Show points up concerns of 1970s<\/p>\n
By Chandra Johan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Add the Jakarta Art Council to the list of
\ncultural institutions getting back into the swing of the 1970s.<\/p>\n
It is featuring works of nine prominent painters from that
\ndecade in an exhibition at the Cipta II Gallery of Taman Ismail
\nMarzuki, Central Jakarta, through Sunday.<\/p>\n
Sulebar Soekarman, one of the painters, said the group was
\nselected to point up differences between them and their
\npredecessors.<\/p>\n
The other painters are Astari Rasjid, Dan Hisman Kartakusumah,
\nHardi, Mustika, Sudaryono S, Sukamto, Sulebar Soekarman, Sri
\nWarso Wahono and Syahnagra Ismail.<\/p>\n
"We belong to quite a mediocre generation of painters,
\ncompared to painters of the previous generation like Abbas
\nAlibasjah, Otto Djaja and Marakarma," Sulebar said.<\/p>\n
Each of the artists is exhibiting about five of their works,
\nexamples of oil paint, acrylic, graphic arts or drawing.<\/p>\n
Astari Rasjid, the only female painter in the group, is
\nnoteworthy because she does follow other artists of her gender in
\na focus on the melancholic or through heightening aesthetic
\nsensations by exploiting pictorial aspects. Astari's works
\ninstead explore the subtle problem of traditional values, as
\nshown in her Resurrected Core and Prolonged Exposure.<\/p>\n
"Beauty for me is not solely to be visually enjoyed, but it is
\nhopefully able to touch the feelings of people about surrounding
\nnature," she said.<\/p>\n
A painter may depict beautiful dancers or lush panoramas, but
\nthis does not mean that they have no interest in social issues.
\nHardi is one example in his Penari dan Bodor (Dancer and Bodor)
\nand ASEAN Children Calling.<\/p>\n
Penari dan Bodor is a venture into parody, with a Lippo logo
\nadorning the dancer's clothes and a Cipta insignia on the clown's
\ngarb. This trenchant commentary on big business is still milder
\nthan ASEAN Children Calling. Hardi used a collage technique to
\nshow a poor child holding up a pair of scales amid used goods, an
\nobvious metaphor for the issue of justice in this country.<\/p>\n
We can also find the collage technique in Sulebar's work and
\nSukamto's collage-graphic. Through torn pieces of paper and
\nshards of a mirror, Sulebar tries to combine concrete forms and
\nimaginary reality in his series of three works Oleh-oleh dari
\nBelanda I (Souvenir from the Netherlands I), Oleh-oleh dari
\nBelanda II and Oleh-oleh dari Belanda III.<\/p>\n
Sukamto has a simple yet excellently finished woodcut graphic
\ntechnique combined with torn pieces of paper, something that is
\nrarely done by contemporary artists.<\/p>\n
Almost black and white through sparse use of color, Sukamto's
\nworks Ojek Sepeda and Bulan reveal strong academic integrity.<\/p>\n
Sri Warso Wahono's works are marked by a dab technique and
\nthick texture. This painter explored two different subjects with
\nan almost identical technique. His works Tiduran di Sofa
\n(Sleeping at Sofa), Monumen Ikan (Fish Monument) and Ikan Perkasa
\n(Giant Fish) evince Sri Warso's skill in processing archaic or
\ndelicate colors.<\/p>\n
In his Ikan Perkasa and Monumen Ikan our view is tethered on
\nthe meditation of fossils and artifacts. Due to the superimposed
\ntexture and paint, the image of being ancient in Sri's paintings
\nis increasingly felt.<\/p>\n
Artists consistent with their established style are Mustika
\nand Syahnagra. Mustika renders figures and scenery in a
\ndecorative style. His main concern through soft lines and pastel
\ncolors is stories from the village, as in Banjir Kanal (Flood
\nCanal) and Tiga Wanita Desa (Three Country Women).<\/p>\n
Syahnagra impresses with four paintings and two drawings,
\nincluding Perahu dan Bulan (Boat and Moon) and Borobudur dan
\nBulan (Borobudur and Moon). Fine details are not important to
\nhim; pride of place goes to impressions created through brushwork
\nand movements.<\/p>\n
Dan Hisman's collage paintings include Tradisi Dalam Kemasan
\n(Tradition in Packaging). A masked woman appears almost non-
\nhuman, seemingly made from metal. Human existence in most of his
\nworks resembles the rigidity of a statue.<\/p>\n
No less attractive are Sudaryono's abstract works. In his
\nAbstract I, Abstract II and Abstract III, titles seem less
\nimportant, keeping in mind that his works guide us to imagine a
\nparticular creature. Most of Sudaryono's works show that he is an
\norderly and neat painter, with intuitive strength.<\/p>",
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