Indonesian art world mourns realist painter Dullah<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's fine arts lost one of its finest
\nfigures when the country's most prominent realist painter Dullah
\ndied on the first day of l996.<\/p>\n
Painter Dullah, 76, died of complications caused by a
\ncombination of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and lower
\nrespiratory tract infection at the Panti Rapih hospital in
\nYogyakarta. He was pronounced dead shortly after being rushed to
\nthe hospital from the home of one of his grandchildren in
\nBlunyahrejo village.<\/p>\n
A few weeks ago, Dullah had been released from Kustati
\nhospital in Surakarta, where he was treated for pneumonia.<\/p>\n
Dullah was buried next to his wife, Jan Jaerabby Fatima, at
\nPurwoloyo cemetery in Surakarta last Tuesday afternoon. He is
\nsurvived by his adopted son, Sawarno.<\/p>\n
On Dec. 31, Dullah and his family held a gathering to
\ncelebrate New Year's Eve in Blunyahrejo. He became ill, with
\nblood coming out of his mouth, during that gathering.<\/p>\n
Dr. Soeliadi H.W. from the Panti Rapih Hospital said that
\nDullah's chronic cardiovascular problems and diabetes, as well as
\na lung infection, contributed to his death.<\/p>\n
In June l993, Dullah suffered a stroke. Although he lost full
\ncontrol of his right hand, this did not discourage the artist
\nfrom working. He succeeded in completing several sketches with
\nhis left hand.<\/p>\n
Due to his illness, he had to close his museum, the Dullah
\nMuseum in Surakarta in l993. The museum holds more than 500
\npaintings, including rare works by Raden Saleh, Abdullah, Basuki
\nAbdullah, Affandi and several other prominent painters.<\/p>\n
The museum also houses 100 important drawings recording the
\nbattle of Yogyakarta, which involved the Tentara Nasional
\nIndonesia (TNI) troops and Dutch soldiers. The drawings, which
\nwere made by Dullah's students in the l940s, have become
\nsignificant historical assets to the nation.<\/p>\n
Dullah planned to re-open the museum in the middle of January.<\/p>\n
Sawarno, Dullah's son, said that the re-opening of the museum
\nmay be delayed until some time in February, after the traditional
\ncommemoration marking the 40th day of the painter's death.<\/p>\n
Dullah, the eldest of five brothers, was born in l9l9. His
\nmother Kati was a batik maker and painter.<\/p>\n
Dullah is known as one of Indonesia's pioneer realist
\npainters. He first picked up the brush at the age of 16 and is
\nknown mainly for his paintings depicting Indonesia's guerrillas
\nduring the independence war against the Dutch colonial forces in
\nthe second half of the 1940s.<\/p>\n
Dullah is therefore known as a revolutionary period painter.
\nThrough his canvases, Dullah recorded a series of historic events
\nand the grim memories of the country's pre-independence period.
\nTogether with painters S. Sudjojono and Affandi, he joined
\nIndonesia's independence movement Putra (Pusat Tenaga Rakyat),
\nwhich was led by the top Indonesian nationalists and politicians
\nof the time, Sukarno, Moh. Hatta, as well as other prominent
\nfigures, such as Ki Hadjar Dewantara and K.H. Mas Mansjur.<\/p>\n
Art critic Agus Dermawan T. commented that Dullah's major
\nachievement was his capability to depicting the daily lives of
\nordinary people in such a way as to convey their aspirations.<\/p>\n
\"He was the one who could precisely put people's emotions on
\ncanvases,\" said Agus Dermawan, who is now preparing a 170-page
\nbiography of Dullah entitled Lukisan Rakyat Dullah, Dullah's
\nPaintings of the People.<\/p>\n
Friendship<\/p>\n
Dullah's friendship with other painters widened his horizons
\nand brought fresh ideas. \"I learned how to appreciate paintings
\nand other artwork from Sudjojono,\" Dullah once recalled.<\/p>\n
From Affandi, he obtained valuable techniques for painting,
\nand from the painter Ernest Dezentje he learned to create
\nimpressive landscapes.<\/p>\n
Dullah produced 700 paintings, many of which belong to art
\ncollectors here and abroad. Some are on display at his museum.<\/p>\n
One of his most famous paintings, Preparation for Guerrilla
\nWar in Yogyakarta, hangs at the State Palace in Jakarta .<\/p>\n
His activities in the independence movement resulted in his
\nincarceration at the Hoofd Bureu van Politie prison run by the
\nDutch colonial administration.<\/p>\n
After World War II started, Dullah was imprisoned by the
\nJapanese at Kempetai prison in Timuran village, Surakarta.<\/p>\n
In l947, he moved to Yogyakarta where he became involved in
\nanother organization, the Young Painters's Association, chaired
\nby the painter Rusli. Dullah and his colleagues received special
\norders from the newly-established Indonesian government to create
\nposters, frescoes and drawings on the Indonesian independence
\nstruggle in order to keep the revolutionary spirit alive among
\nthe populace of the archipelago.<\/p>\n
His cooperation with the nation's top political figures during
\nthe revolutionary period earned him a place at the presidential
\npalace in Jakarta after the war. Indonesia's first president
\nSukarno appointed Dullah the official painter of the presidential
\npalace, a post he held from l950 to l960. Dullah also acted as
\ncurator of the president's huge collection of art.<\/p>\n
Sukarno also asked Dullah to take care of Indonesia's first
\nred-and-white flag. Dullah was also ordered to modify the
\nposition of the Garuda, a giant eagle, in the nation's emblem.
\nPreviously, the Garuda gripped the ribbon inscribed with the
\nnation's motto, Bhineka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity). Dullah
\nwas ordered to place the ribbon in front of the eagle's feet.<\/p>\n
Palace painter<\/p>\n
Dullah's job as palace painter drew criticism from his fellow
\nartists. Despite the unpleasant comments, Dullah kept on
\nproducing high quality paintings. But perhaps his greatest
\ncontribution to the local fine art world was his tireless effort
\nto document rare paintings, reproductions and other artwork
\nbelonging to the late president Sukarno in four books. The books
\nwere published by the People's Arts Center in Beijing. \"They are
\nthe first written documents on the Indonesian fine arts,\" Dullah
\nonce said.<\/p>\n
After retiring from the palace, Dullah went back to Surakarta
\nand joined Himpunan Budaya Surakarta, the Surakarta Cultural
\nCenter, where he shared his talents and expertise with younger
\nartists.<\/p>\n
He also established Sanggar Pejeng, an art workshop, in Bali
\nin l974. Dullah taught painting to hundreds of students in his
\nBalinese workshop until l983.<\/p>\n
Agus Dermawan said that Dullah was a highly consistent artist.
\nDullah maintained realism as his style of painting although many
\nartists considered it an out-of-date style.<\/p>\n
In Europe and other western countries, the style was left
\nbehind by painters for almost 100 hundred years. In Indonesia,
\nrealism has been considered unfashionable for more than 40 years.<\/p>\n
Dullah believed that any style in fine arts was like a cycle
\nof life. He believed that trends in art would come full circle
\nback to their original point. His prediction seems to be coming
\ntrue now, with many young artists turning to realism.<\/p>\n
\"It seemed Dullah was waiting for the cycle to fulfill itself.
\nHe left the world just as many artists are adopting realism --
\nthe style he insisted on using throughout his life,\" Agus said.
\n(raw)<\/p>",
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