Exhibition marks Made Djirna's turning point<\/p>\n
Amir Sidharta, Contributor, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Balinese artist Made Djirna is not a new name in the world of
\nIndonesian art. He is perhaps best known for his paintings of
\nfemale figures formed using curvilinear shapes in a simple
\npalette of red, white and black and gritty sand-like texture on
\nterracotta background which have been popular since the mid-
\n1990s.<\/p>\n
Yet, his work dating back to the late 1980s has been
\nrecognized in various exhibitions. Among others, his piece Life
\nin Our Surrounding was included in Singapore Art Museum's Soul
\nTies exhibition (1999) and his painting Inspirasi dari Seni
\nAborigin (Inspiration from Aboriginal Arts, 1988) is a
\nsignificant artwork in Crossing Boundaries: Bali A Window to
\nTwentieth Century Indonesian Art that is currently touring
\nAustralia.<\/p>\n
Around the turn of the millennium, he shifted from his
\nsimplicity and clarity of form to embark upon a more expressive
\nstyle. His paintings drew mixed reviews. Some hailed his new
\npaintings for their fresh dynamism and spontaneity, while others
\ncriticized him for the sloppiness evident in his busy canvases.
\nSince then, his works have undergone a significant evolution.<\/p>\n
Today, Made Djirna is at a turning point. His latest
\npaintings, featured in an exhibition entitled Milestones of
\nModesty held at Galeri Inggil, Jakarta, mark a progressive
\ndevelopment in the course of his artistic career. He seems to
\nhave much more control over his paintings. While the subjects of
\nhis paintings remain rather busy and tend cover the entire
\nsurface of his canvases, they have become much more subdued. Such
\nloose, hurried and even uncontrollable brushstrokes that seem to
\nbe predominant in his paintings dating from the year 2000 do not
\nseem to appear any more in his current work.<\/p>\n
Djirna's signature abstraction of the late 1990s, which
\nreduces figures into simple curvilinear forms of lines and
\ncolors, have also been replaced with a new cubistic abstraction
\nof a more analytical kind. He breaks down three dimensional
\nvolumes into two-dimensional facets or planes of hues, as can be
\nseen in as can clearly be seen in the faces of the women in
\nWanita Nelayan (Fisherwoman) and of the men in Di Arena (At the
\nArena).<\/p>\n
Volumes once again become shapes, but they are no longer the
\nflat simple shapes in the paintings of the late 1990s. Built up
\nusing layers of brushstrokes, the new shapes such as the figures
\nin Pasar Pagi (Morning Market) are more volumetric. The shapes
\nare modulated, providing a substantial sense of three-
\ndimensionality.<\/p>\n
In the new paintings the artist also uses a brighter palette
\nof colors. The three main figures in Sandal Jepit (Sandal) wear
\nbright red sandals, underlining the artist's point of focus. Yet,
\nthe figures themselves also wear bright colored kebayas, which
\nappear much bolder than any other figure featured in Djirna's
\nearlier paintings. Rilex initially would seem to be a simple
\nrendition of bright colored sunflowers, but after closer
\nobservation into the painting the viewer would decipher a
\nwhimsical rendition of two figures cuddled up underneath a thick
\nblanket of bold patterns with their dark feet sticking out.<\/p>\n
In summary, his recent artistic development is characterized
\nby his use of a more analytical, cubistic and volumetric shapes,
\nbuilt up with a more diverse palette of brighter colors, and
\nexecuted with more controlled brushwork, filling up the canvas.<\/p>\n
\"To me this development is simply a progression of time and
\nspace. It happened naturally without any conscious plans for
\nartistic or stylistic change,\" claims the artist.<\/p>\n
While there seems to be a rather clear line distinguishing the
\nartist's recent style from his earlier paintings, the artist
\ncontinues to explore themes of everyday life which he has
\nconsistently depicted in his art over the years. He has been very
\ninterested in the life that surrounds him in the village of
\nKedewatan, Bali, where he has lived all his life.<\/p>\n
\"As the world becomes more sophisticated and as technology has
\ndrastically changed the way people live particularly in big
\ncities, there are still people living the simple life in small
\nremote villages that have not changed much for centuries,\" he
\nnotes. Many of the most luxurious, internationally renowned
\nhotels have been built around his village, yet many members of
\nthe community continue with the modest daily life they have
\nalways been living.<\/p>\n
Djirna does not capitalize on the irony of the stark contrasts
\nof lifestyle that he sees happening around his village. Seldom
\ndoes he include paraphernalia of technology that symbolizes
\nmodern sophistication within his renderings of simple everyday
\nlife. Yet, as seems evident in the awkward interaction between
\nthe mother and her child in Bermain (Playing), it seems that the
\nartist has also started to question the psychological and
\nsociological ramifications of modernity on village family life.<\/p>\n
For the most part, Djirna's paintings are modest, matter-of-
\nfact renditions of daily life. The artist claims that through his
\npaintings he simply intends to draw attention to the everyday
\nlife of the common people that surround him, and at the same time
\nshow appreciation for their significant role in society and life.
\nIt is, in fact, an artist's humble hope for a life of modesty.
\nHis peculiar combination of stylistic transformation and
\ncontinued thematic exploration has brought him to a unique
\nturning point, a milestone of modesty.<\/p>\n
Made Djirna's Milestones of Modesty is on show at the Galeri
\nInggil, Jakarta, until 24 April 2003.<\/p>",
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