Iriantine achieves her dreams in exhibition

Iriantine achieves her dreams in exhibition

By Amir Sidharta

JAKARTA (JP): A mere three years after her re-emergence as a
sculptor, Iriantine Karnaya is presenting her work in a solo
exhibition. Having entered the world of sculpture in 1969, the
year 1996 is especially auspicious for her. The numbers 69-96 are
the subtitle of the exhibition.

Iriantine graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the
Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in 1975. In 1970, she
participated in a number of exhibitions in Bandung and Jakarta,
but after an exhibition with other Bandung sculptors in Jakarta
in 1977 she disappeared from the scene.

But she did not vanish entirely from the world of art. The
following year she joined the Faculty of Architecture at the
University of Indonesia, teaching fine arts. In 1986 she started
teaching sculpture at the Jakarta Arts Institute.

Her work between 1977 and 1990 was limited to a mural and a
wall relief which she created for the central Bureau of
Statistics, completed in 1986 and 1988 respectively.

But she never stopped bubbling with concepts and ideas. Thus
since she re-emerged as an artist in 1990 she has not stopped
sculpting.

"Now I can realize the dreams I had during the years I was
dormant," she said.

Characteristic of her style are pairs of morphic shapes
comprising contracting textures. Many of her pieces, such as
Charisma, Lenggang Jakarta, Model, and Tiga Empat
Garis Sensus are compositions of organic forms and combinations
of various surface textures.

"Space is important in my compositions. That is why I often
create my sculptures in pairs. Once a couple is formed, spaces
emerge between them," she said.

In Sejoli (Amorous Couple) she presents a pair of
abstract bird-like figures; it is not certain whether they are
meant to represent a pair of eagles, penguins, quails or some
other type of bird. From the pointed beak, bold curvilinear lines
flows to the four corners. The backs of the figures are imprinted
with regular patterns representing feathers.

She gives the front of the figures a rough and irregular
texture.

"I am lucky to be able to do this," she said, referring to the
space between the two forms which comprise the composition
entitled Torso I. It is evident that not only the positive
element of the sculptural form is important to this sculptor. She
is equally concerned with the negative space between and around
the pieces in the creation of her works.

In Ozone, the exploration of negative space is taken to a
fourth dimension. Two spheres, each treated with rich textures,
are rotated on their axes using a mechanical device. The result
is a changing composition of textures and negative space.

Although her works tends to be abstract, Iriantine's works are
actually tremendously diverse. Her sculptures range from super-
realistic representations of natural creatures, such as Sugar and
Ants and My Leaf, to the formal compositions consisting of
cylinders or prisms entitled Public Art. These visual
compositions, created using painted metallic material with
accents of primary colors, seem very cold and anonymous, and are
undoubtedly Iriantine's weakest pieces.

Her reliefs are much more interesting. These monochromatic
reliefs rely on light to form chiaroscuros which emphasize the
shapes they portray. Reliefs seem to be the form she has liked
best since her studies at ITB. Two works, Him I & Him II, for
example, date from that period. They suggest the humorous facial
mimics of clowns in a subtle manner. The third, Crescendo, is not
a relief, but rather a composition of shapes made of a kind of
volcanic rock that floats in water.

This sculpture was supposed to be presented in water, but due
to various constraints this was judged unfeasible.

Other reliefs, such as Bawang Bombay and Pisces, are derived
from Iriantine's daily life. One day, while she was cooking, she
saw an interesting composition in a bulb of onions she had just
cut open. She set it aside, and after dinner she brought it to
her studio to create a relief based on that composition. The
inspiration for Pisces was the aquarium at the doctor's.

"What is amazing about Tine is that she is able to draw
inspiration from anything, anywhere. Even onions she can
transform into sculpture!" said sculptor Dolorosa Sinaga, dean of
the Jakarta Arts Institute's Faculty of Fine Arts.

Dolorosa was responsible for encouraging Iriantine to start
working as a sculptor again. In 1993 they exhibited together.

News about how the deterioration of the ozone layer on Dunia
dalam Berita became Iriantine's inspiration for Ozone. The next
morning, she took her son's basketball and used it as a mold for
her sculpture.

Iriantine's personal statement about Indonesian TKW, female
workers sent abroad, is manifested in Lady in Waiting, a
composition consisting of a female figure in bronze standing in
front of an painted iron tubular frame, on which two bed sheets,
also in bronze, are being blown by the wind. This is a completely
different style from her trademark textural pieces.

"Unlike most sculptors who tend to be concerned about their
personal style, Tine is someone who places emphasis on form
rather than style. This is perhaps because she is open-minded,"
Dolorosa added.

Indeed, Iriantine is a do-er. She does not like to trap
herself in the complications of conceptual or stylistic
deliberation. Iriantine is very sensitive and observant in regard
to world issues. Therefore, as a sculptor, she prefers to create
spontaneously, intuitively.

Having worked continuously for six years since her re-
emergence into the world of sculpture, Iriantine Karnaya
presented her creations in an exhibit opening last weekend at
Gedung Pameran Seni Rupa "Gambir" on Jl. Medan Merdeka Timur No.
14, Central Jakarta. The exhibition will continue until Sept. 21.