Rizek's work in RI was his formative period
By Amir Sidharta
JAKARTA (JP): Austrian painter Emil Rizek (1901-1988) started to establish his mature artistic style during brief stays in Indonesia between 1929 and 1934. Around seventy of his paintings, on exhibit at the Duta Fine Art Gallery on Jl. Kemang Utara 55 A, are evidence of this formative period.
Born in Vienna in 1901, Rizek studied art at the academy of arts in Vienna. The most influential of his professors was Carl Fahringer (1874-1952). Fahringer, who had lived and worked in the Dutch-Indies since 1921, persuaded Rizek to visit Indonesia.
At the age of 27, the young artist arrived in Indonesia in December 1928. On the Deck of the 'Tjermai' , a brightly colored rendition of the atmosphere aboard the ship that he took to Indonesia, stands witness of his high-spirited enthusiasm.
The figure of a man lying asleep in a chair seems a little awkward and clumsy, but there is a strong perspective view to the front of the ship indicating the artist's determination to move forward and progress.
He traveled through Java, Bali and Sumatra. In his first paintings during this trip, shapes are formed using various blocks of color. This can clearly be seen in the way the figures are treated in Going to the Market (1928). In his linocuts of 1929, the use of block reappear in a more appropriate medium. Later, he painted in various impressionistic styles, from the calmer sceneries and rural scenes, to the more expressionistic depictions of dances or rituals. His market scenes clearly attempt to document his impressions of his trip. Rizek often purposely avoided focusing on a particular object. He often placed the main subject just off-center in his compositions. The artist further avoided focus by including insignificant figures in the foreground of his paintings.
Festival in Front of the Temple at Night (1929) conveys a sense of mystery reflecting his reaction toward the eerie temple dance. In addition to the impressions of the dancers, he includes symbolic elements which are not immediately recognizable.
Rizek became a member of the Batavian Art Circle (Bataviasche Kunstring), and exhibited there in February 1930 with Dutch painter H. van Velthuijsen.
Referring to Rizek's forceful expressionistic style, a contemporary critic wrote: "he paints like an animal devouring his prey."
He left after 15 months touring the islands. Four years later, in 1934, he returned and traveled to Maluku as well as through Java and Bali. He spent most of his time in Bali.
Rizek's Indonesia paintings comprise just a small part of his works. Rizek's world travels inspired many more paintings until 1970. His works from these journeys have been exhibited around the world.
His paintings of Indonesia are certainly an important part of his artistic development. They were displayed at an exhibition entitled Impressions of Indonesia at the Vlkerkunde Museum in Berlin in 1987. Not long after, in 1988, the artist passed away in Vienna.