Batik master Astuti dabbles in oils<\/p>\n
Fabio Scarpello, Contributor, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Reading any book on Batik paintings, you will soon realize that
\nAstuti is one of the few artists referred to as a master. What
\nthey don't say is that he is a much more rounded artist than
\nthat. And what they don't know is that he is a remarkable man.<\/p>\n
His frail appearance hides a defiant spirit. Artistically, a
\ncontinuous search for "that" unique style has characterized his
\ncareer. Even now at 67, he claims to be in a new phase: "I am in
\nyet another developing period, after 53 paintings I feel my
\nabstract period has come to an end."<\/p>\n
The fact that he is learning to paint with his left hand, as a
\nconsequence of a stroke suffered last year, is (to him) only a
\nsmall detail: "It is my strong hand, I have always played the
\nguitar and the fingers on my left hand are the ones doing all the
\nhard work."<\/p>\n
His house oozes with art. Canvases are everywhere: Some are
\nfinished, some have only just been started and others are waiting
\nin a corner for their time.<\/p>\n
While Astuti made his name with batiks, oil painting has
\nalways been his passion and that is what he concentrates on
\ntoday. Yet it is difficult to completely separate the two: "Back
\nin the 1970s, I had an inspiration to use traditional batik
\ntechniques in my painting and in doing so -- together with a few
\nothers -- it helped transform batik from applied art (clothes
\ndecoration) to fine art (painting).<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, batik has fallen victim to its own success. An
\nincrease in the demand has provoked a downturn in its artistic
\nquality: "It's not what it used to be. During the 1970s it was
\nreal art with lots of pride behind it. Now -- at its best -- it
\ncan be defined as a handicraft, while generally it is only
\ncheaply mass-produced souvenirs, merely 'Coca-cola batiks'".<\/p>\n
Yet Astuti doesn't repudiate his roots: "Batik was an
\nimportant and prolific period of my life. Even today I sometimes
\nborrow from its technique by protecting a part of the canvas with
\nwax and paint freely on top. Then, after scraping it off, I can
\nwork on the blank parts".<\/p>\n
His individual artistic aspirations and the need for
\n"immediacy" are the main reasons for his oil-painting preference:
\n"What I do in painting is the honest and unfiltered projection of
\nmy soul. You can never imprint your imagination straightaway onto
\na batik the same way you can with oil paintings. Batik is
\ncollective and slow work, while oil painting is individualistic
\nand immediate".<\/p>\n
His subjects and style have changed with time. A definite
\ninfluence comes from the Javanese and Balinese landscapes, with
\nvery intricate and delicate examples present, especially in his
\nbatik production.<\/p>\n
Surrealistic and abstract human figures instead dominate his
\noil paintings. He claims that surrealism in Indonesia is
\nimpregnated in everyday life and it is much more than just an
\nartistic trend: "Indonesia has a very ancient tradition in
\nsurrealism, much before Dali and the like. The thinking behind
\nthe wayang (shadow puppet), for example, is a search inside the
\nindividual. Their distorted features and unproportioned bodies
\nare other examples. The concept can be amplified: the ambience
\nand the energy emanating from places such as Borobudur and
\nPrambanan are somehow surreal."<\/p>\n
His artistic production is very much a reflection of the world
\nhe lives in, and his style is an attempt to go deeper. "I live
\nhere and now and social problems are what I want to highlight.
\nThe distorted human figure is to me a means to show the multiple-
\nsided conditions of Indonesians."<\/p>\n
Current issues are his main source of inspiration. Among his
\nmost recent creations, Corruption, Reformasi I and II and
\nSeptember 11th merit a special mention. In all of them the
\nsurreal context and the clever use of strong colors bring these
\nproblems home with impact.<\/p>\n
But even within oil painting Astuti diversifies his
\nproduction. Portraits are another of his interests where -- in
\nstark contrast with his abstract production -- he almost
\nexclusively uses pastels.<\/p>\n
The portrait of Afandi, an Indonesian painter, is considered
\nhis finest to date. Painted exclusively from the palette, it is
\ndeemed technically so perfect to be mistaken for a picture.<\/p>\n
"The eyes," he says "follow you around like in a male version
\nof the Mona Lisa".<\/p>\n
But after 40 creative years, with his work exhibited countless
\ntimes all over Indonesia and in other parts of the world, such as
\nAustralia, the U.S.A., Belgium, England, Italy, Holland, France,
\nGermany and Austria, you would expect Astuti to at least slow his
\ndrive, but this is not the case.<\/p>\n
If anything, he has slightly changed his angle and now aims to
\neducate the masses through workshops with the importance of art:
\n"I want all the people to understand and appreciate art -- not
\nonly those studying it. Art is about creation, recreation,
\nhappiness, sadness. Art is life, its real essence and the best
\nmedium to understand a country, its people and its cultures."<\/p>\n
Knowing his determination, the outcome can only be a positive
\none.<\/p>\n
Astuti's works can be viewed at his two permanent galleries:
\nArt House I: Salakan, Jotawang,
\nRT 07, RW 03 Yogyakarta,
\nTel 062-274-411013,
\nEmail Wulandari@yahoo.com,
\nArt House II: Jl. Kumendaman N. 1,
\nYogyakarta, Tel 062-274-386039,
\nEmail: astutigallery@yahoo.com<\/p>",
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