Dede Eri Supria: Taking aim at globalism

Aendra H. Medita, Contributor, Jakarta

In the eyes of a painter, an urban change means more than just a change, and will also have a profound significance.

He or she might respond to it as a global force that produces another force in the grand image of the change itself, thus provoking a broad and shocking discourse. In this regard, a symbolic force could emerge.

This part of an urban change is captured by painter Dede Eri Supria in his painting titled A Corner of the Changing City (2001).

In this hyper-realist picture, Dede presents a visual contradiction that is rich in meaning. Ideas and creativity appear in response to the global space that find themselves in the cosmology of time change. The contradiction is materialized through a picture of a farmer who grows rice with the concrete jungle as the backdrop.

As a result, the power of Dede's colors, composition and firm lines has made the row of objects in the picture significantly meaningful. In strong symbolism, Dede easily conveys his message.

Born in Jakarta in 1956, he is exhibiting his works at Artfolio Space, Raffles Hotel Arcade, Singapore. The exhibition, called Concerning Change, kicked off on April 5 and will run through to April 14, 2002.

As a painter, Dede has an outstanding viewpoint for the dynamism of changes in life. His passionate restlessness in applying his brush on the canvas cannot be viewed only from one side.

Dede will gain greater strength when he understands the object inside out and interact with it deeply. For him, painting in grand context is an expression of freedom in its broadest sense.

He creates his works with great sublimeness, which is reflected in the power of his works as the manifestation of his attitude and viewpoint. His works become the mirror of the irony of globalism. They venture in his tumult of emotion and restlessness.

Dede explores the space to find answers to the curiosity that tickles him when he is confronted with major changes. Such changes, which allow him to establish direct and powerful interaction, give him an impulse to persuade his public to become absorbed in empathy. There is a power in Dede's paintings that present the dynamic of esthetic significance to pursue the essence of anything.

Dede learned drawing from Dukut Hendranoto, fondly called Pak Ooq, who was known as a painter in Jakarta between 1960 to 1970. In 1974 Dede left Jakarta for Yogyakarta, where he joined the Indonesian Fine Art School (SSRI).

His name first appeared in Indonesia's painting world in 1976 when he displayed his works for the first time in an exhibition organized by the New Fine Art Movement at Balai Budaya, Jakarta.

In the same year, he returned to Jakarta and worked for Tempo news magazine as its cover illustrator. Dede has won a number of awards, such as those in the Painting Biennale in 1981 and the Philip Morris Award in 1997.

Apart from exhibiting his works in a number of countries, either in a solo or joint exhibition, Dede is now one of the active and influential propagators of super-realist paintings in Indonesia.

Dede's works are powerful in terms of super-realism. He is a painter with a fresh release of energy in exploring his world with a power derived not only from realism alone but also from the great icon derived from the discourse in the substance of his works.

"Dede, in actuality, represents the truth of reality through paintings," said art curator Amir Sidharta in the catalog for the ongoing exhibition, which features 21 of Dede's works, all surprising choices.

These works contain the contemplation of shape brought about by views of global changes, a tumult with which he keeps contact with. Noteworthy in this respect is that he refrains from touching on the current world chaos.

The world is different for Dede and he sees the change in his own perspective. He also portrays very clearly the events taking place in his own surrounding. It must be noted that he does not simply transfer reality into his canvas.

"I paint realism not to portray something that represents this reality; rather, I paint from the construction that I have established," he said.

Undeniably, this is the picture that he wishes to convey. He sees what can be found in the turbulence of the power of symbolization, which connected with the spirit of reality, in order to interpret what comes into contact with him.

Dede's works have other shapes which imply a sublime power in his own discourse, in which there is one important thing to ensure that his works possess their own essence despite a brief impression that his works are merely a subjective (psychological) turbulence.

But he try to approach to what other artists cannot touch upon. That's the dynamic of his lines. His exploration in painting express his hard work. Painting is always serious work for him. His efforts has so far proved to be successful despite all the obstacles along the way towards his maturity.

Now, the maturity lead him to make a breakthrough in his works and gain prominences in Indonesian painting.

Moreover, Dede offers a mirror which allows correlation with reality as symbolized in his own style.

In his works, Life as Complicated and Entangled as Bakmi Noodles (2002), The Ballad of the Street Sweeper (2001) and The Grass Cutter (2002), he responded to reality in full power. In Welcome! Am I an Actor of Balinese Opera, or a Mere Servant of Tourism? (2001), Riding the Waves of Dreamland (2001), Mask Dancer (2001), Unveiling the Mask (2001) and Barong Express (2001), the accent of power here lies in the Balinese atmosphere and aura present in the works. Objects matter because of their substance, not their appearance, according to Dede.

He also gives his insight toward globalism, consumerism and U.S. hegemony in his other works. He uses the icon of a cigarette product as a symbol of global consumerism in The Horserider (2001), Watching Consumerism in Action (2001), and The Children of Globalization (2001). In the meantime, Superman is portrayed as the world's dominant power. This is visible in his work called Act of War: The Fallen Superhero (2002), his most powerful work.

Hence, he shows his capacity for symbolizing the reality. He presents the symbols as portraits of large icons reflecting a strong feeling of restlessness and no longer alien to the world community. As the result, the composition is no longer a symbol but an adventure of color.

Dede's oeuvres in this exhibition looks more contemplative, giving an impression that he has become wiser after his exploration. It is a deep mental adventure in his personal life and could not be shared with other people.

Perhaps this is how he creates a possibility for his future, or perhaps his works are merely something that originates from his own restlessness during his own depressing journey in the global world.

Dede's long adventure had become his unique strength, enliven by his spirit for the journey. It is difficult to tell his works as imaginative, they have something to do with his own experiences and influence the world.

One thing for sure, he is endowed with a very acute mind. He has become special in our painting world. And he has turned a new leaf in the painting history.