The COVID-19 War in Ceramic Arts: Navigating Aesthetic and Symbolic Expressions

Abstract

This paper reports on the production of a ceramic installation artwork that explores the story of the COVID-19 pandemic experienced by people throughout the world. The work is a symbolic expression in the form of a set of ceramic art models that portray the story of the battle between positive and negative values, expressed through a 3-dimensional visual ceramic installation consisting of an arrangement of statues that portray an imaginary battle between COVID-19 troops and Lord Krishna. The method used in the process of creating this work was a creative approach that combined appreciation and interpretation of the object of the creative idea. The artwork was made of plastic clay taken from the southern area of Malang regency, East Java, Indonesia, which was formed using a manual technique of direct hand massage and fired at a temperature of 900 °C. The COVID-19 phenomenon is imagined and visualized as a ceramic installation sculpture consisting of the imaginative figures of COVID-19 troops, led by the king of COVID-19 who is shown fighting with Lord Krishna. The result is a visual expression of the COVID-19 troops and their king, in several imaginative forms, carrying various weapons of war, in combat with the imaginary figure of Lord Krishna. The distinction of this work is its portrayal of a battle between positive and negative forces that have become a part of human life during the COVID-19 pandemic, expressed in a symbolic visual narrative through the arrangement of a set of ceramic sculptures.

The Role of Visual Art in Facing the Corona Pandemic

“…For example, artists who live in war zones are overwhelmed by feelings of sadness and depression. Therefore the Corona crisis that swept most countries of the world has affected artists' work, especially since the artist himself or one of his family members may be a victim of the Coronavirus (Goodell & Huynh, 2020;Ponimin & Guntur, 2021). There is no doubt that the results of artists have been greatly affected by the crisis.…”

Kreasi Motif Batik Dengan Teknik Printing Khas Jombangan Dari Inspirasi Topeng Jatiduwur

“…Pada tahap proses kreatif untuk memvisualisasikan Topeng Jatiduwur pada motif batik dengan menambahkan aksen yang memberikan ciri khas Jombangan. proses kreatif melibatkan perjalanan panjang untuk mengeksplorasi konsep, mengekstraksi bentuk, mengekstraksi teknik ingatan, dan teknik penguatan, terwujud dalam sebuah karya seni yang memiliki estetika nilai juga pesan sosial yang berbeda dari penelitian lain atau seniman (Ponimin & Guntur, 2021). Dalam perwujudan motif batik ini, diperlukan beberapa tahapan yang harus dilalui antara lain:…”

Transformasi Estetik Seni Kriya; Kelahiran Dan Kriya Masa Kini

“…Perancangan desain kriya terapan umumnya mengacu pada konsep form follow function yang dikemukakan Louis Sullivan, dimana bentuk suatu objek harus disesuaikan dengan fungsi atau kegunaannya (Sullivan, 1896). Aspek bentuk dan teknis merupakan pertimbangan yang mutlak dalam mewujudkan ide menjadi karya (Ponimin & Guntur, 2021). Dengan demikian dapat dilihat kriya terapan berfungsi membantu dan memberi kemudahan dalam kehidupan sebagai barang guna melalui bentuk, efisiensi kegunaan, dan nilai ergonomisnya.…”

“…Proses mewujudkan ide menjadi karya sangat dipengaruhi pengalaman artistik, penguasaan medium dan teknis pembentukan (Ponimin & Guntur, 2021), sehingga karya yang dilahirkan mengandung makna dan secara visual mampu berbicara.…”