Native Vision | Dr Alexander Supartono

NATIVE VISION Dr Alexander Supartono examines art historian and archaeologist G.P. Rouffaer’s (1860–1928) review of Kassian Cephas’ (1845–1912) and Isidore van Kinsbergen’s (1821–1905) Javanese antiquity photographs, one of the earliest attempts to locate the photography of archaeological sites within an art historical frame of reference. Kinsbergen’s photographs exemplify the tension between archaeological documents and theatrical effects, whereas Cephas’ photographs demonstrate a social documentary impetus and mark how the camera changed hands, from the foreigner to the local. Their process of adopting and adapting the veracity of the camera to project their sense, vision and imagination on local artistic tradition within the context of the colonial archaeological project, Supartono argues, might constitute idiomatic 19th-century photographic modernism in Java and the region. - About the Speaker Dr Alexander Supartono is a photography historian and curator from Edinburgh Napier University who seeks to situate historical and contemporary photographic and inter-media art practice within broader visual culture debates as well as advance this knowledge to academic, art specialist and wider audiences. His curatorial practice is focused on contemporary Southeast Asian art and photography. He holds a PhD in Photography History from School of Art History, University of St Andrews, Scotland (2015). About the Discussant Dr Charmaine Toh is Curator at National Gallery Singapore. Her research primarily looks at modern and contemporary art in Southeast Asia, with a focus on photography. Recent exhibitions include “Chua Soo Bin: Truths & Legends” and “Awakenings: Art in Society in Asia”. She is the author of a forthcoming book on photography in Singapore, which will be published by Brill Books in late 2022, and is a contributor to “Survey Practices and Landscape Photography across the Globe”, which will be published by Routledge in April 2022. - About “Living Pictures: Lectures on Photography in Southeast Asia” Anticipating a major photography exhibition at National Gallery Singapore in late 2022, “Living Pictures: Lectures on Photography in Southeast Asia” invites experts to share their research on facets of photography in Southeast Asia. The series was co-convened by National Gallery Singapore and Dr Alexander Supartono. This lecture took place on 15 February 2022 and was recorded live on Zoom. - Watch the other lectures in this series:    • Living Pictures: Photography in Southeast ...   Discover what’s on at the Gallery: https://www.nationalgallery.sg/whats-on - DISCLAIMER The comments and opinions expressed in this video are those of the speakers, and do not necessarily represent the views of National Gallery Singapore. All copyright within this recording, without limitation, are retained by their respective owners. #NationalGallerySingapore #LetArtSurpriseYou #Living Pictures #Photography #SoutheastAsia