Young, old sculptors met in a rare exhibit

Young, old sculptors met in a rare exhibit

Asip A. Hasani, Contributor, Magelang, Central Java

A joint exhibition of the work of 21 Indonesian modern sculptors is now on display at Langgeng Gallery, Magelang, Central Java. The event can be seen as an important and rare event considering the wide range of different generations of sculptors that have taken part in it.

The fact that sculpture is often considered Indonesia's second-class fine art after painting is another point that adds more value to the exhibition, where some 50 works are on display.

Veteran sculptor G. Sidharta Soegiyo, an artist who pioneered the country's modern sculpture, and young sculptors, who have just finished their study at art schools, are taking part in the exhibition sponsored by young art collector Deddy Irianto.

The youngest sculptor, Joko Dwi Avianto, a fresh graduate of the fine art and design school at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), is exhibiting his striking work, titled Keseleo, (Javanese, which means sprained) using bamboo as a medium.

He bends some lengths of bamboo and combines them in a finely curved composition using ropes made of bamboo to tie them into his final work. The way he bends, twists and rotates the medium creates the strong impression that the young sculptor has managed to conquer the natural medium, bamboo, in a subtle way.

"It is amazing. The work suggests the strength of human power, which is executed in a gentle manner toward nature," said noted playwright W.S. Rendra on the sidelines of the opening ceremony on Dec. 18.

Veteran sculptor Sidharta, with his two bronze pieces, Leleson and Ayam Jantan III, shows his class as perceived within the country's fine art circles. He captures the influence of delicate and classical sculptures in his work. Leleson depicts a nude, middle-aged woman with a sad face, lying on the floor while her right arm supports her. The rough skin of the figure immediately indicates that the woman bears a heavy burden in her life.

Working with bronze as the medium, Dolorosa Sinaga shows her exceptional skill in expressing her emotion, feelings and ideas through sculpture. One of her two sculptures, Dance of Solitude, depicts a dancing figure that is unrealistic in its form. A smaller bulge under the figure's leg looks like a smaller figure that is suckling on the breast of the larger.

Its dark color conveys an enigmatic feeling to spectators. The combination of its smooth and rough surfaces embodies simultaneously the tenderness and roughness of her emotions.

Born in Sibolga in 1952, Dolorosa developed her skill in fine art at the Jakarta Institute of Arts (IKJ), St. Martin's School of Art in London and the U.S. Piero Art Foundry Berkeley. In words of the exhibition's curator Mikke Susanto, Dolorosa is a sculptor who has narrative and associative tendency in her works.

Young sculptor Budi Kustarto, meanwhile, creates a realistic figure that is a life-cast of his own body in his work, Lelah (exhausted), depicting a half-naked man who carries his severed head in his arms. Lelah conveys the strong message of a state of mental rather than physical exhaustion.

Another female sculptor, Iriantine Karnaya, who studied sculpture at ITB, displays her maturity in the three-dimension- form of sculpture. One of her works, Ganesha (elephant), made of bronze, is clear evidence of her mature technical skill as well as long experience in working with many different media. At first glance the sculpture seems to be an abstract form. Looking at it closer, however, it is clearly seen as the top of an elephant's head, although it is not a wholly realistic depiction.

Hedi Hariyanto, a sculptor known for his unconventional preference in choosing media, presents two works that both confirm the soubriquet. Using the traditional food, tempeh, Hedi creates many small sculptures titled Tempe, I Love You which look like a number of toy aircraft, cars, etc. It seems somehow to convey his critique of the country's sociopolitical situation.

Others who have participated in the exhibition are noted Balinese sculptor Nyoman Nuarta, Sunaryo, Ichwan Noor and German- born Indonesian sculptors Pintor Sirait and Rita Widagdo. The last two studied fine art at the San Francisco Arts Institute, U.S. and Staatliche Akademie der Bildendd Kunstee, Suttgart, Germany respectively.

Others are Adi Gunawan, Rudi Mantofani, Akmal Jaya, Ali Umar, Awan P. Simatupang, Komroden Haro and Yuli Prayitno. These young sculptors are graduates of the Yogyakarta-based Indonesian Institute of Art (ISI), except for Simatupang who is a graduate of ITB.

Rather than searching for historical continuity in Indonesia's modern sculpture in the exhibition, curators Anusapati and Mikke Susanto have used the perspective of sculptors' expression through different media.

That is why the curators have branded the exhibition Mc(row) Media.

"It is our play on words on micromedia. Mc(row) Media can also be explained this way: Mc is an analog for globalization such as McWorld, row means quarrel and media means the media used by sculptors," said Mikke.

Whether or not the exhibition will be able to encourage a stronger spirit among Indonesian sculptors remains a big question. The presence of many cultural activists and commentators during the exhibition's opening ceremony, such as former Tempo magazine chief editor Goenawan Muhamad, poet Sitok Srengenge and cultural activist Tanto Mendut bare not guaranteed to make the exhibition such a success that the sculptor's livelihoods are assured.

The fate of Indonesian sculpture should be in the hands of sculptors and the public, not with art collectors or businessmen like Deddy Irianto.

Mc(row) Media exhibition is held at Langgeng Gallery in Magelang, Central Java. It was opened on Dec. 18 and will run until Jan. 12, 2004.