'Klepto Signs' reflects Asmujo's freedom of arts

By Wawan S. Husin

BANDUNG (JP): Asmujo Jono Irianto is not a new man in the field of fine arts in Indonesia. He is a talented curator, a lecturer and a creative artist.

But, he shocked the public and art lovers here with his most recent work now displayed at Barak Gallery.

The exhibition entitled Klepto Signs which will run through June 11, exposes his two and three-dimensional works or more appropriately arranged as installation art works.

Asmujo's newest creations are a proof of his maturity both in his themes and techniques. His works are contemplative and insightful. They invite viewers to think and to be critical.

Graduated from the Bandung Institute of Technology's School of Arts and Design, Asmujo began to plunge into the art world in l987. His major was ceramic. Since then, Asmujo has been involved in various art activities in Indonesia and abroad.

In this solo exhibition, Asmujo presents a 1.8 meter metal statue entitled Ronggowarsito Meets the Leopard Shark. It depicts the male figure of Ronggowarsito (named after the famous Javanese scholar Ronggowarsito) standing still. In front of the Ronggowarsito statue is a tiger shark with opened mouth.

The shark is connected to a gas tank through a rubber pipe placed at the back of the statue. When the tank is connected, it sends fire through the shark's mouth burning Ronggowarsito's face.

The figure of Ronggowarsito is placed there to symbolize the old wisdom. He was known as a prominent Javanese philosopher who was able to forecast the country's future. The odd position of Ronggowarsito metal statue, a tiger shark and fire portrays the chaotic condition happening in the country.

The destructive social, economic and political condition, symbolized by cold metal, shark and fire, was balanced by ancient wisdom of Ronggowarsito.

For the artist, this exhibition shows his freedom of expression: "Art is a playground where artists are able to freely express and explore their ideas."

This solo exhibition is Asmujo's playground. "I don't want to regard art as a serious matter," the artist explained.

His other creations displayed at the gallery are satirical.

He mocks Leonardo Da Vinci's Monalisa, and works of Andy Warhol, Yasumasa Morimura to those belonging to local artists like Anusapati and Herry Dono.

Through this exhibition, Asmujo wants to free himself from the "sacredness" of arts. His Klepto Signs shows a blend of the signs of arts.

In the Invitation Card, Asmujo creates a parody of Frieda Kahlo's work. Asmujo's face was put on Frieda's work using a computerized technique. The idea of Morimura's parody of Monalisa was stolen by Asmujo through his triptic pictures (a combination of three pictures of Monalisa). The first picture was replaced by Asmujo's face, the second one is a pregnant and nude Monalisa with Asmujo's face while the third picture shows Asmujo's Monalisa bearing a baby in his stomach (uterus). What a dismaying picture!

For me, Asmujo's Klepto Signs, reflects Asmujo's articulate expressions of the current fine arts world. He clearly delineated the constellation of today's fine art world by flowing and following the mainstreams. He also entangled in the discourse in the art world--parody in fine arts, post modernism, local versus international trends, and tension between locality and universality.

I have always believed that Asmujo is a skilled ceramic artist. I regarded his solo exhibition as his gate to search for "an original Asmujo."

His fresh and playful ideas are not "the real Asmujo's arts."

I really expected Asmujo could come up with original ideas without adopting the kleptomaniac phenomenon or stealing other artists' works.

If Asmujo fails to find his inner self, then his solo exhibition is just a playground for him. No more, no less.