Good art should not be expensive<\/p>\n
By Mehru Jaffer<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): It is a pleasure to look at so much art around
\nJakarta. However when it comes to buying a piece, a cloud of
\nconfusion invariably confronts most people.<\/p>\n
One thousand and one troubling questions surface as one
\ncanvass looks more beautiful than the other, making the decision
\nto choose one ever so difficult. Very often people go in search
\nof a painting because they had heard of the artist at a social
\nevent held the previous evening.<\/p>\n
However, they cannot make up their minds once they actually
\nstand before the painting. It does not appeal to them but should
\nit be bought only because their neighbors have one by the same
\nartist in their houses?<\/p>\n
That is a million-rupiah question. Should a painting be bought
\nbecause one has plenty of money to spend and everyone around is
\nbuying art, or should art be bought simply because it pleases the
\nindividual?<\/p>\n
If Mira, 28, and Karina, 33, are consulted, they would
\nprobably suggest that art ought to be bought for art's sake. The
\nowners of a tiny little gallery, provocatively called Bizete,
\nafter the little flirtatious kiss the French are so famous for,
\neven in their comparatively young lives, had collected so much of
\nart simply because they liked it that two years ago they decided
\nto open the gallery.<\/p>\n
Undaunted by the fact that the city is already overflowing
\nwith countless of art galleries, Bizete opened its doors to the
\npublic in the thick of the economic crisis in November 1998.<\/p>\n
\"At first I just wanted another place to store all the works I
\nhad collected. My home was overflowing with paintings,\" says
\nMira. But when good friend Karina agreed to become a partner, the
\nentire space was renovated and redecorated and exhibitions were
\nheld periodically after separating the collection into different
\nthemes, she said.<\/p>\n
\"Moments in Life\" is the name of the ongoing exhibition that
\nwill be open until Oct. 29 and has on display the works of three
\nyoung but extremely talented painters, along with sculptures
\nfrom Bali and Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
The two art collectors do not necessarily go in for the very
\nexpensive, almost unaffordable works of the great masters.
\nHowever if a client is looking for a rare canvas they try to help
\nthem get it.<\/p>\n
\"My experience is that all good art does not have to be
\nexpensive. A painting does not have to cost a lot to be valued,\"
\nsays Karina who gives the example of the collection at the Bizete
\nGallery where it is still possible to pick up a piece of art for
\nunder Rp 1 million.<\/p>\n
What excites them most is the discovery of young, unknown
\nartists and to introduce their work to more and more people
\nwithout of course trying to fool or fleece the buyers. Both admit
\nthat they depend upon their love for art, intuition and
\nexperience of living with art since childhood to select works for
\nthe gallery.<\/p>\n
Mira is an accountant by profession and Karina is in the
\nrestaurant and cafe business but what cements the deep friendship
\nbetween the two is their common passion for art.<\/p>\n
They describe two types of art collectors that one comes
\nacross these days, those who are part of a passing fad or trend
\nand those who love art despite the change in the season.<\/p>\n
The stunning bronze pieces by Basuki Prahoro from Yogyakarta
\non display at the gallery at the moment are examples of the fine
\ntaste of the two collectors. It may not be too ambitious to
\npredict that the piece titled Ibu dan Anak (Mother and Child)
\nwill remain a masterpiece long after the artist is no more.<\/p>\n
Another painter to watch out is I Nengah Naraya from Bali who
\nmixed media techniques and soft abstractions to create patterns
\nthat can also be termed timeless.<\/p>\n
But, as they say, the best is yet to come when the gallery
\nwill host a month-long national art festival where it will be
\npossible to pick up works by Hungarian painter Lazzlo, Amirus
\nNatalsya from Sumatra, I Gusti Widiantara from Bali, Ledek from
\nJakarta and other talented painters from across the archipelago.<\/p>\n
They promise the paintings will be most reasonably priced.<\/p>\n
The festival will start on Nov. 7 and further inquiries can be
\nmade at the gallery at 724 6725 that is open daily between
\n10:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. The e-mail address is:
\nbizetegallery@yahoo.com.<\/p>",
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