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.