Memahami Perkembangan Sejarah Seni Rupa Modern Indonesia #TFR

Summary

The video traces modern Indonesian art through its social and political history, emphasizing that it did not develop in a straight line alongside traditional art. Drawing on art historian Jim Supangkat’s writing, it follows how artists adapted Western approaches while searching for an Indonesian identity.

Early influences and Mooi Indie

Raden Saleh’s studies in Europe helped introduce Western painting techniques to Indonesian artists. Associated with naturalist and Romantic styles, he was especially known for portraits and paintings of animals.

In the early 20th century, painters such as Mas Pirngadie, Abdullah Suriosubroto, and Wakidi depicted idealized Indonesian scenery in the style known as Mooi Indie (“Beautiful Indies”). Their paintings featured bright skies, calm landscapes, and lush plants. S. Sudjojono criticized the work for presenting a pretty, tourist-friendly image while overlooking colonial-era social conditions. The video also recognizes the painters’ skill in Western naturalism and the style’s influence on familiar images of mountains, rice fields, and sunny skies.

Nationalism and Persagi

Taman Siswa, founded by Ki Hajar Dewantara, encouraged critical thinking, arts practice, and nationalism. Artists trained in this climate exhibited at the Batavia Kunstkring. In response to the colonial art scene, Agus Djaya, S. Sudjojono, and others formed Persagi, seeking to combine modern Western art with Indonesian traditions. The movement was shaped by the drive for independence, new cultural ideas, and arts education.

Japanese occupation and postwar groups

During the Japanese occupation, artists took part in organizations including PUTERA and Keimin Bunka Shidosho. After the occupation, groups such as Gelanggang, Seniman Indonesia Muda (SIM), and Pelukis Rakyat emerged. Their work included depictions of war and anti-Dutch-colonial themes.

The Gelanggang Manifesto asserted that Indonesian artists could inherit world culture and continue it in their own way.

Art education and distinct approaches

Formal fine-art education began in 1947. At the institution that developed into ITB’s Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, Ries Mulder introduced Cubism and geometric abstraction, influencing artists including Srihadi Soedarsono and Ahmad Sadali.

Founded in 1950, ASRI emphasized national identity and indigenous culture. Its work included realist and Expressionist figurative styles. IKJ, founded in 1968, emphasized artist-led workshops, sensitivity to one’s surroundings, and technical skills. Its craft course was presented as a bridge between traditional and modern art.

People named

Jim Supangkat; Raden Saleh; Antonio/Antoine Payen; Mas Pirngadie; Abdullah Suriosubroto; Wakidi; S. Sudjojono; Ki Hajar Dewantara; Agus Djaya; Affandi; Hendra Gunawan; Mochtar Apin; Sutisna; Zaini; Usman Effendi; Kusnadi; Soemitro; Sasongko; Simon Admiraal; Ries Mulder; Srihadi Soedarsono; Ahmad Sadali; Sujoko; R. J. Katamsi; Jayang Asmoro; and Ali Sadikin.

The subtitles also refer to two Dutch painters who mentored Raden Saleh and an artist rendered as “S.W. 10”; their names are unclear in the captions.