The commoners
2012
Medium
cotton on fiberglass, canvas, rubber, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, drums, electrical cord, metal, wood, shovels, electric fans, CRT television, megaphones, speakers, spotlights
Measurements
(1-42) 450.0 × 400.0 × 600.0cm (overall) (installation)
Credit Line
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased NGV Foundation, 2013
© Jompet Kuswidananto
Gallery location
Not on display
About this work
The commoners is an installation comprising nine ‘ghost’ figures suspended from a metal roof-like structure. The heads of these faceless figures are evoked by Indonesian political T-shirts worn in ninja-like (to use the artist’s description) style – around the head and upper body – of roadside workers and farmers in Indonesia to protect them from the sun. The workers’ feet are similarly evoked by sneakers, gumboots and marching boots, but their bodies remain absent. The workers/protestors are surrounded by the ‘tools’ of their trade – shovels, drums, flags and megaphones – and the TV at their feet shows continuous footage of political rallies. At intermittent times, a soundtrack unexpectedly plays, the drums beat and the fans within the work blow the flags.
Artwork Details
Accession Number
2013.33
Department
Contemporary Art
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of Digitisation Champion Ms Carol Grigor through Metal Manufactures Limited