Soccer according to artist Tisna

Soccer according to artist Tisna

Blontank Poer, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

A hobby is an important factor contributing to one's
creativity, whereas talent constitutes a major asset that will
improve the creative process in the form of achievements and
reputation.

The same applies to well-known eccentric graphic artist Tisna
Sanjaya, who will be involved in an art event in Japan in
conjunction with the upcoming World Cup 2002 from May 19 to June
23.

He has been selected as one of the five participants in the
fine art exhibition themed Offside: Football is in Our Life,
organized by the Federation of International Football
Associations (FIFA).

Tisna is the only artist representing Indonesia in the two-
session display, with one at the GM/Graf Gallery in Osaka from
May 18 to June 2 and the other at the Yokohama Museum of Art in
Yokohama from June 8 to June 23. His sole work entitled Football
Print will be displayed between the art pieces of an Israeli and
a Dutch artist, each with an installation, and two counterparts
from the host country.

Tisna was both surprised and excited about receiving the honor
of displaying his works to mark the World Cup. The invitation
came following a Japanese art curator's visit to his residence to
find out more details about his soccer-themed works.

The curator had apparently closely observed the development of
his graphic art creations, themes and forms of expression. The
Japanese public got to know of Tisna when he took part in a 1996
Asian fine art exhibition in Japan, where he stood out with his
eccentricity.

For example, when describing the ideas behind his works, he
stood on a table decked out in a sensational costume: shorts and
soccer boots, a Korpri (Indonesian Civil Service Corps) shirt and
a sarong.

Tisna frequently takes part in exhibitions in Japan. Among the
events he exhibited his work at were Tradition, the Source
Inspiration at the Fukuoka Art Museum (1990), Contemporary
Indonesian Prints at the Mie Prefectural Art Museum and Hokkaido
Hakodate Museum of Art (1991), and the 4th Sapporo International
Print Biennial in Sapporo (1997). In the Sapporo display, his
etchings entitled Pring Reketeuk, People Wake up won a sponsor's
prize and were incorporated into the local museum's collection.

His work that will be exhibited to mark the world cup,Football
Print (2001), is a 3m x 4m graphic piece using cambric and wall
paint as a medium. Tisna painted it using the technique of
dipping a ball into paint and then kicking, throwing or heading
it at the fabric he spread on the wall.

The outcome was an abstract painting made up of stamps or
impressions of a paint-covered ball. He chose light blue and dull
red to make the soccer print wacky, yet his composition of colors
and space demonstrated a high degree of graphic art mastery.

Tisna also put the names of national and world players on the
canvas space, including French national star Zidane, Pele, Zico
(Brazil's white Pele), Indonesia's Adjat Sudradjat, Ribut Waidi
and Robby Darwis.

For Tisna, soccer symbolizes harmony. The team may consist of
people from various ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds,
but they are all bound by the same rules of the game. There are
no exceptions. Each player has his own role and position.

"Soccer knows no discrimination. Everybody in the team has to
obey the rules of the game, cooperate for the common goal through
a high degree of discipline," he said.

Some of his works were created as a form of criticism, like
the one now hanging on his dining-room wall at home in Ledeng,
northern Bandung. This oil painting, Untitled I (1999), was
intended as a criticism of the New Order government, which was
averse to dissent.

Born in Bandung, West Java, on Jan. 28, 1958, Tisna has been
playing soccer since his youth. His eldest son Zico, 16, named
after the Brazilian soccer star, is also a soccer fan. He set up
a team in the fine art and design school of Bandung's Institute
of Technology (ITB), where he teaches. He is chairman of ITB's
student soccer league, and is also a collector of national and
world club banners. He is the proud possessor of at least 13
world elevens' kits.

When Tisna was invited by the German government to come to
Aachen as an "artist in residence" in 2000, he joined a local
soccer club there, and became a player in the Bunte league, a
soccer league with players of different ethnic origins.

Of the hundreds of Tisna's artistic productions (mostly being
etchings, besides installations and paintings), one fifth contain
an element of soccer or are inspired by the sport. It is here
that Tisna has demonstrated his totality in exploring the
treasures, spirit and "ideology" of soccer.

His devotion to soccer was shown by his holding of an
exhibition that combined installations and happening arts at
Yogyakarta's Cemeti Gallery and Krapyak Kulon soccer field in
2000. Tisna displayed 20 oil paintings on plaited bamboo with the
message: Glorify soccer as a peace campaign medium.

Following the event, the paintings and installations were
lined up on the edge of the soccer field, a kilometer south of
the Yogyakarta palace.

Twenty soccer clubs were invited to the field, including teams
of students, local citizens and artists. Those ready to compete
joined a week-long match in a field with his bamboo works as goal
posts and only six players, including goal keepers. Between the
goal posts, he hung plastic bottles containing water. Underneath,
a mattress was laid out.

Each player was required to plant a tree at the side of the
field. Before kicking off, they had their feet washed, a ritual
aimed at reminding the players that they were to play only soccer
on the field.