Popo Iskandar still interested in cats

Popo Iskandar still interested in cats

By Amir Sidharta

JAKARTA (JP): The works of master painter Popo Iskandar is
currently on exhibit at Taman Ismail Marzuki's Main Exhibition
Hall (Ruang Pameran Utama). The exhibition reveals part of his
artistic life over the last 30 years.

Apart from his most recent works, those from previous decades
are also exhibited. His paintings, known for expressive and
seemingly spontaneous abstract bravura strokes, reached its peak
in the 1980s.

Just as more intense abstracts are expected from the master,
he has instead become less spontaneous. Many of his recent works
tend to be more comprehensive, to a point that becomes
descriptive. The painter seems to be much more careful and
deliberate in his approach.

It is unfortunate that the exhibition was not set as a
retrospective on the master of Modern Indonesian Art. Although
the works exhibited date from 1965, not enough of the painter's
early works are exhibited. A greater effort should have been made
to obtain Popo's works from his collectors on loan for the
exhibition.

Bandung's Influence

Only four of Popo Iskandar's works dating from 1965 to 1974
reflect his artistic development since he graduated from the Art
School of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in 1958. The
influence of his teachers' inclination toward the abstract seems
to be solidly grounded in these works.

Two seascapes are depicted with short zig-zag lines and
amorphous blocks of color. In The Sea (1965) fractals of blue
peak between slivers in the predominantly white painting. Gray
zig-zags, suggestive of waves, are painted on a block of red and
light purple colors. Although similar elements are used in Sea at
Sunset (1974), the latter painting is easier to decipher. It is
divided into three parts, a background with the colors of the sky
at sunset, a blue middle ground with zig-zags suggestive of the
sea, and a foreground reflecting the crimson rays of the setting
sun.

On a dark background, Aquarium (1969) is formed using two
blocks of red. Two yellow elliptical forms are placed within the
blocks. Above them are green stripes, while beneath them are
yellow and blue borders, embellished with scroll motives.
Although it is clear that the yellow objects represent fish, it
takes a while to decipher that the artistic graphical composition
depicts an aquarium.

Popo's cats

In the 1980s, following his post-ITB years, the cat became his
predominant subject matter. Up to the present day, his name has
often been associated with the figure of a cat.

Although none of the works from the 1960s and the 1970s in the
exhibition portrays the cat, the painter has actually painted his
favorite subject matter since 1963. At the time, an enthusiastic
collector appeared -- the Brazilian Ambassador to Indonesia at
the time -- who was so enamored with the painting that he dared
to claim he would buy all of Popo's paintings of cats. This
coincided with the artist's attention toward Expressionism.

The way Popo paints cats is indeed unique. Most of his works
of the feline renders a black cat with some white stripes. A pair
of green elliptical forms are used for its eyes, while a pair of
brown triangles become its ears. The animal's supple body is
manipulated to express its variety of moods and behavior.

The artist considers the behavior of cats to be much more
interesting than that of dogs. To him, dogs are too predictable,
"they always jump around to greet their masters," he says.

Cats are much more challenging. Sometimes they seem
indifferent, at other times they rub their bodies intimately
against you.

"I love painting cats because of their moody character,
sometimes they are affectionate, sometimes ferocious, and at
other times mysterious. To portray those inner moods, is the
desire of Expressionists," he added.

Expressive

Popo's paintings are known to have a sound expressive
quality, because of his effective use of abstract and spontaneous
brush strokes. The figure of the rooster that appears in many of
his works is formed using a red circle for the head, a yellow
triangle for its beak, a series of multi-colored curvilinear
strokes for the feathers, a pair of orange lines for its legs,
and finally a pair of yellow curves for the cock's spur. Painted
during his peak, Cock (1987) was formed using merely a circle for
the head, a yellow circle for its beak, and two large strokes
depicting its body.

Apart from his most favorite subjects, the artist's inner
feelings are often expressed with explosive colors, such as
appears in Multicolored Bouquette (1984) and Silent Night
(1981/1987). In 1987, Indonesian art critic Kusnadi recognized
Popo as a "sound colorist."

The artist's strength in using color is proved once again in
his portraits of Hendra Gunawan (1983) and Affandi's Last Days
(1989-1992). The colors in these two paintings are combined in
such a way as to create an aura of disharmony. Hence, although
bright colors are used, the pieces appear gloomy and sad, in
accord with Popo's feelings toward his subjects.

Recent developments

In recent years, the prominent painter seems to have developed
his figurative works. Although the subjects should appear more
passive, The Sleep (1992) -- a piece depicting two boys napping
-- is presented with much more dynamism than Two Boys on
Horseback, painted four years previously.

The Back, which was started in 1974 but only completed this
year, reveals his proficiency in abstraction. Divided into three,
the subject is placed in between the red background on the upper
part and the dark blue foreground on the lower part of the
painting. The nude is sensually presented without explicitly
revealing any private parts of the figure. Popo claims that he
was once known as a talented painter of nudes but, respecting his
mother's objections, he stopped painting them. Only after her
death has he dared to work on a nude left from the past.

Popo's cats, roosters, and leopards that have become his most
popular subjects in the 1980s remain predominant today.
Unfortunately, some of his recent paintings fail to show a
significant development in his work. Instead, he has become much
more descriptive. In the past he boldly used simple amorphous
shapes and curvilinear strokes to suggest the form of the head,
neck, wings and the body of the rooster he portrays. Today, as
appears in White Cock (1994), the parts of the fowl are formed
with much more obvious shapes. The head connects to the neck,
which in turn is connected to its thighs and legs. From the
thighs, curves depict the wings. Everything is formed in
completeness.

The leopards in his recent works appear to be another
manifestation of his unique cats. Like the cats, the eyes of
these leopards are green, the ears light brown, and their bodies
contorted and elongated. The difference lies merely on the spots
on their coats, and their legs which are depicted with more
muscular curve.

Although many of his unique black cats appear in his recent
works, there are also some works that show a change from his
previous oeuvre. Today many of his paintings present faces of
kittens. Some of his paintings show more colorful cats, the
bodies of which are no longer formed using a single curve of
color. Instead, the bodies of his new cats are carefully filled
in with blotches or dots of color. The handling of texture seems
to be more intense. Through his short strokes, various colored
paints are applied layer over layer to create a thick impasto,
reflecting the maestro's struggle to achieve perfection.

At a glance, we can sense an apparent decline in Popo's recent
works. Moreover, many of his observers have become bored with his
over-used cats, roosters and leopards.

Popo's recent works are not as successful as the works
produced at the peak of his career. His Expressionist style has
shifted from the explosive handling of his brush strokes. It is
evident from his works that he is currently in deep
contemplation. Nonetheless, by no means is he thinking of ending
his artistic career.

Instead, he seems to be looking back, to his works in the
past. In some of his works, he completes old unfinished works.
Fishing Nets, for example was started in 1968 and only completed
this year.

It is clear that the aging painter intends to keep on working.
His recent cats and roosters reflect his struggle in achieving
artistic perfection in depicting his current inner feelings. His
deliberation in using colors and texture shows his position in
anticipating the future. The artist is trying to proceed
cautiously with careful steps. We can expect much more from Popo
Iskandar, even though he prefers to continue depicting cats.