Syahnagra's present works lack spontaneity

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.