Sudjana Kerton's virtues exposed<\/p>\n
By Carla Bianpoen<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): When the seventh-day tahlilan (special Muslim
\nprayers for the dead) for artist Sudjana Kerton filled the
\nmountain air enfolding his studio and home Sanggar Luhur (Noble
\nWorkshop) on a hilltop in Bandung, it was as if the persons
\nsitting on his living room mats had come straight out from the
\ncanvases gracing the walls of the house where he had lived and
\nworked during the last 26 years of his life.<\/p>\n
There they were -- writes his widow Louise Kerton in her diary
\nin April 1994 -- with sun-blackened grave and somber faces,
\nsitting cross-legged on the mats, holding their prayer books in
\ntheir work-worn hands, just as Sudjana had portrayed them, as he
\ncelebrated on canvas their acceptance of life.<\/p>\n
The common people and their daily toil have had an enduring
\nimpact on the works of Sudjana. But what has apparently impressed
\nhim most was the simplicity of their lives and ways to keep their
\nmind tuned to the human soul while retaining a sense of humor.
\nEven as he lived abroad for 25 years, he remained obsessed with
\nthese qualities.<\/p>\n
Perhaps it was the importance of these qualities, apart from
\nhis love, that made him continue to reflect on the images of
\npeople and scenes from his youth. Even when real life had changed
\nwith the passing of time.<\/p>\n
His ventures in the Netherlands, the United States, France and
\nMexico may have had an impact on his style and technique, but not
\nmuch -- if any -- on his subject matters.<\/p>\n
Back in Bandung, painting the past was his way of commenting
\non the present. "He wanted to preserve the true life of the
\ncommon people that he saw slowly disappearing", explained Louise.<\/p>\n
Most of these works were painted from memory. Louise, who
\nmarried Sudjana in 1953 in New York, revealed she was fascinated
\nby his strength of purpose, his intensity of spirit and his dream
\nof the future.<\/p>\n
In New York, he set up his own studio and gallery. It was a
\nspace where he could be with the images of his youth and share
\nthem with others. It was not easy, but, as his wife explained, he
\nhad her and the children's full support. "It was a family
\nventure," she said.<\/p>\n
Returning to Bandung in 1976, Sudjana set up his workshop in
\nBandung's hilltop, surrounded by Mount Manglayang, Tangkuban
\nPrahu and the Malabar hills. The choice was typical for his clear
\nvision of life. The plot he chose was deserted -- no road and no
\nwater, let alone electricity. It was nature in its most original
\nshape.<\/p>\n
The current exhibition at Cemara-6 Gallery provides a glimpse
\nof the works of an Indonesian painter whom the Star Weekly had
\nonce dubbed "the wolf who is walkin' alone". The artist's
\ncommitment to his integrity and love of people is unfolded
\nthrough 93 works comprising sketches on paper, graphic art
\n(lithos, etchings and woodcuts) and 19 reproductions of oil
\npaintings stolen from the workshop four years ago.<\/p>\n
Di dalam Oplet (Anatomy of an Oplet), as the exhibition is
\ntitled, may be considered a homage to the artist, with Prof. Dr.
\nToeti Heraty, Ayip Rosidi and Heri Dono expressing their
\nappreciation of Sudjana on the exhibition's opening night on Aug.
\n8.<\/p>\n
Front line<\/p>\n
Sudjana's capability to grasp the essence of the moment was
\nhoned while working as a journalist (1944-1950) for the Patriot
\nmilitary magazine, which was headed by Usmar Ismail. His instant
\nsketches of political events were so captivating that they enough
\nfor his editor to write up the story. They were also priceless
\nhistorical chronicles made at a time when cameras and handycams
\nwere still rare.<\/p>\n
Simple lines in ink or pencil, drawn in the rush of the moment
\nshowed not only his professional skill, but also his ability to
\ncaptivate the ongoing dynamics and mood.<\/p>\n
The flowing lines in sketches like Bung Karno Sedang Pidato di
\nCirebon (Soekarno making a speech in Cirebon), May 23, 1947 and
\nSoeasana Penjerahan Kekoeasaan Militer di Bandoeng (The
\nAtmosphere During the Handing Over Ceremony of Military Authority
\nin Bandung), 1949, illustrate a sharp eye as well as a high level
\nof sensitivity, qualities that were to mark his art throughout
\nhis career as an artist.<\/p>\n
Mood sketches and drawings also provided a glimpse of how the
\ncommon people went on with their lives, no matter what.<\/p>\n
The numerous sketches that make out a major part of the
\ncurrent exhibition center on the lives of ordinary people during
\nthe time of the revolution. Vendors, roadside tailors, marriages
\nand marketplaces are among the usual themes, with people going
\nabout their daily jobs and workers napping under a tree taking
\nprominence.<\/p>\n
There is also a drawing of people reading the newspaper while
\nleaning against their bicycle by the roadside, but this seems to
\nbe the only hint of his interest in people outside the ordinary.<\/p>\n
Besides drawings and sketches, the exhibition also shows
\nSudjana's skills in lithos, etchings, woodcuts and watercolors,
\nwhich have rarely been exposed in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The stolen repros are also on show as an effort to announce
\nthat the originals legally belong to the Kerton family.<\/p>\n
Related to the issue, a discussion will be held on Aug. 23,
\nstarting 1:00 p.m. at Cemara Gallery, on Intellectual Property
\nRights in Fine Arts.<\/p>\n
The speakers will be, among others, Merwan Yusuf of the
\nNational Gallery Board, Emmawati Yunus of the Directorate for
\nIntellectual Property Rights of the Ministry of Law and Human
\nRights and DR Cita Priapanca Citrawinda of Biro Oktrooi Roosseno.<\/p>\n
'Di Dalam Oplet' Sudjana Kerton is on display until Aug. 26, 2001
\nat Cemara-6 Gallery, Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto 9-11, Menteng, Central
\nJakarta. Phone: 324 505, 391 18761. Open: every day from 10:00
\na.m. through 5:00 p.m.<\/p>",
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