Paintings by Sanggar Dewata Indonesia,
at Tony Raka Art Gallery, Jl. Raya Mas No.86, Ubud. Tel: 7816785.
Due to the outstanding success of their current exhibition, ‘SDI Now’, the Tony Raka Gallery will continue displaying this particular show until February 10, 2009. SDI (Sanggar Dewata Indonesia), was established in December 1970, by artists and teachers from the Academy Seni Rupa Indonesia/ASRI (now ISI Yogyakarta). SDI started with a political identity as the basis of the group, with a history in Nationalistic Indonesian art. Their vision is freedom of expression in art, through modern theories and techniques. Initially, the group had a membership of only Javanese artists, but, this slowly developed to include all Indonesian artists. The group continually tries to expand and evolve with new members. Importantly, SDI maintains a record of all major Indonesian artists and their work. A few years ago political pressure was brought to bare to suppress the group. But, when ISI was opened in Denpasar, many Balinese artists joined the group and worked to rebuild the charisma of SDI.
The history of contemporary Balinese art has often been seen through the romantic eyes of westerners. This Bali vision was built in the 20th century, particularly in the Ubud area, by western artists like Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet. They introduced modern western painting styles and techniques to Bali. SDI aims to break this historical perspective, and to make the creative freedom of the Balinese artist possible. Conditions in Bali are always changing. Bali is now coming under considerable western influences, but, with modern communications, like the internet, and the availability of quality art journals and books, Balinese artists can now react quickly to changing international artistic trends. In this new century, Balinese and Indonesian artists have had to resolve the problem of refining their artistic traditions while at the same time recognizing the impact of globalization in cultural matters. Consequently, many young artists are now joining the SDI organization to help solve this quandary, and build up SDI’s new identity.
In the 21st century SDI has met with much success, and has inspired a new younger generation of Indonesian and Balinese artists to create works with new techniques and, most importantly, an avant-garde sensibility. In the exhibition ‘SDI Now’ you can see how these artists are answering vital questions concerning styles, techniques and attitudes. With over 100 contributing artists, displaying over 100 paintings, the exhibition can be seen as a survey on the present state of Indonesian art. All of the paintings are of an excellent quality, and they run the full gauntlet of contemporary styles and trends. There is, literally, something for everybody in this show. The artists and their works are too numerous to mention individually, but, four works that caught my eye, and my taste, include: ‘Live’ by Mantra Lombok, a hyper realitic study on pain and suffering. ‘Revolusi Pikiran’, by Wayan Budayana, is a forceful piece of neo-figurative expressionism. While, a Pop Art work entitled ‘Gun’, by Alpha Purnomo, turns the sleek lines of a revolver into an elegant geometric composition. A ‘neo-romantic’ canvas called ‘Song Love For God’, by Putu Dita Asta Giri, transforms Italian renaissance troubadours into lusty wandering Balinese minstrels.
The ‘SDI Now’ exhibition is the result of ‘old’ and ‘new’ generations of artists working together with an aim to refresh and renew the contemporary Indonesian art scene. The SDI group continues to offer the opportunity for artistic transformations, and creative changes, and it works to strengthen the vitality of the organization. The exhibition presents a unique perspective on Indonesia’s place in the globalized art of the 21st century.
Exotic Bali
Paintings by Mohammed Harahap,
at Ganesha Gallery, Four Seasons Resort, Jimbaran Bay. Tel: 701010.
Born in Medan, the largest city on the island of Sumatra, Mohammed Harahap displayed his talent for art at a young age, when he won an art contest in his hometown at the age of nine years. Ten years later, in 1970, he commenced his studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts at the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB). Like many young Indonesian artists before him, Mohammed would head for the idyllic island of Bali upon graduation. He settled in the village of Ubud, which had become a Mecca for artists. Mohammed was to be inspired by the beauty of the local Balinese women. He eventually evolved a sumptuous, romantic style dominated by proud women dressed in traditional clothing.
In his exhibition, ‘Exotic Bali’, Mohammed’s fascination with Balinese women is very much on display. ‘Resting’ shows a reclining lady, full of angular shapes and lines, which accentuates her exoticness. Movement is subtly suggested, by the shift of a head, in the study ‘Twin Sisters’, while an idealized impression of Balinese women is offered in the portrait ‘The Farm Woman III’. I think it unlikely that a woman of such beauty would be found working in a rice paddy. However, a more realistic impression of Balinese beauty is to be seen in the piece ‘Somewhere Out There’. In this canvas a Balinese woman is depicted as a fertility goddess, surrounded by the harvest.
What is most fascinating about Mohammed’s work is his mastery of the technique of applying burnished gold leaf to enhance the backgrounds and jewelry of his subjects. His canvases shimmer with a lavish and sparkling metallic effect, resulting in joyous and innocent paintings which truly depict an ‘Exotic Bali’.
