0 Exhibit details the caricatured face of Bali

Four groups of people by chance met at a crossroad. The first group was carrying a traditional Balinese kite larger than a truck followed by some motorcyclists; the second one was a state official’s entourage escorted by the police; the third was local people in their Balinese attire with all the paraphernalia for a religious ceremony; the last was a group of people riding their big motorcycles. 

“Which group would let the others go first? I drew this based on what happens in our society,” cartoonist Putu Ebo, founder of Bog-bog Bali Kartun magazine, said about one of his pieces. His works mostly reflect the hustle and bustle of Balinese people’s life and queries what it would be like if the situation, in which the four groups by chance met at a cross road, really happened. Another piece illustrated a Balinese family who were praying at a temple. 

The mother scolded her child telling her to be serious because there was CCTV at the temple. Cartoonist Jango Pramartha is more concerned about politics and environmental issues. One of his pictures was a farmer plowing his field angrily because of the high cost he has to shoulder for land tax as the government does not provide an agriculture subsidy. Another figure in the picture, illustrated as an activist, is asking the farmer not to sell his land so it can be inherited by the next generation. 

Five cartoonists, who joined the exhibition themed “Introspection” held from Dec. 23 to 29, have concerns on various issues and different ways of expressing their ideas. They are IGN Widnyana (Wied N.), IB Martinaya (Gus Martin), Made Gede Perama Artha (Jango Pramartha), Cosmas H. RIberu (Cece Riberu) and Putu Adhi Supardhi (Putu Ebo). In creating their works, they adhere to ethics, objectivity and human rights. “We still do it in a polite manner,” Gus Martin said, adding that cartoons were an art that illustrated life in a humorous way, with the aim of stimulating introspection. 

The chairman of the Balinese Cartoonist Union said that this was the first time that the cartoonists had had a decent place to hold an exhibition — at the Art Center on Jl. Nusa Indah, Denpasar, the venue of the annual Bali Arts Festival. Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika said being a cartoonist in Bali might not be as profitable as being a painter. “Cartoons are not as saleable as paintings. Making surreal and abstract pictures makes more money than making cartoons. 

Being a cartoonist requires more patience and mental preparedness, although the works are worth appreciating and enlighten us about the latest conditions in Bali.” He said he would be ready to be criticized about development programs in Bali. “It’s easy to say something, but turning it into action is difficult,” he said, criticizing himself. He said cartoonists were like psychologists who understood the conditions in society, but a cartoonist had to be humorous, intelligent and able to illustrate those conditions in a picture. 

He encouraged cartoonists to create a critical piece to be given to the President. Previously, Gus Martin and Jango had given cartoon portraits of the President and the First Lady to them. At the end of the exhibition, the cartoonists held a workshop for young people who were interested in learning how to make cartoons. They encouraged the young people to learn more about cartoons and not to be afraid to exhibit their works to the public.

source : bali daily