Rare art exhibit a treat for public<\/p>\n
By Amir Sidharta<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Although art enthusiasts might be familiar with
\nthe name of Kartono Yudhokusumo, knowledge about his artistic
\noeuvre is relatively limited.<\/p>\n
So far, the public has only had the opportunity to view a
\nsmall number of his works from a collection at the National
\nGallery, including Melukis di Taman (Painting in the Garden) and
\nAnggrek (Orchids).<\/p>\n
A few paintings can be seen in Claire Holt's Art in Indonesia,
\nwhich has been out of print for some time now.<\/p>\n
In a modest exhibition to be held at one of Taman Ismail
\nMarzuki's exhibition galleries from July 26 through 31 July an
\nextensive collection of the artist's sketches and watercolors
\nwill be on view.<\/p>\n
As the artist's work is scarce, his paintings fetch high
\nprices. This scarcity has also caused many fakes to emerge in the
\nart market. Scholarship on the artist is still relatively
\nlimited, and the scarcity of his works available for public
\nviewing also adds to the problem.<\/p>\n
Kartono, born in Medan in 1924, was the son of noted art
\nteacher Yudhokusumo. Both Affandi and Sudjojono, recognized today
\nas the pioneers of Indonesian modern art, had strong connections
\nwith Yudhokusumo.<\/p>\n
Sudjojono was a pupil of Kartono's father, who adopted him as
\nhis own son when he moved to Jakarta. The artist lived with the
\nYudhokusumo family until he was 28 years of age. During his high
\nschool years, Affandi also lived with the family, and it was
\nthere that he met Sudjojono, who is known to have introduced him
\nto painting.<\/p>\n
At high school, Kartono was taught by Sumardja. He often
\npainted with Sudjojono and Affandi, who lived with his family. He
\nis also known to have studied under the Japanese artist Yazaki,
\nDutch artist Ernest Dezentje and Charlie Sayers. He is known to
\nhave been influenced by Swedish artist Maria Ehnborg, who lived
\nin Bandung for a short period of time.<\/p>\n
In 1943, the Japanese organization Poetera (Pusat Tenaga
\nRakyat\/People's Resource Center) sponsored the young artist's
\nfirst solo exhibition during the time of Japanese occupation.<\/p>\n
Kartono joined the Seniman Indonesia Muda (SIM) (Young
\nIndonesian Artists) when it was established in 1946. Along with
\nother SIM members, he moved to Solo. There he encountered
\nSudibio's work. Sudibio also had a significant impact on the
\nyoung artist.<\/p>\n
SIM moved back to Yogyakarta in 1948 when the Dutch launched
\nmilitary actions. During this time, Kartono found it hard to
\npaint and he moved to Madiun, joining the Tunas Muda art
\nassociation for a short period of time. Kartono remained in
\nBandung since 1951. There he taught painting and founded the
\nSanggar Seniman art group the following year.<\/p>\n
Although influenced by many other artists, Kartono developed a
\ndistinct style of his own. In his paintings, he made use of
\nmotifs and forms developed from natural vegetation and flora. The
\nforms are highly stylized and even contrived, delineated with
\nrigid outlines and blocks of colors.<\/p>\n
The unique manner in which he used repetition of motifs and
\nforms set in brightly colored settings is now known as
\nDecorativism. Kartono is widely recognized as the pioneer of
\nIndonesian Decorativism, which has been adopted by many artists
\neven to this day.<\/p>\n
The artist's sketches and watercolors show a different side of
\nthe artist's oeuvre. While his paintings are highly stylized and
\nbrightly colored, most of his sketches and watercolors are
\ntremendously spontaneous and done in somber colors. Yet, his
\nsketches also start to reveal some signs of his methods of
\ndistortion and stylization.<\/p>\n
The distorted forms in his sketches and watercolors reveal the
\nartist's sadness as well as his intense concern and anxiety.
\nKartono's amorphic clouds often seem to be warped, expressing a
\nfeeling of uncertainty within the artist's mind. His trees seem
\nto dance with the rhythm of the night, swaying to the moonlight
\namid the darkness.<\/p>\n
Kartono's sketches and watercolors express his struggle to
\nachieve happiness. His distorted forms in his works resemble the
\ndistorted figure in Edward Munch's The Scream. This might explain
\nthe fact that his work was popular among the Scandinavian
\ncommunity in Indonesia as Claire Holt mentioned in her historic
\nArt in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Kartono died in 1957, following a traffic accident which
\ninvolved the motorcycle he was riding. His death at an early age
\nhas added to the difficulty of researching into his life and
\noeuvre. Perhaps this simple exhibition of sketches and
\nwatercolors held at the Taman Ismail Marzuki will offer a
\nsignificant contribution to the limited scholarship on the
\nartist.<\/p>",
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