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.