Artist Bimo Chondro lives in two worlds<\/p>\n
By Adrian Smith<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Paradoxes perplex the psyche when it comes to
\nBimo Chondro. Bimo works at a bank, but he is also an artist.
\nBimo likes to appear in black, though his paintings are all about
\ncolor.<\/p>\n
He is, it seems, the hub of an extensive social network,
\nthough artists are often conceived of as outcasts, denied
\nacceptance in the name of individualist expression. Bimo's
\ntrademark is guileless, though his acumen resides elsewhere.<\/p>\n
Despite these contradictions, his paintings are immediately
\nrecognizable and reflect the eye of a man passionate to express
\nhimself and eager to materialize his happy disposition.<\/p>\n
A relative latecomer to painting, Bimo only erected his easel
\nafter he had completed his formal education and begun working in
\na bank.<\/p>\n
\"I just wanted to explore a different side of me ... my
\ncreative side.\"<\/p>\n
Whereas many would groan at the prospect of trying to
\nreconcile such incongruous pursuits on a daily basis, Bimo
\nobviously relishes his dichotomous lifestyle.<\/p>\n
\"I think in some ways it is much easier for me to do two very
\ndifferent things. Banking frees me from the difficulty of having
\nto produce creative stuff and my art really helps my banking
\nside.\"<\/p>\n
His acrylic paintings are richly textured and bold in primary
\ncolors with his signature use of gold outlines. Their focus is
\nalmost always centered and inward-looking. In other words, their
\nsubject matter is the opposite of panoramic landscapes. The style
\nis what many of his admirers term \"naive\".<\/p>\n
Some of his efforts are ornate; there are none of the straight
\nlines and rigid structures one might expect from a fiscal mind.
\nThe effect of all these motifs, in sum, vigorously animate Bimo's
\ncreations. In general, think Rousseau, think Chagall, think the
\nshort animations on MTV and you are nearly there.<\/p>\n
Bimo's debut exhibition was in 1996. Since then he has been on
\nan upwardly mobile squiggle. Last year, he brought out a series
\nof paintings on flowers. \"I have a great passion for flowers. I
\nlove them,\" he told me exuberantly. It was these flower designs
\nthat caught the attention of a local corporate ceramist who
\ncalled upon Bimo's talents to decorate dinnerware.<\/p>\n
With titles such as Flirting, Double Date, Ready To Go,
\nCat's Playground, Happy Family, My Verandah, I Love You and
\nC'mon Honey, the bulk of his latest collection, House of the
\nSpirits, could initially be mistaken for something from the land
\nof Hello Kitty.<\/p>\n
But no, they are not. Visually, they are simplistic depictions
\nof playful domestic and relationship-based scenes set in a rumah
\njoglo (Javanese traditional house), with the customary use of
\nfrilly flowers, swirly clouds and the occasional pandering pet.
\nIn his own words, \"I wanted to do a series of paintings that
\ncelebrated the life force\".<\/p>\n
His subsequent salutations have taken a trip down abstraction
\nlane. Here, the titles suggest subject matter that is more open
\nto interpretation. With names such as Imagination 4 and
\nCenterpoint they are significantly more sparse, sometimes with
\njust a single shape (characteristically outlined in gold), few
\nadornments and set on a background less fertilized in primary
\ncolors than his earlier works. \"My favorite is one of my latest,
\nit is called Kite Festival.\"<\/p>\n
What are the influences behind these pseudo-psychotropic
\npictorials?<\/p>\n
\"Well, you know, I like to go out clubbing with my friends
\nquite a lot,\" he quipped.<\/p>\n
He finds time to paint after office hours.<\/p>\n
\"It takes me about four days to do a painting. I usually come
\nhome from the office and then go straight to the gym to work out.
\nThat usually frees my mind so that I can paint. Sometimes I am
\nonly able to start late, at about midnight.\"<\/p>\n
His chameleon qualities seem to epitomize the kind of
\npractical responses that artists must adopt in order to survive
\nthe challenging contradictions posed by the modern world.<\/p>\n
\"I just want to make people happy with my creative designs.
\nWhether it is by eating from a colorful plate or whether it is
\nfrom looking at one of my paintings, I just want them to come
\naway feeling alive.\"<\/p>\n
Bimo's resolve to fuse his distinctive panache with a
\nresponsive market has no doubt brought him a great deal of
\nsuccess, creatively and commercially. And he seems to have had a
\nlot of fun along the way.<\/p>\n
As an indicator of this, the prices of his pieces, averaging
\nabout Rp 10 million for a large work, are well beyond the fecund
\nimagination of most. He must be laughing all the way to the bank,
\nwhich is where you can find him at his desk during office hours.<\/p>\n
Bimo's exhibition is at Koi Gallery, Jl. Mahakam I No. 2, Blok
\nM, South Jakarta, until Aug. 17 (tel: 7222864).<\/p>",
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