Kepiting betina

With a distinctive technique and style Angki Purbandono established himself as a leading figure in the Yogyakarta-based photographers collective Mes56. His career was kickstarted in 2004 with a residency with internationally recognised Indonesian artist collective Ruang Rupa who curated documenta 15 (2019). Purbandono is noted for his scanographs, which are photographic images created from scanning objects using a flat-bed image scanner. The effect of this method is different from taking a photograph with a camera. With a scanner the depth of field is reduced, bringing the distance much closer and creating images that are vivid and detailed. The light emitted from the scanner casts a strong light on the subject and throws the background into dark stark relief.

In 'Kepiting betina' Purbandono has scanned a mud crab (kepiting betina). Like the crab, most of the artist’s subjects are drawn from daily life, often including children’s toys, mass produced goods and food items from the local markets. The vibrant colours of fruit and vegetables, combined with plastic toys, packaging and other design elements resonate with early Pop art interest in elevating consumer goods to art and situates Purbandono’s work within a local Indonesian interpretation of global art movements.