Menjelang Kuyang

"Menjelang Kuyang"

pen, marker, A4 paper

 Baca lebih lanjut tentang Kuyang di sini

Last week I....

waited for the raindrop to stop, so I could go out

and watched Inception then bought the cutest anatomy model

shot some product photos for goodness when the sun shone bright

Sunday Book Scan: Faust

Among the black and white illustrators Harry Clarke is not as well known as Aubrey Beardsley. Of course Beardsley is the man who brought the whole shebang of darkness in Art Nouveau, but Harry Clarke's stylization is more to my liking. At a glimpse there's no discernible difference between Aubrey's work and Clarke. Look closely and you will see how Clarke deviate from Beardsley in regard on how he chose to portray his subjects. Clarke tends to draw characters with elongated body parts, huge eyes  and long lashes, while Beardsley drew somewhat  simplified rounded  human forms reminiscing characters from Japanese ukiyoe. At that I conclude, what Beardsley has taken Clarke gave back. Clarke's influences are traceable in 70s-80s Shojo Manga like the Rose of Versailles and Garasu no Kamen , and Japanese promising artists such as  Aya Kato (whose early works somehow, I suspect, influenced Camille Rose Garcia's recent works) and Takato Yamamoto. Isn't it great to know how much art inspires and evolves?

Enough with the name throws, anyway, I found this book in the corner of a used book section, as my other treasures this too is someone's garbage. Click pic to enlarge and enjoy its glory!

Title: Faust

Author: Johann Wolfgang van Goethe

Translation: John Anster

Illustration: Harry Clarke

Publisher: Harrap

Publish Date: London, 1985

ISBN: 0 245 54312 0

Sunday Book Scan: Tini Berkemah

Flaunting my Martine book find! Yay! Bought together with the previous scanned-book. Have you tried the my Make Me Martine Generator? No?Well, why not go here now and have a blast!

Title: Tini Berkemah (Martine fait du camping)

Author: Gijs Haag

Illustrator: Marcel Marlier

Publisher: PT Gramedia

Publish Date: Jakarta, 1985

The Juxbox: Natural Curiosities

I'm a hoarder by nature and with my interest in anatomy, science, books, and decorating it's no great surprise that one of my dreams is having my own Wunderkammer.  Isn't just grand to have a roomful of books and interesting objects and whatnots. Too be frank the dream, as any good dreams are, is a bit far fetched. I would be more happy enough to settle with a copy of Albertus Seba's Cabinet of Natural Curiosities (remember this please, especially on my birthday). Or perhaps not, and went collecting little by little until I die, in the meanwhile I will share my collection here, this blog is my weenie web wunderkammer after all. 

How could I not envy him, cool job, awesome house, even fabulous clothings.

Albertus Seba's famous plates

They're Here!

Nevermind the crappy ass poster, the important thing is the show's in town. My only other complain is why the heck they have to do it in the noisiest mall in town???!!!!  There are plenty of public spaces that are more accommodating.
Read more on plastination here. Or perhaps even watch a movie about it.

Need Money! Employ Me!

It seemed that this freelancing thing doesn't really suit my recent travel itches. So I'm planning to apply to steadier jobs. Here's my newest Hire Me Please.....

full download here

As I began to build my portfolio I came across "Buket" my zine of short stories collection from couple years ago (Yay!!!). On which you could download  here. 

Cerpennya dalam Bahasa Indonesia, ya teman.....  Ini cerita pembukanya. (I find myself a tad  too serious when writing in Bahasa, wonder why.....)

Buket

Kota ini hidup dari kesedihan. Langitnya selalu abu-abu dengan sentuhan aroma kemuraman. Tak ada yang suka akhir yang bahagia.

”Eh bagus bukan filmnya?”

”Iya tapi lebih baik dua-duanya mati di akhir cerita, lebih tragis.”

“Kenapa? Sehabis mati berkali-kali, terus hidup lagi, masakah tak diberi kesempatan buat hidup bahagia?”

“Nah, itulah masalahnya, hidup bahagia itu cuma ada di film-film dan cerita. Kenyataannya mana ada yang seperti itu.”

“Tapi aku suka saat mereka berdua membicarakan kematian si atas  ranjang.”

“Aku suka saat hidup orang-orang yang ditemuinya berubah seiring dengan perubahan keputusan yang diambil di kehidupan selanjutnya.”

Lalu hening, lamat-lamat. Kebahagiaan lebih mudah jika ia maya. Karena kenyatan selalu membenturkan diri dan memasungnya.

Return of the Raw

After almost two years, I finally decided to draw skulls again...

".....and my tears will one day blossomed"
Pen, marker, on paper
A5

Puti&Agung's artsy home

So yeah I skipped a Sunday. And almost two weeks of unblogging.  Since I sorta skipped paying the internet bill. Let's just say lately my money went to the "fun & games" part of the budget chart,  before I break into one of  Alanis Morisette's  song "I'm broke but I am happy yay..."

Okay now, as you see earlier this month, me and my buddies went to Batu Karas. And we sorta separated at Tasik, I continued my way to Bandung..... And when I need a place to crash Puti and Agung kindly invited me to their abode, even though we've only met twice. And later in the evening we decided to have ourselves a little party and invited Tia, Azho, Kutil, and Egiw. And that's when I learned the art of partying. It was sooooo awesome! 

Puti even gave me one of her own ceramic toadstool for me to carry home.... While other guests received mushroom plushies made by Agung. Aren't they just super? 

Anyway, what I wanna share with you in the first place are glimpses of their very inspiring home. Their lovely little dwelling is literally  brimming with creativity, you could find artworks and handmades in almost every nooks and crannies. I'm totally swooned.....

Sunday Book Scan: The World We Live In

I found this book in Cikapundung on my recent trip to Bandung, and few other treasures (including two Tini books, Yayyy!!!). Haven't read it yet but the colors are just amazing, hope you'll enjoy it as much as I do. As usual don't forget to click each pic to enlarge.

Title: The World We Live In, Special Edition for Young Readers

Author: Editorial staff of LIFE and Lincoln Barnett, text especially adapted by Jane Werner Watson

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Publish Date: New York, 1956

Life is Beachy

A strong scent of clove-tobacco slowly tinge tingle the old olfactory. Soon I woke and found myself staring outside the window. At the skittering lights of the road lamps and the pale full moon in the otherwise dark dark night. Soon after  the smell of sweat on fake leather seats and gasoline.  My lips formed a wide wide smile, I’m on the road again.

Last week me and my girls from Uni-days, Bollie, Zaki, Dian, and Pepeng  went for a quick break from the city to Batu Karas , Pangandaran. We agreed to meet at Terminal Kampung Rambutan at 8 PM before hopping on a night bus that will take us straight to Pangandaran Terminal. I got there on time and so was Zaki, but the others were a tad late since the traffic on several roads going to Rambutan were pretty hecticly heavy. Bollie being the last one arrived was red and enraged,

“Can you believe the traffic, come on! Forgot  today’s payday. And there’s this guy who was obnoxiously close try to offer me whatever so I said to him ‘Get off me will ya, are you trying to rob me or something?”

FYI, when you’re arriving alone in major bus (even if you wear your best poker face), there’ll be multitudes of people asking you where you wanna go, what bus you’ll take etc, that soon will pretty much get on your nerves. So Bollie’s reaction is pretty much understandable. 

Plus “I just got robbed, so I am still pretty pissed off, okay!” said Bollie using THE excuse that she would abuse later on. Love you, girl.

We were obviously late for the 8 PM air-conditioned bus (which in fact leaving at 7:45), so we took the economy class Perkasa Jaya (55.000 IDR) being the last bus scheduled to depart at 9PM. We sit at the back of the bus and try to keep our voices down. I said tried, not succeeding apparently. We chatted and giggled until our jaws hurt, mouths dried, and our lids heavy….  At this, I think the other passengers were mumbling   “Finally!”

It took 9 hours on the road before we got to Pangandaran. Upon arriving the bus conductor asked us on  whether we want to be dropped at the beach or at the terminal.  

“Terminal!”  we said.  

And soon he was calling for the beach-heading passengers to step off. And then he asked us, still clouded with sleepiness, to step off too.

“But we want to be dropped at the terminal,”  .

“This is the terminal”

“But you said beach”

“Yes this is the terminal and that is the beach”

Apparently the terminal and the beach are in a walking distance, which made the first question pointless since we’d all be dropped off in the same spot. Light giggles soon turn our mood on.

The terminal was smallish, in fact it doesn’t even count as one for us big city girls. And except for the arriving passengers, there are no signs of “living”. 

After we freshened up a little in the public toilet we try to find ourselves an angkudes to hire (a public transportation in the size of a station wagon, much cheaper than rent-a-car, if you’re going alone rent an “ojek” instead.) We were going to Batu Karas, a much quieter beach area about 45 minutes away from Terminal Pangandaran. After small-talking with Kang Dede, the angkudes driver we agreed to rent it for a day instead (for only 250.000 IDR including gasoline). Again laughter boomed in the rusty yet reliable old car.

Kang Dede, our main-man!

If you plan to stay Batu Karas, never, I mean never ever try to sleep at Pondok Teratai. The caretaker was rude and very disappointing. I’ve booked a room two weeks before and she said that all the rooms were  full, and blame it on us.

 “What do you mean we’re not confirmed? I’ve called you twice.  Here’s the phone record“

“But  I don’t have your sms”

“I’ve send one, right after I call.”

She rushed back inside looking busy. Apparently she doesn’t have a note whatsoever and rely solely on sms.

“Can’t find your sms.”

“But I called you twice, and you said yes.”

“Well, this guy here called many times, and no room for him either.”

“If you want another confirmation, then why don’t you ask us  via sms to make sure.”

“Well talking is easy, but I am busy. “

Rrrrriiiigggghhhtttt….. What the fuck? We were irked by her rude response, and walked out even if there’s a room available after twelve (with the cost doubled of course, thank you effing much). We passed Pondok Teratai before dinner, and there’s a minibus parked inside their lot. No sms my ass.

On the brightside, we got ourselves a nicer and much cleaner room at Bonsai Bungalows next door. The only room available is theone with the  aircon and six beds for 500.000 IDR which is purrrfect for the five of us.  After a brief rest, we go straight to Cukang Taneuh/Green Canyon.

You have to rent a boat (75.000 IDR, fit for five passengers)  to see the Cukang Taneuh. But unfortunately since it has been raining all night, the water level along with current has risen so high it was too dangerous to sail through the canyon. So we could only saw it from a safe distance. On a sunny day the river's color is green, thus the name, but it was muddy brown when we're there. A bit of a bummer of course, since it's our main destination, but hey!