Artist Barli learns from age and experience

Artist Barli learns from age and experience

By Aendra H. Medita

BANDUNG (JP): Over the past six-and-a-half decades, Barli
Sasmitawinata has created a body of work that has secured his
well-deserved reputation as one of Indonesia's greatest painters.
And this indefatigable master, who was born on May 21, 1921,
continues to produce canvasses of astounding beauty, imagination
and strength.

Barli was part of the famed Group of Five, which also included
the artists Affandi, Wahdi Sumanta, Hendra Gunawan (all now
passed away) and Soedarso. Though he has already had a storied
and distinguished career by anyone's standards, Barli at the age
of 80 remains a prolific painter whose work has the power to
inspire and whose canvasses are coveted by art collectors, as
demonstrated by his July 7 to Aug. 7 exhibition at Sriyanto
Gallery in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta.

Barli began his artistic journey under the tutelage of Italian
painter Luigi Bobili and Dutch master Jos Pluments in 1935.

"I really respect them as they took me into the world of arts.
From them I learned the techniques and the rudiments of
painting," he said.

Barli then went on and graduated from the Grande de La
Chaumiere in Paris in 1950 and from the Beeldende Kunsten School
of Arts in Amsterdam in 1955.

The youngest son of a trader, Raden Haji Harun Al Rasyid,
Barli grew up in an Islamic boarding school. His early exposure
to Sundanese culture and traditions plunged him into West Java's
traditional arts. He rose to prominence playing the role of the
famed Ki Lengser in a traditional Sundanese play. But shortly
afterward, he abandoned the stage to concentrate on painting.

During World War II, Barli, Sudjana Kerton, Hendra Gunawan and
other painters residing in Bandung joined Youths of the Republic
of Indonesia, and were assigned to paint war-time events. It was
here that Barli received an order from Col. Nasution, then the
military commander of West Java, to design the emblem that is
still worn by troops from the Siliwangi command.

In 1948, Barli established Jiva Mukti, an arts education
center in Bandung, but the center was disbanded after the Asia-
Africa Conference in 1955.

For a few months in 1957 he taught at Pajajaran University and
the Pedagogical and Teachers' Training Institute. After a
disagreement over subject matter, Barli resigned. He then taught
art at his own house-cum-studio, Studio Rangga Gempol, a private
art school that produced such well-known painters as Anton Huang,
Popo Iskandar, Rudi Pranajaya and Chusin.

Jim Supangkat, a noted art critic, has written that Barli is
without equal among Indonesian painters. "He is the only
Indonesian painter who links the two development points of
Indonesian painting: the art of painting during the colonization
era and the modern art of Indonesian painting."

The following is an excerpt of a recent interview with the
artist.

Question: At the age of 80, you are still active in painting
and holding exhibitions. What motivates you?

Answer: Thank God that despite my age I keep on painting,
because I really love art. This has become a very strong
foundation that gives me lots of ideas and inspirations.

How do you remain consistent with and committed to your
profession?

Basically, we must not feel bound by it but we must bind
ourselves to it, so we can feel the love and crave it.

Have your works undergone major changes over the years?

Yes, but I stick to realism; shapes of objects are still
harmonious in nature and faithfully expressed ....

Do the lines in your drawings and paintings reflect the
strength of your style?

To me painting is not merely transferring an object, but also
expressing the values of drawing. To draw an object, you have to
think of the technical aspects. There lies the strength, be it a
drawing or a painting. But the basic reality, the form of realism
can change, depending on the idea.

How do you respond to "instantly made" paintings?

Generally speaking, these are made by young painters who
usually believe that making abstract paintings takes only a short
time. Realistic objects cannot be expressed in such a way; what
lies inside must be brought to the surface. Anyway, instant
painting is a shortcut for a beginner, whereas a real painter
must enjoy his work, particularly the process.

So you find something enjoyable in your work?

Of course. Whenever I paint, I feel happy, joyful and free.
That affects my painting style. I am never bothered by feelings
of restlessness, so I am sure (my work) will be accepted by the
public.

What about the themes of your paintings?

That's important. I take the themes of my paintings from
ordinary people, beggars, traders in the market, noodle sellers,
buskers and sometimes dancers.

Do you have any conflicts when painting?

There is no conflict because I have worked through a natural
process; I started from mistakes and learned from them to gain
maturity.

How do you react and respond to the current situation in the
country?

As usual, for I believe that art is something that people
enjoy, so it is the job of artists to lend aesthetic values to
their works.

Was it your childhood ambition to be a painter?

I cannot let a day pass without painting. When I was small, I
wanted to be a painter whose works were enjoyed by many people.
If I get something from painting, that's only a byproduct. A
painter is a reflection of his society. I'm emotionally attached
to people and that's my realism and my strength.

When working with your students, what kind of teaching methods
do you adopt?

They are left to their own devices. They are completely free
to determine what to choose. I only give them some directives,
basic techniques and accent. It is difficult to rein in artists,
much more their works. Let them just move on.

Do you have any advice for young artists?

When you become an artist, be a good artist. So if you want to
become a good painter, be a good painter -- or whatever career
you wish to pursue: music, theater, dance or others. Always be
consistent, that's my advice.