Painter Juni Wulandari moves from society to family

Painter Juni Wulandari moves from society to family

By Chandra Johan

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Change is a common thing for a painter, even
though not all painters are willing to change, especially if
their works are already popular. Changing could create new
problems. An artist needs guts to change as they have to face the
risk of losing fans.

It is therefore interesting to observe the solo exhibition of
Juni Wulandari in Bentara Budaya, Yogyakarta.

The exhibition, running from June 17 to June 24, features
Juni's new works, mostly dated 1999, with images totally
different from her previous works of 1993 to 1997.

There is a change in the theme and arrangement. Many painters
make a change in the theme but retain arrangement and style.
There are also others who change style and arrangement, but
retain the theme. The late prominent painter and graphic artist
Mochtar Apin is one artist who always made a change in
arrangement, even though most of the works had the same theme,
usually of women. Meanwhile, British artist David Hockney always
makes a change both in the theme and arrangement, without paying
much attention on style or identity.

In Juni's new works, we see the change both in the theme and
arrangement. Both changes are clearly seen, so that if we do not
carefully observe them, we might overlook the trail of her past
works. On careful observation, we will notice that Juni still
retains one thing: the chemistry of longing, hope and dreams.

To see the difference from Juni's paintings in 1999 with those
from previous years, here is a brief look at her past works.

Her paintings created from June 1993 to 1997, like those
presented two years ago in Santi Gallery, Jakarta, feature social
life as the main theme.

The society which becomes the center of Juni's attention at
that time was the sociocultural environment of a society, whether
in daily life or in certain events. While presenting society,
Juni took the approach of a child's view. Like children in
general, Juni did not take the perspective based on optic-
mathematics nor did she take the perspective to create the
illusion of space and depth. Instead, the canvas became the space
of the whole object, separated by colors which were applied
monotonously, showing suppressed emotions. Also, as what the eyes
of a child see, the condition of the soul of the subject is not
presented. What is seen in Juni's works during that period is the
image of the friendliness of a community, which comprises of
various kinds of people with various attributes.

While Juni's works in the period of 1993 to 1997 presented the
environment of a society, her works in the current exhibition
explore deeper into the life of women, children and family. Juni
also abandoned the arrangement of using a child's point-of-view
who sees the whole picture as the place of every object. Instead,
she focused on one certain event in the family, especially on a
mother and child, or the figure of a woman. With sweeping strokes
of her brush, the paint was applied freely, meandering without
any burden. The free brush strokes created uneven colors,
aberrant figures who look expressive, as if it gives soul to the
very atmosphere it presents. Compared to past paintings, which
were clean and colorful, her present works are blurred, rigorous,
sublime and bring the feeling of depth.

This is what we feel when we look at her paintings like
Menunggu Lahirnya Napolitank (Waiting for the Birth of
Napolitank), Mother and Child, Yang Telah Lahir (Who was Born)
and Kegelisahan (Unrest). Every problem of the subject presented
here shows tension between unrest and hope, between love and
concern, as a manifestation of the continuous struggle of a
woman.

The painting Menunggu Lahirnya Napolitank records the struggle
of a mother in her last seconds of labor. The figure of a
pregnant woman opening her legs looks stiff on the labor bed,
while arms hang flabbily, suggesting surrender. Nobody is there,
only a pair of sandals, furniture and a window are seen. A tense
moment in dire loneliness.

In Mother and Child, Juni depicts a woman holding a child. But
at the upper part of the canvas several houses are seen, as if
placed in a separate room, suggesting a metaphor, or the many
dreams of a woman. We see love here, but also concerns and
loneliness. The strokes of uneven dark colors, the attitude and
expressions of the figures give the feeling of bitterness: the
woman seems to hold her sorrow with love and dreams.

Yang telah Lahir shows the cheerful atmosphere of a family.
The visit of a family to another who has just had an arrival of a
new baby or a new child is a social convention which indicates
deep sympathy. Besides, there is also a reflection of gratitude
and blessing from God, a sacrament which is revealed smoothly and
implicitly.

It is important to add here, that most of her works in 1999
were created when Juni was pregnant. We could guess her motherly
instinct likely affected her process of creation. The house of
the family, for a mother, becomes the center of the soul which
gives hope, longing and dreams. In longing and dreams, is the
feeling of gratitude to life, which is manifested in the feeling
of concerns.

Born in Jepara, Central Java, in 1967, the graduate of the
Indonesian Institute of Arts (ISI) in Yogyakarta has taken part
in more than 10 exhibitions since 1982 and has received a number
of art awards in the field of paintings, illustration and
sketches, including the Pratitha Adhi Karya awards in 1987.