perempuan yang meratapi mayat yang terkulai di lutut mereka. "The

perempuan yang meratapi mayat yang terkulai di
lutut mereka. "The Grief" adalah judul yang dikenakan
pad a patung yang bersambung dengan kejadian yang
sebenarnya itu, menjadi bagian dari pameran tunggal
terakhir Dolorosa di Galeri Nasional tahun 2001.
Sejak hari itu, aku sering menghabiskan berjam-jam
duduk di studionya melihat kedua ibu jarinya menggoresgores lempung, menorehkan kekhasan karakter pada
patung-patungnya. Pada saat seperti inilah , saat-saat
di mana dia begitu tenang, terkonsentrasi, namun
masih juga sempat membicarakan masalah personal
orang lain, sambil tangannya terus bergerak menggarap
lempung di depannya. Situasi politik berubah sejak
tahun 2000, begitu pula situasi Dolorosa sendiri,
termasuk kesehariannya. Bersambut gayung dengan
perubahan ini, penjelajahan artistiknya juga menapak
jalan baru . Namun kedalaman emosi yang mengudar
dari karya-karyanya, tetap tinggal di tempat.
Awal tahun lalu, aku merasakan keakraban yang
berbeda saat masuk ke Studio Dolorosa. Di bawah
temaram neon, aku masih terbiasa dengan keseriusan
tatapan patung-patung itu, jeritan diam yang memekar
dari mulut yang kadang tak mereka miliki . Namun
yang baru bagi aku adalah cerita yang mereka
bawakan, bukan lagi soal politik besar, tapi pernik
personal masyarakat modern, patung-patung baru ini
lebih menyorongkan pemikiran pribadi di kepala para
pemirsa . Bagaimanapun juga, patung-patung ini masih
tetap terasa politis, walau tidak langsung . Dolorosa
seperti mengacungkan cermin ke wajah tiap orang,
mengamati dan mengkritik dengan intensif carut marut
sistem sosial lewat pantulan problem perseorangan
-hubungan yang tak bahagia, atau harapan yang tak
tergapai . "Motivasiku sudah pasti selalu datang dari
pengalamanku sendiri. Tapi sekarang aku sudah bisa
meninggalkannya dan mengambil jarak untuk melihat
pengalaman orang lain sebagai model," katanya.
36
Since that time, I have spent many hours sitting in her
studio watching her thumbs striking the material to
give her sculptures their typical expressive characters.
These are usually the moments she is calmest, most
concentrated but still able to even discuss personal
problems of other people, while her hands don't stop
shaping the object in front of her. Since 2000, the
political situation has changed, Dolorosa's own situation
has changed , her environment has changed. Thus, her
artistic exploration also went in new ways. What has
not changed is the deep emotion coming out of her
creations.
When I walked into Dolorosa's studio by the beginning
of this year, I found myself in a familiar yet different
atmosphere. Familiar was the seriousness of the
sculptures facing me out of the half-light, tile silent cry
swelling out of their mouths, even if they didn't have
one. Not familiar, however, were most of the stories
they quietly told, despite addressing big political
issues; rather than confronting individual problems in
our modern society, these new sculptures urged much
more personal thoughts into the viewers' minds Still,
these works seem very political somehow, though in
a less direct manner. Dolorosa holds up a mirror to
everybody's face, intensively observing and criticizing a
defective social system by reflecting on more personal
problems of people - be it an unhappy relationship or
the preoccupation with an unfulfilled life. "My motivation
certainly always came and comes from my own life
experience. But nowadays I am able to leave my own
self behind and look at other people from a distance
using them as my models," she says.
While the oppression of women remains one of her
main themes , an obvious change in Dolorosa's mode
of expression shows itself in the number of male figures.
Seven years ago, her only male sculpture was a portrait
of the "Dalai Lama" and "Wid}i Thuku/". Today there are
more and more men coming out of her hands, mainly
Sementara ketertindasan perempuan masih tetap
menjadi tema utamanya, perubahan pola ekspresi
Dolorosa tampak jelas dari jumlah sosok laki-Iaki dalam
patung-patungnya. Tujuh tahun lalu, hanya "Dalai
Lama" dan "Wid}i Thuku/". Sekarang lebih banyak lakilaki lahir dari tangannya, hadir dalam serial berdua dan
tidak selalu berperan baik dalam cerita. ("You Tell Me").
Pemandangan lain di studio ini yang aku belum terbiasa
adalah adalah garis-garis yang berjatuhan di lipatan
kain yang berat pada patung-patung baru itu . Seperti
biasa Dolorosa selalu berdiri di tengah ruang kerjanya
seperti pusat seluruh aktivitas di sekitarnya, dengan
seluruh tenaga mengarah pada: plastik. Plastik yang
biasa dia pakai menutup patung lempungnya agar
tetap lembab. "Aku butuh tantangan baru, lempung
jadi terlalu mudah," begitu penjelasan sederhananya.
"Menggunakan material tak bervolume seperti plastik,
kertas atau kain menuntut kemampuan konstruksi baru
yang memang ingin saya jelajahi. Medium ini sangat
spontan, seperti aku."
Keterkejutan orang yang datang ke studionya, kolektor
dan kritikus dengan teknik baru yang dia gunakan,
mendatangkan kenikmatan tersendiri buat Dolorosa.
Menurutnya orang sering mengandaikan banyak hal.
Namun kerja kreatif tak bisa terus kuat hidup tanpa
bangunan ide baru. "Soallain lagi," tambahnya "Orang
bertambah makmur dan nyaman sekarang . Menyajikan
kemakmuran dan kenyamanan lewat patung yang
dibuat dari tas plastik adalah cara yang jitu untuk
mengingatkan mereka tentang realitas."
Ketika Dolorosa mulai membungkus patung lempungnya
dengan plastik dan kain, aku yang sudah begitu terbiasa
dengan gaya lamanya, merasa terganggu. Lewat
diskusi panjang dan lama, baru kemudian kupahami
pertaruhan dia dan kagum atas keputusannya yang
berani. Dan harus aku akui material itu memang tampak
semakin halus dan lunak setiap kali disentuh tangannya.
starring in a couples series - and not always playing the
good part in the story (see "You Tell Me').
Another unfamiliar sight in the artist's studio to get used
to were the outlines of the newer sculptures falling in
heavy pleats. As usual Dolorosa stood in the middle
of her workroom like the central axis of every activity
happening around her, with all her energy striking plastic. The very same plastic she uses to cover her
clay to keep it humid. "I needed a new challenge,
clay has become too easy for me," was her simple
explanation. "Using material without volume like plastic,
paper or fabric demands new skills of construction I like
to explore. It's a spontaneous media that fits me really
well."
Obviously, Dolorosa enjoys surprising her visitors,
collectors or critics with this new technique of hers. In
discussions she points out that people often take things
for granted. But creative work could never continue as
a living force without developing new ideas "Besides,"
she adds, "People get more wealthy and comfortable
now. Featuring those wealthy and comfortable people
in sculptures made out of simple waste plastic bags is
a good way to remind them of reality."
When Dolorosa first started wrapping plastic and cloths
around her clay figures, I - being one of those already
too much used to her old style - felt disturbed. Many
months and discussions later, I understand her point
and admire her for her daring determination. And I
have to admit that the material seems to get softer and
smoother in the artist's hand with every attempt. Pure
aesthetics playa bigger role now in her work. "I want
to celebrate the beauty of life - with the hope that this
beauty can also help to fight violence," Dolorosa says.
Of course, the pleats playing around the figures also
hide something, which is exactly her intention: Behind
all this lavish cloth life can still be very empty (as clearly
seen for example in the work 'King and Queen').
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