Recurring themes in my art #1

A brief introduction to my art... Here are three recurring themes I find myself constantly working with. I've presented them in different styles throughout my career, but if you look closely, they are all very similar in terms of their underlying content and meaning.

Theme #1 - Social Change
Here are just some examples.

Hujan Beton (Rain of Steel Rods)

Tukang Daging
1981

Between the Red Steel
1992
Oil on Canvas

I was born and raised in Jakarta, a city which not only inspires my work but more than that. Jakarta offers all of life’s possible problems and enjoyments, so I have a certain sentimental feeling about it. The situation in Jakarta is created by the thunder of traffic and the smoke from factories that never stop, the building of the city which continues ceaselessly, the increasing number of inhabitants, and its tumultuous daily life which has become extremely complex. 

It is impossible to be exposed to these sights everyday without being influenced by it. My art, my preoccupation with urban change is therefore bred out of the context of my society.

In these paintings, I tried to present my observations of the urban dilemmas of these people living in a society of continuous - and often overwhelming - change. I take photographs of the metropolis apart and reassemble them into disconcerting, but strangely familiar views. I find a simultaneous presence and absence of humans in these painting - people who are physically there, but their thoughts are miles away, caught up in the strife and confusion of the urban life.

In Hujan Beton (Rain of Steel Rods), I tried to depict the cultural shock of those who come into the city for the first time of their lives from rural areas. The element of scaffolding, though not yet sophisticated, already features in my early works such as this. The workers have on their faces impassive expressions, eyes that do not reveal their emotions or inner thoughts. Are they anticipating their future in the city, filled with opportunities to better the lives of themselves and their families? Or are they weighed down by a sense of unease, confusion and insecurity at their prospects in surviving the city? 

I consider Tukang Daging as one of my earliest works in my mature style, painted in the 'super-realist' style I am known for. In this painting, I tried to present not only the reality, but also the atmosphere and mood of the moment. The table, the meat, the seller sitting impassively waiting for customers are all parts of a roadside market that can be found anywhere in urban Indonesia. I placed these elements against a backdrop of cracked and barren ground, where there is no correlation between the seller and his environment. In doing so, I aimed to highlight the sense of anonymity and alienation of the seller from his surroundings. The environment is bleak and absent of humanity. From my perspective, this is reality for the multitude of people living the same life as this seller.

You will notice that the piece of meat hanging from the wooden flanks of the stall occupies the center of the composition. It has a special meaning too, a metaphor for something. I shall elaborate no more; its significance is up to the public to decide.

In the final painting, "Between the Red Steel", I heavily utilized the element of scaffolding. These metal flanks are like the vigor and oppression of urban life, separating us from each other. Again, I played with the simultaneous absence and presence of humans in the composition - the people were physically there, but their gazes do not connect to each other nor the viewer. They exist as lone individuals in this painting, caught up in their own worries, indifferent to the presence of others. I fear that this is where our society will be heading - an environment devoid of warmth and humanity.