I Wayan Jana explores eroticism in sculpture

Susi Andrini, Contributor, Denpasar

Art exhibitions in Bali are dominated by paintings, so it is refreshing to see sculptures created by I Wayan Jana, 36, who is currently displaying some of his work at Griya Santrian, Sanur, through to Dec. 3.

The artist refers to his work as the "objects of life", artistic statements in the form of three-dimensional pieces, or trimantra.

He makes use of various types of wood that can be processed and chiseled, including teak, kayu nangka (jackfruit wood) and kayu pangkal buaya.

Jana uses "patting art", which offers realistic interpretations of a variety of human psychological emotions such as passion, hope, imagination and weakness.

The psychology of art refers to the arts in general. This approach to psychology can be expressed through a variety of art forms including literature, music, or the visual arts such as painting and sculpture.

Such psychology gave birth to psychoanalysis of the kind carried out by Edward Bullough, who did research into aesthetic conscience.

It attempts to explain that the arts, like dreams and myths, are manifestations of deepest human desires, as seen in the works of Jana.

Most could be processed minimalistically but nonetheless they retain deep meaning -- strong, but elastic, and sometimes weak. They all melt into an explosion of emotions in the form of an imagination of transcendent life.

The artist attempts to present things that inspire life by emphasizing spirituality, which can be difficult to understand and can become abstract.

Jana's work is also an erotic presentation of art. Erotic in an abstract form creating wild feelings of sensibility. Some believe that understanding erotic art is art that reveals human organs, sexual desires and sexual intercourse.

Jana neither affirms nor disapproves of this. A close observation on his work reveals that in all of his pieces Jana seems to be portraying a meeting -- a meeting between a man and a woman, a male and a female animal, or pollen and an ovary in plants.

Jana expresses everyday realities in abstract ways, eliciting various reactions from viewers. Typical symbols that are seen in Jana's works are two spheres, which could be assumed to be two male organs, or two ovaries. Or the unity of two in intimate intercourse.

Let's take a look at his work Fruit (28cm by 24cm by 30cm). The two spheres could be interpreted as a head and a body. In another part, there is also a sphere with a hole inside it. It looks like a buttock, but it could also be a heart or a symbol of love.

Another characteristic of his work is the carving of saw-like teeth. Jana refers to this as the depiction of rwa bhinneda, meaning that there are two sides, good and bad, to every human being. Teeth can be good if used properly, but can also become a symbol of destructiveness.

If we observe the works from an erotic perspective, the two serrated lines with two spheres at the end could represent a male organ, instead of a neck, a human body, an animal or a plant.

In his abstract work, Pakis (Fern, 20cm by 21cm by 26cm), Jana explores his wild imagination without any conscious perception. Like the other pieces, the work is sexy, wild and erotic, with deep meaning.

His creations come from simple themes within everyday life. He can capture traditions that existed a long time ago, in the Stone-Age, but that is still alive and existing during modern times, even in this postmodern era.

In his sculpture titled Mekar (Sprout, 21cm by 13cm by 61cm) he depicts two courting bangau (long-legged birds similar to heron). Their bodies become one and the wings are closed while their necks and heads are placed one on another.

Of his 18 works, Jana likes the one titled Pertemuan (Companionship, 21cm by 17cm by 90cm) most of all.

"This touches my heart the most. I am really satisfied with it because once I'd made it, it was done. I didn't have to fix it," said Jana, who received an award in 1995 from then vice president Try Sutrisno and won the "favorite" category in the national souvenir contest in Jakarta in 1986.

Through his work, Jana has imbued his ideas with an aura of reform. What is clear, however, especially when the world of sculptures here seems to have its slow days, is that Jana can provide creative inspiration to other sculptors. Bali now has its own association of sculptors, which was established in January this year.