The task of publicizing graphic art

The task of publicizing graphic art

By Chandra Johan

JAKARTA (JP): Graphic art, or the use of a printing technique
to produce art in multiple copies, has yet to gain the popularity
of painting. Awareness of the art among the public remains
limited, and there are few collectors.

Many art observers contend that it is time to increase the
number of exhibitions of graphic art -- including shows spanning
the country -- to fuel the development of the art.

The tools needed to create the art mean it cannot develop as
easily as painting did in studios from the 1940s to 1970s.
Thankfully, however, academic institutions such as the Indonesian
Arts Institute (ISI) of Yogyakarta and the School of Visual Art
and Design of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) already
have complete sets of tools and have produced several
accomplished graphic artists, most of them relatively young.

Some of the graphic artists are doing their part to promote
the art by starting small studies, among them the graphic art
studio Red Point, managed by artists who are ITB alumni.
Experienced artists have founded Gugus Grafis.

Despite the developments, people like Dwi Marianto, Diddo
Kusdinar and many others claim the status of graphic art in the
country remains stagnant.

The pessimistic attitude is expressed in almost every
exhibition about the art, most recently in the discussion held by
Lontar Gallery a few months ago in relation to the graphic
exhibition Teleport. It led to complaints and expressions of
futile anger. Who knows to whom that complaint and anger was
directed?

The major graphic art exhibition Bias Sahaja (Simple
Refraction), showing in the three cities of Jakarta, Bandung and
Yogyakarta, opened last Nov. 15 at the National Gallery and is
another effort to promote the art among the public. Like the
previous exhibition, many artists, numbering at least 40, took
part.

It started with the usual introductory notes (what is graphic
art?), gave an explanation about its origins and, last but not
least, received complaints.

One of the senior coordinators of the exhibition's organizing
committee, Diddo Kusdinar, said the effort to create appreciation
among the public was continuous, done through educational
institutions as well as the government, foreign cultural
institutions and art centers. However, Diddo said fine art
galleries -- especially those which are commercially oriented --
do not play a role in accommodating and offering the works of
graphic artists to the public.

Diddo is probably right, because fine art galleries in
Indonesia cannot really be called "visual art" galleries, as in
developed countries, where there are bound to be a number of
galleries that have prepared a place for graphic works. Our fine
art galleries can generally only be called "painting" galleries.
Not to mention graphic, and other fine artworks like ceramics and
statues which are not ready to be integrated into galleries in
Indonesia.

However, it must be remembered there are also many graduates
from graphic art studios who live wholly in this world.
Generally, if they do not work in the applied art field (as a
designer), they prefer to participate in the art of painting and
tend to choose this profession or the profession of graphic
designer, whether it is because the tools are easier to get or
this field is already appreciated by the community, so it is
"safer".

The lethargy in the field can also be seen in the activities
of its artists, individually rather than as a group like now. As
they say, life is survival of the fittest and only the strong
survive. Individual activity of a graphic artist could be said to
be rare, even nonexistent. If it exists, it is done by senior
artists like Haryadi Suadi, T. Sutanto or Soeromo, or artists who
are clearly idealistic and have high integrity, such as Marida
Nasution.

A comment by Firman Lee, a graphic artist who, for whatever
reason, did not participate in this exhibition, must be
considered.

"What must be done by graphic artists nowadays is not merely
group exhibitions, but solo exhibitions, as is the case with
painters. I am sure the galleries will get used to it in the
future," said the Jakarta Arts Institute (IKJ) lecturer, who has
exhibited his graphic works at Lontar Gallery.

Although many artists participated in the exhibition, only a
few senior artists were involved, among them Haryadi Suadi, T.
Sutanto, Diddo Kusdinar, Setiawan Sabana, Hidayat, and Chairin
Hayati.

There were also several artists who are starting to get a
name, like Tisna Sanjaya, Agung Kurniawan, Herry Dim, Redha
Sorana, Marida Nasution and Mella Jarsma. The rest are artists
with integrity and dedication to the field, including Devy
Ferdianto, Agung Hanafi, Johannes Christiawan, Kurniasari, Oscar
Sastra, Aminuddin Siregar, Anne Nurfarina, Arie, Arif Hidayat,
Arif Yuristiawan, A. Christine, Bambang Witjaksono, Daru S, Deden
Hendan, D.E.S.S.W.A.F, Dian K.A., Dina.R, Dirgo B.N., Eddi
Prabandono, Elly Wardana, Erwin Indrawan, Fuluz, Githa Rizal,
Innocentia, J. Christiawan, Kokok Es, Kurniasari, Mewiyanti,
Nuning D. A., Roumy T, Sonny, S. Pahlevi, Yari T. Hudayana and
Yopi Gunawan.

Although there are many participants, the exhibition did not
surpass the exhibition in 1987 in Bandung which had 50 artists.

A few older graphic artists like AD Pirous and Kaboel Suadi,
for example, were absent in the exhibition this time. A few
others who participated previously are not involved anymore.

More than 100 works are exhibited. Most used the technique of
wood-cutting (wood and hardboard). Screen printing was second
most popular, while the third was etching, dry point or mixed
media. There were only four lithographs. The number of techniques
used looked unchanged comparing it from period to period. This
also shows the difficulties of the participants in experimenting
with graphic tools that are not easily purchased by them, such as
the lithograph machine.

The exhibition showed many styles and trends -- as many, it
could be said, as the number of participants. If we could discern
the differences simply and quickly, perhaps we could get several
groups.

Receiving the most attention was the category of fantasy and
absurdity, represented in the works of Haryadi Suadi, T. Sutanto,
Agus Kondeskeh, Dirgo B. Nugroho and Johannes Christiawan. Social
criticism infused the works of Arif Yuristiawan, Daru. S. and
Eddi P. whose works are on the same level with formalism and
realism. The rest are decorative (Hidayat, Anne Nurfarina) with
the least attention paid to abstract (S. Pahlevi) and optic-art
(Diddo Kusdinar).

The exhibition, which closes on Nov. 26, may trigger greater
awareness about graphic art and, if it not too daunting a task,
could spawn more exhibitions to spread the word.