Artist : Kokok Purwandhi Sancoko, Handiwirman Saputra, Yusra Martunus, Rudi Mantofani, Abdi Setiawan, Yuli Prayitno, Alfi Jumaldi, Zulkarnaini and Yunizar.
Genre : Paintings and Sculpture
Period : July 23 till August 18
Everyday, 10.00AM till 9.00PM
Location : Biasa Art Space
Jl. Raya Seminyak 34, Seminyak
Tel: 7442902
American Pop Art is a reflection on the abundance of consumer products and the massive presence of the media. American Pop artists took their materials and imagery directly from reality, and their art was open to all forms of popular communication in an effort to embody all of reality in its language. Conversely, European Pop artists responded to the American art style by adopting some of its features, but concentrated on establishing their own identity. European Pop artists developed an approach that absorbed the humanistic and mythical values of American Pop Art, yet, simultaneously, filtered the American influences with a sense of irony through past and present history, culture and memory. Consequently, European Pop artists produced an art that reflected their different cultural and ideological values, and created works that had a greater commitment and orientation towards man and his problems, rather than to his products and superficial images.
Currently, at Biasa Art Space, nine talented artists from Yogyakarta are showing in an engaging and lively group exhibition, entitled ‘Open View’, which displays their American and European Pop Art, and Post-Modern, influences. However, these Western influences have been effectively filtered by pre-existing Indonesian cultural and artistic traditions, which results in a ‘localized’ Indonesian Pop Art. These inventive artists are all graduates from the Indonesian Institute of Arts, in Yogyakarta, and are Kokok Purwandhi Sancoko, Handiwirman Saputra, Yusra Martunus, Rudi Mantofani, Abdi Setiawan, Yuli Prayitno, Alfi Jumaldi, Zulkarnaini and Yunizar.
Kokok Purwandhi Sancoko was born in Nganjuk, in East-Java, in 1974. His original photographic source-material appears to be computer-manipulated in his super-realistic paintings, ‘Flowers No 3 and No 4’, for large areas of the images are missing and are left for the viewer to ‘fill in’. Kokok wants the viewer to “go deeper into the matter because I am trying to control the image”. These are striking works dealing with perception and recognition.
Handiwirman Saputra was born in Bukittiggi in 1975. In Handiwirman’s two paintings, entitled ‘Dalam Tampak Luar’ and ‘Luar Tampak Dalam’, strange, circular, shapes float on a pale green background. These shapes appear sexual, but they resonate on a subconscious and instinctive level. The shapes derive from 3-dimensional objects, created by Handiwirman, and this deliberate re-presentation of them as paintings, is decidedly ‘Pop’ inspired.
Yusra Martunus was born in Padang Panjang, Sumatra, in 1973. Yusra’s beautifully rendered paintings ‘05220’ and ‘05221’ show a cloth discarded on a tiled floor. Painted in a pale lime green these works are very elegant. Yusra’s silver resin sculpture, ‘02108’, dribbles over a fiber-glass stand, and is also terrific. Roy Lichtenstein’s ‘Splat’ sculptures come instantly to mind.
Rudi Mantofani was born in Padang, Sumatra, in 1973. His stainless-steel and synthetic grass sculpture, ‘Hijau’, is a knockout. Rudi takes the concept of the ‘ready-made’, originally pioneered by Marcel Duchamp (considered one of the precursors of Pop Art), and allows light and the colorings of the synthetic grass to create appealing movement and depth over the work, not to mention all the implied connotations of commercial product as Pop Art!
Abdi Setiawan was born in Sicincin, West-Sumatra, in 1971. Abdi’s life-like sculpture, ‘Life Still’, of a musician and a singing friend, recalls the work of George Segal. On examination it becomes apparent that these sculptures are life-size puppets. The reference to manipulated role-models is unmistakable!
Yuli Prayitno was born in Bandung. Yuli’s cheeky sculpture, ‘Toilet V.I.P’, also recalls the ‘ready-mades’ of Marcel Duchamp, particularly his urinal as ‘Fountain’. Yuli’s pink, butterfly embossed, urinal sits in a studded, pink, leather wall panel. It is very plush, and very tempting, and very nonsensical!
Alfi Jumaldi was born in Lintau in 1973. His paintings ‘Meditation No.15, No.16, No.17 and No.18’ are all surreal, super-realist landscapes, into which are etched words, short sentences and child-like images that bring you inside his world of philosophy, passion and observations of daily Indonesian life.
Zulkarnaini was born in Padang in 1969. His impressive painting ‘Spiritual Energy’ uses big, colorful Islamic-style words, which evolve into playful, decorative patterns that engulf the canvas. Another work, ‘Journey’, seems to be based on an Indonesian textile design and has an ‘Op Art’ fascination.
Yunizar was born in Talawi, Sumatra, in 1971. Yunizar completely covers his painting ‘Teks & Tanah’ with almost indecipherable repetitious writing. The lines, curves, scratches and signs are created with an extraordinary intensity, and are ‘meant to stimulate the imagination of the viewer about something that remains indefinite’. The dark, somber, painting appears like weathered graffiti, excavated from some Indonesian Industrial wasteland.
Each of the artists in this exhibition has successfully adapted International Pop Art themes to Indonesian imagery and materials, creating a very strong message about current Indonesian culture and society. Although the work is serious in intent it is reassuring that much humor is evident, for ironic humor is one of the traits of Pop Art, and the message of Pop Art has always been sugar-coated! This is a most enjoyable show and it is highly recommended.
