Becoming Human

C.K. approached me while i was having my hourly fix of coffee and cigarette. Then he asks me " dude, could you help me do a write up?" Hmmmmm......sure....what sort of write up? He replied...."my new solo"......i was quiet, thinking how does C.K. got his time to produce works since all of us was flooded with other work and commitment. Later, with his good coffee, he showed me his latest work and below is my write-up for his new work. Thanks to Leo and of coz Nabil also for taking some time to proofread this.

If one steps into the world of C.K.Koh’s latest Ultraflat[1] exhibition, you can see miniaturized cute and muscular characters dressed in our favourite superhero costumes as they greet you with a bang. Yes Loud. Bam!!! Wham!!! The visuals strike you right in your face. You have nowhere to hide. They just confront you; much like an Internet meme[2]. Either you get it or you don’t. I do hope however that viewers of his work will be able to interpret the details, nuances, subtleties featured in each and every work.

The visuals and colour schemes in the Ultraflat universe is somewhat toned down yet nonetheless excellent… it’s not superficial at all. It’s playful, and if we look closer at all the character’s features this time, their gestures and expressions, they are just like us; full of flaws and imperfections. This time, the characters delve into daily pleasures such as enjoying a bite of durian, doing the “Superman” on a “kap-chai” bike, relaxing with a cigarette in a sarong, eating porridge and enjoying ice-cream pop[3]. We have all shared some of these experiences at least once.

Previously the characters had fun guised as Mexican masked wrestlers in Lucha no Libre. Now these cute guys jump into the Malaysian landscape and mimic our not-so-cute habits, invoking nostalgic sentiments and sensibilities. In MOTU (Masters of the Universe), we have He-Man[4] standing there proudly making a statement, but wait, take a look at his weapon of choice. The blond prince pumped with steroids with a “keris”[5] instead of his ubiquitous sword. Cheeky!

MOTU

                                                                      



Let’s admit it, we may have attempted to do or thought about doing what Astro Boy is seen doing in the work entitled Water Falls. I, for one have seen a lot of Malaysians stopping halfway in the middle of the road/highway doing exactly that. Luckily for us, the waste is not as radioactive as his[6]. If we analyze this image as naughty, be really afraid. And if Astro Boy is a subtle metaphor for our proposed nuclear plant in Pahang, be very afraid.

The Falls

                                                                          

In Vroom-Vroom, we see this scene re-enacted “live” every weekend in Dataran Merdeka. Pure adrenaline rush for the rempits or pure stupidity for the rest, you choose. Next, in The Falls, we witness Kamen Rider No.1 knocked unconsciously on the floor and his abs turned into the delicious D24[7] durian, and eating his abs is , niether Andrew Zimmerman nor Bourdain but a Shocker Combatmen[8]. It’s surreal yet tragic, Dali himself would be proud. Then Ultraman (Japan’s biggest cultural export since sushi) makes a notable appearance here; staring meditatively towards one of his fallen eyes on the bowl of porridge. Wait…Is it an eye or a “telur masin”? Is it funny or quirky? You choose. This work reminds me of Stephen Chow’s deadpan comedy film entitled Love on Delivery in 1994.

Vroom-Vroom

                                                                        

The standout piece is Horny Daddy – it sounds so wrong here – but this piece features a middle-aged man, certainly far from retiring due to his “fit” body, sitting clad in a sarong with a cigarette in his hand. His expression is covered with an Ultraman mask. So who is the real hero here? Is CK paying homage to his dad?  Is he presenting his father as the real Ultraman? We see, especially our “heroic” parents, always in a sarong and in something comfortable. Forget British India, TopMan or TopShop or G2000, this is what true blue Malaysians would wear before the inevitable advent of globalization.

Horny Daddy

                                                                        


We grew up with a healthy diet of cartoons in late 80’s and early 90’s, every day without fail, right after school; we wait in anticipation of our favourite cartoons to come on T.V, we would erupt in cheers when versions of Ultraman or Kamen Rider (Baja Hitam[9]) knock the crap out of their plasticky and odd looking villians, destroying the cardboard buildings and ultimately saving the world. In our subconscious mind, in the days before the Internet and Youtube, we have all imagined ourselves as heroes as a kid. In Ultraflat, CK features heroes as being human and us, trying to be one. We humans are subjected to mistakes and yes it’s a fact that nobody is perfect, that is why millions of readers are able to relate to Mr.Peter Parker (he can whip Electro easily but struggles with realities of life such as  pimples ,college fees, with jobs and Mary Jane related issues).It’s all about being human.

I’m happy to see CK expanding his character’s weltanschauung this time, dressing up his lovable characters with a healthy injection of Malaysian-ness and cultural issues. He toys with the superhero myth and hu­­­manizes them successfully. It’s filled with cheeky humour and yes…..peppered with pop culture reference ala Tarantino. I hope you enjoy reading this as much I enjoy seeing the Ultraflat works; mind you, this writing doesn’t carry the slightest intention to “intellectualize” C.K.Koh’s latest offering. Take it as an informal commentary to assist you in enjoying the latest adventure of the characters. For readers out there who don’t know anything about what I’ve written about, I hope the footnotes will help you out.

By the power of Greyskull[10] … Let’s roll out.
Anderson Ee
October 2011

Ultraflat opens on 10th December in NN Gallery in Ampang, so see you guys there.

[1] Ultraflat is derived from the term "Superflat" which was used to describe the art of Takashi Murakami in early 2000 to 2001. It refers to the flattened forms in Japanese graphic art, animation, pop culture and fine arts, as well as the "shallow emptiness of Japanese consumer culture." It’s noted that this movement caters to the western audiences who followed Japanese pop culture subcultures.


[2] An Internet meme is a concept that spreads no thanks to the Internet. Internet memes contains a broad selection consisting of cultural information, which may stay the same or may evolve over time, by chance, or through commentary, imitations, parody, or by incorporating news accounts about itself. Internet memes can evolve and spread extremely rapidly, sometimes reaching world-wide popularity and vanishing within a few days. The notable ones are the Crazy Frog, usage of Chuck Norris and currently the Nyan Cat.


[3] In the good old days, ice-cream “pop” was sold by your friendly neighborhood ice-cream uncle for only 10 cents. It appears in a “stick form” shape and comes in various flavours (the favourite is the Assam boi). You are “encouraged” to share the ice cream with your friends, and you break it with your favourite “karate moves” (normally using your thigh).

[4] He-Man’s alter ego is Prince Adam.

[5] A Malay traditional weapon, associated with the Malay culture, to symbolize bravery.

[6] Astro Boy – a comic created by Osamu Tezuka (the grand daddy of manga) which was first published in 1952, then followed with a series of cartoons, The character was inspired by Pinocchio.

[7] Until today, the writer still doesn’t understand the fascination with the D24

[8] Shocker Combatmen - Black uniformed grunts, some with skeleton markings on their torsos. They are easily defeated by the Riders, without ever needing to transform. Their trademark is a high pitched and annoying scream.

[9] The Japanese Kamen Rider series was dubbed in the early 80’s and was later renamed as Baja Hitam. Henshinnnnn!!!!

[10] Prince Adam always utters this magical word before signaling his transformation to He-Man.