Ancestral explorations expressed in the arts
Ancestral explorations expressed in the arts
By Carla Bianpoen
JAKARTA (JP): With so many art exhibitions in the capital, art lovers and observers may not even have enough time to get excited. However, anyone interested in the development of art expression would agree that the event currently at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) is unique and deserves special attention.
It brings together the works of two brothers living and working in different countries and in different branches of the arts. What makes the event remarkable is the line of thought the two brothers share in their search for innovative expressions.
Gregorius Sidharta, a painter and sculptor from Bandung, and his brother Paul Gutama, composer and founder of the Banjar Gruppe in Berlin, appear to have made the same journey back to their ancestral origins.
Both wanted to break out of the mold of the Western tradition in which they received their formal arts education. One day in Bali it struck them that the wealth of their traditions had yet to be uncovered. They began their journey to the land of ancestral cultures.
The desire to come up with something different is not as peculiar as one may think, for there are abundant examples in the course of art history. In the case of the two brothers, there may also be an emotional element, a sense of "no place like home".
The painter
Sidharta's exploration of his ancestral roots has produced sculptures and paintings which are amazing from a productive point of view. At 64, Sidharta may look back to numerous monumental sculptures set in public spaces both in Indonesia and abroad. In Jakarta, a huge multicolored sculpture titled Tumbuh dan Berkembang III (1991) is at Taman Pakubuwono in Kebayoran, South Jakarta, and another, Tonggak Samudra, is at Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta.
His explorations have brought about sculptures which people either like or dislike. While there is no doubt about his professional skill, both in the art of painting and sculpture, there is a notion that the artist still hinges between the ratio and the spiritual.
Many of these artistic expressions appear like mere presentations of tradition, sometimes bizarre and sometimes plain, but mostly without evoking excitement or a desire to delve deeper into the artwork. Others, however, point to the expressive movement in some of his works. One example is Penunggang Kuda dari Selatan, which depicts a nude man submitting to the trot of a galloping horse.
Sidharta has had a long-time relation with CSIS. He was the designer and sculptor of their emblem and was also responsible for the extraordinary works in glass on the ceiling of the exhibition hall.
Composer
As a boy, Paul Gutama very much wanted to be a pilot. Maybe it was the idea of adventure in the air that was appealing, or maybe it was the act of flying into the clouds. Whatever the reason, he never became one, but he did manage to fly high in his professional career as a composer.
"I am the only composer of new source music," he claims. What he calls "new source music" is translated as Musik der Urspruenglichkeit in German, and Musik Leluhur Baru in Indonesian. Gutama's new source music refers to the ancestral source of his inspiration and innovation.
To the ears of a layperson it is similar to what is called "new music," which has moved away from the guiding principle of tonality. Gutama explains that new music had its origins in European musical history, whereas his new source music is rooted in non-western (read: Javanese) culture.
Some of his music seems to reflect a yearning for village life. Light plucking of the kendang reminds one of the daily noises heard in a Javanese village.
The gamelan appears to be his great inspiration. Adopting the concept of teamwork in a gamelan orchestra, Gutama's compositions seem to produce sounds rather than melody. They are not enjoyable as leisure entertainment, but they are intriguing and provoke serious thought.
Gutama's journey has continued beyond its original destination. His compositions are evidence that he has achieved a spiritual relationship with the earth and the primeval forces within it.
At times, an attentive listener may feel thrown back to a world that existed before the dawn of history. Those who have listened several times to the sounds of Gutama's compositions may want to delve further, though this would involve a lot of patience and time.
Gutama's merit is closely linked to the Banjar Gruppe which he founded to carry out his compositions. Michael Bothe and Anne Hoffmann are his two partners who had to start from scratch to learn about the art and the sensitivities of gamelan. Gamelan players are not usually guided by musical notation but by feeling. To aid his two partners, Paul makes special notations and he is probably the first and only one to do that, so far.
Today at 1 p.m. a panel discussion on art and art development will be held at CSIS, featuring the two brothers, Jim Supangkat, Suka Harjana, and Nirwan Dewanto as moderator.