Artist depicts series of tragedies through his art

Artist depicts series of tragedies through his art

By Ipong Purnama Sidhi

JAKARTA (JP): An artist usually expresses his emotions through
his work. The artist Sunaryo reveals his anguish and anger
regarding the series of tragedies that have stricken Indonesia in
his latest works.

Two years ago, he held an exhibition entitled Titik Nadir, the
Nadir Point. The exhibited art pieces were dominated by the
color black, symbolizing darkness and uncertainty in his attempt
to try and convey the agony of the May 1998 tragedy--the
shooting, looting, killing and rape.

Sunaryo once wrote a kind of manifesto in which he said that
he wrapped his art works in black cloth and would only uncover
them if the sun rose in the east, meaning that the country was in
peace and was prospering.

Now, in the year 2000, Sunaryo feels the need to exhibit his
newest creations at Decorous, the Jakarta Design Center, an
exhibit which will run through May 31.

The title of the exhibition is Puisi Titik Putih, the White
Dot Poem. Sunaryo presents aesthetic issues similar to his
previous exhibitions.

He has created an installation room and is artistically using
various mediums in expressing his artistic ideas, ranging from
ready-made objects, like Phillipe Stark's chair and lamp, to wood
constructions, dry leaves, stones, twigs and video presentations.

Yet, the focus of the exhibition is the 30 paintings which
share a thematic unity but which can also stand on their own.

The subject matter of the paintings are divided into various
categories -- earth, sky, city life and then more abstract,
metaphysical ideas involving spiritual enlightenment.

In his artistic explorations, Sunaryo has been influenced by
the societal conditions in Indonesia.

He was not productive for quite some time, but, in a recent
burst of creativity, he whipped out the 30 paintings that now
comprise the meat of his newest show.

Entering the exhibit room, visitors are able to view three
small paintings of cats, reminiscent of Popo Iskandar's cats.

The cat paintings are entitled Homage to Popo, and are
dedicated to the painter Popo Iskandar who passed away recently.

The exhibition room is divided into three themes. The first
theme is called Antara Bumi dan Langit, The Space Between the
Earth and the Sky.

The spirit behind the theme is predicated on the notion of the
space that exists between the earth and the sky, which is in many
ways synonymous with the Chinese concept of balance, Yin and
Yang.

In a painting entitled Nelayan, fisherman, he explores the
concept of ancient Chinese pictography which divides the sky and
earth into lines. What is above line symbolizes the sky while
what is below the line symbolizes the earth.

He said that a line is a King's symbol which unites the earth
and sky, fuses contrast and solves conflicts, creating harmony in
the process.

Sunaryo has hung long fabric in several parts of the room to
indicate the closeness between the earth and the heavens.

The second installation is comprised of five transparent
chairs designed by Philippe Stark. The chairs have been placed on
a wood platform.

Sitting on the chairs are five human figures made of
transparent materials illuminated by sparkling blue lights,
creating a dramatic atmosphere.

In the corner of the room, Sunaryo placed five silhouetted
human figures portraying powerless people who think they still
hold power.

Sunaryo might not have intended to create a political theme in
this particular installation, yet it is quite apparently there
nevertheless.

Sunaryo's third installation work stresses the theme of
enlightenment.

He constructed a number of lamps wrapped in white cloth,
resembling walled reliefs.

Opposite the lamps is a huge painting of spiraling lines and
geometric shapes. There is a white rectangle shape in the piece
which symbolizes Kaba in the Great Mosque of Mecca and are seen
from a bird eye's view. The painting symbolically pictures a sea
of people surrounded the Kaba.

Both in Titik Nadir (l998) and Puisi Titik Putih (2000),
Sunaryo portrayed the social conditions in the country.

In Titik Nadir, displayed in his own gallery Selasar Seni
Sunaryo in Dago Pakar area, North Bandung, two years ago, he
explored his anger and disappointment. He wrapped his work in
black cloth as a metaphor for his rage.

Curator Jim Supangkat said Sunaryo's approach to his art
works, especially in terms of his concepts and ideas, reminded
him of the works of artists Allan Kaprow and Joseph Beuys.

Physically, Sunaryo's stuff is closer to the Japanese artist
Yasunari Kawabata, well-known for his pessimistic works.

For his current exhibition, it was strange to find him
choosing a limited space with a low ceiling like that of
Decorous.

But Sunaryo had his reasons.

"The small space inspired me to create the installation
works," he said.

Sunaryo is well known as an artist who can master the
vocabulary of arts.

He can also take various room elements and use them as
inspiring and sometimes surprising art works.

Supangkat agrees that Sunaryo is not an essentialist in search
of constancy. For him, the language of art is the most effective
means of communicating the mystery of life and the cosmos.