Artist I Nyoman Triarta AP abandons Balinese flair

Artist I Nyoman Triarta AP abandons Balinese flair

Ahmad Solikhan, Contributor, Yogyakarta

The name of I Nyoman Triarta AP may not ring dear in the ears
of art buffs. This 29-year-old young artist from Bali has spent
eight years developing his career in Yogyakarta. During this
period he has had enough of the Balinese tradition in art shared
by the community of Balinese artists in this city although his
own works still suggests some ethnic Balinese flair.

To avoid being labeled a Balinese traditional artist, Triarta
has taken the initiative to express in his works social themes
related to humanity and politics, personal experiences and
imaginative matters. All his works have been created
spontaneously, without going through the process of intellectual
exploration.

About 26 paintings that he has worked on for the past three
years are now being exhibited at Dirix Art Gallery.

His paintings, most of them large, have done away with ethnic
and repetitive icons. Instead, they reflect his observation of
human and animal behavior and the complexity of modern life.

Generally, Triarta's works lend more prominence to dark hues,
although sometimes he plays with very bright colors, all
depending on his mood and imagination.

His latest work, Taburan Kasih Buat Burung (Love Strewn for
Fowls, 2002), 200 cm by 120 cm, for example, portrays a woman
sitting with her knees bent on the ground, sprinkling grains of
rice for her two chickens.

Another of his acrylic canvases Mencari Nafkah, measuring 200
cm by 145 cm, depicts a woman standing on the banks of a river,
with her right hand holding a fishing rod. This work, as well as
the one mentioned earlier, portray the figure of a woman whose
physical anatomy differs from that of a normal woman figure.

Thematically, however, these two works are different: feeding
and finding food. This is not uncommon as a social reality in
Yogyakarta and other smaller towns far from the hustle and bustle
of big city life. In the 1970s, this theme was popular and
frequently taken up by social realist artists in capturing social
tradition in a particular region.

His other painting, Tahta Merah (Red Throne, 2001), also
acrylic on canvas, shows a woman sitting on a red chair with her
right index finger pointing at herself and her left hand holding
a small red handbag. Meanwhile, Yang Kuat Yang Menang (Survival
of the Fittest, 2001), 145 cm by 100 cm, is about a robust-bodied
Japanese Sumo wrestler wearing dark blue underwear, with his left
hand placed on his head, lifting a fresh green leaf and his right
hand pointing at his own face.

Both themes are closely related to power: Whoever is strongest
will be able to win the red throne. In varying themes, many
artists have referred to this event since the reform era began in
1998.

A graduate of the School of Fine Arts, Indonesia Institute of
Arts Yogyakarta, Triarta said that his choice of unusual themes
was meant to develop himself as an artist. If an artist sticks
only to one painting style, it will take him a long time to gain
recognition from the community.

Triarta was a nominee for the Philip Morris Art Award in
Jakarta in 2001. During his stay in Yogyakarta, he chose not to
rely solely on ethnic Balinese themes, because he fears it would
soon bore art aficionados.

"I've now realized that painting must be based on reality, the
life that we see around us every day," he noted. With a number of
solo exhibitions in a number of major cities across Java to his
credit, Triarta said his works were the result of creative
spontaneity. He would only follow the movement of his hand,
without any concept or sketches, he added. "In my creative
process, I rely more on conscience than on my brains, because the
latter can be contaminated by something uncalled for," he added.

Triarta's efforts to develop himself as an artist deserves
special appreciation and serves a lesson for the community of
Balinese artists, particularly those dwelling in Yogyakarta.

Ex-Tradition will run from May 4 through to May 20, 2002, at
Yogyakarta's Dirix Art Gallery.