Ardi Gunawan Indonesian, b. 1983
Poodle Scandal, 2024
acrylic on canvas
60 x 80 cm
The subject matter for this painting is politic, viewed through the lense of journalism. I wanted to question our relationship with power, authority, and the ruling class. I aim to...
The subject matter for this painting is politic, viewed through the lense of journalism. I wanted to question our relationship with power, authority, and the ruling class. I aim to create narratives that go beyond the simple dichotomy of good versus evil, rejecting the notion that one side is purely good while the other is evil.
I’m not siding with left-wing or activist narratives, even though they can be powerful. Instead, I’m exploring the idea that, like with consumerism, we can't resist certain forces. We indulge in consumer goods, just as we are often compelled to comply with authority. Resistance is difficult unless we collectively oppose these forces, but historically, activism has always faced challenges and limitations.
Take cigarettes, for example: despite efforts to eradicate them, they persist, much like power and authority. This leads me to propose that our only recourse might be to mock or ridicule our relationship with power, finding irony in our situation.
In my work, I’m not simply lamenting or protesting; I'm exploring my relationship with authority by both embracing and faking it. It’s like putting on a smile at a gala, pretending to be pleasant. My aim is to play with this notion of embracing and faking, reflecting the complex dynamics of our interactions with power and authority. To this end, I intercept the seriousness of politics and its discourse with a white poodle, creating the possibility of laughter.
I’m not siding with left-wing or activist narratives, even though they can be powerful. Instead, I’m exploring the idea that, like with consumerism, we can't resist certain forces. We indulge in consumer goods, just as we are often compelled to comply with authority. Resistance is difficult unless we collectively oppose these forces, but historically, activism has always faced challenges and limitations.
Take cigarettes, for example: despite efforts to eradicate them, they persist, much like power and authority. This leads me to propose that our only recourse might be to mock or ridicule our relationship with power, finding irony in our situation.
In my work, I’m not simply lamenting or protesting; I'm exploring my relationship with authority by both embracing and faking it. It’s like putting on a smile at a gala, pretending to be pleasant. My aim is to play with this notion of embracing and faking, reflecting the complex dynamics of our interactions with power and authority. To this end, I intercept the seriousness of politics and its discourse with a white poodle, creating the possibility of laughter.
