Conducive culture a must for fine arts

Conducive culture a must for fine arts

By Tri Aru Wiratno

JAKARTA (JP): The recent Asian Fine Arts Exhibition organized
by the Japan Foundation has works on display from Indonesia, the
Philippines and Thailand that represent typical modernism set
against cultural and religious backgrounds.

Asian modernism, seen in local idioms such as wood, hairbuns,
calligraphy and Chinese painting styles, plays an influential
role outside of Western modernism and reflects and confirms the
esthetics of Asian fine arts.

Last year's exhibition of fine art from Non-Aligned Movement
(NAM) countries described the developments and growth taking
place in each NAM country. The exhibition revealed means of
facing the domination of the West and an assessment of modern and
post-modern art based on parameters standardized in the West. It
tried to explain that the development of fine arts in the world
is not monolithic and that art esthetics in developing countries
need not refer to the values of European and American esthetics.

As explained by Jim Supangkat, the exhibition aimed at
avoiding the application of a standard. The curator endeavored to
explore the peripheral areas that have been marginalized.
(Republika, May 21, 1995.)

We are often stimulated to reformulate our fine arts esthetics
in the context of one's culture and outlook on life. Art is
capable of seizing, absorbing, feeling and presenting problems in
the community while indirectly involving dialog, growth,
awareness and identity.

The NAM countries should be able to communicate with advanced
countries without the imposition of another country's values. A
more egalitarian culture will result, allowing the development of
a more tolerant culture and doing away with inferiority complexes
about the things we are doing.

This confidence will affect our attitude towards the arts,
both in the creation of works and in the holding of better
coordinated exhibitions. Fine arts research should be undertaken
without bias, as critics sometimes have not even communicated
with the artists and at times wrongly assess their feelings.

An observer or curator should have an attitude that is
flexible, communicative, humble and open to the revelations of an
artist. They should be able to visit artists in their homes to
get better information, as was once practiced by the Jakarta Arts
Council in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Curators should not just sit behind their desks and select
works based on what they regard as suitable for exhibition. They
should not be interested in simply pleasing government officials,
rich people and gallery owners but in developing the arts as a
whole.

A better culture of discussion will lead toward problem
solving and a richness in views. Differences in opinion mean that
there is need for greater awareness but also indicate the
dimensions of the art world.

Unsound competition should be avoided as it is often only an
unimportant material value at the cost of a more conducive arts
mechanism.
The position of an artist cannot be eliminated just like that
because he has his own world with his capability and loyalty in
exploring his art world.

In the same way art observers and critics have their own
positions in accordance with their dedication, sensitivity,
careful observation and patience and in their desire for a better
performance. It is not based on the values of power like in the
world of politics.

An artist should be treated not as part of an exhibition
project or an object for writing, but as part of good cooperation
in which each side bears responsibility to do well and correctly
as a manifestation of their responsibility toward the world of
arts, not for group or personal interest, which is detrimental to
others.

Artists need to be conscious of their credibility as creators.
They must be loyal to their world and not sacrifice it because
they desire to be famous and become rich rapidly and resort to
bootlicking, elbowing friends and excessive dependence on others.
Some artists, for example, feel they are indebted to the person
who has asked them for an exhibition. Such an attitude harms the
development and culture of the fine arts world. The result is a
lack of motivation on the part of artists to continue creating
works. They are too preoccupied with exhibitions to be exposed by
the mass media.

People in official positions, observers or curators should
give equal opportunity to artists to exhibit their art works for
higher appreciation. What is happening now is that many artists
experience difficulties in holding exhibitions. The high rental
of exhibition halls makes it even more difficult for them to
display their works in a solo exhibition. It is even more
problematic for artists with an income just enough to survive to
hold a good and representative exhibition for himself.
Flourishing galleries accommodate profit-yielding works only.
There are some who dare to exhibit experimental works out of
concern for art.