Women Who Shock

Back to the theme of women power. I strongly believe in the equality of male and female. I believe that all of us should be treated equally, nevertheless of who or what we are. Especially on things we were specifically born with. Like, we can’t just ask God for a particular gender, or race. That is why I strongly believe that, no matter what happens, the social, political, and economical equality should be applied to everyone.

So today, I’m going to talk about something---shocking. This portfolio will portray controversial or sensational female icons throughout the history. Women who I admire for being brave and against the norm, against the morality of how women should be like--or just, playing on the safe lines and ending up leaving a great impression.

I’ve always admired how controversial women are just, comfortable of being who they are. The truthfulness in their mind, not limited by the female norms. It’s just refreshing to think of and just, witness. How they are female but not afraid to speak their mind, and eventually become famous, even infamous for some. That’s what I am aiming for to live by, to be remembered, or just simply, to shock and leave expressions and impressions. 

The fact that the majority of people I shoot are female, I wanted to show a different perspectives of how women should be. How elegance can be bold, how beauty can be fierce, how being strong and controversial is just the new classic. To speak out their mind is what is considered sexy, and to brainstorm for they fight for is stunning. 

It just works the way how we respect our mother, how we look up to our female boss. This doesn’t necessarily mean that men should not be respected as much as women, it just demonstrates a sort of equality of how someone should be respected not because of their features, but moreoverly due to who they are as a person, respectably.

Bow Down to A Goddess

The thing is, I’m okay with winning but I freaking hate losing. It’s in my nature. I mean like, losing is for losers, that’s in my mindset. I know that’s not actually true at all, since at times we just lose. However, in the end of the day, both winning and losing teaches us lessons.

I chose the “Greek Goddess” theme because I’ve always found the power and the divine figures are just a huge inspiration. The way they are portrayed with a background, their flaws, their beauty, and just everything going on with them. It’s mesmerizing to me. I just found greek gods and goddesses to be wonderful characters that can be implemented artistically beautifully. Let’s face it, countless artists have preserved art to celebrate their beauty, one of the artworks that I love wholeheartedly would be “The Birth of Venus” by Sandro Botticelli.

So, I made quite of an unorthodox choice here, and that is to shoot only the female characters from greek mythology. Since I knew from the start I’m only shooting a woman, I wanted to make sure that I have her perfectly portray what she can portray best, the females, the goddesses. After a lot of brainstorming and outfit-and-scene-matching, I came up with 10 characters to shoot(originally 12 but we ran out of time). They are:

Persephone

Aphrodite

Demeter

Pandora

Artemis

Athena

Hestia

Hera

Gaia

Nyx

I met Diana Filip, a russian student who was doing internship in my city(quite of an odd choice there) as a teacher randomly on instagram. I quickly DM-ed her on instagram and we planned for a shoot on her last week in Surabaya. Having her around was an amazing experience. She’s one of the friendliest people I’ve ever known(judging from the fact we only hung out for like 5 days).

The idea Goddess came along with the fact that I’ve never shot a blonde before legit-ly and I thought it would be awesome to embrace all of those qualities with her divine-structure. Just what I need, the perfect portion of a Goddess.

The shoot all fell to the perfect places as my mom’s exquisite haute couture brand, Diana Couture, joins the shoot. Just the thought of those dresses sends chills down my spine, they are just, fantabulous in all the right places. One second It feels so couture, the second they feel so sensual, the third they can be so dramatic. All in the same time. I only planned 6 Goddesses in the beginning, but since all the dresses look so damn good on Diana, we planned 12 instead.

Along Diana Couture, I recruited my talented aunt and uncle I’ve never mentioned before from Baroqco Jewelry. They’re a haute couture brand specializing in exquisite one-of-a-kind jewelry. From the most elegant pieces to the most bad-ass looks, they all fit the shoot so well. After all the drapes and the bling, I recruited Surabaya’s top make up artist/hairstylist, Jimmy Himawan. He is a pleasure to work with, even though the booking was last minute, he joined the shoot and I just can’t be happier with all of these people in the shoot. This is by far one of my strongest teams, ever.

The thing is, I usually do these kind of shoots on the end of the year, but just the thought of breaking the rules, and shooting something just sparks so much joy and light and delivering them through my sort of style, it’s just all worth it. Now, let’s get down to the artistic dissection.

1.Demeter

Goddess of fertility, mother to Persephone. A broken hearted goddess as her daughter was kidnapped and raped to the underworld. Draped in all green and lime, with a fertile backdrop as she nourishes her grasses. Hooded in the divine portrayal, she wishes of the return of her one and only daughter. In wrath to the sirens, she pours down all the water to feed her greens. This all also portrays a goodbye of the soon-to-be-fall-then-winter imagery.

Government Hookup

It was all just an

Affair..

Or was it something more?

I guess the overrated idea of “we found love in a hopeless place” is actually a pretty accurate statement. We find a person on the exact perfect time, the exact perfect moment, and the exact perfect phase. It was a hopeless situation where there’s a particular thirst, a particular craving towards the love we thought we deserve. Then someone else, particularly, in the same phase, also needs that. However, sometimes, things just fall apart, like they always do.

I guess it really is true that whatever you do, you have to remind yourself that you’ve got self worth. That no matter what you love and who you love, you should know that, you should value and love yourself more. Then eventually someone will come around, and just the act of love might be, or might not be worth it. When you know that you love yourself, no matter how bad a person breaks or bends you, you will always be there for yourself. You will be your own shoulder to cry on, you will be your own comforter, and clearly, you will learn to just, carry on through life-faster you know.

I chose Marilyn and JFK because, despite of their controversial conspiracy of love, I believe that whatever really happened between them, it must’ve meant something. At least for Marilyn, I guess. I’ve always taken Marilyn on being the fragile type who just lashes her tears by laughing. A true Hollywood sweetheart-turned-legend after her suicide. I believe that, like many other names, this blonde bombshell is misunderstood. She clearly couldn’t save herself, but what if death saved her. What if her pain was just way too much to live with. What if her best friends, which are diamonds, aren’t there for her when she cries her heart out. What if the bling is clearly numb, and what if Hollywood doesn’t have a heart at all.

The thing is, FAME consumes you, your CRAFT consumes you, and the PASSION for ART clearly takes so much of your time. This also applies to other profession, on business, on travels, on discovering and inventing scientific things. Whatever keeps one productive makes them successful, and in the end, It consumes the warmness in their heart. The love they deserve, the balance that keeps them in the middle. But what I’m trying to say here is that, I can be that one person who is so focused on art that I forget to find love, but I will always know that I have myself and I will never ever lose myself. Because I’ve got love and self worth and true acceptance for myself.

Numbness is a result of losing one’s self. I believe. It’s like the soul just crystallizes, it starts to feel nothing, and out of nowhere it’s supposed to hurt. At one point, the bitter cold needs to be melted. It needs to be burnt with that love I mentioned earlier, and I believe that is nothing but loving yourself. I learnt that you should never be dependent on anyone. I believe that love SHOULD NOT define someone’s life choices to an extent of ruining dreams. To an extent of putting love that everything seems to crumble for the sacrifices. I believe love is supposed to make you love yourself more. I believe that love should make sure you are more of yourself. And in the end, I believe that love should remind you how much of an amazing person you are. It needs to make you feel special. It needs to make sure that even if the memories linger, that you are too much of an amazing person to not move on if the story ends. Because the first person you love would be you----the person that you will never lose. Because when you lose yourself, then you’re a mess. You will start to just, be clingy and dependent. Love should teach you to be one thing, and that is a bigger person that just, loves yourself most. To put yourself first, but not be selfish. To be a warm, loving person that will never lose sight of whats important, which is loving themselves.

It’s like, love can simply just turn yourself into a person that is just  simply cold. It’s like, you’re warmed up with an immense heat that you’re so used to it, that a simple ice bucket challenge can turn you into something so drastic. It will wash all of the fire away, then turn you cold, then fortunately, all the pain away. It’s a cycle. It’s simply a phase of how worth it the memories are. Whether the numbness are worth to fight for and getting through to.

I’m writing this in honor of my admiration to break downs. I believe, in order for someone to finally succeed, one should learn to break free. To clearly be themselves against the world. To not be afraid to make a statement and run with his dreams and just clearly be an individual, who needs nobody’s approval to run what he wants to run to. I believe that the best people are the ones who make a move, at least just by being bold enough to speak out his thoughts. To run through the world in an immense amount of love for speed, the thrill of life. The fast life and the lonely heart. And clearly making the whole world crash in an artistic earthquake. I believe all of that is part of my life, I believe that I am born to make a statement. They say oblivion is inevitable, but I’m going to leave my footprints all over the world in a gypsy life ideology I believe in.

I portrayed JFK and Marilyn for one reason. I love the bling, I love the fame, and I love the governmental conspiracy, but apart from all that, I believe that they represent qualities some people are against. I believe that Marilyn was misunderstood, and all she really, aimed for, was love. Like many other villains. I believe that a craving for love is necessary. I believe that, how deep you are just into work, there’s an urge to throw your love into something. I believe today I’ve made up my mind to throw that love to art. I believe that art will always remain loyal to me, being a life partner and a life changer, a voice to the world. I believe that I will find “proper love” one day, and it’s not about the rushes that matter. I believe that one should always love themselves more. And no, I didn’t write all of this out of a broken heart. I wrote all this in confusion. I tried to put all the puzzle pieces together, seeing how love can be so significant to one. How love can be a source of warmness and happiness. I believe that love is the only true virtue. Start loving everything good in your life and learn from the bad ones. The rest, let it be. 

GOVERNMENT HOOKUP

THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SENSE

PAR.REINHARDT KENNETH

MODELS. CATHARINA AVELLIA AS MARILYN MONROE

KELBY I.R. AS JOHN F KENNEDY

BALLETELLAB

Cold, Harsh, Damned

Reality

I think we all know that, don’t we?

We always try our best to be a part of something surrounding us. It’s normal to act in that particular way. Us organisms, animate beings, are meant to adapt with our surroundings. That reality is the particular place we all are. We are in the side of sanity. We are meant to be—“normal”, you see. But what we don’t really realize is that, reality tends to, break it off. Reality gives us the ability to be happy, and to be sad, but not to be absolutely ridiculous, because that leads onto another path—the path where some are considered the opposite of the sane. Trust me, it doesn’t result delightful for some.

Aesthetic Hybrid

I’ve always had a fascination in hybrids, especially the ones involving human features. Centaurs, Mermaids, and literally a bunch more in mythology, you name it. I love how there is an evolution, a change, a deconstruction, a modification, all just scattered in the world of hybrids. I find it fascinating to incorporate factors like hybridity in my art-because I believe that I evolve too. We all evolve, and it’s not in a matter of whether you become better or worst. It’s a matter of what you really believe in, and inner confidence and belief.

'A Political Pest Intimacy: Tikus-Tikus Korupsi'

So as you guys might have known from my instagram(@reinhardtkenneth), I joined an exhibit not long ago. I am really thrilled that this exhibit is to celebrate Surabaya’s Anniversary. The event is called Festival Foto Surabaya, and is actually the very first and the biggest photographic party. The exhibit being filled with talk shows, owl, and performance art along the week. I am so proud to see my exhibit, and the best part of it being my piece scattered around the main stage in the middle of Grand City. Honestly, the little apple-eating, ambitious, artsy boy in me is just highly excited. Being Indonesian, I’ve never really gained the exposure locally. I mean, my achievements and my art are usually exposed to other countries(Canada, Italy, England), but never really appealed so much to my country.

The controversy, or the style of shoot I do may not really be what the mainstream here in my country accepts. I’m glad I don’t play by the mainstream borderline, how I expose both the beautiful and the bad, the bad and the ugly. I find beauty in everything, sometimes in the least common places. With concepts that just, run, and float around my head. Many might appreciate more the beautiful, colorful, fashionable pictures that I take in the beaches of Maldives. The true heart, however, the true artistry, lies within the murk, the monochromatic contrasts on the pictures I take.

This piece, fortunately, passed the judges’ curation. I was overjoyed when I heard the news, apart from the fact that I was about to see Divergent after the e-mail was sent to me, the fact that they were like two days late delivering the good news, at first, dimmed the optimism in me. I am, however, up till today, still proud of this piece. This one “tingling” and “disturbing” piece talking for a great cause can shine with it’s brightest light.

'A Political Pest Intimacy: Tikus-Tikus Korupsi'

Anyways, I shot this photograph back in 2013 with one of my favorite models, Garry Digorry, with his amazing cheekbones and eye stares slaying the audience – screaming out an impression like “do you wanna get ‘dirty’” in the least appetizing way. Being filled by, literal dirt, which are rats. Honestly, rats are the only species I loathe. Just imagine me squealing, and screaming a bit when the rats are all over him. Garry definitely has what it takes to be a model-----literally. Oh and did you guys know he is one of L-Men’s Semi-Finalists? Slay right?

Apart from the glitz and not-too-glam shoot, I shot this for a purpose. This piece and another was exhibited at school for a political campaign, campaigning with a point to have the heart for the country and to eventually end corruption. I was never really interested in politics until a while ago. I guess passion drove me to my passionate feels on politics. The fact that I am frightened to be forced to join the military by upcoming regulations, towards an anti-globalization country, and to be driven onto a Chinese-loathing country(which is, by the way, where my roots mostly come from) got me onto politics. I’m taking standard level Bahasa Indonesia at school, which is supposed to be my “mother language”, and I am blessed to have been introduced to many topics regarding towards politics. A while ago I read an entry by the fabulous Mitha Komala on her blog regarding her views on Indonesia developing onto a better country and how we, as citizens, should help make a change. I am writing in English because The Photographic Sense is in the world wide web, and I would like everyone to really know what is really happening to this beautiful country, and so that their prayers will be passed along towards a better Indonesia.

Just in time with my “passionate on politics” sort of feels, I turned 17 a while ago with a costume party(you can see it on my previous post). Honestly, I couldn’t feel better than finally being legal. I get to cast a vote, and my voice is being put onto consideration towards a better Indonesia. I’m not going to campaign for who I’m voting, even though it may be obvious with my views on a must onto giving equality the supremacy, but I’m not campaigning for anyone. The two candidates have their plus and minuses, however one thing they should not possess is……….

The idealism of corruption being a key

So, unfortunately, one of the cause in Indonesia’s downfall is corruption. A mind that always craves for money, to always put money above everything, a mind that never feels enough. A mind that always will search for wealth, and not consider anything. That the best way to do something is if it gives the particular person a lot of money. A mind so corrupted and concentrated by money that it dares to corrupt. To not give a single damn about what the country is going through, and to laugh away and float with the clouds with an amount of wealth that may fix the country’s economy. This culture has been scattered around many sectors. Many gaining a huge amount of income, from the lies and the greed, just to fulfill themselves. This culture harms and poisons the country to the fullest.

Now, just imagine. How the “upcoming” leaders(or preferably CAPRES) are everywhere these days. Some on the streets, some on TV, some on the radio. Imagine how much the advertising costs. First of all, environmentally, it is unethical as printing like hundreds of huge banners of cheaply photoshopped images with smiling CAPRES-s. I mean like, the fact that just by advertising for the people’s votes, they are already causing newer problems, unfortunately a global problem, is just, wrong. Secondly, the cost they use to make all of these adverts are actually really expensive (as I’ve read from a reliable source), and by God, it actually is more expensive than like the income of a President. So, in order for them to “get” their money back is then by corrupting taxes, and unfortunately, corruption WILL happen again, thanks to these narcissistics. Apart from the corruption problem, I highly support a President who believes in Pancasila. In the belief that all citizens are equal. To practice and demonstrate love and acceptance, and to erase prejudice between races and religions. Indonesia, we may be different, but we are a unity. We are one, and no one can ever change that. A true leader will only strengthen the bond. Hatred only corrupts the country, the way the corruptors have ruined the nation.

So, citizens of Indonesia, no matter what skin color, religion, or gender you are. Pick a leader who CAN help make the change you want for Indonesia. Change will come, it’s just that, it can lead onto a better, or a worst nation. I want all of you to take a moment and think not just for yourself, but for the ones you love who are under the Indonesian citizenship. To the old ones, think about the next generation, how your kids are going to face the change, and to the young ones, think about how your future may depend on this change. Remember to always practice love and equality to the nation, regardless of what religion they belong to, what race they come from, or what gender they are. None of us can choose to be in a particular body we wish for. Remember to not hate the country, but support a change for it. Remember that this country needs you to end the corrupt of the rats.

What if art ruled the world?

Would people still corrupt?

I believe not. They’d eventually take the altered values and make a new movement.

We citizens of the artistic mind should always fight for what is true in our mind.

Today, I fight with the rest of the sane for a better Indonesia. Vote for your FUTURE.

-Reinhardt Kenneth, The Photographic Sense

Hey Unions! Wow umm..I think i might've sounded much more serious and well-realistic than I've ever sounded right on this post. Well, I just wanted to stand for a cause here. The exhibit was a blast, got people looking at my print all like "dude are those rats real?" or "ew" or "gross" or anything alike. Some also went like "dad that's the guy from my school". Well, I'm really glad this piece got really interactive with people's minds. Am hoping for even more exhibits for The Photographic Sense and altogether just the love towards art I can exhibit. Oh and if any of you came to the exhibit and saw my print, drop a comment about it! Btw, I'll be going to Bali on the 14th-18th and Lombok on the 18th-21st so If you happen to see me, say hi! I love you all UNIONS! Thankyou to my family and friends who came with me during the exhibit. You guys are seriously the very best!

#TPartyS

Hey UNIONS! So as you guys might have known from my last post, I held a special private party for my 17^th party!. I decided to make things crazier this year than the previous years because, well, me and my friends, we just love to run from reality and party!. Anyways, so I decided to throw a costume party in a Karaoke! Which turned out to be pretty fetch!.