Syahnagra's present works lack spontaneity

By Amir Sidharta

JAKARTA (JP): As with all people, artists have peaks and troughs during their career. Syahnagra, 43, is no exception to this. His most recent paintings, as we can see from his works exhibited at the Galeri Cipta II, Taman Ismail Marzuki Arts Center are not as strong as the works he produced between 1989 and 1993. His works of today seem to lack the energetic spontaneity evident in earlier paintings.

In Danau Maninjau (1996), the artist makes the most of the vantage point from which the subject matter is viewed. In the upper part of this painting, he renders curvilinear lines which demarcate the border of the lake. At roughly the same elevation, toward the right edge, appear suggestions of a residential enclave.

The lake itself is filled with linear horizontal brushstrokes of blue, green and purple, mixed with white that softens the original color, like a layer of early morning mist rising from the surface of the lake. Instead of a soothing gradation of color, however, what we see is a busy array of colored lines.

Two thirds of the way down the painting is another, larger urban concentration depicted primarily in yellows and reds, appearing out of nowhere. This array of colored lines continues down to the bottom of the painting.

Although Syahnagra's latest works prove his ardent productivity, most people would agree we should expect more from the artist. More interesting are his works of 1992 and 1993, when his main subject matter was boats. In 1992, he toured Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Germany and France, and seemed to be very much inspired by the visual imagery of that part of Europe.

In Boats and Bridge (1993), three boats are placed in the foreground in the middle of a river depicted in yellow. Above these boats, stretches a sturdy bridge, connecting the two sides of the waterway. Where the river meets the urban fabric is left unclear. The buildings seem to have been erected in the river. One ship appears close to the bridge, so close that the vessel seems as if it is just about to crash into the structure.

The visual accuracy of a painting seems to be of minor concern to this artist. More important is the fact that he managed to present a stimulating visual expression of his impressions.

The apparent incompleteness of the work makes it hard to pinpoint which city this painting depicts. However it is known that Syahnagra has a particular fondness for the Swedish capital Stockholm.

His relationship with Sweden began in 1986 when he became acquainted with Gunter Nehls, a Swedish artist with whom he traveled and later exhibited, along with fellow Indonesian Ipung Gozali. Both Syahnagra and Ipung exhibited many paintings of boats.

In 1989, The Swedish Institute gave Syahnagra the opportunity to study graphic art at the Graphic Arts Academy in Stockholm. While he seems to have always been fascinated with boats, the waterfront scenery around the Swedish capital truly inspired Syahnagra. The city consists of fourteen small islands linked to the mainland by some fifty bridges. The Indonesian artist who hailed from Teluk Betung, South Sumatra, produced many lithographs, drypoints and etchings of the boats and bridges of Stockholm, a number of which are displayed in the current exhibition.

Syahnagra also produced a limited number of paintings during that time. Bridge (1989), for example, is among his best works. This bold and expressive composition of swift brush strokes and contrasting blocks of color, including blues, yellows and white, appears to have been created with a high degree of excitement and spontaneity. It can be considered as one of the artist's strongest pieces.

Stockholm appears to have inspired a mood in Syahnagra that was more conducive to the creation of his kind of art. Perhaps it is this spark that is lacking from his Indonesia works.

The artist himself admitted to the difference in approach when working abroad. "I feel the difference. When I tell people I like to paint abroad, outdoors, in the winter, everyone says, 'you're crazy'. I feel that I have to make the best use of the moment, because I won't find it in Indonesia. Therefore, I paint using gloves. This is not comfortable but if I take them off, it will be too cold for me. Because of that, I found a technique that differs from my usual approach." It is clear then, that the cold European weather conditions have also helped the artist become more spontaneous and expressive.

Despite the current slight decline in the quality of Syahnagra's art, a few of his most recent works are have a powerful impact. In particular, albeit simple, his Boats in Black and White is a very strong piece. His initial bold delineation of the craft along the horizon in this painting is later blurred and obscured. This time, the horizontal brushstrokes are left colorless so that the painting remains as a monochromatic black and white composition.

It was most likely his renderings of boats that gave Syahnagra the opportunity to go to Sweden. The boat is the symbolic vessel that took the artist to see the world. The bridges he discovered when he arrived in Stockholm provided another means of connection; they symbolically link his personality to the culture of the place to which he traveled.