Bandung artists explore the physique<\/p>\n
Yusuf Susilo Hartono, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Lines made with a black pencil and white paint are spread on a
\nlarge canvas measuring 100 cm by 290 cm. On the left of the
\ncanvas, they form two white hands covering a buttock. In the
\nmiddle of the canvas, the fingers on both hands are covering the
\nface, letting part of the eyelid to be visible between the ring
\nand little fingers. On the right, the fingers on both hands are
\ncovering one's genital.<\/p>\n
The painting, titled Malu, Malu, Malu (Ashamed, Ashamed,
\nAshamed) by Rosid, 34, is one of the art works by three Bandung-
\nbased artists.<\/p>\n
The other three are Arin Dwihartanto, 25, Gusbarlian Lubis,
\n31, a graduate of the School of Fine Arts and Design, Bandung
\nInstitute of Technology (ITB), and Rudi St Darma, 38, a graduate
\nof Bandung Teachers' Training Institute - now being exhibited at
\nGaleri Lontar in Utan Kayu, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The theme of the exhibition, of which the curator is Agung
\nHujatnikajenong, also from Bandung, is Tubuh 4 (Physique 4).<\/p>\n
Rosid, once an apprentice at Studio R 66 and spent a stint at
\nSunaryo's Art Workshop is amazingly excellent. Technically, this
\nphotography-based drawing needs great patience and observation in
\nenlarging the size of a particular part of a human body.<\/p>\n
Unlike his previous works, which he exhibited at Selasar
\nSunaryo (Sunaryo's Gallery) in Bandung last year, in this latest
\nwork, Rosid placed the body against norms, morality and the way
\nto respond to it.<\/p>\n
When he depicts fingers that are covering the face, Rosid,
\nwith embarrassment, seems to be watching the drama of our bodies
\nin confrontation with norms, either constitutionally or
\nconventionally. In a predominantly Muslim country, how can
\ncommunity members freely display their genitals? Many of them
\neven make this display of genitals a source of easy money. Isn't
\nthis really an embarrassing phenomenon?<\/p>\n
What about the other artists? Arin Dwihartanto, winner of 2003
\nIndofood Art Award, has long believed that a human body is not
\nlike a machine, of which the spare parts can easily be changed.<\/p>\n
This time, he displays a configuration of four paintings
\ndominated by the red color in different sizes. These paintings
\nhave been made on acrylic as well as with charcoal on canvas. Two
\nof the paintings, called Barbed Fire and Jagged Backbone\", depict
\ntwo weird figures.<\/p>\n
The two figures have their backs on the viewers while parts of
\nthe body are visible to the naked eyes as if they were being X-
\nrayed. The structure of the backbones looks like the back of a
\ndragon on the roof of a Chinese temple - swaying and thorny.
\nBehind the skull there is another skull with the mouth agape and
\nthe eyeballs gazing in despair.<\/p>\n
In the case of the other figure, which is shown to be firmly
\nstanding, there are two fists in a red flame of fire. Despite its
\nweirdness, is it the embodiment of the spirit of Ever Onward and
\nNever Retreat?<\/p>\n
Unlike Rosid and Arin, Rudi St Darma, who usually explores
\ngreat narration about human beings and civilization, is now
\nfeaturing a \"simpler\" body.<\/p>\n
His flexible pencil-made lines and solid shading with a
\ncharacter show female bodies in various positions and as
\ndifferent subjects. What we can interpret from these works -
\neither on canvas directly or on a piece of canvas placed between
\ntwo transparent glass sheets - is the problem of the body in the
\nface of solitude.<\/p>\n
Is this a \"pause\" of sorts for Darma so that he can obtain a
\n\"key\" for his creativity after indulging himself in the
\ncelebration of festivity for quite some time?<\/p>\n
If this is the case, Darma's \"pause\" is not merely concerned
\nwith the physical body but also the body of a creative existence
\nof an artist that has shown his superior class in Philip Morris
\nArt Award competition and other art contests at ASEAN level.<\/p>\n
While his three fellow artists feature the human body in their
\nworks, Gusbarlian comes out with a configuration of colored
\nphotographs about his own body in six frames under the title of
\nPassion.<\/p>\n
Each of the six photographs shows the interaction between his
\nnaked body and a brick, either in the position of sleeping on it,
\nlicking it, carrying it on the head, hugging it and even sitting
\non it. This work is part of his ideas about the brick as part of
\na partitioning wall.<\/p>\n
Obviously, unlike other similar exhibitions, which are market-
\noriented, this one is discourse-oriented, a feature in tune with
\nthe spirit of Galeri Lontar.<\/p>\n
The curator Agung Hujatnikajenong said that the manifestation
\nof the body in fine art, particularly in the art and sculpturing
\ntradition, can be traced back to the Renaissance period, long
\nbefore modern artists like Matisse and Duchamp began their
\nfigure-painting.<\/p>\n
At least, since the late 1990 decade, the human body as a
\nsubject has gained popularity in discourses about fine art in
\nIndonesia. Some people suspect that this discourse is
\nattributable to the contact between the discourse on Indonesia's
\nfine art and social and philosophical sciences.<\/p>\n
One relevant to ask at this junction is whether or not the
\nmarket has no share at all in celebrating the use of the human
\nbody in Indonesia's contemporary fine art. To borrow from Rosid,
\nwe should not feel \"Ashamed, ashamed, ashamed\" to own it up.<\/p>\n
The exhibition is under way until July 25, 2003 at Lontar
\nGallery, Jl. Utan Kayu 68 H, East Jakarta (Tel. 8573388).<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bandung-artists-explore-the-physique-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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