Talking pictures
A Thai photographer uses his camera and a ‘pink man’ to capture the atrocities committed by crass leaders and society. MARTIN VENGADESAN peers behind his lens.
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Manit Sriwanichpoom |
Under the admittedly unstable multi-party democracy led by the Pramoj brothers Kukrit and Seni, the country enjoyed political and social freedoms like never before. But this period, which saw the emergence of important Thai artists like folk musicians Caravan and award-winning poet Chiranan Pitpreecha (a student leader then), didn’t last long.
In October 1976, Thailand’s military leaders, prodded by American agents (who were probably terrified of the Communist triumphs in South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia being repeated) instigated street battles that led to the murder of about 300 student protesters. Subsequently, the military took over.
Photographer Manit Sriwanichpoom was only 15 then, but the crackdown affected him deeply. In fact, Manit rates his Horror in Pink series of photographs depicting some of the worst atrocities of the crackdown as his most powerful work. These photos show gruesome scenes in which right-wing militiamen parade the lynched bodies of murdered students. Superimposed against the black and white prints is a pink-suited businessman who seems to be enjoying the garish spectacle.
The “pink man”, Manit’s most famous creation, is the star of Pink Man in Paradise, an exhibition of 13 photographs currently on show at Valentine Willie Fine Art in Kuala Lumpur until Feb 5.
This character is portrayed by Thai poet and performance artist Sompong Thawee, who dons a shocking pink business suit and pushes a a similarly garish shopping trolley. Manit’s photos capture the pink man in a variety of incongruous situations.
Pink Man in Paradise was shot in Bali, where Manit enjoyed a residency following the crippling terrorist bombings of October 2002. In this series, we see the pink man at the holy temple of Pura Ulun Danu in Beratan; the sea temple Pura Tanah Lot; the water palace Taman Tirta Gangga, and the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park. Set against these monuments to Bali’s deeply spiritual past (and present), the pink man stands out like a blot on the landscape.
“When I got the idea to create this character, I asked Sompong to perform it for me,” Manit said. “He has the kind of personality that fits the idea. We have known each other for maybe 20 years, and Sompong does performance art, although in Thailand people know him as a poet.”
What made him create the character?
“Horror in Pink are the photographs of the 1976 lynchings. I published them in 2001 because the newly-elected governor of Bangkok, Samak Sundravej, was believed to have supported the massacre of the students. How could we have let him become governor? Have we forgotten our heroes who died for democracy? Why did these heroes die? ... and I thought the answer was so that we could go shopping.
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Pink Man in Paradise 1 |
“I am interested in visual language. The trolley represents consumerism. The pink man is in a suit, which is very international. The colour is vulgar ? shocking pink is something you use if you have no taste or style. I feel the pink man reflects something in our global society. “
Bangkok-born Manit, 44, certainly doesn’t shy away from social and political issues. Among his works are a series of photographs based on the Vietnam War.
“I love to work with performing artists and I used the Vietnam War images as the basis for my commentary. All the famous pictures like the napalm girl, the My Lai massacre, the execution of the suspected Viet Cong ... I used them to reflect our economic crisis of 1997.”
Other interesting projects that Manit undertook were Bangkok in Black and White, and Protest (April 2002-3). The latter is a book that features text by Thai journalist Ing K and captures weekly protests held outside the Thai Parliament.
“The people come every Tuesday, and it is now part of our democratic tradition,” said Manit, wistfully. Perhaps he was thinking of the time when he campaigned against the filming of the Hollywood movie, The Beach, at Phi Phi Island.
The pink man series, launched in 1997, has toured Europe (Pink Man in Europe, 2000) and even contemplated the after-life (Hungry Ghost, 2003). What next?
“My next pink man exhibition will concern neo-nationalism. Again I will use the economic crisis as the starting point because before that, nationalism was on the decline. But in Thailand, I think nationalism is back. Our ruling party is Thai Rak Thai, which means ‘Thais love Thais’.”
The last few months have been turbulent for his country, what with the unrest in the south and the devastating tsunami. Is he tempted to use either in his work?
“The tsunami was terrible, but we could
not do anything. The unrest in the south is preventable. Maybe it is time to look at what happened and improve the situation instead of suppressing discussion. For me, the current situation is challenging because I like to use my work as a mirror of society.”
This guest lecturer at Bangkok University was involved in setting up the Contemporary Art and Culture office, under Thailand’s Ministry of Culture. “I am involved in the art museum campaign because I feel I cannot just write my comments – I must act.
“I believe that I use photography, it is my tool. I will use any style that allows me to express my ideas. I enjoy going out and observing people. I like watching movies and reading. It’s all part of me and my work.”
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