Indonesian Comics: Quick Komik Queries with Taring Padi

Posted: Tuesday, December 9, 2003
By: John Weeks - Silver Bullet Roving Reporter

Thanks to Beng Rahadian for locating Taring Padi's new studio and taking me there. We were fortunate enough to find them at work making a huge lino print . The studio itself has all kinds of artwork - posters, stickers, t-shirts, music. An activist collective, they are one of the few who 'walk their talk'.



John Weeks: How long has Taring Padi been working?

Taring Padi: We worked from 1998, after Suharto regime done. Many artworker having ideas to make some collective, some art for change in Indonesia.

JW: And you do posters, comics...

TP: Many artwork, we make poster, banner, sometimes mural, music - we have two albums. Performance, poster print and comic.

JW: How many members are in Taring Padi?

TP: 25 solid members.



JW: Before I noticed Taring Padi was at the abandoned art school in Yogyakarta, year 2000. Now it is in the countryside.

TP: We learn together in the collective, having art and discussion. Many discussions we make here and when we agree with options from discussion we are making art from this discussion. Expression with the other stuff - prints, banner, something like that. Is collective working.

JW: I see. And you are doing some teaching with local people.

TP: Yeah, we always make a ... we living with people in the village, and we try to making art with the local people in the village. Like making a banner together, or make a scarecrow festival, something like that. We also make English class, something like that, art class.



JW: So you try to involve everyone, that's great. And to contact Taring Padi? Is there a mailing address?

TP: [Writes mail address] Taring99STOP-@-SPAMhotmail.com
also www.taringpadi.org

JW: A lot of good work here.

---

Got a comment or question about Small Press?
Leave at message at the Independent/Small Press Forum.

---