Shafrizal Fitri Mustapha
Ongkos
Mixed Media
21 x 21 inches (2 pieces)
2013
In the artwork done by this artist, we
can see the usage of mixed media material. Mixed media tends to refers to a
work of visual art that combines various traditionally distinct visual art
media.
Shafrizal
Fitri Mustapha uses the image of Ringgit Malaysia One Thousand bank note as the
main image using jigsaw puzzle with the support wood chips as the secondary
image. Why Shafrizal did used the image of bank note using the jigsaw puzzle?
Why can’t he just print it on a piece of paper? Jigsaw puzzle can be associated
with ambiguity and uncertainty.
First of all I would define ambiguity. What is ambiguity? According to The Free
Dictionary by Farlex, ambiguity is something that has doubtful meaning. Other
definition from the same dictionary, ambiguity is doubtfulness or uncertainty
as regards interpretation.
What is “Ongkos” as per the title of this artwork? “Ongkos” is an Indonesian term or word that referring to money or
cost of living. Shafrizal used the image of bank note to show the costs of
living which are nowadays are uprising. He not only uses the bank note as a way
to convey the message but he print the Thousand Ringgit Malaysia banknote on a
jigsaw puzzle to show the uncertainty of the living cost nowadays. Besides the
banknote as the images, Shafrizal also used wood chip as his secondary image.
Wood chips can be considered or interpreted as a shelter. Back then wood
oftenly used in the making of a house especially in rural area. In “Ongkos” the usage of wood chips can be
interpreted as a source of shelter, a place of residence. Shelter as defined by
Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, “A place to
be protected from the natural element.” Shelter is a place where a family live
and being protected by natural element as well as a place to stay and being
loved and being belong to.
Money and shelter (home) is two most
important things in the world as these two needed by each human being. As
stated by Abraham Maslow (1943) in his Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, shelter is
one of the basic needs of a human. It is under the physiological needs which
are the physical requirement for human survival.
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