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.