Agan Harahap

The work is in good condition overall, as is the canvas. There is minor wear and handling to the edges, but the print layers are well-preserved and stable. Under ultraviolet light inspection there is no evidence of restoration. Unframed, on stretcher.
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

"Everyone experiences their own period of transition. When one enters a new reality that is completely different from one's previous condition, there is a sense of dizziness before adapting to one's new circumstances and environment."

AGAN HARAHAP CITED IN THE ARTIST'S STATEMENT, 2012, (TRANSLATED).

Art is at its most powerful when it marks the era that we live in. Photography and new art, by the nature of their medium, represents the current generation: ever-changing, ever-growing, continuously accelerating. Urban environments and culture grow with a rapidity that is only rivaled by technological advancement and it is this theme that the present collection of cutting-edge eleven works brings forth. They vary in form and appearance, but the themes they discuss are those most integrated with current contemporary life. They may evoke personal contemplation and evolution - Who are we? How should we live? What is our destiny? – as exemplified by works by Ay Tjoe Christine, Agan Harahap, Yee I-Lann and Neal Oshima. They may question the urban lifestyle, fluctuating between a world that is both real and unreal, such as works by Indra Leonardi, Jason Tablante, Wawi Navarroza and Yason Banal. They may express playfulness and humour, as seen in pieces by Tromarama, Erwin Windu Pranata and Angki Purbandono. Essentially, however, these works ultimately narrate the journey of human existence.

Agan Harahap's Whiter Shade of Pale(Lot 256) is a thoroughly personal and important work. It was conceived after the death of the artist's father and as the eldest son of a Batak family, Agan suddenly felt all the weight of responsibility on his shoulders from which he must transform from youth to adulthood in an instant, as if opening a door and being immediately confronted by a new world. In the suddenness of his loss, he saw himself as the horse under the doorway, skeletal in its fragility, and in his uncertainty, his world is devoid of colour. Whiter Shade of Pale is a poetic and delicate rendition of the tension between the real and unreal, which is emphasized further by its medium, a combination of digital print and canvas that produces a surreal tableau. With this brilliantly executed work, it appears that Agan has found himself during his journey of change.

Like the episodes from daily life, these little vignettes speak of hope, fear, desire, relationships, humour, goodness, and the quest for life's meaning. Tracey Emin once said, "There should be something revelatory about art. It should be totally new and creative, and it should open doors for new thoughts and new experiences." These works possess the power of storytelling and their form enables them to do so in the most extraordinary way. They reveal what is hidden, obscure what is shown and feel through absence. And as they provoke, inspire, caution and delight, they reveal something about the creator, the viewer, and if the timing is right, the life we are living.