Teguh Ostenrik brings his journey to canvas

By Aendra H. Medita

JAKARTA (JP): Through his works, painter Teguh Ostenrik has recorded his journey in Amsterdam, symbolically presenting an essential visual significance embossed with a spontaneous abstract exploration.

The artist toys with the object of his journey by capturing the strength of reality he records. But when the journey is let loose within the frame of a work, it produces a more complex impression. This impression may be more symbolic because it is conveyed subjectively. But again, it is natural for all painters to record their admiration for areas they have explored.

In view of the experience, artist Teguh Ostenrik, who has turned 50 years old, is now exhibiting the records of his 1981- 1982 trip to the Netherlands.

Expression of his journey lifted human expressions dug from a subway portrait. For Teguh, this is an important effect which influenced his artistic style while in Amsterdam.

It is his fascination that finally influenced him to show about 25 of his works in an exhibition titled Flying Horizon at Erasmus Huis, South Jakarta until Jan. 13, 2001.

During his year stay in the Netherlands, after an earlier trip to the United States, Teguh constantly searched for style and meaning for his works. And he obviously did not simply drop by, but enjoyed life in the country he visited and put everything on canvas.

Teguh Ostenrik, who was born in Jakarta but lived in Solo for 30 years immersed in art, is known as a multimedia artist. He paints, is familiar with video art and is also engaged in installation art. Recently, he has even created a dance and theatrical choreography titled Transcending Time, which was staged at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta in Central Jakarta in November. The artist also launched a book with the same title. Written by Dr. Barbara Asboth, it is the story of Teguh's career.

Flying Horizon is part of Teguh's journey in reflecting life through strong shapes and images, symbolizing spontaneous and intuitive work.

In his exhibition, Teguh displays his works in a neat display. The first impression upon seeing his works will lean towards expressive symbolization.

Teguh's works also respond better to a contextual understanding rather than the essence of shapes but it leans more towards symbolic meaning than the abstract discourse of forms.

The artist also highlights more visual aspect rather than the object he chooses to paint. The result is free rein to spontaneous sweep of the brush. Take Pertemuan (Meeting), 1981, where he presents harmonious brush sweepings. Without inner strength, he has only drawn firm lines for what he would like to lend significance toward the word "meeting".

Another strength is visible in his Pinocchio, After Lebanon Die Kanaelan and Kepala Kambing (Goat's Head), all made in 1981.

These works display his spontaneous expressive power despite the touch of more interesting doodlings, a humanistic touch supplanting the verbal quality of the real symbolization.

In Sapuannya (His Sweeping), Melayang Lagi (Floating Again) and Putana Cakram (Putana Disc), there is a strength whose presence lies more in visual substance because these three pieces seem to belong to the series created during his stay in Amsterdam, showing that his spontaneous power is not carelessly released. In essence, the piercing quality of these works is a reaffirmation of lines to ensure that the shape that has long been kept latent show the powerful aura Teguh has recorded.

The same is true of some of his other works, which do not have much variation as they are more of an intuitive processes on the part of the painter.

Take, for example, Flying Horizon, after which the exhibition is titled, or his etches, Zyklus, Der ring, Celah (Gap) and so forth. In these works, Teguh gets very close to using color as a strong power, and even to making it seems "as if" it were meaningful. When we see these paintings, we cannot quickly understand them. However, it is exactly at this time that the power of the essence of shape is actually playing its role.

However, only some of his works may be understood in this way. This is a gift from his journey in art on the occasion of his fiftieth birthday.