Drawings and Paintings by Suratmin Bagus Priyo
at Ganesha Gallery, Four Seasons Resort, Jimbaran Bay. Tel: 701010.
Born in Pati, a small city in the north of Central Java, in August 1980, Suratmin Bagus Priyo has been capturing the public eye with his art in competitions since his childhood. Within his family, though, art was simply perceived as something ordinary, and as a student Bagus decided to read literature, studying at the Yogyakarta Technology University, where he graduated in 2003. His enthusiasm for art, however, never dimmed. Sheer persistence and determination eventually led to an opportunity to study art in the HGK Luzern, the Lucerne School of Art and Design in Switzerland.
In his exhibition, ‘Footprints in Two Worlds’, Bagus is referring to the contrasts he perceived between the Eastern and Western arts and cultures. The exhibition displays the artist’s impressions of Europe, and reflections upon his return. The artworks, which are a mixture of black and white Chinese Ink drawings, and predominantly blue and brown oil paints on canvas, can be seen almost like ‘souvenirs’ of his European journey. Artistic ‘footprints’ for the world to see. Maybe, having had his European experience of being “on the outside”, Bagus has returned to Indonesia to question his own identity. Europe has provided him with a new level of understanding, from which he can question the fact that there are multiple layers to his culture which he had previously not appreciated.
Being in Europe allowed Bagus to observe and paint his impressions, while his more recent works, upon his return, is the outcome of internal reflection. There are suggestions, in some works, that Bagus is still processing aspects of his European experience, and is still digesting his time in the ‘West’. “The perceptions of East and West have given an important contribution to my art and personality”, Bagus explains. “Especially in the way I try to define myself through my work. Life is a circular process of change and metamorphosis, dominated by the struggle to comprehend nature, and the world, in the face of questions about the correct path to responsibility and wisdom. ‘Footprints in Two Worlds’ is shaped by a desire to preserve nature and culture, but also by the efforts of a new younger generation to develop a fuller sense of existence and self-awareness, one that is obliged to unearth a source of creative energy. These works symbolize an attempt to pull back the veil from nature and reveal a new perspective upon it”.
The most prominent painting in the show is the canvas ‘My Footprints’. In this work Bagus has created a rhythmic black and white pattern with his own footprints, into which are planted tiny flags bearing place names like Pati, Yogyakarta, Bali, Luzern, Kebumen and Holland. The list can be interpreted as a ‘tour guide’ to all the places he has visited on his artistic journey. The painting successfully sets the mood, wit and humor for the entire exhibition.
It is interesting to note, that while in Europe, Bagus worked almost entirely on what he likes to call ‘Naturalist’ themes. The paintings were a conscious attempt to train his artist’s eye to perceive and record unfamiliar architecture and landscapes; different ways of technically treating and painting the visible world. The canvases display an extraordinary variety of influences, which include Picturesque Landscape painting, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, and even touches of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. It is like a whirlwind trip through the history of Western Art, in which Bagus is familiarizing himself with Western Art traditions, filtered through an Asian sensibility of placement and composition. In the work ‘Luzern Bridge’, Bagus successfully captures the antiquated historical architectural style of the city, and, at the same time, records the mysterious European ‘Northern’ light so prevalent in Switzerland. Using a dappled painting technique, in vibrant blues and greens, Bagus creates an enchanting ‘impressionistic’ painting. ‘Pinus GKII’, in browns and greens, is another dark brooding impressionistic painting capturing the mystery and mystique of European forests. However, within the painting, the hints of two paths which could be followed appear to infer to the dichotomy already emerging in Bagus’ life.
On his return to Indonesia, Bagus has adapted many of the techniques he learnt in Europe to his familiar Indonesian environment. ‘Bank Indonesia Yogyakarta’ is a charming study rendered in a ‘colonial’ style, while ‘Bali Garuda Kencana’ turns Balinese sculpture into a strong Art Deco statement. Simple scenes from daily life, such as ‘Yogyakarta Ginger Drink’, could be lifted directly from a Van Gogh or Toulouse-Lautrec sketchbook.
However, it is in the recent Indonesian works, which Bagus refers to as ‘Post-Modern’, that the success, and most interesting paintings, of the exhibition can be found. Evidently, Bagus is troubled by the contradictions he sees in aspects of contemporary Indonesia life. He has a yearning for virtues such as morality and peace, and he also has an innate desire to express some semblance of order in his life and art. Consequently, being fully aware of some of the restrictions to be found in Islamic Art, Bagus presents a series of paintings, such as ‘Conviction of Islam’ and ‘The Secret of the Javanese Luck Factor’, which show an interest in calligraphy, letters, chessboards, numerology, and the lunar calendar. These works combine Islamic and Javanese mysticism, and they allow Bagus to explore his Indonesian heritage and religion in a fascinating way.
