THE FRANGIPANI’S BATTLE OF MYTH AND REALITY

• Main Author: Fitrilia Effendy, Gita
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/43922
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The stereotype for muslim women created by the public brought many influence to the female image, which as if religion (islam) formed a new culture instead of a believe that is supposed to be able to walk side by side with the identity of Indonesian culture. Hadiths that is actually weak(dhoif) becomes the benchmark for society’s stigmas. Those effects was felt by the writer, it made her more closed off socially. This created a problem that would be tied towards the notion and visual concept of the female stereotype within society, to question it as the answer for the writer to find a life balance as a Muslim woman who still obeyed the Javanese culture because at the base of it all believes are a personal bond for every individual towards their God. From the notion and the problem that has been established, the writer tries to develop ideas with the writer’s own interest in flowers that the writer often saw at funerals in childhood. The writer ties in the flower’s image with the problems she has faced before and even after she donned the hijab, from here the writer developed the idea to be the way to visually deliver the message. References and literature studies are used by the writer as a research process to create the paintings. After the writer finds a number of visual similarities from the references, the writer begins to explore mediums and process the image application towards the canvas. The writer took ideas and concepts of the painting from how society view the Muslim women that has been considered to cause disservice towards men as a place of burden. From such things the writer presents the image of frangipani flower as representation of women with stereotype that the writer made as benchmark from myths. Because in actuality myths are still being questioned for its validity. The writer gives streaks to the flower to represents facts and truth from a Muslim women donning the hijab that covers the frangipani flower. The writer finds the cloth impression the painting gives out a Balinese aesthetic, for that the writer tried to dissolve the image by adding a paradox between the image of a funeral and frangipani flower that for the modern man is still being questioned, the function of flowers that in general are used as decorations and if there are ties with the Muslim believe for the placement of flowers on funerals. The visual harmony visible between the union of realistic image and the abstract streak. The two also used two different mediums, for the image of flower and its background the writer used oil paint, whereas for the streak the writer used acrylic paint. The writer used photography the writer took personally for the object of the painting so the writer could choose the most fitting results. From a number of paintings, the writer used underpainting in some parts because the writer was still looking for colors that fits with dark and light nuance that visualize the writer’s experience. A number of streaks are brushed in layers, the writer still puts importance in aesthetics with the chosen colors of the streaks nor its field. However, some of the streaks are created based on the placement of the flower, streaks that is supposed to act as a cover nor the eraser of the flower image. the stereotype also has positive effects for Muslim women. Something or anything that contradictions it could give meaning to life.