A reflection of postmodern uncertainty in the artist’s perception of an art medium: A case study of the Jakarta-based illustrators and their art media

Abstract

Artists have various perceptions toward their art media, one of which is inspired by a belief in the medium’s materiality awareness. Their perceptions relate to various degrees of political and economic conditions that surrounds them. Taking 10 Jakarta-based illustrators as a study case, this paper aimed to observe all possible art medium perceptions directly from the artists’ statements through interview using Critical Discourse Analysis methodology (Fairclough 1995). Since an artist creates an artwork with two possible economic intentions: (1) as a commercial project and (2) as a personal work, an observation of the art medium perception was analyzed by relating it to the two economic purposes. Taking a fact that these illustrators stated an uncertain condition in their production modes, the characteristics of social, economic and political condition in postmodernity, especially described by Fredric Jameson (1991), were used as a reflection to the illustrators’ perceptions. Finally, the conclusion of this paper reveals that the economic intention of the artwork, whether it is for commercial project or for personal work, does not relate to the illustrators’s perceptions toward their art media. In addition, both their perceptual attitudes toward their art media and in their production modes reflect a small part of the idea of political and economic dilemma in postmodernity.