VISIONS AND REFLECTIONS: MANIFESTATION BETWEEN THE TWO ARTS
23rd January 2024, evening marks the opening as well as inauguration of 'MANIFESTASI DUA SENI TEKS SULALATUS SALATIN' Art Exhibition by Deputy EXCO Tourism, Heritage, Arts, and Culture of Melaka, YB Datuk Hj Zaidi bin Attan, which took place at Melaka Art Gallery. The ceremony was accompanied by traditional art performance, montage showcase on the program, and poetry performance, and an accompanied visit through the exhibition works.
The title of this Art exhibition when translated is 'Literature to Visual: An Interpretation (Manifestasi Dua Seni)'. Initially, the idea was to choose a celebrated classical text (literature), and produce works of visual art, manifested in between the textual/visual lines in regards to disciplines of its maker. It is through this praxis we witnessed such synergy between an Art Group, and an Art School in the Melaka art scene. Kumpulan Pelukis Negeri Melaka (KPNM) Art Group, and the Department of Fine Arts, CCA Art School from UiTM Melaka, spearheaded this dynamic duo-collaboration.
This Art Exhibition has succeed to amalgamate the Art-Makers and Academic-Artist under one inclusive flagship. Among the celebrated names from KPNM are; Pardan Moslem, Nor Rahimy Nor Rahim, Anisha Hisamuddin, Nor Balqis Kamaruddin, Fairuz Suparman, Jade Toh, Johari Ibrahim, Mohd Saofie Bachok, Norasyiqin Chia Abdullah, Roszainol Hashim, Salina Kiban, Ayu Fairuza Zakaria, Martin Wood, Zaini Aman, and Zuwairi Rahman. Among the celebrated Academic-Artist from the UiTM Melaka Art School are; Dr Rosli Zakaria, Dr Sharmiza Abu Hassan, Hisammudin Ahmad, Mohd Saharuddin Supar, Ahmad Zuraimi Abdul Rahim, Mohd Shaharudin Sabu, Wan Mohd Zulkifle Wan Yaacob, Mohd Ali Azraie Bebit, and Shahrul Munir Mohd Kaulan.
Susanne K. Langer in her book Philosophical Sketches, remarks that "every culture develops some kind of art as surely as it develops language. Some primitive cultures have no real mythology or religion, but all have some art, dance, song, design". Here, Art does not exist in mere void, Art is a reflection of society and culture. It is interesting on how Langer relates language as a form of Art itself, albeit during the prehistoric periods, where textual writings were yet to be discovered, language acts as an interesting medium of meaningful communication through folklores and fables. It is through these enchanted spiritual, mythological, as well as mystical stories which kept Art alive as cultural ideas, and manifestation practice through the wall cave paintings, and geometric-organic sculptures, as well as miniatures. The markings which these primitive Makers develop through verbal language such as sounds, and non-verbal symbols such as signs, paved humanity's way through textual writings, as early as the symbolic 'Hieroglyphs', 'Petroglyphs', 'Pictographs', and many others. Hence, it is through this vision that this Art Exhibition persist to address the manifestation between the two arts (Textual-Visual), viewed as in a visual perspective as two sides of the same coin.
Through the mythological, and mystical folklores, and fables is where Annals, as well as History writings were developed. In this Literature-Visual Art Exhibition, the literature text chosen is 'Sulalatus Salatin', translated as 'The Genealogy of Kings', or 'The Malay Annals'. This chosen text is written by Abdul Samad Ahmad, a Malaysian celebrated writer, journalist, and nationalist, which is the 20th printed edition, published in 2021 by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP). By choosing this literature text, there are two (2) significant points to address which connects KPNM Art Group and UiTM Melaka Art School; The first significant point is two-third (2/3), or to be specific 10 out of 15 whole chapters in Sulalatus Salatin narrates about the annals of the Melaka Kingdom, from the beginning, glory, and fall of 1511 to the Portuguese. The second point is through the Sulalatus Salatin pedagogical significant role, as an instructional learning medium adapted by the Malaysian Ministry of Education, in secondary and tertiary schools in regards to the comprehension of Malay history and literature. Thus, it is in this light of reflection, this Art Exhibition continues to explore the possibilities, between classical text which is geographically significant with KPNM Art Group, and UiTM Melaka Art School, and the progress of today’s contemporary art practice, where these artists and art-makers merge their paths at the crossroad, upon defining themselves as social creative agents of our contemporary society.
In this Art Exhibition, the Art style from 24 individuals presented is diverse through its makers discipline, and development journey in Malaysia's Art Scene, however all the works produced can be divided into three (3) stylistic aspects, based on its respective visual characteristic traits. The 3 characteristic traits described here, is based on a conceptual spectrum model consisting of two opposite sides; from 'Art as Objects' (Objective Reality) to 'Art as Ideas' (Non-Objective Reality). Engaging from this conceptual spectrum, it is then possible to categorise the three (3) stylistic aspects into; Representation, Semi-Abstract, and Abstract. Furthermore, the operational definition for the 3 described stylistic aspects, are then supported by what Robert Williams in his book 'Art Theory: An Historical Introduction' remarks “...from an art devoted to objects, to one devoted to relations between objects, and, finally, to one devoted purely to the relations themselves...”.
Representation works of Art devoted to objects in reference to the mimesis theory can be viewed by works; Pardan Moslem, Zuwairi Rahman, and Roszainal Hashim. Semi-Abstract works of Art devoted to relation between objects (Subject/Entity) in reference to Iconography (Contextualism) theory can be viewed by works; Nor Rahimy Nor Rahim, Jade Toh, Fairuz Suparman, Johari Ibrahim, Mohd Saofie Bachok, Nor Balqis Kamaruddin, Norasyiqin Chia Abdullah, and Salina Kiban. Abstract and Semi-Abstract works of Art devoted purely to the relations themselves in reference to Formalism theory, as highlighted by William can be viewed by works; Dr Rosli Zakaria, Dr Sharmiza Abu Hassan, Hisammudin Ahmad, Mohd Saharuddin Supar, Ahmad Zuraimi Abdul Rahim, Mohd Shaharudin Sabu, Wan Mohd Zulkifle Wan Yaacob, Mohd Ali Azraie Bebit, Shahrul Munir Mohd Kaulan, and Anisha Hisamuddin. Moreover, these stylistic aspects evident on the works of art in this Art Exhibition, commemorates the crossroads which connects, as well as captures the ‘textual-visual’ synergy between KPNM Art Group, and UiTM Melaka Art School, as a celebrated manifestation between the two arts.
Mediums and dimensions in the process of Art makings in this exhibition has also played a pivotal role in Art process developments. Significantly, there are abundant media's involved in the process of transferring the manifestation between the two worlds, for some Art Makers the ideas and apperceptions of textual readings are possible to be interpreted in a two-dimensional (2D) space and surface. However for others the 2D picture plane does not quantify the amount of space and surface for their interpretation of expressions from masterpiece texts such as Sulalatus Salatin, where they would option for a three-dimensional (3D) work outcome. Altogether from the 24 works produced in the Art Exhibition, three-fourth (3/4) are 2 Dimensional work of wet and dry media's of paintings and drawings, and one-fourth (1/4) are 3 Dimension work of sculpture, table-sculpture, and installations. For the paintings and drawings medium involved are; Acrylic paint, Oil paint, Natural Sap Dye, Gold leaf, Watercolour, Poster colour, Charcoals, Pens, and Pencils. Nevertheless, for the Sculptures and Installations medium involved are; Metal Iron, Wood, Aluminium, and Steel.
Selection of mediums can play consequential role in stylistic aspects. On one side of the 'Art as Objective Reality' spectrum, it is evident in the representational work of 'RSJ BELUM SELESAI (2024)' by Pardan Moslem through its dry media upon capturing the compositional lines of each compositional scene framed altogether at this moment 20 frames of drawings. 'RSJ' is an acronym for Ranjau Sepanjang Jalan, translated as 'Mines Along The Road'. The subjects in each frames are rendered through a naturalistic approach of an objective reality, where art meets the mundane settings, scenes, as well subjects, represented by its Art Maker.
Consequently, on the other side of the 'Art as Non-Objective Reality' Spectrum, where art does not replicates objective reality, nevertheless art is purely devoted to the relation in themselves as Williams remarked, as evident in the abstract sculptural work of 'Pergelutan (2024)' by Dr Rosli Zakaria. Through the process making of the artist, on the initial sketches and sculpture drawing, the artist takes a scene in chapter 7 from Sulalatus Salatin texts, through the marvel battle between Hang Tuah the Kings Admiral, and Hang Jebat, the Kings resistance. Interestingly the artist does not replicate the representational figures of both fighters, however, he interprets the expression between restoring order and chaos, the feeling of hope and fear between both fighters, into a denaturalised form far removed from the representational reality we address ourselves. It is through such dichotomy the artist utilise the formation of his material, embodied through the 'Battle (Pergelutan) movement between his subjects, juxtaposed in a circular imaginary form, exploring the vitality of depth and space of the three-dimensional work of art. As one engages further, one can witness the juxtaposed bodily parts of the head and limbs, through expressional lines, which addresses the spirit of the Non-Objective reality of Art. Demonstrating Art as Ideas of Expressions, rather than mere objects.
In a Nutshell, from textual to visual, this manifestation between the two Arts Exhibition has been a testament to the inclusive efforts from both KPNM Art Group, and UiTM Melaka Art School. The outcome of this exhibition has been tremendously interesting upon exploring the diverse discipline, and developments of each individual Artists. Albeit the difference in stylistic aspects described and mediums applied, both Art Entities have managed to paved a crossroad where subjects and themes from Masterpiece literature text such as Sulalatus Salatin prevails as the monism of Art, Society, and Culture.
'Keep on Charging!'
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