Nasution `violates' graphic art conventions

By Yenni Kwok

JAKARTA (JP): Most graphic-art works are done on paper, but a "violation" of the convention by internationally-renowned graphic artist Marida Nasution unveils new possibilities.

Nasution is exhibiting her graphic-art works under the title Progress at the Fine Arts Exhibition Building here. The exhibition, which has been hailed by critics and will last until July 14, shows her love of the serigraphic technique, or screen- printing. She has employed this technique since her first exhibit in the early 1980s and has exhibited her work in South Korea, Germany, France as well as other countries.

Her central piece is also called Progress (Transformation) and is inspired by the natural cycle of growth, maturity and destruction, said Nasution.

It is significant because the medium of narration is extended beyond a piece of paper in what is called "installation graphics".

Progress consists of 30 "trees", printed on a 90 cm x 4.5 m pieces of paper. Nasution arranged and hung the vertical pieces. The 30 trees are grouped into three separate sections. There are 10 young trees signifying growth, 10 mature ones symbolizing maturity and perfection and the remaining 10 old trees embody death and decay.

The trees are generic and have no specific names because they came from her own world of imagination, Nasution said.

"I only wanted to express the law of nature, that there is always growth, maturity and destruction. Though my efforts to convey the message may not be as strong as it should be, I hope people can understand what I mean," added the 38-year-old artist.

The arrangement resembles living trees in a forest. Nasution then uses 30 small spotlights to alternately illuminate the pictures, starting from the most immature to the most decayed tree. This combination guides the audience in understanding her message of progression.

Additionally, she accentuates the piece with rain forests sounds, such as blowing wind and buzzing insects.

Jim Supangkat, a noted art critic, hailed Nasution's bravery and creativity in arranging Progress.

"This arrangement, which uses lighting and sound effects, makes a theatrical impact. Based on my observations, people tend to keep a distance between them and the art pieces," said Supangkat.

Positive violation

Graphic-arts are usually printed on a piece of paper, framed and kept behind glass, said F.X. Harsono, another art critic. Therefore, when Nasution decided to use lighting and sound in her art, she broke today's conventions.

"But it is a positive violation," Harsono added. Nasution succeeded in making the printed paper become an element of the room, he commented.

Other than the spotlights and the 30 giant pictures, the rest of the exhibition room is empty.

Supangkat praised Nasution's decision to leave some parts of the room empty. "Most people would avoid empty spots because they tend to give a sense of the unfinished."

Other artists would generally try to use real plants, in addition to the pictured trees, but that would give an impression of moving the outside into the exhibition room, Supangkat said.

"Because of the empty spots, people's attention is directly drawn to the artwork," added Harsono.

Nasution did not merely follow other artists in her decision to explore three-dimensional art said Supangkat, who has followed her career since her first exhibition, but "it is a progression."

Harsono also hailed Nasution's originality in choosing a theme. "She experiences and feels things, then she pours everything out... There is a personal involvement between her and her object."

The audience can see a change in themes between this year's pieces and the ones printed years ago. This is reflected by her regular-size work displayed in the other rooms.

In the previous years, Nasution's artwork was about people and their social environment, as in Yang Terlupakan (The Forgotten Ones) or Berenang (Swimming).

This year, however, much of her art is about the natural environment, which is reflected by a conspicuous presence of trees and other plants.

The trees can be the central view point, such as in Pohon Besar (The Big Tree) or Bunga-Bunga (Flowers). The plants, however, can also be supplementary as in Picnic.

In that piece, the main object is a couple, who are picnicking on the grass, while the big trees are relegated to the background. Thus, there remains a strong sense of a natural, green environment.

"Shifting themes is normal because artists are always a part of an environment. It can be a natural environment, a social environment or a political environment," said Harsono.

There are 30 of the regular-sized pieces. Nasution intends to sell most of them for a price ranging from Rp 400,000 (US$185) to Rp 750,000.

Progress, however, will not be sold Nasution said.

Graphic-artists need to retouch and print several copies before they finally obtain the desired piece, said Supangkat. All these copies can be sold which allows graphic-art work to be less expensive than other fine-art works.

However, the artists cooperate to retain their exclusive value by limiting the reproduction their pieces to no more than 200 copies.

Most of Nasution's exhibited pieces consist of 10 copies, far below the conventional amount.