Exhibition traces the course of Indonesian art

Exhibition traces the course of Indonesian art

Carla Bianpoen, Contributor/Jakarta

Some collectors buy paintings because they are also art dealers.

But the acquisitions of the Kompas/Gramedia Group were
motivated entirely by empathy.

The exhibition titled Perjalanan Seni Lukis Indonesia (The
course of Indonesian painting), which runs until Aug. 14 at the
Bentara Budaya, consists of paintings that mark specific periods
in the development of Indonesian art.

The exhibition is divided into three periods: 1940-1960, 1960-
1980, 1980-2000, with a special section devoted to Bali.

Although the exhibition does not cover all of the 570 works
made by 377 painters, it is uniquely representative of the modes
and trends the emerged in these periods. There is the Mooi Indie
(Beautiful Indies) period, a mode of romantic landscape painting,
and its nemesis, PERSAGI, the nationalist Association of
Indonesian Painters, which sought to develop a new, nationalistic
style with Soedjojono as its fiercest proponent, and Affandi and
Hendra Gunawan who followed with Pelukis Rakyat Indonesia
(Painters of the Indonesian People).

There is also the Seni Indonesia Baru (New Indonesian Art),
with Dede Eri Supria, who came up with a new kind of urban
realism.

But Mochtar and Sadali of the Bandung group, Widayat and
Bagong Kussudiardjo, Abas Alibasyah of the decorative mode. Among
the "younger" painters, some who have merited a name: Lucia
Hartini who created a surrealist mode of her own, S.Teddy,
Nasirun, Acep Zamzam Noor, I Made sukadana, Ugo Untoro, Melodia,
Entang Wiharso, Yuswantoro Adi, Erica Hestu Wahyuni, Wara
Anindyah, Edi haRa, Putu Sutawijaya, Bambang Pramudianto, Budi
Ubrux, and a lot more.

Remarkably, there are only a few drawings, one of which is the
expressive charcoal Perempuan dari Peliaten, by Barli
Sasmitawinata (born 1921), who celebrated his 83rd birthday in
March this year.

A separate section is dedicated to Bali, as art there
developed in its own way. There are works by Anak Agung Gde
Sobrat, I Gusti Ketut Kobot, I Wayan Djudjul, I Gusti Nyoman
Lempad, members of the Pita Maha (Strong Determination) movement,
which the German Walter Spies and Dutchman Rudolf Bonnet founded
under the patronage of Cokorda Gede Agung Sukawati in the 1930s,
causing a shake-up in the traditional way of painting.

They became known for their representative art, which included
secular themes, and light, drawn lines, and the advances they
made in anatomy and perspective. But there are also painters who
worked in the classical Kemasan style, like Mangku Mura and Ni
Made Suciarmi -- the oldest (born in 1932) and probably the
female painter in this style.

Other painters include Anak Agung Gede Meregeg Dewa Putu
Bedil, Ida Bagus Made Poleng, I Gusti Made Baret, Ketut Regeg, I
Gusti Made Togog, and many more.

The Kompas/Gramedia Group collection began when the late P.K.
Ojong, who founded the Kompas daily in 1967, came back from the
U.S. He was impressed with the art that hung on the walls of The
Readers Digest building.

In the 1970s, he decided to set aside a certain percentage of
the company's profits for acquiring Indonesian art works. The
first painting to be acquired was Vas Bunga by Popo Iskandar
(1967). In 1974, the Gramedia Art Gallery was established in the
Gramedia bookshop on Jl. Pintu Air in Pasar Baru. This was
devoted to showcasing Balinese art works. Then followed an
exhibition space at Jl. Palatehan for modern Indonesian art. When
Ojong passed away in 1980, his successor Jacob Oetama, who is
also a cofounder of the newspaper, continued to develop the idea.

In 1982, the Bentara Budaya Yogyakarta was established and in
1986 the construction of the Bentara Budaya in Jakarta was
completed. Another is being built in Bali.

The exhibition is worth a visit. Not only is this a rare
opportunity to see paintings we have only heard of -- but never
seen -- it is also a unique chance to view the paintings that
bear witness to the course of Indonesian painting over the years,
all in one exhibition!

The exhibition comes with a catalog in which the trends and
modes are extensively discussed by knowledgeable writers. The
280-page hardcover book costs Rp 200,000, with a 20 percent
discount on offer during the exhibition.

Perjalanan Seni Lukis Indonesia (The Course of Indonesia
Painting), Koleksi Bentara Budaya, until Aug. 14, 2004