Bagong taking care of unfinished business

Bambang M., Contributor, Yogyakarta

Fresh from an afternoon bath, the father of seven, grandfather to 21 and husband of 37-year-old Yuli Sri Hastuti, his second wife, emerged in a simple white T-shirt and sarong, his white moustache and beard growing freely.

Still full of enthusiasm and spirit, Bagong Kussudiardjo, one of the country's greatest living artists, celebrated his 75th birthday last Thursday.

Yet while the spirit is willing -- eager even -- the flesh is weaker than it once was, and the choreographer-cum-painter has spent most of the past three months resting at his spacious house in Singosaren, Yogyakarta.

"I'm not ill, only my heart and mind are tired," said Bagong, who was accompanied by his eldest child, Ida Manu Tranggana, during the interview.

Ida explained that her father, who was born in Yogyakarta, does not want to be termed sick and refuses to go to the hospital, even though he has diabetes and suffers high uric acid and cholesterol levels.

Despite his own denials, his bout of ill health has inevitably changed him. Named after the stocky court jester of Javanese shadow puppet plays, he is now skinny and frail looking, and admits to having lost his appetite in the last three weeks, even for his favorite foods.

But he is still as famous and popular as his namesake Bagong, choreographing hundreds of dance creations for individuals and groups in the past half century.

The recipient of more than 200 citations and certificates, his monumental works include the four-part Guruh Gemuruh (Thunderous Thunder, 2001); painter Dadang Christanto, as quoted in Bagong Kussudiardjo Koreografer dan Pelukis (Bagong Kussudiardjo the Choreographer and Painter), praised the work as "beautiful and offering solace".

The dance pieces he creates are dynamic in nature, free from the bonds of tradition and always dedicated to celebrating life, like a torch bearing light for humanity.

"The most important thing is that art is not (created) for money," Bagong said. "If the work is good, money will come by itself," Ida added.

In the creative process, some of Bagong's dance creations are derived from the holy books, while others, like during the New Order era, were based upon seeking order.

Bagong, the great grandson of Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono VII, has long been focused on the concept of order, believing that all dance works are created based on "order", at least from the choreographer himself. What matters most for him is that a work of art, regardless of what it will be used for, must be of high quality.

As a creative artist, Bagong has shown his great commitment to develop dance in the country -- it has always been his obsession to see that dance is recognized as equal with other art forms, like painting.

It is this obsession which led him to set up his dance workshops -- Padepokan Seni Bagong Kussudiardjo at Kersan village in Bantul, Yogyakarta, and Pusat Latihan Tari Bagong Kussudiarjo at his house in 1958.

Thousands of dancers, both from home and abroad, have trained under him, although Ida has now taken over the running of the workshop.

When he was still healthy, Bagong regularly gave lectures, like at the Indonesian Art Institute Yogyakarta postgraduate program. He has also contributed his ideas and energy to a number of organizations, including the Indonesian Fine Artists Association.

After more than 50 years, his obsession and hard work paved the way for the emergence of professional local dancers, like Sardono W. Kusumo and Eko Supriyanto, who have their own signature styles.

"I am really happy," said the graduate of the Indonesia Fine Arts Academy (ASRI) Yogyakarta who also studied with the Martha Graham dance group in New York City, at Kyoto University in Japan and Santiniketan, India.

He can also be proud of more "home-grown" success: four of Bagong's children -- Butet Kartaredjasa, Djadug Ferianto, Ida and Otok Bima Sidharta -- have also become famous artists in their own right.

A cultural observer from the Central Java town of Surakarta, Halim HD, noted the need to "research" the family to find out how Bagong raised his children to produce four distinguished artists, despite his own mostly informal education.

Another cultural observer, Ariel Haryanto, said, "... among his (Bagong) works that he presented to the world, there are two that I admire most. One is called Butet and the other is Djadug".

Despite age and poor health, Bagong is keenly aware of what is going on around him. One of his greatest concerns is rampant forgery of artworks.

"In the art world, especially fine arts, there are many piracy cases," said Bagong, who himself has created thousands of paintings since 1946, including a representation of Jesus Christ in the style of shadow puppetry that was presented to Pope John Paul II during his visit here in 1989.

Also a pioneer in batik painting, Bagong demanded an immediate curb on the practice of forgery that he fears will reduce art to a mass manufacturing industry, its universal value lost in the overriding push for profit.

Ailing he may be, but he still has some unfinished business to take care of. For one, he wants to finish some of his choreography works, like the Dewa Ruci dance, full of deep philosophical meaning that takes time and energy to complete.

That is his task to complete. In the meantime, belated birthday wishes to a living legend.