MENARI

THROWBACK 1970s

"Bapak kamu bagi ceramah tadi. Dia kata, dia pun suka 'dancing' (menari) dan tak salah kalau nak menari untuk berhibur. Badan sihat. Bila ditanya dia menari dengan siapa dan di mana, dia jawab, 

DENGAN BINI SAYA LA, DI RUMAH!"

Bapak aku osem.

KEBULOQ

Its ok bro and sis, I respect your right to eat in front of me during Ramadan, especially when u guys are so 'kebuloq'. No hal one. Stay cool & awesome k.

ORANG ULU DI SUBANG JAYA

Ziarah Bang Omar Osman, otai dan mentor grafik dan pengiklanan sejak saya baru keluar UiTM. Ketemu kembali "Orang Ulu" (1987). Kini selesa di dinding rumah Bang Omar di Subang Jaya.

KENAPA BAPAK SAYA OSEM.

Memetik dari blog terdahulu, ketika arwah masih bernafas,

"Bapak sokong minat saya walaupun tidak secara langsung. Semasa dalam darjah enam, dia bawa saya pergi ke kedai sahabat tauke Cina dia yang dipanggil 'Jin".

"Oiiiii Jin, cat minyak ni bagi murah sikit, anak aku nak melukis."

Waktu itu, saya lebih tertarik pada amoi anak tauke tu dari cat minyak jenama Marries Oil Colour yang diimpot dari China. Ada masanya dia bawa balik papan siling dari kontraktor Cina (yang dibuat dari abuk dan serpih kayu) untuk saya berkarya. Semasa Kak Jo dan Hj Osman upah saya melukis karya pemandangan cat minyak (pada kedua-dua belah permukaan) dengan gaya romantisme ala-Indonesia, dia sibuk congak modal dan bayaran upahnya.......semua sekali 121.00 ringgit. Saya masih dalam darjah enam, mana tahu pasal 'budget' dan 'profit margin' lagi. Hanya tahu nak melukis saja.

Hero ini faham anaknya suka melukis. Dia tak melarang, atau mematahkan. Paling kuat pun nasihat dan pesan, jangan dipuja apa jua yang kita buat.

Bapak adalah kekuatan saya ketika itu.

Tapi itu dulu, waktu dia masih muda dan gagah, dan saya baru mengenal hidup.

Kini, saya dah jadi Pengarah, Profesor Madya, mengajar di universiti APEX. Wah.....patutnya naik merak, takbur dan banggalah ya. Tapi bila balik Raya, semua yang saya kejar dan dapat itu jadi tidak penting bila melihat Bapak, hero saya."

ONLY KINABALU KNOWS

Only Kinabalu, and those who submit to its vistas, knows. My heart weeps as I revisit my first encounter with you dear Kinabalu. 

You humbled my friends and I with your majesty and beauty beyond words. You tested us with your terrains. Most of all, you unveiled and introduced to us your true heroes - your mountain guides. 

Al-Fatihah for my fellow climbers Allahyarham Roskang and Zaki.

To dearest mountain guides who perished during the recent earthquake, RIP. You may roam free in Kinabalu, guiding the hearts of future climbers, to respect and honor your ancestors' home.

THE IRONIC PATH OF A HERO

Too busy entertaining anger, envy, hate, contempt, fear and insecurity towards whoever and whatever u had assumed opposing u?

Yes? No prob, fully understand, especially as we r living in this troubled and confusing times now. 

But the thing is, most of these 'opposites' that opposed u, could well be your complimentaries, meant to make your being and living, whole. 

Why? 

Because deep inside, even in denial,  u actually looked for them, u wanted them to b around u, and needed them to stay the way they are, to oppose u, much like how Batman needed the Joker, in order to sustain his reason to b a Hero, or the other way around. 

What will Batman b without the Joker and all the other bad jokers around? A hero? 

Can someone who secretly needs (and manufactures) his/her opposites or enemies b a true hero? 

Or making peace and accepting one's 'oppositions/opposites' as they are during during the moment of encounter, is actually an important part of a Hero's path?

TAJWID MESTI MAU JAGA

Dulu semasa kecil, saya paling tensen bila bapak ajar baca Quran dan amat bosan dengar pesanan 'tajwid mesti mau jaga', mungkin kerana saya lebih seronok melayan seni lagunya. Kini, tiap kali baca ayat2 dari Quran, saya amat mengerti dgn alami, mengapa perlu dijaga tajwid dalam bacaan. Bapak saya osem.

WONDER WOMAN

"Bila bulan posa, bapak kamu dekat"

Wonder Woman, bekas usahawanita Teluk Intan yg cekal dan osem, cahaya ketika gelap. Tolong doakan dia happy. (Foto dari HERO:EPILOG, 2015, terbitan Kebun Jiwa Halus & Do Good Films).

HIDUP BERBAKTI

Dulu semasa masih kecil, bila kawan tanya, "tu sekolah apa?", saya jawab dgn sombong, "tu la sekolah BAPAK aku!". 

Sekarang, bila balik kampung, lalu depan pagar sekolah ni, saya cakap dlm hati, "tu la cogan BAPAK aku, .....'hidup berbakti'. Sebab tu bapak aku  osem."

THE NOWNESS OF KAPCAI RIDING

The nowness of kapcai riding.....in between two unconditional LOVE. My mata masok abok kawan, tq. I submit to the coming of Ramadan.

RETURN TO THE EMBRACE OF RAMADAN

“We will remember the day when it was so easy to disclose disagreement in Pain and Poison

Than to strive hard in disclosing through Dignity and Grace

In HEALING

In patient expectation of relief

We will remember the day when forgiveness was a lavish fashion

On an empty glass doll

Ridiculed as an insult

In receiving and giving

We don’t want to regret the time when we were to busy

To REMEMBER

We take a pause in action

Until its permissibility is clear

Free from the haze of doubt

We return to the First and the Last

The Outer and the Inner

The point of return and the point of origin

To whom all hearts belong

The sanctuary of spirits

The resting place of burdens

The giving of all gifts

And the bestowal of blessings

Night ends with the darkling of the day

Chill of winter takes its leave when summer comes around

We submit

Before we return to the state

OF A KERNEL WITH NO SHELL

Like a

BIRD FLYING FREE FROM ITS EMPTY CAGE”

From : "In the Precious Garden" HJS (1993). Inspired by the lecture of Sheikh Qadir Al-Jilani.

Screen shots from 'HERO:EPILOG' (2015) produced by Kebun Jiwa Halus and Do Good Films. 

DI PINTU

"I've lived on the lip of reasons, wanting anwers, knocking on a door. It opens. I've been knocking from the inside". 

"Aku telah hidup di bibir alasan, mahukan jawapan, mengetuk pintu. Ia terbuka. Selama ini aku telah mengetuk dari dalam."

(Rumi)

Screen shots from 'HERO:EPILOG' (2015) produced by Kebun Jiwa Halus and Do Good Films.

EVERY NOW IS PRECIOUS. THANK U, PATRICK.

EVERY NOW IS PRECIOUS. THANK U, PATRICK.

Those with a short attention span, dont waste your time reading this.

Yesterday, while listening to a khutbah (sermon), my mind meandered to a question my friend Anderson Ee had asked when we were shooting at my parents' house in Teluk Intan. Her asked me what was the meaning of a verse from the Quran that my late father had placed on a wall above the main door. I said I dont know but will check later. 

Back to the khutbah, as I was thinking about looking for the translation, the imam read the said verse with the translation, "setiap yg bernafas pasti merasai maut" (every breathing soul will face death) as I could recall. I told Andy about it, as usual he replied, "awesome". I felt the same, with goosebump.

But it didnt stop there. Few hours later, I received the news about the passing of Patrick Lasak, a fellow Penang-based artist-friend whom I've known for years. Words cant describe how I felt then, as the news brought me back to the said verse.

Together with my wife Rozana Mohamed, we dropped by at Patrick's Gallery which is a walking distance from my wife's shop in Lebuh Acheh. We met his wife, father and brother. His younger brother was visibly sad. We reminisced about Patrick. We saw his large body of works, outpourings of passion and love that cant be described by mere written words. I read few paper clippings about him, including those related to his struggle to stay positive despite his failing health, in and out of hospital many times. I could not bear to see this jovial friend of mine in such condition. I didnt have the courage to visit him while he was in hospital then, at least not yet. Cant shake off my previous hospital experience. It was around the same month last year that I witnessed my late father went through similar predicament in a hospital. It was so hard to see someone you love, suffering. So hard also to let go the sadness. 

Patrick's wife calmly brought us to see him for the last time. There he was, as if sleeping, thinner of course due to his illness before, yet like a young person resting in peace. As I was looking at him for the last time, my mind flashed back.

After the opening of my solo exhibition 'Veil of an Artist' at the Penang State Art Gallery in 2010 by Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal, Patrick Lasak cheerfully entertained me and Datuk, as well as Datin with a seafood dinner at Teluk Tempoyak, as his way of celebrating my solo. Now, both Datuk Syed and Patrick had passed away. Few friends of mine also died, young - Azaruddin Othman, Rahimiddin and just recently, Lukmanul Hakim, a student who used to b in my Cross-Cultural Design course. Their sudden passings awakened me. The verse that my late father placed above the door, came back into my mind. I felt so sad, yet it was also calming, once I've learnt to let them go with the sweetest accepting or surrendering smile. 

As I was leaving Patrick in his coffin, this ran through my mind with an accepting emotion.

Never a goodbye, just a transformation of connectivity from physical to the spiritual; life is so transient and every moment of NOW is so precious. Dont waste our every now, but fill it with love and passion, till they become light upon light upon light that glow and shine beyond any darkness that life can throw at us. 

Thank you my friend, Patrick Lasak.

Al-Fatihah buat Datuk Syed, Ayahanda Saidon, Azzaruddin Othman, Rahimidin, Lukmanul Hakim.

SEGALANYA BERPUTAR

Saya petik sedikit catatan blog terdahulu:

ANJAKAN-PULANG (SHIFTING-RETURN)

Satu usul untuk membina hubungan lestari dan melihat-semula tradisi adalah dengan membebaskannya dari kekangan kerangka sejarah (baca lojik linear Aristotelian 'Barat') dan antropologi benda. Ini termasuklah membaca tradisi dari sudut fizik, yakni menggunakan bahasa, terma dan wacana fizik.  

Saya petik tulisan arwah guru saya Ismail Zain,

"Keyakinan saya sendiri adalah bahawa dengan teori-teori sains mengenai relativity, infinity, dematerialization, implosion dan sebagainya, penghantar pengalaman kuno masa hadapan bukanlah sejarah atau antropologi, tapi fizik." 

(Dipetik dari "Masa Depan Tradisi - Dikhususkan kepada Pengalaman Kuno di Malaysia " dalam Ismail Zain Retrospective Exhibition 1964-1991, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, ms 91)

Beberapa penulisan arwah Ismail Zain yang lain seperti "Ucapan Nada Ide" dan "Towards A Utopian Paradigm" berkisar pada isu atau persoalan serta argumen yang sama.  Beliau sudah lebih awal mengusulkan anjakan paradgima - pemakaian model linguistik untuk melihat dan membaca-semula tradisi dari sudut fizik; dan menggunakan kaedah analisa wacana untuk mengkritik (memecah atau dekonstruk) wacana sejarah seni moden dalam membaca-semula tradisi Timur. Melihat tradisi dari lensa sejarah, juga seni moden, tidak akan menemukan kita kepada apa yang beliau rujuk sebagai 'pengalaman dasar suci'. Yang terjadi, pada pandangan beliau, hanyalah peminjaman dan penipisan tradisi dalam bentuk cut and paste, yang sering di institusikan, diberi legitimasi dan perakuan rasmi sebagai dasar.

Sila tonton klip berikut. 

https://www.facebook.com/Nassim.Haramein.official/videos/272083452982920/

Sebagai susulan, kita bersih mata dgn imajan2 berikut:

Komposit hulu keris melela motif jawa demam dgn lengkungan fibonacci dan lengkungan yg terhasil dari gerakan titik pd jari yg bangun dari posisi rukuk sambil takbiratul-ikram. 

Satu, tiada mula tiada akhir, infinit. Pernyataan Tauhid.

DIALOG CINTA

1.

Superman sibuk dgn pelbagai urusan pendidikan, keagamaan, sosial dan politik. Dia kata pd superwoman, perlu tunaikan tanggungjawab pd masyarakat. Superwoman cakap, "abih tu anak-anak awak yg ramai tu bukan masyarakat ke?" Superman tak jawab.

2.

Superman menasihatkan anak-anaknya utk sesekali asingkan diri bagi membersih jiwa dan meningkatkan makam kerohanian. Superwoman menyampuk, "kalau semua org naik gunung pergi bertapa, siapa nak uruskan keluarga dan negara?" Superman diam buat donno dgn muka slamber.

BEST TEAM TO WORK WITH, BLESSED

The team behind 'H3RO:EPILOGUE', Anderson Ee, Shahrin, Zariff and Adeela, plus Meor, who took the picture. 

DALAM GERAK ADA RAHSIA DALAM DIAM (DENGAR) ADA PENCERAHAN.

Gambar bawah:

Ungu=titik pada dahi

Hijau=titik pada hujung jari tengah

Gerak=bangun dari rukuk dgn takbiratul-ikram, dari pandangan sisi paras mata.

(Kajian 'motion-capture' solat oleh Nur Zaidi & Kebun Jiwa Halus).

Gambar bawah : Komposit rupa organ telinga dgn rupa organ otak manusia dari pelbagai sudut.

Gambar bawah : Komposit garisan dari gerak titik pd jari dlm solat yg dirakam dgn 'motion capture' dgn rupa organ otak manusia.

Gambar bawah : Komposit garisan dari gerak titik pada jari dlm solat dgn hulu keris melela motif jawa demam.

THE HAND THAT CLEANS YOUR ASS.

"Cantiknya cincin".

"TANGAN NI LA YG CUCI PONGGONG KAMU DULU"

"Ok Boss, peace."

("Waa, beautiful rings".

"THIS HAND USED TO CLEAN YOUR ASS WHEN U WERE SMALL"

"Ok Boss, peace".)

Mother always know how to whack a sense out of my cluttered and snob academic brain. 

DALAM GERAK ADA RAHSIA (BHG 2)

DALAM GERAK ADA RAHSIA (BAHAGIAN 2)

Komposit sahabat saya Raja Shahriman (RS) dlm kedudukan tahiyat akhir dgn hulu keris melela motif Jawa demam dari pandangan depan (dgn ucapan tkasih pd RS).

Gambar bawah : Komposit garisan hasil dari pergerakan titik jari tengah ketika bangun dari rukuk sambil takbiratul-ikram, dgn hulu keris melela motif Jawa demam (pandangan sisi). 

+ lengkungan Fibonacci.

+ rahim wanita dgn janin 9 bulan dari pandangan sisi.

RUMAH ATAS RUMAH (HOUSE ON TOP OF ANOTHER HOUSE)

Sewaktu rehat setelah sehari suntuk buat pengembaraan utk "H3RO:EPILOG" di rumah Teluk Intan, bonda men'tarbiah'kan tuan sutradara (director) Andy dan DOPnya Sharin:

"Dulu masa kecik, mak pada Tok selalu baca kitab jawi. Antara tanda-tanda akhir zaman ialah banyaknya rumah atas rumah. Masa tu tak tau pun apa bendanya rumah atas rumah, tak ada pun rumah mcm tu waktu tu."

Fikirlah sendiri. Kuliah bonda 'makan dalam', tanpa perlu istilah2 memandai-mandai.

During a break after a day of shooting at her Teluk Intan house, mom gave the director Andy and his DOP Sharin a lecture:

"When I was a kid, my mom used to read me this jawi book about several key signs of the end of time. Amongst them include the proliferation of 'houses on houses'. I didnt understand then what it meant, never crossed our mind, no such houses then."

Go figure. Mom's lecture always cuts deep, without those pretentious jargons.