Art in context and art for social causes<\/p>\n
By Yusuf Susilo Hartono<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's paintings have developed along with
\nthe art's diverse facets. The philosophy, artistry, message,
\nmorals, economic and social aspects related to the paintings come
\nforward in varying degrees of intensity.<\/p>\n
One of the prominent features is the economic perspective.
\nThis comes with the awareness that buying a painting means an
\ninvestment. But behind the prosperity of certain painters and the
\ncommercial spirit of sponsors, some circles have voiced their
\nconcern. The market forces are so strong that they suppress
\nartistic discourse. For those who have adopted a middle path,
\nhowever, this is understood as normal in view of the ever
\nchanging positions of fine arts in the cycle of life.<\/p>\n
The social aspect of paintings has also tended to strengthen
\namid the current multidimensional crisis. Its manifestation has
\ntaken the form of \"framework exhibitions\". Some examples are
\nthose within the framework of raising funds for disaster victims,
\nEast Timor refugees, places of worship or school buildings,
\nhelping the aged, supporting campaign funds, rehabilitating drug
\naddicts and promoting sports (which in fact are actually well off
\nand can receive government funding).<\/p>\n
Such activities have an edge, in the sense of satisfaction:
\npainters can make contributions, sponsors feel happy and donors
\nreceive compensations (paintings). Apart from the apparent
\nmotives of these buyers, by spending millions of rupiah they are
\nnot going home empty handed. They get something to enjoy for the
\nlong term along with making an investment.<\/p>\n
Newcomers to art journalism in reporting such events tend to
\nexaggerate the economic side of paintings sold within that
\nframework. Many of them are apt to conclude that the price of the
\nworks offered on such occasions is their artistic price, which is
\nindeed misleading for the public.<\/p>\n
In real terms, the price of a painting sold in a framework
\nexhibition is not as big as the canvases on display. It means
\nthat the paintings contain social value (donations) and intrinsic
\nvalue (artistic quality). If the social price is higher, the real
\nprice gets lower. The factors causing a social price hike are,
\nfor instance, the opening of exhibitions by the president or vice
\npresident and the buyers' high-profile attitude. The artistic
\nprice of paintings is thus hard to estimate.<\/p>\n
In this case, only observers of the arts conversant with
\nmarket developments will understand the workings of social-agenda
\ntransactions, besides of course collectors, art dealers and
\ngallery owners. It is because the market has its own tricks and
\nsubtleties, which are very different from the theoretical
\nprinciples applied to the academically inclined discourses on the
\narts.<\/p>\n
Poor facilities<\/p>\n
As has been touched upon earlier, there have been many
\noccasions in which art has helped sports development in Jakarta,
\nSurabaya and elsewhere.<\/p>\n
On June 15, 2001, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri
\ninaugurated the grand opening of an art exhibition titled Selaksa
\nDaya Rupa (The Thousand Forms of Fine Art's Capacity) in the
\nauditorium of the vice presidential palace, Jl. Kebon Sirih,
\nJakarta. This exhibition was part of a fund-raising activity for
\nPABBSI (Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding
\nAssociation) called \"Medaliku Kebanggaan Bangsaku\" (My Medal the
\nPride of my People.).<\/p>\n
PABBSI needs money to improve facilities for its members. In
\nthe past few years, despite their meager training facilities
\nIndonesian powerlifters and weightlifters have contributed medals
\nto the country, including the medals earned in Sydney 2000
\nOlympics.<\/p>\n
The exhibition, which was open to the public between June 14
\nand 19 at Sahid Jaya Hotel, featured 150 paintings by some 90
\npainters owned by collectors in Jakarta or in the regions. At the
\ngrand opening, the Vice President made her first stroke on
\ncanvas, followed immediately by Nyoman Sukari, who completed the
\npainting and then sent it to the exhibition room.<\/p>\n
\"We have organized this exhibition in order to be able to
\nraise funds for the development of weightlifting and
\npowerlifting,\" said chairman of the executive committee of
\nPABBSI, Dharma Surya.<\/p>\n
As for the relationship between art and sports, Wismoyo
\nArismundandar said that sports were also art, namely the art of
\ntraining your body to achieve optimal performance.<\/p>\n
The exhibition displayed paintings by artists of different
\ngenerations, regions, cultural and educational backgrounds. They
\nwere also varied in terms of art schools, moods, patterns, themes
\nand objects but, unfortunately, none of them were in any way
\nrelated to weightlifting, powerlifting or bodybuilding. \"This is
\na celebration of our diversity or heterogeneity, which is both
\nour blessing and our wealth,\" said Agus Dermawan, one of the
\ncurators working overtime to prepare this exhibition in the past
\nfour months.<\/p>\n
Some of the paintings were credited to important figures in
\nIndonesia's modern art history such as Basuki Abdullah (A Woman
\nin Green), Popo Iskandar (Cat and Moon), Hendra Gunawan (Blue
\nAngel), Dullah (Grandpa), Trubus (Nirmolo Lake), Wakidi (Sianok
\nValley), Abas Alibasyah (Reminiscence of Old Senen), Srihadi
\nSoedarsono (World of Meditation), Bagong Kussudihardjo (Dancer),
\nLee Man Fong (An Old Man Reading), Nyoman Gunarsa (Bagong and
\nRangda), H. Widayat (Tug-of-War with Elephant), Soeparto (Cow,
\nTree in Violet) and Sunaryo (Apartment Reaches the Moon).<\/p>\n
The exhibition also featured younger artists now making a name
\nin the art market like Made Sukadana (Figure of Illusion),
\nNasirun (Unicorn), Made Djirna (Line of Emotion VI), Nyoman
\nSukari (From the State of Democracy), Nyoman Masriadi (Ballet
\nDance), Made Wianta (The Reflective Triangle), Made Palguna
\n(Former Cock of the Walk) and Wara Anindyah (Listening to the
\nWhispers of the Heart).<\/p>\n
Post-traditional Balinese painters from Nyoman Meja up to Dewa
\nPutu Bedil were also represented in this exhibition, as were
\nforeign artists living in Indonesia such as Arie Smit (The
\nForest) and those specializing in creating paintings about
\nIndonesia such as French great artist Andre Cottavoz (Lotus and
\nTemple), an artist from China Lie Shuji (Profile of a Woman),
\npopular artist from Japan Eiji Sawada (Golden Futura), Thai
\nartist (Betawai Bride) and Dutch painter Paul Husner (Water
\nPalace).<\/p>\n
Jacking up<\/p>\n
This exhibition was different from those held by contemporary
\nartists today in that it gave visitors a feeling of calm and
\npeacefulness, an atmosphere quite remote from the prevailing
\natmosphere of demonstrations and struggle.<\/p>\n
The paintings exhibited gave us pleasing things to view:
\nlandscapes, salt makers at work, school children in their red and
\nwhite uniform taking part in Aug. 17 Independence Day contests, a
\nBalinese dance, a rooster crowing, swimming fish, naked women,
\ntraditional rites, Megawati with Bung Karno in the background and
\nmany others that also present Indonesia as their subject matter.
\nIn short, we see the daily reality in our lives and not the
\nreality presented by the print and electronic media.<\/p>\n
In general, the paintings in the exhibition have a quality,
\nwhich, as Agus Derwawan put it, binds together our diversity.<\/p>\n
In this context, it is necessary to find out whether the
\npaintings have been bought by their old owners with a view to
\njacking up the prices of certain paintings\/painters.<\/p>",
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