Jakarta - One of the most actively discussed topics at the moment is the character or "personality" of Indonesian fine arts.
It is easy to be dismissive and say, "What personality"? And this unalloyed pessimism about the arts scene has been around now for quite some time.
What we should know is that the entire narrative of Indonesia‘s history of fine arts can be summarized into one ambition: To seek and find a distinct personality or identity that belongs solely to Indonesian arts. This search began in the 1940s and was still going on in the 1970s. Discussions on this subject could still be heard in the late 1990s.
I once made a note of this issue in a newspaper article, after seeing a solo exhibition by Haris Purnomo in 2006. Haris is an alumni of the Indonesian Academy of Fine Arts (ASRI), now called the Indonesian Institute of Arts (ISI) Yogyakarta. This issue of identity runs rampant in the works of Haris. This is most likely caused by his involvement with the group called Pipa or Kepribadian Apa.
The art community will always remember Haris as one of the movers and shakers of the Pipa group. This group created quite a stir in the mid-70s with one of their exhibitions. It is said that the exhibition was shut down by police due to its content, which was found to be highly critical of the government. This group was known for always questioning the concept of identity, whether it be in art or life in general. Their works mocked, parodied and criticized society‘s flaws. They were a generation that dreamed of democracy during the periods of oppression under the New Order regime.
Haris‘ most renowned work of that time was a wooden bed stuffed with plastic baby dolls. With that piece he asked us to consider the fate of future generations and our hopes for them. "Each Indonesian child, newly born, carries the burden and debts of our past deeds" Haris explains. That installation made a real impression on Halim HD, an art critic who saw the exhibition in 1977. Halim felt that Haris‘ "babies" were helpless and in need of care. Now, looking back 30 years later at the piece, Halim feels that they were in fact plump and healthy, with clear white skin -- babies any parent would want. Thirty years may seem ample time for an artist‘s aesthetic to evolve, but Haris seems reluctant to commit.
Haris Purnomo is like a war veteran. He comes carrying a deep, gaping wound that has not healed in 30 years. Last year he exhibited a number of satirical paintings featuring the bodies of tattooed babies. This exhibition was his return to the art scene after disappearing to become a designer in the mid-80s, showing no signs of coming back.
September brought his second solo exhibition in a long time. The public may argue that his works have not evolved much since the 70s. He seems to consistently bring up the same issue using the same symbols, such as the tattooed and bandaged babies. Compared to his last solo exhibition, Haris seems to be utilizing space more effectively now. His current exhibition, held at the National Gallery from Sept. 28 to Oct. 9, and curated by , is titled Alien Nation and contains seven new paintings and five new installations.
As we enter the space of the National Gallery, we are greeted by sterile babies, different from those seen by Halim HD. Now his babies are sweeter. The piece titled A Procession of Babies (2007) features a horde of tattooed babies crawling from the right of the canvas to the left. What appears odd is that the tattoos do not seem to harm the fresh supple texture of their skin. Haris is playing with metaphors. And speaking from a metaphorical perspective, the oddities can be ignored. But, as Halim had theorized, Haris‘ babies have become too ideal. Although Haris still wants the babies to represent certain sociopolitical issues, in his evolution of style, we no longer see any contemplative depth.
Haris successfully utilizes the wide spaces that the gallery provides to exhibit his very large installations. This can be seen in the piece titled Nation and Character Building (2007) or Bed of Babies (2007) in the right wing of the gallery. These installations remind us of his works from the 70s. This time, Haris binds the babies in bandages and uses bandages throughout the entire installation. The piece is so cold that we cannot seem to feel any of the intended dread or fear. We lose all visual sensation. Again, Haris has taken an approach that is far too sterile. He is no longer wild. Or it could be said that he might be trying to speak of another kind of purity, one that we cannot see.
Haris is back, arriving with a more confident stride, and of course this time we want him to stay.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com (8 Oktober 2007)
