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9/29/1983 - Portfolio by Bryn E. Barnard

INSTITUTE OF CURRENT WORLD AFFAIRS BEB Jalan AU5 C Lembah Keramat Ulu Kelang Selangor Portfolio Malaysia September Mr Peter Bird Martin Institute Current World Affairs Wheelock House West Wheelock Street Hanover NH 03755 Dear Peter Reportage usually takes forms verbal pictorial Verbal reportage whether written spoken concrete concise factual vague imprecise opinionated Editorial reporting falls somewhere between these extremes combining reality speculation accuracy generalization The result slanted point Pictorial reportage parameters sketches photographs event process occurs reworked designed fabricated scratch studio Editorial illustration merely inform often advertising influences manipulates My sketches finished illustrations usually narrative often itorial tells story point My slanted tales meant influence viewer perhaps manipulate The pieces reproduced selection illustrations I since November Two assignments transformation client pictorial message One sketch impression specific communication The remainder studio illustrations easel painted personal expressions Southeast Asian experience AFS Dua Puluh Lima Tahun AFS International Intercultural Programs student exchange program headquarters New York Begun American Field Service ambulance corps after World War Ii organization chapters fifty countries A Malaysian chapter existed since sending receiving students Bryn Barnard Institute Fellow studying visual communication Southeast Asia United States Europe Asia Australia New Zealand For Malays chapter traditional event annual dinner dance chance current students returnees renew This Halim Othman president organization landlord asked design cover twenty fifth anniversary dinner dance cover I chose paint twenty frond Ravenala Madagascariensis Traveler Tree This relative banana native Madagascar imported Malaysia ornamental plant Its fleshy water bearing stems popular source refreshment tropical travelers This image seemed appropriate count itinerant connotations innocuous sectarian aspect neither Chinese Indian Malay Traveler Tree favors Malaysian promotes Malaysian culture It merely tropical This important organization multi racial international country where every image every symbol weighe appropriate cultural content One could complain Traveler Tree imported things regarded truly Malaysian The typography national language Bahasa Malaysia reads AFS Dua Puluh Lima Tahun AFS Twenty Five Years The painting executed masonite measures 89x53 centimeters 35x21 inches Malaysian Christmas This painting developed course first Fellowship during frequent trips Kelantan Trengganu states northeast coast Malaysia The coast Malaysia cultural heartland combines elements movieland tropical paradise fringed beaches coastal fields peaceful villages thatch split bamboo islands emerald green sapphire This idyllic setting Peninsular Malaysia biggest tourist meccas number appropriate oases Tanjung Jara Rantau Abang Club Mediterane sultanate style timber palaces temporary splendor moneyed traveler I skipped palaces setting reflecting mirror surface Christmas ornamant washed Malaysian shore The image meant peaceful quiet beautiful I looks lonely In seemed appropriate vision flocked windows sweating Santas downtown Kuala Lumpur during holiday season The painting executed acrylics gouache illustration board measures 20x30cm Pura Teratai This pastel sketch executed village Ubud Bali depicts teratai lotus temple centerpiece Lotus Care Ubud newest tourist restaurant Opened joint venture between Sumatran Austrian husband manage restaurant Balinese family cooking serving The enterprise adjoins Pu Saraswati complex Balinese style tourist bungalows owned family Both hotel Care novel family compound integrating commercial enterprise domestic routine Both border sacred family temple reserved every Balinese ancestors The sacred Both grander families afford lotus indicating wealthy leisured The present however forced secularization family heritage A pavilion fronting furnished cushions tables In chokordas kings might rested there munching suckling scented Today tourists hours there Cafe eminently Western coffee cheesecake quiche fettucine guacamole One wonders whether would approve bizarre cuisine close The sketch executed canson paper measures 38x46cm Performance The Pokok Beringin_ known symbol Malaysian wa_vang_ku shadow puppet theater Triangularly shaped intricately carved buffalo puppet thought represent actual pokok beringin banyan mythical Hindu Mount Meru It ubiquitous shadow puppet theaters Southeast Asia known Java Bali kayon gungungan The Pokok Beringin manipulated dalang master performance variety Stuck banana trunk serves wayang stage puppet demarcate beginning In other contexts Pokok Beringin indicate change scene denote house flapped symbolize conflagration other cosmic disturbance When Krishan Jit asked design cover Malaysian Theatre anthology articles editing Malaysian Historical Society I suggested variation Pokok Beringin theme The actual puppet often Malaysian cultural events ranging dance theater The symbol easily recognized Malaysian audiences Since include articles music dance drama wayang I proposed image would symbolize essence collection performance I envisioned Pokok Beringin shape inter penetrating circular group figures audience performers merging Pokok simultaneous source object their attention From initial Krishan Jit I worked through series concept roughs color sketches before finally hitting chromatic scheme design suited theme publication The illustration executed pastels canson paper measures 38x48cm 15x19 Bung Harto I painted portrait Indonesian president Suharto during presidential elections Majlis Permusyuwaratan Rakyat People Congress This elaborate ritual every years Though democratic machinery impressive result always since Suharto ascension elected times current expected His successor chaotic Sukarno regime marked increasing bureaucratization militarization government Suharto himself become prime symbols state portrait hangs every office graces Indonesian postal stamps During official foreign leader visits capital twenty portraits P esident guest grace highways downtown Jakarta During Independence Day celebrations billboards erected depicting variety heroih poses shears pruning economic during resesi dunia world recession leading cabinet administrative battle sarung sheltering masses worldly vicissitudes batik shirt tudying Indonesia agricultural bounty I depicted merged ancient Indonesian symbol national Garuda mount Vishnu The portrait executed acrylic pastel colored pencil magic marker illustration board It measures 25x33cm 10x13 Java From Bali Rice volcanoes inter dependent constants Java Bali Throughout travels these islands terraces distant volcanic peaks present companions Java alone fifty volcanoes which active Little neighbor Bali share The sized populations islands their lives occasionally their deaths mountains though Java Bali suffer repeated holocaust volcanic eruptions volcanic created fertile earth All steepest terraced produces sometimes three crops Annihilation fecundity region This painting attempt capture fertility destruction planted terraces Bali reflecting volcanic eruption Java This literal reportage Though volcanoes Mount Semeru East Java erupt frequently Bali painting attempt specific mountain specific terraces Instead volcano terraces created combined photographs sketches Java Bali living Malaysia landlord posed shorts rattan broom figures piece The female water buffalo sketched Balinese market Extensive research required understand working terraces waterways dikes cover hiils Bali Java This painting derivative artists Walter Spies German painter lived Bali during Bali famous expatriate artist instr umental development promotion indigenous Balinese Frederick Church nineteenth century American landscape painter world renown during latter nineteenth century gigantic romantic canvases New World scenes The painting executed acrylic gouache illustration board measures 46x56cm 18x22 Sincerely Received Hanover