Sudjana Kerton's virtues exposed

Sudjana Kerton's virtues exposed

By Carla Bianpoen

JAKARTA (JP): When the seventh-day tahlilan (special Muslim
prayers for the dead) for artist Sudjana Kerton filled the
mountain air enfolding his studio and home Sanggar Luhur (Noble
Workshop) on a hilltop in Bandung, it was as if the persons
sitting on his living room mats had come straight out from the
canvases gracing the walls of the house where he had lived and
worked during the last 26 years of his life.

There they were -- writes his widow Louise Kerton in her diary
in April 1994 -- with sun-blackened grave and somber faces,
sitting cross-legged on the mats, holding their prayer books in
their work-worn hands, just as Sudjana had portrayed them, as he
celebrated on canvas their acceptance of life.

The common people and their daily toil have had an enduring
impact on the works of Sudjana. But what has apparently impressed
him most was the simplicity of their lives and ways to keep their
mind tuned to the human soul while retaining a sense of humor.
Even as he lived abroad for 25 years, he remained obsessed with
these qualities.

Perhaps it was the importance of these qualities, apart from
his love, that made him continue to reflect on the images of
people and scenes from his youth. Even when real life had changed
with the passing of time.

His ventures in the Netherlands, the United States, France and
Mexico may have had an impact on his style and technique, but not
much -- if any -- on his subject matters.

Back in Bandung, painting the past was his way of commenting
on the present. "He wanted to preserve the true life of the
common people that he saw slowly disappearing", explained Louise.

Most of these works were painted from memory. Louise, who
married Sudjana in 1953 in New York, revealed she was fascinated
by his strength of purpose, his intensity of spirit and his dream
of the future.

In New York, he set up his own studio and gallery. It was a
space where he could be with the images of his youth and share
them with others. It was not easy, but, as his wife explained, he
had her and the children's full support. "It was a family
venture," she said.

Returning to Bandung in 1976, Sudjana set up his workshop in
Bandung's hilltop, surrounded by Mount Manglayang, Tangkuban
Prahu and the Malabar hills. The choice was typical for his clear
vision of life. The plot he chose was deserted -- no road and no
water, let alone electricity. It was nature in its most original
shape.

The current exhibition at Cemara-6 Gallery provides a glimpse
of the works of an Indonesian painter whom the Star Weekly had
once dubbed "the wolf who is walkin' alone". The artist's
commitment to his integrity and love of people is unfolded
through 93 works comprising sketches on paper, graphic art
(lithos, etchings and woodcuts) and 19 reproductions of oil
paintings stolen from the workshop four years ago.

Di dalam Oplet (Anatomy of an Oplet), as the exhibition is
titled, may be considered a homage to the artist, with Prof. Dr.
Toeti Heraty, Ayip Rosidi and Heri Dono expressing their
appreciation of Sudjana on the exhibition's opening night on Aug.
8.

Front line

Sudjana's capability to grasp the essence of the moment was
honed while working as a journalist (1944-1950) for the Patriot
military magazine, which was headed by Usmar Ismail. His instant
sketches of political events were so captivating that they enough
for his editor to write up the story. They were also priceless
historical chronicles made at a time when cameras and handycams
were still rare.

Simple lines in ink or pencil, drawn in the rush of the moment
showed not only his professional skill, but also his ability to
captivate the ongoing dynamics and mood.

The flowing lines in sketches like Bung Karno Sedang Pidato di
Cirebon (Soekarno making a speech in Cirebon), May 23, 1947 and
Soeasana Penjerahan Kekoeasaan Militer di Bandoeng (The
Atmosphere During the Handing Over Ceremony of Military Authority
in Bandung), 1949, illustrate a sharp eye as well as a high level
of sensitivity, qualities that were to mark his art throughout
his career as an artist.

Mood sketches and drawings also provided a glimpse of how the
common people went on with their lives, no matter what.

The numerous sketches that make out a major part of the
current exhibition center on the lives of ordinary people during
the time of the revolution. Vendors, roadside tailors, marriages
and marketplaces are among the usual themes, with people going
about their daily jobs and workers napping under a tree taking
prominence.

There is also a drawing of people reading the newspaper while
leaning against their bicycle by the roadside, but this seems to
be the only hint of his interest in people outside the ordinary.

Besides drawings and sketches, the exhibition also shows
Sudjana's skills in lithos, etchings, woodcuts and watercolors,
which have rarely been exposed in Indonesia.

The stolen repros are also on show as an effort to announce
that the originals legally belong to the Kerton family.

Related to the issue, a discussion will be held on Aug. 23,
starting 1:00 p.m. at Cemara Gallery, on Intellectual Property
Rights in Fine Arts.

The speakers will be, among others, Merwan Yusuf of the
National Gallery Board, Emmawati Yunus of the Directorate for
Intellectual Property Rights of the Ministry of Law and Human
Rights and DR Cita Priapanca Citrawinda of Biro Oktrooi Roosseno.

'Di Dalam Oplet' Sudjana Kerton is on display until Aug. 26, 2001
at Cemara-6 Gallery, Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto 9-11, Menteng, Central
Jakarta. Phone: 324 505, 391 18761. Open: every day from 10:00
a.m. through 5:00 p.m.