Sunaryo offers fresh abstract art

By Amir Sidharta

JAKARTA (JP): When you enter Moom Gallery, you will encounter a wall that directs you toward a narrow hall to the left. At the end of the hall, steps lead to the upper floors of the shop-house in which the gallery is housed. The small gallery appears simple, modest, and even modern. It seems to be a perfect setting to feature Edi Sunaryo's paintings.

Edi Sunaryo of Yogyakarta, the decorative artist? Not Sunaryo of Bandung, the abstract artist? No, not Bandung's Sunaryo. I was referring to Edi Sunaryo of Yogyakarta, the decorative artist.

Edi Sunaryo is most famous for his monotonous, repetitive compositions consisting of decorative patterns. Many if not all of his work features a triangular form as the main subject. It might seem that if you see some of his work, you have seen it all. Certainly, that would be a superficial observation of the artist's work, but that is the perception of many observers.

Edi Sunaryo was born in Banyuwangi in 1951. He obtained his degree in art from Yogyakarta's Indonesian Academy of Fine Arts (ASRI -- now ISI) in 1980. He was trained in the academic fine art environment of Yogyakarta, where decorative art flourishes. He also owes his interest in decorative patterns to his parents and family. His grandmother was a craftsperson, while his mother wove thatched mats. His father was a policeman, but had a great interest in the wayang.

In this exhibition at the Moom Gallery, Edi Sunaryo shocks his viewers by departing from his stereotypical appearance. In this show, his canvases are dominated by empty contemplative voids interspersed with minimal objects carefully placed in harmonious and balanced compositions.

Certainly, departing from his typical triangular forms was not easy. In Imaji Segitiga I (Triangular Image I), the artist shows a triangular form tilted thirty degrees counterclockwise. The triangle has a curved bottom, while its upper section is truncated and set apart from the rest. To the right of the form are black lines appearing to suggest a shadow of the form before it was tilted. Red lines are carefully yet spontaneously delineated as further aesthetic touches. The triangle remains, yet there is clearly an economy of patterns, while more attention is placed on design and composition.

Bulan Sabit (Crescent Moon) shows a white curve above a horizon separating a dark sky and green earth. On the horizon are vague highlights of grey, appearing like a reflection of the moon. The sky and the earth are depicted using solid blocks of color, highlighted with some subtle lines in red or orange. A shape similar to the form of a boat is placed toward the lower part of the canvas. Short strokes of white lines appear like white tread fixing the shape onto the canvas.

In Fosil I (Fossil I), the artist renders a tilted triangle-like form against a dark background. However, here the triangle form disappears and is replaced by a fish-like creature, pointing upwards. Within the form is a motif consisting of black and white triangles, and close observation of the work reveals a vague key.

"Now Yogya's Sunaryo is on an equal footing as Bandung's Sunaryo," exclaimed renowned collector Oei Hong Djien. True, but why even compare? In 1997, Edi Sunaryo obtained a master's degree in fine art from Bandung's Technology Institute (ITB), and his training at ITB certainly contributed toward his shift in style.

However, Oei Hong Djien claims that there is a more influential figure affecting this shift, and it is not Bandung's Sunaryo nor does the figure have anything to do with Bandung.

"I showed Sunaryo a book about Chinese artist Qi Bai Shi. The Chinese master succeeded in filling his work with a small insect while the remainder of the canvas is left empty without giving the impression of emptiness. We then discussed that sometimes we have to fill surfaces by making them empty, while on the other hand filling the entire surface can also make it appear empty," explained the collector.

Titian (Bridge) shows two shapes painted in maroon on the bottom part of the canvas. The two shapes are connected to each by a straight line that is carefully delineated. A number of simple lines are added onto the painted surface, adding a charming and elegant touch. It is the emptiness of space that affords us the room to be able to appreciate the artist's balanced compositions, aesthetic quality and fine design.

Edi Sunaryo offers fresh, Zen-like abstractions in his latest exhibition on show at the Moom Gallery, South Jakarta, until July 17, 2000. In this exhibition, he shows clear progress, especially compared to his work from the mid-1990s.

However, the question is not what he has achieved so far, but what he will be able to offer in the future. That is the artist's real challenge.