Nasution `violates' graphic art conventions

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.