Garis Art

In the early human civilization, transaction activities generally took place using the barter system, in which agricultural products were the main items being exchanged. The biggest challenge in this system was how to find somebody who owns the goods that one wanted and were willing to trade it with what one had. As a result of this difficulty, men began to use a symbolic item that were generally agreed as having an economic value and as such could be used in buying and selling activity, hence borne what we know as money.
The concept of money as an exchange tool in economic activity has been invented by human as early as 3,000 years b.c.. People in different parts of the world used materials from nature such as shells and wheat grains. Money in the form of standardized metal was only found around 750 years b.c.

With the development of human civilization, all kinds of goods could be produced, particularly with the rise of the industrial revolution, in which mass productions of merchandises became commonplace. As such, economic activity became more complex and the role of money became increasingly more important in the life of mankind. Crops that previously had to be self-produced could then be easily purchased. One’s life that was previously meant to obtain goods for his own consumption could sell them to earn money which in turn could be used to purchase life necessities.

At this time the role of money in the society has developed to another level. The physical form of money itself has undergone a drastic change, not only those of metal and paper we know today, but also of plastic and electronics. In a transaction, we often don’t see the tangible form of the currency itself.
What money can buy today has become multi-faceted, not only limited to concrete objects. A position can be bought. So is title, beauty, justice, and even one’s self-worth. The meaning of money to the society has now exceeds its original function. Money is identical to power, social status, and so on.

In the context of art, interaction between men and money has become a source of inspiration to many artists in their creative works. Market, sellers, and even gambling are often become the themes in the paintings of artist Hendra Gunawan, Lee Man Fong, and Sudjana Kerton. In a more conceptual way, the works of Andy Warhol were very much inspired by a materialistic and commercial cultures. The theme of ‘Money Culture’ exhibition is in fact not new in the development of art, but this show tries to dig the impact of materialistic trend that has worsened, in the current trend of Indonesian contemporary art.

Enjoy.

Hermanto Soerjanto