Young artist puts his body on the line<\/p>\n
By Cynthia Web<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Thirty-two year old Nurcholis is an emerging
\nartist with a most promising future, great authenticity and
\ncourage.<\/p>\n
His paintings, currently exhibited at Dirix Gallery until July
\n31, are endlessly fascinating. The artist's creative process is
\nuniquely honest and controversial. He uses no brush, except for
\nan occasional embellishment.<\/p>\n
He creates these canvases using his whole body in a "printing"
\nprocess. After laying down initial layers of carefully
\nplanned color on the canvas, which is placed on the floor,
\nNurcholis removes his sarong (tubular cloth) and a beautiful,
\nsometimes unpredictable process of creation begins.<\/p>\n
This is a kind of naked yoga-ballet which has the appearance
\nof a "birth process". Nurcholis' internal artistic concept is
\nborne for all to see and understand.<\/p>\n
He writhes and contorts, stretches and rolls across his large
\ncanvas in a very deliberate and controlled way. The end result is
\nsurprisingly touching.<\/p>\n
Pure and clear printed images of the human form appear both
\ntextural and transparent, appearing almost like x-rays with their
\ncontrasting light and dark tonal patterns.<\/p>\n
The sharp edges of the body contours, the dark areas, and the
\nhighlighted areas created by protruding body forms, come together
\nto bring us images of great artistic purity.<\/p>\n
His comments about his artistic development up to this
\ncurrent style of total self-expression, are revealing.<\/p>\n
The nature of recent Indonesian history has meant that artists
\nhave often had to self-censor their work. This blocking of
\ncreative expression combined with his observation that sometimes
\nthe human being seems to have less importance than wealth, power
\nand material accumulation, have built up to a cry of outrage from
\nhis deepest emotional core.<\/p>\n
One day, in a frustrated painting session, he kicked a canvas
\nthat was still wet, and later saw the visual impression of his
\nfoot in the paint. The "print" of frustrated energy spoke to him
\nloud and clear and he saw its potential.<\/p>\n
"If with the foot, then why not with the whole body?" he asked
\nhimself. And later, "Why not the highest human ecstasy - of two
\nbodies entwined in love?"<\/p>\n
His largest canvas, created with his wife Hety, also an
\nartist, is a beautiful thing to behold, in warm reds and browns,
\nresonating with energy and richness.<\/p>\n
This process is, of course, a very controversial thing in a
\nmodest society such as Indonesia. However, in his
\ncharacteristically intelligent and truthful way, Nurcholis showed
\na video in a private area of the Gallery, for those who wished to
\nseriously observe the creative process of these paintings.<\/p>\n
On video-tape was captured both a solo painting session, and
\nalso the artistic collaboration\/union with his wife, creating the beautiful
\nwork entitled Rhythm of Love.<\/p>\n
Nurcholis' artistic life has become one of total commitment -
\n"all or nothing".<\/p>\n
Seeing the creation method on video is a profoundly moving
\nexperience. The spirit of the art is unrestricted and the artist
\nand his work are one. This is pure "body-language".<\/p>\n
The contoured impressions of the human body seem to
\nmaterialize from within the more tonal areas and there is a
\nfeeling of spiritual oneness.<\/p>\n
These images have great subtlety and, if explored with an open
\nheart, give much to the viewer in the way of contemplation and
\nemotional participation.<\/p>\n
The writer is a cultural networker for the Australia-Indonesia
\nArts Alliance.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/young-artist-puts-his-body-on-the-line-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}