Yogyakarta's 1997 art festival a rejuvenating effort

Yogyakarta's 1997 art festival a rejuvenating effort

By R. Fadjri

YOGYAKARTA (JP): The ongoing 1997 biennial art festival in
Yogyakarta appears to be a departure from previous biennial art
fests, at which paintings were exclusively exhibited.

This year's art biennial, running from Jan. 5 until Jan. 15,
could be characterized as an integration of all arts into one
impressive exhibit. Paintings are on display along with statues,
graphic art and installation art. The organizing committee has
even taken things a step further by introducing textiles and
photography at the exhibit. All of them are presented with
emphasis on creativity and innovations of the past two years.

The change reflects a basic line in the development of
contemporary arts. Global art development does not separate
itself from criteria which separates pure art from other art
varieties. Even so, curators Sudarso, Anusapati, Dwi Maryanto,
Suwarno Wisetrotomo and Tulus Warsito have carefully selected the
items now on exhibit. Their choice of 50 artists was based on the
assumption that the exhibited pieces reflect current art
developments in the country.

The team of curators seemed to focus on these rejuvenating
aspects, rather than the quality of the artwork.

It is therefore not surprising to find a painting by Iswanto,
who once displayed an impressionist style, and Syahrizal, a
sculptor known for his figurative style, among this special
selection of art, in spite of the questionable quality of their
works.

Then there is Widayat, a senior painter who is renowned for
his decorative style. At this art fest, his abstract piece called
Merapi Meletus (Merapi explodes) is on display. It is in the
style which has become his trademark.

An abstract piece by Bagong Kussudiardjo, another senior
painter, is also on display.

Generally, a majority of the artwork featured at the art fest
displayed only mild aspects of renewal. The curator team's
selections resembled more an exhibit of young artists who deserve
awards for outstanding artwork and for regularly exhibiting their
works over the last two years. The artwork may have been chosen
for its originality and independent style, which goes against
present market trends.

Among the artwork on display are those by young artists Entang
Wiharso, Erica Hestu Wahyuni and Bambang Pramudiyanto, whose
works are steeped in the "variety" art trend. Another young
artist is Ugo Untoro, whose paintings aren't in sync with market
conditions.

In the field of graphic art, Agung Kurniawan's name drew
attention because of the sociopolitical themes in his etch work.

All of the above are young artists who created their own
styles once they turned professional.

What sets them apart from other artists is their mode of
improvising a style that has been around for some time. For
example, there is Erica, who developed a naive flair which Eddy
Hara or Heri Dono started before. Bambang Pramudiyanto adopted
the surrealistic style handed down by his predecessor, Dede Eri
Supria.

Five sculptors participating in the biennial event have failed
to come up with renewal aspects. The same could be said about the
installation art. This art type stood out for its persevering
quality, which was obvious in the work.

Nindityo Adipurnomo is still using the same symbol which he
applied in the late 1980s. Hedi Hariyanto is still featuring the
symbol of industrial production in his artwork known as Flavour.
The work is a jab at the greed of the tycoons who are
monopolizing the entire industrial scene.

Heri Dono's critical style, which reflects the current social
situation, is presented in a strong, playful mood. There is also
work by S. Teddy D, a new installation artist of the present
generation.

However, what is admiring about these artists is the courage
with which they chose to express themselves, using a medium that
does not sell well. Even so, there are some who have caught the
public's attention, like Melle Jaarsma, whose work in this art
medium explores images under the title Think It Or Not.

As for the committee, their decision to display textiles and
photography at the art fest was encouraging.

"The entire art show reflected fine art qualities," said
Sudarso, one of the curators. This team appeared to have been
quite selective in its choice of textile arts, and photographic
works could be observed from the work of Linda Kaun, a batik
artist from Los Angeles, and Agus Leonardus, an art photographer.

Linda Kaun's batik piece is a careful exploration effort of
realistic images. Agus Leonardus separated certain realities in
frames, thereby obscuring the object's identity.

However, whatever the results of the art show, the curator
team has encouraged the development of the various arts, which
are no longer divided into confining categories that hinder
artistic expression.