INDONESIA

INDONESIA - REVIEWS and other COMMENTS

© excerpts 

Message by the Minister of Education and Culture - H.E. Mr Fuad Hassan
…the exhibition will demonstrate that co-operation aimed at building a world of peace and mutual understanding still endures, despite the tensions felt the world over; and the superior value of this co-peration is hopefully sustained and enhanced by the quality of objects of art being displayed.


Here the West and the East meet and may the twain join hands to assist in bringing harmony and peace on earth through the sublime efforts towards friendship and world-brotherhood.

Message by the art critic Mr. Kusnadi
…Indonesian Modern Art often has a style which is associated with western artistic trends. … Indonesia...finds itself at the crossroads between occidental and oriental cultures... a meeting point within the fields of philosophy and art. Artists in Indonesia are free to choose their aesthetic orientation, be it European, or oriental symbolism with its religious roots… inspiration for this exhibition stems from the idea of "Unity in Diversity". The European Community is a unified entity; despite the diversity of its respective cultures, their co-operation and interdependence are always evident. Likewise the "Bhineka Tunggal Ika" concept is essential to Indonesian philosophy and enhances our pleasure to live and work in Indonesia at the present time. Of course Indonesia influences European artists here on both a physical and spiritual plane; style, technique and philosophy are all modelled by the Indonesian culture. ... The pioneer artist of oil painting and Modern Indonesian Art, Raden Saleh is represented … Chronologically he is followed by one of the forerunners of Realistic Modern Art in Indonesia...The Realistic mode of painting is vivid still today in Indonesia, blossoming especially between 1980 and 1990…[it is present in the exhibition in] themes about social problems… The Expressionist movement [is also] represented... To give the full picture of modern art this exhibition is not limiting itself only to painting and sculpture, but expanding to other forms of creative and Applied Art. This is actually the concept of Modern Art, a vast area, or even centre of reflection, of modern society. This exhibition is dedicated to lovers of Art in all its aspects, dedicated to those who are concerned about life and living… [and is] a great aesthetic experience…

Jakarta Post, 23 May 1991
Minister of Education and Culture, Fuad Hassan and Swedish artist Vivianna Torun Bülow-Hübe


RI-European Connection Celebrated in Art Show
Margret Augusta, Jakarta Post 18 May 1991
...Birgitta Godlund and Rashid Carre, in particular, have done a great deal to move the idea forward toward fruition… The exhibition... is being held in connection with Indonesian - Education Day, which fell on May 2, and European Community Day, which fell on May 9, and... will be opened on Indonesia's Awakening Day, May 20... [This] cultural approach... would help bridge any differences and help the two nations to enrich each other... 45 European Community and Indonesian artists are taking part in this exhibition which offers a wide range of art from several disciplines, including industrial design, architecture, textiles, painting, sculpture and others… selected in relationship to their "European or Indonesian connections". European artists participating in the show have lived in Indonesia at one time or another, and the Indonesian artists to have works on display have also lived or shown in Europe.


Art Expo ’91: Unity in Diversity in a Visual Mode
Margret Augusta, Jakarta Post, 23 May 1991
…The exhibition... carried on to fruition by Jill Roland-Gosselin, Birgitta Godlund, Rashid Carre Midelti, Minister of Education and Culture Fuad Hassan, Head of the Representation of the CEC Robert van der Meulen, Director of Art FX Soetopo and the Director of the French Cultural Center M. Joel Dechezlepretre among others, clearly offers "diversity" in terms of the sheer scope of the presentation, let alone the fact that artists of such varied backgrounds and cultures are having their works shown together.


Unity: The "unity" aspect lies in the quality of the art presented itself and the universal concern for the aesthetic apparent in any true work of art no matter how different it is from another. One of the truly impressive features of this show is the fact that art works of such diverse characteristics and natures are hung or set side by side in such a way that the overall feeling of the aesthetic of the individual pieces is enhanced and complemented... This in itself says volumes about the artists and critics, of both European and Indonesian origins, who selected and set up the display. The putting together of a show of this scope and the successful juxtaposition of what might otherwise, with less care and concern, have constituted little more than a hodge podge of artistic objects, was indeed a major undertaking. One which, hopefully, will set an example of how cooperation between nations and peoples can do much to enhance the growth and enrichment of mankind. …


Respect: This particular show covers such a span of styles and periods of artistic thinking that it does indeed inspire some thought about what art is all about. It also inspires a sense of respect for the individual artists whose works are in the show in that all of them have stepped, at one time or another, beyond the cultural frameworks into which they were born into another way of being and thinking to their own personal and artistic enrichment. This being the "unity" that in one way or another is reflected in the experience… Whether the cross-cultural influence is highly visible in a given individual's work or not, what is clear is that each individual represented in the show, with its reflection of all sorts of varying styles, ways of doing and thinking about art, and even of artistic approaches... has gained from that new experience, from that sharing of what is universal and beautiful in all men, no matter how different they are.

Menjelah Indonesia Melalui Lukisan
LILA FITRY ALI SARINAH 27 Januari 1991
Bukan hanya Bali yang menjadi daya tarik di Indonesia. Negeri ini terlalu luas untuk dijelajahi. Keanekaragaman budayajuga meru-pakan inspirasi yang kuat, di samping alamnya clan orang-orangnya yang memiliki banyak dimensi. Sarinahsempat menemui Ken Pattern, Paul T Nagano, Carlos de Goyeneche, Birgitta Godlund, Marilies Forster-Romswinckeldan Jill Roland-Gosselin. Setelah berbincan-bincang dengan mereka, maka lahirlah tulisan di bawah ini... Ada alasan lain pula mengapa pelukis asing ini datang ke Indone­sia. Bagi Birgitta Godlund (pelukis Swedia), Jill Roland-Gosselin (pelukis Inggris) dan Marilies Forster (pelukis Austria) datang ke sini karena suami mereka ditugaska di Indonesia... Para suami itu, ada yang bekerja di pihak swasta dan ada pula di pemerintahan. Birgitta dan Jill tinggal di Jakarta, sedangkan Marilies yang biasa dipanggil Marie tinggal di Bandung. Sudah 40 tahun ia berada di kota Kembang itu. Birgitta, yang merupakan istri orang kedua di Ke­dutaan Swedia telah tinggal di Indonesia sejak tahun 1987. Dan sudah pernah mengadakan pameran tunggal di Bentara Budaya, tahun 1989...


Bagi Birgitta, adalah sangat sulit iagi pelukis untuk menutup mata erhadap apa yang dilihatnya di sekelilingnya. Ia telah mengikuti tugas diplomatik suaminya ke berbagai negara. Sebelum di Indonesia, dia pernah berada di lrak dan Rumania. Dalam melukis dia banyak mengamati kehidupan sehari-hari. Taman Delakang di belakang rumahnya, kadang-kadang juga merupakan sum - oer inspirasinya... Sebetulnya ia suka juga untuk mencari objek menarik bagi lukisan-lukisannya. Tapi ia punya keterbatasan, sebagai seorang asing dan atau sebagai wanita dalam mengeksplorasi tempat-tempat tertentu. Ada rasa tidak enak bila diperhatikan atau dikerumuni orang banyak. Sebagai penyelesaiannya, Birgitta memotret satu objek dari berbagai sisi. Kemudian dia balik ke studionya, mulai melukis dengan menggunakan foto-foto tersebut. Nanti dikembangkan dengan imaginasinya dan apa yang masih tertinggal di dalam memorinya. Kesulitan ini dibenarkan pula oleh Marie dan Jill... Kalau Marie, tidak menggunakan kamera seperti Birgitta, tetapi ia selalu membawa buku sketch kecil ke mana-mana dia pergi.... Bagi orang awam Indonesia, mungkin sulit bisa memahamiJukis­an konteks Indonesia di dalam lukisan-lukisan gaya ekspresionis. Seperti Birgitta, misalnya lebih banyak bermain dengan impresinya. Kalau ia berpikir tentang temperatur Indonesia yang sedemikian panas, maka dia akan banyak sekali menggunakan warna merah dan kuning. Perasaan density (kepadatan atau ketebalan) yang juga merupakan tipe Indonesia dapat juga disampaikan dengan dua warna ini pula. Bahkan untuk pohon palm yang hijau pun, dia bisa menggunakan warna merah, demikian pula sawah yang biasa hijau, di tangannya bisa menjadi kuning... Semua ini merupakan refleksi panas yang luar biasa itu. Kalau berada di negerinya yang dingin itu, Swedia, Birgitta hanya memakai wama biru dan hijau yang menyejukkan. Pada bulan Mei mendatang, Birgitta, Jill, Carlos, Marie dan beberapa pelukis Masyarakat Eropa akan mengadakan pameran. Di sana ditampilkan sejumlah pelukis Eropa, dan sejumlah lagi dari Indonesia yang memiliki ciri Eropa atau pernah tinggal di sana...


Bila melihat lukisan B. Godlund kita membayangkan perubahan waktu dan ruang angkasa: Lambang-lambang itu digambarkan secara misterius dengan elemen-elemen yang baru diperkenalkan oleh pelukis, misalnya kaca yang dilukis sebagian saja atau kerangka yang lekat pada kanvas. Maka adalah suatu kontradiksi bila ada yang mengatakan bahwa konsep klasik lukisan itu hanyalah suatu sebuah ilusi. Filsafat modern d'ari kenyataan akan obyek itu sendiri (kanvas, papan, sapuan kuasanya dan lain-lain) merupakan bagian integral dari pemikirannya. B. Godlund mengajak peminat lukisan untuk ikut dalam proses melukis. Maka terciptalah sebuah dialog. Apakah itu? Apakah yang ada di sana? di sini? Mana yang depan? Yang belakang? Hari ini? Kemarin? Pesan yang terlukis itu abadi, dan ada seterusnya.


Three Painters Display their Experimental Art Works
Carla Bianpoen Jakarta Post, Dec 12, 1990
…What makes this exhibit different from others is certainly the art of Birgitta Godlund. In her use of multimedia, glass takes an important place. "I am fascinated by glass," she conveys. It allows you to see through and see yourself as in a mirror. Covering the painted canvas with glass is nothing new. but painting or making collages on that glass to complete the painting widens the scope of the painting and the viewer at the same time. Glass allows the effect of depth and makes the spectator 'walk into' the painting, obliging him, as it were, to become part of the scene. Birgitta's paintings are reflections of the struggle between modern man and nature, viewed through her tormented eyes. Fragments of buildings, fragments of nature and collages of torsos, they appear as a most lucid exercise originating in the artist's agony over the dominating built-up area in the city. ...

Experimental Art Embraces Environmental Issues
Margret Augusta, Jakarta Post, April 28, 1989
A kaleidoscope of images in a multitude of media clamor for attention at the exhibition at Bentara Budaya Gallery Jl. Palmerah Selatan, Central Jakarta … She began painting over the top of batik patterned fabric when she decided she wanted a change from the water color works she had been doing during the first part of her stay in Indonesia. … She used acrylic paint and took delight in letting the batik pattern on the fabric show through in selected areas… [She] puts heavy emphasis on philosophic statements in a visual form. The majority of those philosophic statements inherent in her paintings as well as her collages and assemblages on nature, man's relationship to it and the state of the environment in general… In order to make as strong statement as possible about impending ecological disaster Birgitta Godlund tears and cuts into jungle scenes done in a riot of tropical colors…[to show that] nature is disappearing. The white space left when the painted paper is torn away represents the loss to all mankind… The artist's technical creativity…[is demonstrated in the] extensive use of contrasts in texture between a fairly smooth-surfaced ground and a rough, grainy canvas-like surface laid together in carefully-cut, shaped strips. Living plants, earth and grassy areas are done on the rougher surfaces, only occasionally spilling over onto the smoother ground. The angled shapes of skyscrapers are done in slicker brushstrokes on the smoother surface. The result is a moving and aesthetically pleasing contrast of natural elements and man's creations. … Other themes, such as the quest for identity and the uncertainty of the future also appear in the works in this unusual and innovative show. Identity I an assemblage involving the use of oil treated watercolors on batik and metal thread, and Identity II, a paper-mache mask painted with acrylic, deal with the human struggle to come to grips with oneself… [other works] continue to deal with universal human concerns. ... her ideas are adequately presented and enhanced by the sometimes surprising effects of the juxtaposition of unusual materials such as newspaper clippings, fabric and paint. The expression of these ideas and their clarity to the viewer is important to this artist who is making the most of her stay in Indonesia to further explore art.


Birgitta Godlund merobek kanvas dalam bereksperimen
Naskah Bambang Istijab, Bisnis Indonesia Tahun 1V No. 1020 - Senin, 1 Mei 1989
….mengatakan tertarik pada seni batik, iapun menggunakan batik sebagai kanvas seperti terlihet dalam karyanya ... Penggunaan batik sebagai taferil misalnya belum terpikir oleh pelukis lain dan dia berani menggunakannya. Ada juga lukisannya dengan tempetan cermin, atau benda lain


A Discussion of Conceptual Art
Jakarta Post 28 April 1989
…Birgitta Godlund of Sweden will be exhibiting around 36 artistic creations done in a variety of media at the Bentara Budaya Gallery in Jalan Palmerah Selatan from the evening of April 29 to April 30. The majority of the artwork to be displayed has been inspired by Indonesia's natural environment and the need to preserve it. A discussion of conceptual art will be held by the artist on the second day...


Pameran Eksperimen Indonesia
Efix, Kompas 26 April 1989
…Birgitta Godlund, pendatang yang juga pelukis ini bakal memamerkan dua puluhan karyanya di Bentara Budaya Jakarta, 28 April - 1 Mei 1989. … la menyebut pamerannya sebagai experimeiating Indonesia. Katanya, ini merupakan gaya pribadi dalam mengungkapkan gagasannya tentang Indonesia… Dalam beberapa karya ia berbicara tentang penderitaan Indonesia, sejak di bawah cengkeraman penjajah. Ia menampilkan di situ sosok tubuh per rempuan telanjang, di atas kanvas yang terbuat dari kain batik. Warna kecokelatan dan sapuan merah kusam dominan menggaris bawahi penderitaan tersebut... Beberapa karyanya memang menggunakan kain batik sebabagai taferil. Batik di sini lebih bernilai perlambang daripada sekadar elemen seni rupa. Ia menjadi latar, unsur yang ikut bermain, gambaran dunia pemikiran, mitologi, atau bisa juga nilai nilai lama yang tahan zaman meski bergeser fungsinya... Yang sangat menarik adalah karya dengan bidang gambar ganda dan tembus pandang. Ia melukis dengan kreori di atas karton. Di atasnya ia pasang kaca, yang ia gambari dengan cat minyak...