture, which transformed for the importance of present day culture. In bearing of the importance of creative touch by including local payload, so the local condition, the local importance, the local appetite and enthusiasm represent the consideration bases to include the local payload, so that happened the local creation or local development. At this rate so the art which transformed not merely as according to present day importance, but at one blow according to also with the condition, enthusiasm, local requirement and appetite.

C. Contemporary Ceramic Art craft Based On The Local Culture
The local cultural source can be in the form of the ethnical cultural idea source or archaic (old world cultural), there are in the region. The art forms bailed from second of the cultural source can be transformation or tidy repeat to become the relevant art forms with the present day importance, so that created a contemporary art being based on the ethnic art and also archaic . One of kinds of ethnic art and archaic which nowadays is ceramic art of craft. Its result in the form of contemporary ceramic art of craft being based on the ethnic art and also archaic .
In the process of ethnic transformation art and archaic become the contemporary ceramic art of craft, an artistry play role important, that is as; ( 1) exploratory for ethnic art elements and archaic transformation become the contemporary art; (2) creator, the one who gave creative touch to ethnic art and explored archaic , (3) transformer, the one who transform cultural ethnic element and explored archaic which created for the importance, enthusiasm, and also appetite of present day condition, and also as (4) communicator, the one who create contemporary art which the creation could be accepted by local society citizen.
In the contemporary ceramic art craft, the modernization could be connected with substance, technique, design or function, so that an actor require to create substance, technique, design and function. By the creation of various mentioned factors there were possibilities for new shape that have difference by form, technique, substance and function from the beginning. But the contemporary ceramic art craft itself still showed bases of profile seeking and developed local culture, which one of them came from past culture. So that there enough reason to express that contemporary ceramic art craft presented a red yarn between present day and old culture. It could be seen from my artwork titled "Against Evil (the Destruction of Rahwana by Monkey Soldier lead by Hanoman)". The basic idea was taken from one of scene in Ramayana tale which was described in Panataran temple of Indonesia.

MAGICAL DAYS IN BLUE POTTERY TRUST’S EXPLORATION IN TERRACOTTA

2009-04-09T01:26:00.000+07:00

I have received invitation from Blue Pottery Trust Institution in New Delhi. The institution invited me to support their project titled “Exploration of Terracotta”. It is an activity where all fine-artist following Camp and Exhibition program related with creation of art from terracotta. I have created an artwork titled “Against Evil” to be shown in the exhibition.
The artwork told about scene in Ramayana story, where Rahwana was surrounded by monkey soldiers lead by Hanoman.
I have done a research about ceramic history, traditional ceramic, and ceramic technique from their sources to make a journal for workshop which would be held at the event. I also have bought ticket from Jakarta to India in order to join the event. I went to India at February 4th 2009 by flight. There I joined “Exploration of Terracotta” Event which was held by Delhi Blue Pottery Trust. I followed three major programs. They were: Camping, Exhibition, and Workshop. Camping Program was done at Sanskriti Kendra Anandgram Mehrauli Gurgaon Road Ayanagar New Delhi India - 110047. It was held at February 6th to 19th 2009. The museum owed Indoor and Outdoor Exhibition Facility. Ceramic making Studio which is facilitated by manual and machine forming tools, glazed and un-glazed ornamentation tools, wood and gas stove for burning process. The camping participants came from seven countries. They were England, France, German, Australia, Turkey, Indonesia, and certainly India. I was the only participant from Indonesia. In the first day, the participants were asked to make artwork in collaborative way, The object was wall’s relief. I joined participants from India and England, making relief which had special characters of each countries. I presented Balinese dance relief with patch technique and ornamentation with pinching technique; my friend from India presented twist ornament with free form; while my friend from U.K. presented cactus form. The artwork was burned with non-glazed biscuit burning. After that, it was immersed with color glazed, burned with LPG into glazed artwork. The artwork’s figuration needed two days. The next day, the participants form private artwork as the technique interest and skill. Most of the participants presented artwork with throwing technique, while I applied pinching technique so that my artwork had free form. The pinching technique gave me benefit in expressing certain shape by deforming natural form as my own ideas, like animal form and human form. To make this ceramic form, I used a high quality clay from India since the clay could be arranged tall and not change. It contained a high kaolin so that it could be burned in 10000C temperature. It made me able to produce many artworks. Moreover, the conductor gave freedom in expressing idea. What came in my thought, I expressed directly. In this program, I produced many artworks. Some of them were:
Statue themed ‘Rama and Shinta chase future’. I described Rama and Shinta rode a cart pulled by five horses. The artworks formed with pinching technique. Ornamentation was done by antique technique. It was burned by glazed technique.
‘Acrobatic Cat’ statue. I described an acrobatic cat with its rear foot lifted and the front foot clawed. The forming was done by pinching technique. Ornamentation was done by engobe and scratch technique. In the end of making, it was burned by biscuit technique.
The other artwork was statue described a musical player from Indonesia. It was shaped two fat people who laid down and playing a musical tool called ‘rebab’. In the finishing stage, the statue was burned by glazed technique.
Bison head, was a statue I deformed with deformation and ornamenting style. It was formed with pinching technique. Ornamentation was done by engobe, twist, scratch, and hole technique. It was + 50 cm tall. The making was finished by biscuit burning.
Dragon statue. It was + 50 cm tall, formed by pinching technique. Ornamentation was done by engobe, hole, and scratch technique.
In camping program, all my artworks were chosen to be exhibited in exhibition. All of them were sold. It showed a great respond of audiences to my artwork.
I spent my days in camping area, while in Sunday and free hours, I was walk around the historical sites of India to enrich my knowledge about Indian culture. In my exploration around historical sites, I never forgot to use shirt with Prince Claus logo on it which I created by myself. I told people that my participation in the event was supported by Prince Claus Foundation.
Camping was finished with artwork burning by mat glazed and transparent technique fitted with the artwork’s characteristics. In February 19th 2009, my friends and I left the camping area to prepare for exhibition. The camping participants were accommodated in Indian volunteer families. While I stayed in Indonesia Embassy.
The exhibition was done in February 21st to 27th 2009. The free days at February 19th to 20th 2009 were spent to prepare the exhibition displays. It was done at Visual Art Gallery India Habitat Centre Lodhi Road New Delhi India – 110003. Habitat Center is a center of Art event in India, especially for art and paint art. The Habitat Center owed several culture event to maintain and develop art in India, whether in workshop, national or international. Beside, the Habitat Center owed activity to present and maintain India Culture, including fine-art. Related with this, Blue Trust as the holder of “Exploration of Terracotta” event placed Habitat Center as the activity center of exhibition, workshop, and ceramic demonstration in one week Exhibition was followed by + 90 artists from various countries like Turkey, US, Canada, Mexico, German, France, England, New Zeeland, Australia, Pakistan, India and Indonesia (complete lists could be seen in catalogue). Each participants presented four artworks. I had chance to present more than four artworks. My monumental artwork titled: “Against Evil”. It consisted of Rahwana statue which was 70 cm tall, Hanoman which was 30 cm tall and monkey statues in average 17 cm tall which described evil would be vanquished by the truth! This kind of symbolism always happened in human life until now. Human’s anger and evilness would damage himself and other people. The large Rahwana composition form was combined with small monkeys was aesthetic since the large shape composition combined with small shaped turn the form into unique and interesting form. In the creation, the existing form was ‘deformation’ according to my visual language. The statues were made in Indonesia, formed by earthenware and stoneware combination, using antique effect glazed, burned with 12000C temperature. The artwork got the main spot in the middle of the gallery so that it was pulled the audiences attention and interest. The statue showed acculturation of Hindu India culture and Indonesia’s local genius which I found from temples research in Indonesia, and I expressed through my aesthetical language. Since the statue had concept which touched the emotional side of Indian society, this artwork got huge appreciation from the society. They told that the artwork visualized Ramayana fragment from the past through terracotta artwork. In the second day, the artwork was bought by a collector in India. This display also supported by my other artworks from camping program. Along the exhibition, since my forming technique was unique, I was appointed by the committee to hold a demonstration. There I got nickname: ‘Ponimin the magical hand from Indonesia”. Almost everyday I created ceramic artwork which was not burned. Some of my production were frog, dragon, Indonesian female who wearing make up, lion, and many more. The demonstration product was presented in one display.

PINCHING TECHNIQUE GAVE AN EXTENDED EXPRESSION FOR ARTIST IN MAKING FIGURATIVE ARTWORK

2009-04-09T01:14:00.001+07:00

I would like to share my knowledge about pinching technique from Indonesia which has given me an extended expression in making figurative artwork.
It was called pinching technique since we shape the clay using our fingers. First of all we should imagine what we would be formed. The dimension and kind of expression should be considered first before we made the artwork. It would be better if we made a detail design first.
But if you have strong imagination, it would be great to concentrate to the shape we would make, then used our fingers to make the shape. Feel the elasticity of the clay, it had to fit our imagination. Combining the skill you have in pinching, concentration in mind, and feeling in your heart, you could form the artwork which you first had been formed in your strong imagination.
You could find the idea to make an artwork and strengthen your imagination by paying attention to your environment and history uniqueness. For me, ancient cultural background which had acculturated with Indonesian local genius culture was an idea source which had to be dug and created for recent aesthetic expression. The close culture in my side was the source of ceramic artwork creation which was never dried and never been empty for the importance of recent ceramic artwork whether as art expression of individual character or communal ceramic artwork importance or fine art and applied art ceramic characters.
I considered that there were two purposes in making artwork creation:
1).ceramic artwork as pure aesthetic expression media
2).ceramic artwork as functional aesthetic
In most of ceramic product making, I used direct pinching form technique, by arranging plastic clay whether from earthenware or stoneware. I did that by imagining the form, then I hold the plastic clay which I laid on round table. The plastic clay was arranged and pinched into figurative statue ceramic shape to form ceramic statue, whether to make the wall form thinner or giving figurative detail, I was not often to used tool, but I counted on my fingers as details shaper of outside wall ceramic body, while my left hand-finger functioned as holder the inside part of wall to be thinner and united.
To give decorative impression in shape, I combined them with several ornament techniques. They were sgraffito, carving, printing, and engobe stick twisted ornament. to finish the forming process, there could be used glazed or non-glazed burning depend on the shaping clay.
I certainly sure that this pinching technique extended the artist’s limitation in making an artwork since the artist could form anything he/she could imagine from clay. It would be a great contribution for ceramic and clay art technique.

INDONESIAN CERAMIC AS AN EXPRESSION OF MAGIC – RELIGIOUS AND VISUAL – AESTHETICAL

2009-04-09T00:46:00.000+07:00

Ceramic had known for long ago in whole world and also Indonesia The ancient people had also used ceramic as media to express their religious sense. For me, ancient the ancient cultural background which had acculturated with Indonesian local genius culture was an idea source which had to be dug and created for recent aesthetic expression.
Ceramic artwork to express religious sense had known in Indonesia in time of ancient Kingdom. It was formed in the shape of temples, figurative decoration, and statue in the whole Indonesia, which owed deep religious sense. The artworks described gods, religious leader, and Kings who were considered as the reincarnation of ancient gods in animism faith. When Islam entered Indonesia, ceramic was still used as media to express their religious sense in the mosques and Islamic schools.
Ceramic artwork for idealism aesthetic expression could be seen from one of my ceramic artwork titled ”Against Evil”. This artwork’s idea came from one of the action in Ramayana fragment pictured in Penataran Temple from the great ancient Majapahit history (you could see the attachment picture).
Where from the idea for the art expression? There were a lot of cultural bases which can be alternated as bases for profile seeking and contemporary art development. The Local Cultural sculpture can be show the ethnic cultures, but can be only cover the smaller area scope to, that are cultures sub-ethnic or even certain community in the region. The local cultural world can be the form of pure inquiry from local society, or also can be in the form of focal culture enriched by goodness foreign culture nor other region culture pass the cultural contact, diffusion, acculturation. etc.
With the whole cultural properties, the local cultures have potency to be made as resource for seeking and artistry development for the sake of nowadays ( contemporary). A tot of matter which can be bailed from that, for example: (1) idea, artistic concept and idea; ( 2) local substance for the production of artistic, and also (4) alternative design. In case that way, modern foreign culture is not the single potential source for seeking and contemporary art development in a region or state. This matter because of local culture (as there are various region in Nusantara) owning potency which do not fail abundance, likely represent the " water source which have never run dry to be bailed''' for that importance.
From the local culture ceramic artist could create artwork which are: (a) characteristic (individuality), (b) unique in meaning differ from other, (c) the culture root caused pass by quickly the generation and looked into urgent. (d) Friendliness with the consumer's candidate because have been long attending in environment's, and also good relevance with the local condition, local requirement and also cultural background and enthusiasm's. Contemporary art have been attending being based on the local culture not felt as an enforcing, not viewed as a foreign goods, or at least enough familiar with the consumer's candidate.
From what I described above, ceramic could be used as media to express religious sense and visual aesthetic sense. The idea could based on rich local culture which inspired us to express our sense.