Pegon as an Aesthetic of Fragmentation in Jaranan Pegon Performance of Tulungagung, East Java
Keywords:
Jaranan Pegon, Aesthetic of Fragmentation, Traditional Performance, Ethnokoreology, Local GeniusAbstract
Jaranan Pegon is a distinctive traditional performance from Tulungagung, East Java, characterized by the selective adoption of classical elements without preserving complete narrative, musical, or dramaturgical structures. This article proposes “pegon” as an aesthetic of fragmentation, arguing that incompleteness in Jaranan Pegon should not be understood as artistic deficiency, but as a coherent aesthetic system rooted in local cultural strategies. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, this study analyzes characters, visual properties (eblek), musical structure, and dramaturgy in Jaranan Pegon performances. Data were collected through performance observation, documentation, and interpretive analysis. The findings reveal that fragmentation operates consistently across multiple performance elements: Wayang Orang characters such as Gatotkaca, Antareja, and Antasena appear without canonical narratives; eblek imagery combines fragmented mythological symbols; musical accompaniment is structurally minimal; and dramaturgy is symbolic rather than plot-driven. These patterns indicate that pegon functions as an intentional aesthetic logic that enables the transformation of classical symbols into accessible folk performance forms. The study demonstrates that fragmentation serves as a form of local genius, allowing cultural complexity to be simplified without erasing symbolic meaning. By conceptualizing pegon as an aesthetic system, this article contributes to performance studies and ethnokoreology by offering a new lens for understanding how traditional arts adapt and sustain meaning through selective reduction.
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