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.