Senior painters serenade colors

Senior painters serenade colors

By Pavan Kapoor

JAKARTA (JP): Yudha Citra Promo has again agglomerated various
senior artists from the Seniman Peduli (Artists Care) group. They
are displaying their works in a painting exhibition titled
Serenade of Colors at the Shangri-La Hotel in Central Jakarta.

Justika S. Baharsyah, the minister of social affairs, opened
the exhibition on Feb. 3. It will run until Feb. 24.

Professing the aim of using the medium of art as a helping
hand for humanity, Seniman Peduli hopes to extend this event to
be something more than just an ordinary exhibition.

The exhibition includes the works of six famous artists:
Dandung B. Kahono, Huang Fong, Men Sagan, Nyoman Gunarsa, Ronald
Djaling and Wardoyo. Serenade of Colors is a milestone in the
development of fine art in a community of artists that have
demonstrated a strong commitment to the quality and value of
great works of art in the last couple of decades.

Dandung's contribution consists of his outstanding sunflower
collection -- a burst of vivid color that effectively
communicates his message of "Harmony from Disharmony". After
graduating from the STSRI-ASRI institute of arts in Yogyakarta,
Dandung concentrated on developing his style of using bright,
strong colors to enhance the composition of his landscapes and
flower pieces.

This style similar to Fauvism, is attracting many novices
today.

"Even as a small child I always wanted to be different from
the rest of my classmates, so I think it is that part of me which
does not want to copy nature totally but use the richness of
robust and forceful colors to enhance my paintings," he said.

In Bunga Bunga Matahariku, while the flowers are sunflowers,
their black centers are glorified with cadmium red, flaming
orange and yellow spots. The petals themselves speak out like
exclamation marks with the flamboyant use of blues and purples.

The black and white charcoals and watercolors of Huang Fong
perhaps need no introduction and are coveted by collectors. Born
in Banyuwangi, he discovered a unique painting technique through
his experiments with various mediums that has since become his
signature style.

Idyllic, dreaming Balinese women in various states of repose
adorn his medium-sized canvases. His paintings, such as Dalam
Impian (Daydreams), Mengaso (Woman in Repose) and Tidur Nyenyak
(Comfortable Slumber) are masterpieces of figurative art. Neutral
toning in shades of gray with punctuations of stark black and
white enhance the raw magnetism of the women who's stoic
expressions and graceful postures immediately give a clear
impression.

There are many painters who are idiosyncratic in their art
styles, sometimes squeezing the paint straight out of the tubes
onto the canvas. However, when you view the graceful strokes from
the tubes of Men Sagan, one knows instinctively that the finger
that coaxes the paint out is indeed unsurpassed in the field.

The wild abandon of the crabs in Kepiting -- the flailing of
claws and concentric shell designs expresses the flurry of abrupt
motion that is characteristic of a group of crabs. A palette
primarily consisting of flaming red, black and hints of sunshine
yellow seems to satisfy Men as he brings abstraction to melt in
an impulsive swirl of color in Sepasang Ikan (A Fish Couple).

Nyoman Gunarsa is displaying his watercolors as well as his
widely coveted oils. His figurative works such as Penari Pendet
Warna Merah (Red Pendet Dancer) are also expressed in several
other colors, such as cool tropical blues and greens. His
consistent creativity and enduring stamina have made their mark
in art not only in Indonesia but internationally as well.

His works are displayed in the Contemporary Art Museum in
Yogyakarta and the Fine Art Museum in Klungkung, Bali, which are
both now managed by his wife, Indrawati.

Perhaps the phrase "innate talent" best describes painters
such as Ronald Djaling, who dropped out of STSRI-ASRI in
Yogyakarta and pursued his quest for realistic painting. His
search led him to Bali and then back again as he explored more
versatile pieces and ended up painting murals in restaurants.

His joy in copying realistic details is seen in an old woman's
wrinkles of deep thought in Termenung (Contemplating). Perjalanan
Suci (Sacred Journey) is exceptionally attractive as it
incorporates a realistic theme of Balinese women on their holy
trip to the traditional Balinese temple and communicates the rich
and colorful atmosphere of the ritual. Astute realism combined
with the use of vibrant colors is perhaps the essence of Ronald's
magic.

While most artists succumb to Balinese themes, Wardoyo tries
not to be mesmerized and strikes out on a totally unique path.
Wardoyo, who is himself from humble beginnings, feels he cannot
be separated from the peaceful and innocent life of the rural
people, still rich in tradition and culture.

Using art as a vehicle he tries to escape into this
atmosphere, lacking in the civilized world, and in his paintings
he attempts to glorify the "common people" such as the wandering
monkey shows in Ledhek Munyuk.

Interesting daily activities in the world of the common people
are depicted in Antara Senyum dan Sengir (Between Smile and
Grimace) in which a traditional kebaya-clad woman performs kerok
massage -- rubbing the bare back of a man with a coin alongside
the rib bones. The resulting redness of his skin stands out and
the atmosphere is that of an everyday scene.

All Wardoyo's women are kebaya-clad their made up faces shows
their fondness of dressing up although they lead simple lives. He
loves painting men wearing sunglasses performing old fashioned
rituals such as drinking jamu (herbal medicine) or relieving
their bodies from masuk angin (cold air), which perhaps is an
attempt to depict the current blending of traditional and modern
culture.

An interesting cocktail of realism, abstraction, Fauvism and
other styles, Serenade of Colors is definitely worth a look, even
if it does not entice an art lover to add a piece to his
collection.