Voir la biographie de Oka

Agung Oka Nationality : Indonesia Date of Birth : 1971 , Yehembang - Jembrana (Bali) Artistic Activity : Level : Mid-Career Artists Type of works : Acrylic On Canvas Studies : STSI Denpasar (it was STSI), 1997 “The body is a system of metaphor in which power realizes itself, and eventually the body can only be understood as consequences of social changes in its long history.” ( Michel Foucault) The sexual tendencies of male artist’s imagination when taking females as their subject matter, according to Anne and Bill Moir, as quoted by Arivia (1999): is “…as male has four times of sexual imagination. It is not surprising since male hormone is the source for the fantacies. The high level of dopamine in male brain can raise the sexual desires”. History also shows that the female body and beauty attractions become the stimulus for creativity of male artist. Salvador Dali, to take one example, luxuriously worshipped the beauty of Gaia, his own wife. Picasso, the great artist, spoiled so many women during his long life. So many other painters have been inspired by the female beauty and their women complexion. This reality is a reflection of patriarcy ideology that has perpetuated the male position as subject and women as object. A hegemony that has been preserved, whether consciously or unconsciously, in the name of culture. The body, especially the female’s, has offered a certain meaning that has been culturally constructed in the painter’s mind. There have been so many male artist who muse over and agree with Anthony Synnott (2003) who assures that the body is not only skin and bones composed as its components. It is a place that carries cultural, sexual, moral, public, private, positive, and negative symbolism. It is not only the skeleton and physical or material structure of man and animal, which is seen as an organic entity. The body has relation with what and who decides about it. On one side, so many art works of male artis that show the choice of poses and gestures that reflect the nature of object consumption (Jean P. Baudrillard, 2004). On the other side, there are so many women who are ready to become painting models. At this position, women organize their poses and gestures to manage their own bodies as the object of work investment. Therefore, the model makes use of her body as a functional beauty. Baudrillard lightly explain about the value of body investment that is not flesh as religion sees it, not as the working power in the logics of industry, put back into its proper nature or in the idealism seen as the object of glorifying narcissism or tactical and the element of social rituals beauty and erotism are two main definitions that frequently appear. That is why the most readable is the sign value present in the art of male artist as the flawless of female body: the back, thigh, and breast. Let us look at the works Anak Agung Oka. Although the choice of visual approach of the painter is far from the intention to perform the beauty of female body, his works cannot fully avoid the general perception of man towards female body. They belong to the male artist who have been hypnotized by the beauty of female body. But something that is interesting to consider that his work is the meeting of place for patriarchy ideology and the area of adventure of various visual elements. The female body in his works is a starting point to express about women in the essence of art : lines, planes, colour, and textures. Starting from these visual realities, the works on rhythm, contrast, harmony and disharmony are placed to become a target point. Then, the female body in the eyes of the painter, is not an aim. It is only a starting point. Anak Agung Oka also offers two things with his paintings. First, the problem of female body reality. Second, the problem of working with visual elements. Female body reality in the works of Anak Agung Oka is a reality understood as the male authority. The female body is something supple, soft, and full of rhythm. The female body in his paintings seems to give sign that the body is a means to obtain love. Consider how Anak Agung Oka decides about the stress to make center of interest of the part of woman’s neck and bosom. These parts become prominent because the choice of colours that are in contrast with the colours of the dress and background. This is caused by the position of Anak Agung Oka as a man who approves the patriarchy ideology. Women, as in the representation of Anak Agung Oka eventually show the nature of object consumption. A double practice related with the realization broken into pieces (but related to each other) with his own body: the presentation of body as a capital as an amulet (a thing of consumption). However, the visual elements in his works also becomes his attention. He stresses his aesthetic choice on the strength of his brush stroke, the overlapping paint layers, and harmonious colours and stimultaneously colours in contrast. All of these visual elements are created in rhythm formed by female body. The choice of method of painting and the problems put forward by the two painters show frankness both in the field of technical achievement and the way of looking at the female body. Exhibitions : * Solo Exhibition : * 2000 Green Series, Sembilan Gallery, Ubud * 2002 Simplicity, Three Monkeys Café, Ubud * 2003 Image of Lotus Plant, Sutarta Gallery, Ubud * 2004 Poetry of Water, Sudana Gallery, Ubud * 2005 Linier, Three Monkeys Café, Ubud * Group Exhibition : * 1990 Anniversary XXIII SMSR Denpasar * 1991 Visit Indonesia year, at Kampus SMK Batubulan * 1992 Dies Natalis XXV STSI Denpasar * 1993 Peksiminas II STSI Denpasar | Water Color Exhibition, Art Centre Denpasar * 1994 Dies Natalis XXVI STSI Denpasar * 1995 The 17th Bali Art festival, Taman Budaya Denpasar, Bali | Group Exhibition with kamasra, Museum Nyoman Gunarsa, Klungkung | The 2nd Anniversary kamasra, STSI Denpasar * 1996 3rd Anniversary of Kamasra, STSI Denpasar | Exhibition with Kamasra at Bali Cliff