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.