Article Summary from Estetika yang Merabunkan: Bunga Rampai Esai dan

Kritik Seni Rupa 1969-1992

Indonesian Art on the Move

The story of modern Indonesian art began with a revolt. This appeal was
an appeal for freedom, modernization, creation.

Thus, writers from several regions writing in one language, the “Bahasa
Indonesia”, founded Pujangga Baru in 1933 to move awakening of Indonesia
literature and culture. Young playwrights crossed the country to stage pieces
imbued with the spirit of awakening.

The painters founded Persagi (the Society of Indonesian Painters) in 1937

in Jakarta. Through exibitions organized by an art collector in Jakarta in the years
preceding World War II, the Persagi artist became interested and excited to see a
new visual language in the works of modern European artist such as Pissaro,
Gauguin, van Gogh, Rouault, Chagall, Picasso, Kandinsky, etc.

It is true that there were already some Indonesian painters before Persagi.
Raden Saleh was not only known in European royal circles of that time, but also
known within the Indonesian learned circles and artist, especially the younger
generation. Nevertheless, isolated by aristocratic tradition and colonial condition,
Raden Saleh did not form a generation of Indonesian artist in the 19th century.
About one or two generation later appeared other indonesian painters.
Sudjojono was againts this kind of painting. This landscape painting became
stereotyped and commercialized. Names often mentioned in connection with the
development of painting in Indonesia.

Affandi is the second painter after Raden Saleh who has gained
international recognition. Sir Herbert Read, a well-known art critic of this age, has
called the style of Affandi “a new way of expressionism”.

Many art groups and art educations institutions have been founded since
the proclamation of independence. We have already mentioned that such groups
also exercise an educational function, many intitutions and bodies have been
founded who conduct formal art education courses, since the proclamation of
independence.
 In 1947, a Balai Pendidikan Universiter Guru Gambar (Art Teachers
College) was founded under the auspices of Ministry of Education and Culture.
Since 1959 this institution has been known as the Bagian Seni Rupa ITB
(Departement of Fine Art, School of Planning an Architecture, Institute of
Technology Bandung).

In 1950, ASRI (Akademi Seni Rupa Indonesia, the Academy of Fine Art)
was founded at Yogyakarta. It is self-evident, that about 1950, many artist came to
Yogyakarta. It has become a fully accredited university, today known as Sekolah
Tinggi Seni Rupa “ASRI” Yogyakarta (The School of Art, Yogyakarta)

Today, there is also Taman Ismail Marzuki, a centre of art activities,

which also at times organizes an art exhibition besides its musical and theater
performances. Furthermore, there are several art galleries in Jakarta. As for
Yogyakarta, there are also permanent places to show art works.

The development of graphic arts in Indonesia is slow-in comparison with

the life of painting as described above. The existence and the development of
modern graphic arts is closely linked with the emergence of printing and
publishing enterprises, and national struggle which has demanded posters,
caricatures, etc.

The artist pioneering in fine graphics, even pioneering in modernization of

illustration in Indonesia during the forties, are Baharudin, Mochtar Apin and
Suromo. Our picture of Indonesian art today would not be complete without
taking a look at Bali, because Bali also changes. The strength of tradition, which
also tied an imbued art, makes people hesitate to call Balinese painting today as
“modern painting”. Balinese artist are not the type of “intellectual artist(s)” who
live in cities and learned circles, as with most modern artist mentioned before in
our story.

The first change seen in Balinese painting in this age appeared between
1933-1939 when a group of Ubud Painters, headed by Anak Agung Gde Sobrat
joined a group they founded, Pita Maha. The presence of Walter Spies, a German
painter, amidst them caused the Ubud painters to see possibilities in painting, i.e.
the possible existence of painting, autonomous from religion and old literatures.

Balinese artist live rooted in their social and cultural traditional conditions,
although their works may change. Therefore, their art is unique phenomenon in
Indonesia today.

It has not been easy to give a short yet quite systematic description of new
art in the making in Indonesia in this age. Since the beginning of this age, there
were many groups and art movement in Indonesia. would it be therefore for us to
arrange Indonesia art into movements and schools? Art groups and art movement
in Indonesia have quite different characters than those aet movements as were
known in Europe since the second half of the last century. The art groups and art
movement in Indonesia are places wehe a Group of artist work together, study
together, looking for facilities together, and not a union where artist proclaim a
certain way to create, to a certain style.

Viewed as a whole, modern Indonesia art seems like a mosaic in the move.
Indonesian artist today look upon themselves as a member of bigger family, i.e.
the family of man.