Apresiasi Karya; "Not a Keyboard Warrior - Azlan Zainal"

Introduction

“The mind is like an umbrella – it functions best when open.” A statement by Walter Gropius about what mind is. Mind is like an umbrella. It functions best when open just like our mind. One needed his mind to be open to take in as much as information, knowledge and etc. he can get.

Art is like a good story, appeals to us as it takes us to wander in wonder. It gives us the chance to explore, feel and see all the experience that the artist experienced in the journey of making an artwork. Through the openness of one’s mind, then only one can see, feel and explore as the artist has intended to in the first place.

“An intellectual is someone whose mind watches it.” As being stated by Albert Camus. A man should be open enough to receive data, information and etc. in order to mature his mind. Be frank, be bold, be open and take all the information and knowledge that was given to you yet you still need not to be naïve or believe everything.   

“Buka Minda” is a group show of few lecturers of Faculty of Art and Design, UiTM Perak. This exhibition entitled “Buka Minda” is a show that consists of various disciplines such as painting, sculpture, ceramic and many more. “Buka Minda” is something that intriguing to be talk about yet with an open mind I jot down a few notes about it. First of all what is the meaning “Buka Minda”? The term can be distinctly divided into two parts which are “Buka” and “Minda”. “Minda” or in English the term can be defined as an entity distinct from the brain. It is a form of energy and it is not an organ. According to the philosopher Karl Popper, mind has three tiers. The first is occupied by things one can see and touch. The second houses the conscious and unconscious states and the third accommodates thoughts and ideas. Mind is something that we usually assume as the seat of thought although no one knows exactly where, since the mind seems to be anywhere but nowhere in particular. The term”Buka” can be translated as open in English. So the theme of this exhibition is Open Mind where the artists’ presents their artworks and the audiences with an open mind receive all the data and information given by the artists. 

Azlan Zainal

Not a Keyboard Warrior

Digital Print & Mixed Media

39' x 30'

2014

          

         The title of this artwork had captured my attention the first time I stood in the gallery for this exhibition, 'Buka Minda'. The usage of urban term such as “Not A Keyboard Warrior” and “Hash Tag” surely make it grew closer to the younger audiences (youth).

            First of all, let’s define what is the meaning of term “Not a Keyboard Warrior”? First let us define what “Keyboard Warrior” is. “Keyboard Warrior” can be defined as a person who being unable to express his/her anger through physical violence (owning to their physical weakness, lack of bravery and/or conviction in real life), instead manifests said emotions through the text-based medium of the internet, usually in the form of aggressive writing that the “Keyboard Warrior” would not (for reasons previously mentioned) be able to give form in real life. (Urban Dictionary, www.urbandictionary.com)  “Not a Keyboard Warrior” can be defined as not being a person that unable to express his/her anger through physical violence.

            Azlan literally used a keyboard as the main object for his artwork making his artwork a literal or direct to the point. As for the background of his artwork, Azlan used adjectives that describe what a non-keyboard warrior's characteristics. For example, 'Respect', 'Ethics', 'Helpful', 'Responsibility', 'Professional', 'Sensible', 'Transparent', 'Positive' and etc. Each of this word written with a 'Hash Tag' in which 'Hash Tag' nowadays is an urban slang. The elements of repetition are seen in these artworks as all the words with ‘Hash Tag’ are organized in a repetitive manner.

            'Hash Tag' is an urban slang in which originated on Twitter but interestingly enough, it is not a Twitter function (TwitterFanZone.com). 'Hash Tag' is simply a way for people to search for tweets that have a common topic and to begin a conversation. (www.urbandictionary.com)

            For me Azlan did successfully deliver his intention which asks us (the audiences) not to be a keyboard warrior. Keyboard warrior as I have stated above is a person which turn into someone else once in front of the computer. Sometimes they irritated people and sometimes do not but most of the time they are pretending and lying to their-selves. Psychologically they wish they were someone else, maybe some cooler, handsome or beautiful but in reality maybe they are not. For some, they are such an insecure person but in front of a computer they are entirely different person.

            In this artwork the artist ask us, to open our mind and find in ourselves, are we a keyboard warrior? Are we the bravest man by expressing our self behind the screen or so call 'shield' of the internet? Be a responsible man, take up the responsibility and correct them, don't just shielding behind the screen and express yourself. Be sensible and have respect to others. This are what a good characteristic a man should possess not the other way round just like what a keyboard warrior usually does; being a hero online yet in reality they are the scaredy-cat.