Solo exhibition of paintings by Agustian
at Lidya Art Gallery,
Jl. Raya Lungsiakan, Ubud.
Tel: +62 81337725181
As a convenient label for the very different works of a group
of American artists centered in New York from the early forties
to the mid fifties, the term Abstract Expressionism has endured,
and it still remains one of the most influential painting
styles of our times. This is no more apparent than in the
environs of Ubud, where the proliferation of neo abstract
expressionist painters has reached plague proportions. The
New York ‘school’ drew on an eclectic mix of sources.
Surrealism, with its concern for the unconscious, was of primary
influence. So too, was an interest in Myth, Primitive Art,
and Jungian ‘preconscious’ imagery. A deep belief
in the forces of spirituality was also to take an important
part in the development of that art movement.
The most interesting form of Ubud abstract expressionism appears
to me to wield the theories, painting techniques, and styles
of Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko into one cohesive whole.
Jackson Pollock used convulsive gestural body movements as
he ‘dripped’ paint onto his canvases. He was to
construct a kind of ‘emotional landscape’ in which
everything depended on the physical gesture. Pollock was to
lead the way in ‘action’ painting. On the other
hand, Mark Rothko, with his large luminous, almost monochromatic
canvases, was to develop the school of ‘color field’
painting. Rothko believed in the emotional impact of pure
color, and his art attempted to open the doors of the subconscious
to an absolute, consuming, spirituality.
The Ubud ‘school’ of abstract expressionists attacks
their canvases with bold brushstrokes. They chose their palettes
with great attention to the emotional responses of the selected
colors. However, it is in their selection of subject-matter
that their canvases can be delineated. ‘Ubud Abstract
Expressionism’ has an overwhelming interest in Myth,
Iconography, and an intense personal spirituality. Perhaps
this is a direct result of the Balinese environment, which
is obsessed with mysticism, but many abstract expressionist
artists, resident in Ubud, are interested in expressing spirituality
through expressive gestures.
The abstract expressionist artist Agustian was born in Sumatra
in 1981. From an early age Agustian developed an affinity
towards the creation of art. After living and traveling throughout
Indonesia for several years, Agustian decided to settle in
Ubud. There, he finds inspiration in Balinese culture, music
and energy. While living in Ubud, Agustian has been able to
develop his art by experimenting with many techniques and
styles. However, his work remains influenced by his daily
life and developing spiritual growth.
Often working in triptych, Agustian creates canvases in which
form is initially non-specific but resolves itself during
execution. His images are ‘interlinked’, but not
in a narrative sense. Rather, they are united by their inherent
meanings. In the works ‘My Father’, ‘My
Grandfather 1’ and ‘My Grandfather 2’, Agustian
explores the Mythology of family relationships. Utilizing
powerful psychological lines and colors, Agustian applies
them in a primitive, childlike way. However, the movement
of these broad lines and delicately toned colors pulsate with
energy, and contain a subtle symbolism. Perhaps, within these
works, Agustian is exploring a genetic background, or a DNA
pool, which has resulted in the man he is today. Strange primitive
signs, hidden deep within the works, also tend to imply a
form of ancestral worship. A keystone of much Asian religion.
Created in a soft range of grey, ocher and sienna, the paintings
evoke a memorable depiction of family relationships, plus
indicate the personality traits of the principle members.
Within the canvases ‘One Breath’, ‘One Love’
and ‘One Soul’, Agustian is presenting a personal
spiritual philosophy or religious creed. His fluid and organic
shapes are washed and spread across the paintings, indicating
an interest in all forms of nature and their intrinsic symbolic
meanings. Agustian’s paint is applied with much intense
emotion, and the works induce a contemplation of his rich,
lush colors, which, hopefully, bring the viewer in touch with
their deeper human emotions. Evoking a spirituality which
centers on personal awareness, rather than the subconscious,
the paintings open up a concept of infinity that stretches
beyond the works themselves.
As an exponent of ‘Ubud Abstract Expressionism’,
Agustian exhibits a collection of works that are remarkable.
With his use of expressive line, shape and form, combined
with the emotional responses of color, Agustian displays an
excellent application of ‘action’ or ‘gestural’
painting. But, when he unites this with his theme of humanity
attempting to seek a spiritual reality, it is then that his
paintings take flight. Agustian’s art successfully represents
the goals of the Ubud abstract expressionism movement, in
which an artist is committed to express on canvas a need to
do, to act and to live.
