Sticks as well as Stones won’t Break by Bones as well as Artfully they Speak for me – the Eco in Kamoro Art
Photos courtesy of Jina Muller
Long as well as heavy the idea lies on the wet morning grass, the dew licking its undersides. Young sunlight grazes its skin. Carvings cover the idea end to end, its trunk hollowed out. You can see them, the two people, one on top of the different, looking out with their silent eyes. Above them rising like a defiant titan, is actually the head of a crocodile, teeth bared, frozen, as if Medusa had glanced its way. as well as like a half-crazed flag caught in an Arctic wind is actually the final mélange of symbols in Kamoro-speak.
Around the idea are groups of men, young as well as old; silent on their haunches or whispering almost reverentially, as if afraid to awake the two still, white souls of the biro. They have been looking at the idea for a very long time right now; its whiteness. the idea will shine for miles. the idea will make the colours stand out even more. Tomorrow everyone will be impressed when they erect the biro. Tomorrow the boys will have their karapao– their initiation ceremony.
which whiteness was worth the day’s work. “Well more if you actually think about the idea,” said Alo. “Yes, you’re right,” the others agreed. The whiteness came by the omapoko which Alo had to gather as well as work on.
“Probably a whole canoe-load?” mumbled Sabinus, “two, three days of back-breaking work?”
“Hmm, more,” Alo nodded, as well as then chuckled, “however we had baked omapoka to eat. I bring some more.”
A young man arrives having a beat up FMI hardhat as well as a cut-off Aqua bottle filled with white powder- lime. Frans couldn’t afford to spill any, unless he was willing to paddle all the way to the mangrove swamps, dig around for the mollusks, paddle back, clean them, gather firewood, burn them one lot at a time (how boring – about an hour or two for a batch until they turn white), as well as then pound them having a rock until they become fine powder (duh!) as well as repeating the idea until all the omapoko was burnt! No way.
as well as yesterday was no picnic either painting the whole biro. Romanus had grabbed his hardhat off his head, dipped the idea into the ditch, filled the idea with water as well as given the hat back to Frans. “Hold which,” he said. “Binus, lime. Herman, get some leaves.” Like a cooking contest, they stood there pouring as well as stirring having a stick until they got the right consistency.
Photos courtesy of Jina Muller
Then with the bunch of young green leaves tied together having a long juicy stem, Romanus dipped the “brush” which looked more like a sawn off ,midget banana tree, into the lime paint, as well as gave the biro a Great splat followed by determined strokes.
An old t-shirt, fingers or even one’s hands were also used to cup, spread, smooth over or dab.
Today, the colours were being added. Herman started out a fire as well as everybody gathered round. by plaited bags tumbled out galangal, watai, yellow flowers, black berries, a bluish tinged rock, as well as ABC batteries.
“Wa, Joakim where did you get the blue rock by?”
“Ah, I was in Poraraoka visiting my brother as well as he gave the idea to me. He knows we don’t contain the idea here.”
“Alright, you lot,” Romanus quickly interjected, picking up the rock. “as well as what’s with the ABC batteries, Beni?”
“Well, just in case we run out of charcoal,” he replied, “I’m very willing to chop them into two as well as dig the carbon out. You never know how much black you need.”
“Hrmph.”
The painting began. The experienced knew which applying different levels of pressure or mixing the idea with fresh lime paste got you different colours. Galangal on dried lime turns into a yellow or orange, red comes by watai, a juicy hairy fruit with seeds. Mixed with the lime water the idea turns pink.
“Make dots,” said Binus.
“With what?”
“Here,” Binus yanked out a stem of grass, dipped the idea into the pink as well as dotted the red patch.
“I’m going to do green here,” grinned Primus, as well as having a damp bunch of tiny leafed grass started out rubbing madly.
Romanus appeared having a stick of charcoal as well as inked the square next to his red one. “Binus, crush up which blue rock, I know where the idea goes”.
Viktor came with his drum. “completely new drum Viktor?” the men asked.
“Yes, I have to thank you for the lime – Alo gave me some for sealing the drum skin.”
“Our pleasure. Whose blood did you use?”
“Agus’. His leg is actually still swollen by which pig fly bite. His blood was nicely thin. I could tell when I was scrapping the idea off him with the omapoko shell. the idea mixed well with the lime as well as didn’t dry up quickly either when we smeared the idea onto the lip of the drum, plenty of time to stretch the lizard skin tight too. Listen.” Thom, thom, thom , thom.
Photos courtesy of Jina Muller
“Excellent,” they said,” the idea’s so smooth. The handle is actually very nicely rounded inside.”
“Martinus lent me some glass shards. The handle’s because I caught which stingray – the idea had a Great sized tail – just right for the job.”
“Did you hear about Yan? He ripped off one of the panels by old Anton’s abandoned house for a yamate.”
“He didn’t need to cut a tree down for anything else right??”
“Right. So take the plank. No sense in cutting down a tree for one plank of wood.”
“I think the bules have a name for which, when you re-use something,” said Frans.
“Yeah, eco, eco-living. Yup. Eco-living. Been there, done which. You think they’ll read my book if I wrote one about the idea?” said Primus.
“Shut up, you’re such a dreamer.”
“Sticks as well as stones won’t break my bones,” silently he reaches for the coconut shell with the crushed blue rock.
Kamoro Art Exhibition & Sale
Sat 22nd Oct as well as Sun 23rd Oct
10 am – 5pm
The American Club Jakarta
Entrance by invitation only. Please register at kamoroculture.blogspot.com by 11th September 2011.
There will be singing, drumming as well as dancing by the Kamoro, carving demonstrations as well as presentations on the Kamoro as well as Papua by Dr. Kal Muller.
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Sticks as well as Stones won’t Break by Bones as well as Artfully they Speak for me – the Eco in Kamoro Art
Sticks as well as Stones won’t Break by Bones as well as Artfully they Speak for me – the Eco in Kamoro Art