Jerry shows seriousness in his sketches

By Yulianto Liestiono

JAKARTA (JP): By observing an artists body of art, we can get some idea of the creator's way of thinking and feeling. And this way of thinking is often used as the basis for understanding and analyzing their art.

If an art observer looks at a particular work of art, he or she will certainly have various interpretations of what was intended by the artist in that particular work.

And those interpretations will certainly be limited by the ability and will of the observer. Nevertheless, regardless of those limitations, interpretations are also dependent on the symbols used by the artist in their work.

In addition to this, it is almost guaranteed there will be differences of opinion between what was intended by the artist and what is understood by the observer.

This occurs because the language of art is a language which has multiple interpretations, which is reflected in the popular saying "a picture tells a thousand stories". This saying originated from people's experiences discussing the meaning of art.

In fact, these differences in interpretation often become a source of enjoyment for both the creator and the observer. The creator will certainly be pleased if his or her art provides positive input for the observer, and even if this effect was not deliberately planned it still gives a type of unexpected added value to the work.

For the observer, this freedom to interpret can become a space for expression in their mind when interacting with works of art. These multiple interpretations are interesting, and result in the language of art having a special value.

In my opinion, a good work of art is one which can stimulate numerous interpretations that will have a positive effect on people's lives.

And if we can make inferences about a person's way of thinking and feeling by looking at their artwork, then the reverse should also be true. We should be able to predict what an artist's work will be like if we are familiar with their way of thinking and feeling.

Jerry T., a young artist born in Bogor, is one of the few Jakarta Institute of the Arts graduates who is still actively exhibiting his work. Currently, he is displaying his most recent works at the Galeri Milenium here which runs through May 14.

His readiness to exhibit his art reflects how important art is to him and his dedication to his work.

This dedication is apparent regardless of whether he is exhibiting his work or not. In fact, even the way he arranges and stores his paintings and sketches in his home reflects the strength of his confidence as a painter.

Speaking with Jerry and discussing the arrangement of his exhibition, I was impressed.

He is easy to communicate with, energetic and very concerned about various issues, whether discussing art or talking about other topics related to his life.

From looking at Jerry's work and talking to him, it is clear he is serious about his life as an artist. With this attitude, we can predict what his work will be like.

His experiences and his opportunity to tour Australia give the work at this exhibition a special value.

There are not many young artists today who still do sketches, particularly in such numbers and with such seriousness.

Perhaps for art lovers, sketches are merely blueprints for pictures which are not yet perfected, but for an artist, a sketch can be used to trace the extent of their ability to capture an object and to observe the height of his or her artistic feeling.

In fact, it is much easier to assess an artist's capability from their sketches.

From viewing and examining Jerry's Australian sketches, observing his way of working and understanding his attitude toward his work, it can be seen that Jerry T. will find a strong foothold in the Indonesian art world.