Art in context and art for social causes

Art in context and art for social causes

By Yusuf Susilo Hartono

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia's paintings have developed along with
the art's diverse facets. The philosophy, artistry, message,
morals, economic and social aspects related to the paintings come
forward in varying degrees of intensity.

One of the prominent features is the economic perspective.
This comes with the awareness that buying a painting means an
investment. But behind the prosperity of certain painters and the
commercial spirit of sponsors, some circles have voiced their
concern. The market forces are so strong that they suppress
artistic discourse. For those who have adopted a middle path,
however, this is understood as normal in view of the ever
changing positions of fine arts in the cycle of life.

The social aspect of paintings has also tended to strengthen
amid the current multidimensional crisis. Its manifestation has
taken the form of "framework exhibitions". Some examples are
those within the framework of raising funds for disaster victims,
East Timor refugees, places of worship or school buildings,
helping the aged, supporting campaign funds, rehabilitating drug
addicts and promoting sports (which in fact are actually well off
and can receive government funding).

Such activities have an edge, in the sense of satisfaction:
painters can make contributions, sponsors feel happy and donors
receive compensations (paintings). Apart from the apparent
motives of these buyers, by spending millions of rupiah they are
not going home empty handed. They get something to enjoy for the
long term along with making an investment.

Newcomers to art journalism in reporting such events tend to
exaggerate the economic side of paintings sold within that
framework. Many of them are apt to conclude that the price of the
works offered on such occasions is their artistic price, which is
indeed misleading for the public.

In real terms, the price of a painting sold in a framework
exhibition is not as big as the canvases on display. It means
that the paintings contain social value (donations) and intrinsic
value (artistic quality). If the social price is higher, the real
price gets lower. The factors causing a social price hike are,
for instance, the opening of exhibitions by the president or vice
president and the buyers' high-profile attitude. The artistic
price of paintings is thus hard to estimate.

In this case, only observers of the arts conversant with
market developments will understand the workings of social-agenda
transactions, besides of course collectors, art dealers and
gallery owners. It is because the market has its own tricks and
subtleties, which are very different from the theoretical
principles applied to the academically inclined discourses on the
arts.

Poor facilities

As has been touched upon earlier, there have been many
occasions in which art has helped sports development in Jakarta,
Surabaya and elsewhere.

On June 15, 2001, Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri
inaugurated the grand opening of an art exhibition titled Selaksa
Daya Rupa (The Thousand Forms of Fine Art's Capacity) in the
auditorium of the vice presidential palace, Jl. Kebon Sirih,
Jakarta. This exhibition was part of a fund-raising activity for
PABBSI (Indonesian Weightlifting, Powerlifting and Bodybuilding
Association) called "Medaliku Kebanggaan Bangsaku" (My Medal the
Pride of my People.).

PABBSI needs money to improve facilities for its members. In
the past few years, despite their meager training facilities
Indonesian powerlifters and weightlifters have contributed medals
to the country, including the medals earned in Sydney 2000
Olympics.

The exhibition, which was open to the public between June 14
and 19 at Sahid Jaya Hotel, featured 150 paintings by some 90
painters owned by collectors in Jakarta or in the regions. At the
grand opening, the Vice President made her first stroke on
canvas, followed immediately by Nyoman Sukari, who completed the
painting and then sent it to the exhibition room.

"We have organized this exhibition in order to be able to
raise funds for the development of weightlifting and
powerlifting," said chairman of the executive committee of
PABBSI, Dharma Surya.

As for the relationship between art and sports, Wismoyo
Arismundandar said that sports were also art, namely the art of
training your body to achieve optimal performance.

The exhibition displayed paintings by artists of different
generations, regions, cultural and educational backgrounds. They
were also varied in terms of art schools, moods, patterns, themes
and objects but, unfortunately, none of them were in any way
related to weightlifting, powerlifting or bodybuilding. "This is
a celebration of our diversity or heterogeneity, which is both
our blessing and our wealth," said Agus Dermawan, one of the
curators working overtime to prepare this exhibition in the past
four months.

Some of the paintings were credited to important figures in
Indonesia's modern art history such as Basuki Abdullah (A Woman
in Green), Popo Iskandar (Cat and Moon), Hendra Gunawan (Blue
Angel), Dullah (Grandpa), Trubus (Nirmolo Lake), Wakidi (Sianok
Valley), Abas Alibasyah (Reminiscence of Old Senen), Srihadi
Soedarsono (World of Meditation), Bagong Kussudihardjo (Dancer),
Lee Man Fong (An Old Man Reading), Nyoman Gunarsa (Bagong and
Rangda), H. Widayat (Tug-of-War with Elephant), Soeparto (Cow,
Tree in Violet) and Sunaryo (Apartment Reaches the Moon).

The exhibition also featured younger artists now making a name
in the art market like Made Sukadana (Figure of Illusion),
Nasirun (Unicorn), Made Djirna (Line of Emotion VI), Nyoman
Sukari (From the State of Democracy), Nyoman Masriadi (Ballet
Dance), Made Wianta (The Reflective Triangle), Made Palguna
(Former Cock of the Walk) and Wara Anindyah (Listening to the
Whispers of the Heart).

Post-traditional Balinese painters from Nyoman Meja up to Dewa
Putu Bedil were also represented in this exhibition, as were
foreign artists living in Indonesia such as Arie Smit (The
Forest) and those specializing in creating paintings about
Indonesia such as French great artist Andre Cottavoz (Lotus and
Temple), an artist from China Lie Shuji (Profile of a Woman),
popular artist from Japan Eiji Sawada (Golden Futura), Thai
artist (Betawai Bride) and Dutch painter Paul Husner (Water
Palace).

Jacking up

This exhibition was different from those held by contemporary
artists today in that it gave visitors a feeling of calm and
peacefulness, an atmosphere quite remote from the prevailing
atmosphere of demonstrations and struggle.

The paintings exhibited gave us pleasing things to view:
landscapes, salt makers at work, school children in their red and
white uniform taking part in Aug. 17 Independence Day contests, a
Balinese dance, a rooster crowing, swimming fish, naked women,
traditional rites, Megawati with Bung Karno in the background and
many others that also present Indonesia as their subject matter.
In short, we see the daily reality in our lives and not the
reality presented by the print and electronic media.

In general, the paintings in the exhibition have a quality,
which, as Agus Derwawan put it, binds together our diversity.

In this context, it is necessary to find out whether the
paintings have been bought by their old owners with a view to
jacking up the prices of certain paintings/painters.