Bagong taking care of unfinished business

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.