Deny busies himself with ants in art

Deny busies himself with ants in art

By Amir Sidharta

JAKARTA (JP): Fame and all its trappings may be the desire of
many artists, but not Deny Rusanto.

This native of Palembang, South Sumatra, became an artist not
because of pretensions to becoming the country's most famous
painter, feted by critics and collected by the rich and famous.
Instead, when this young man arrived in 1985 at Jakarta Institute
for the Arts (IKJ), he chose a major which he considered most
practical for his future.

"If I study print making, I can open a screen printing
business back home after I graduate," he thought at the time.

Deny's simple dream has developed into something more complex.
He is still in Jakarta, teaching at the IKJ and working towards
becoming a full-fledged graphic artist. His old friends were
surprised, believing the material lure of the big city had
seduced Deny.

One might assume that this was inevitable, given that this
young man comes from the more modest environs of South Sumatra.
His current aspirations are likely to be different than when he
first set foot in Jakarta.

But it is clear Deny has managed to retain his best qualities.
His current works attest this is the same diligent Deny who was
intent on working hard to learn what it takes to start a printing
business.

Since 1988, Deny has included ants as a dominant subject in
his art, as Semut (Ant) evidences. In this aquatint it is not
entirely clear whether the central shapes are actually the figure
of the ant, or if the scribbly lines above them are supposed to
represent the animals' movement.

Semut dan Kupu-kupu (Ants and Butterflies), a linoleum cut
dating from 1990, is a square composition with a pink central
core out of which four richly foliaged tree branches, all white
in color, stem. Below each canopy fly pairs of yellow
butterflies. Careful observation shows that the pink core is
composed of small oblong shapes representing ants.

The craftsmanship of repetitive elements in this print clearly
shows Deny's meticulous attention to detail, an aesthetic akin to
the Indonesian decorativism of the Yogyakarta school of art. He
admits that the works of some young Yogyakarta artists inspired
him to do this print.

Deny's intaglios which he created in the studio of Sukamto
show the strong influence of his master. Sukamto's typical style
in building up scenes to create narratives are seen in Deny's
prints dating from around 1990-92.

Deny also reveres the quality of line in the etchings of
Rembrandt and the aquatints of Goya, and he has studied the works
of those two artists carefully. Deny's persistent interest in
learning also lead him to study the techniques of Setiawan
Sabana, although he asserts that he is not that excited with the
artist's works. In Deny's Semut Menggapai Bulan (Ant Reaching for
the Moon) we can see the influence of Goya's attention to
chiaroscouro, the gradations of dark and light around the moon,
and the marble-like texture of sugar aquatint, typical of Sabana,
in the rock below.

The clichd Indonesian notion that ants are hard working and
cooperative creatures was no doubt a source of inspiration, but
this young artist had his own personal affiliation with ants.
Deny is most interested in the underground life of the ant.

"They have to persistently dig to reach their destination.
Then, once they get what they want, they have to carefully bring
it back home," he said.

In his most recent works, such as Koloni Semut (Ant Colony)
and Semut Menggapai Cita (Ants Reaching their Ambition) of this
year, the ants originate from a core and proceed through a linear
passage until they finally reach the earth's surface.
Fortunately, ants are collective beings, and the way they work
becomes a trail which shows the entire progression of their work,
making it easy for Deny to portray.

In any event it seems that the ant in Deny's graphic art has
become a symbol of himself, a hard-working artist striving to
reach the top. Even when he has reached his goals and ambitions,
he will take his earnings home to be enjoyed by his family and
friends.

Deny Rusanto's graphic art is on exhibit at the Galeri Cipta
II, Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jl. Cikini Raya 73, Central Jakarta,
from June 27 through July 6.