Asian watercolor artists paint lives
Yusuf Susilo Hartono, Contributor, Jakarta
The slabs of stone, large and small, are in a row. They are silent and remain in their own places, basking in the tropical sunshine. The slabs of stone seem to groan, reminding us of the hard lot of Indonesian migrant workers now stranded in Nunukan following their eviction from Malaysia, where they pin their lives and their future.
This is the picture called The Calling of Stones, 2001 by Taiwanese water color painter Hsieh Ming-Chang, one of 139 participants in Asia Watercolor 2002, an exhibition held by the 15th Asian Watercolor Confederation at the Indonesian National Gallery, Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur 14, Jakarta.
Apart from 28 Taiwanese watercolor painters, the participants are made up of watercolor painters from Hongkong (8), host Indonesia (29), and Korea (14), all supported by their respective watercolor painters association such as the Indonesian Watercolor Society, Hongkong Modern Art Society of Watercolors, the Korean Watercolor Development Group and the Chinese Watercolor Association of Taiwan.
There are 58 invited painters from Indonesia (among others Abdullah Suriosubroto, Antonio Blanco, Arie Smit, Liem Tjoe Ing, Huang Fong, Srihadi Sudarsono and Nyoman Gunarsa), Australia, Austria, Brunei Darussalam, Macau, Malaysia, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Singapore, the United Kingdom and USA.
Watching this exhibition, we seem to be invited to savor the sensitivity of each and every participating artist in reading life through their spread of various colors, the play of their strokes and the traces of their paintbrushes with their own character.
Apart from stones, we can see the vigorous Dragon Boat Race by Chan Kau-On of Hongkong, the dynamic Legong Dancer by Barli of Indonesia, the poetic View of Harbor by Sriyanto, the shady Mt. Bukhan by Kim Cheol Woo of Korea and the expressive sketch lines in Nude Image Collection by Kim Jin-Doo.
Besides, we can also observe the gripping Mountain and Boat by Pan Chang Zen (China), the highly harmonious Fishing Boats on the Bay by Srihadi Soedarsono (Indonesia), the warm Bird Market in Malang by Tamara De Fretes, the prominent appearance of a machete in Good Luck for Young Rice by Chang Fee Ming (Malaysia) and the incense smoke in Chinese Temple Jakarta by Trina Bohan-Tyrie (USA, a resident of Jakarta).
The exhibition also features some abstract paintings such as Cosmis Image by Ha Biek-Chuen of Hongkong, in which rocks and faces are explored, and the works of Korean painters, namely, Joy of Life by Kim Jong Soo, with the dominant blue color and various short lines, The Mountain by Kwon Kyung Yoen, with the dominant colors of orange and light yellow plus a blue triangle, The Chaos in Mind by Lee Bung-Lyol, which features eyes and a teardrop toward a hole, as well as In the Nature by Lee Jung-Hoo, which depicts blue waves on the red horizon with a red circle over it and a yellow circle underneath.
From the language of paintings in this exhibition, we can conclude that watercolor painters from various countries continue to experience their emotional tumult, particularly in maximizing the use of watercolor as a means of their expression.
Indeed, in general, watercolor painters, particularly those from Indonesia, are still very much absorbed in conventional techniques and objects. Korean watercolor painters and some from Hongkong, for example, have shown their great desire to go out of this form.
Conventionally, water color is used thinly so that it gives the impression of gentleness. However, in the works by Korean painters in this exhibition, particularly in abstract works, we see how water color is treated as if it were oil paint. That's why the nuances of the water are no longer visible or felt.
Is this wrong, then? Of course, not. For contemporary painters, the medium is treated as only a medium of expression. While before there was a saying that the medium was the message itself, this saying no longer applies now. This, of course, has stimulated the creativity of the painters as well as critics, collectors, art journalists and art buffs in general.
For Indonesian artists, in particular those using water color as their medium, this exhibition is a valuable opportunity to learn a good lesson - the plus and the minuses - from the works exhibited. We know that the curator of this exhibition is a bit lax. Perhaps, what matters is the opportunity for watercolor painters from many countries to get together and exchange experiences.
--The exhibition is held at the Indonesian National Gallery, Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur 14, Central Jakarta, until September 12)