Sudarso was born in 1914 during the times of Dutch Colonial Rule. Under the Dutch, Indonesian children were denied basic education, not to mention specialized training like traditional art techniques and methods. Priority was only given to aristocrats and intellectuals or civil servants. Generally, children from lower classes would be destined to serve as laborers or delivery boys.
Sudarso was no different. Fortunately, one of his deliveries was milk and eggs to his future teacher Affandi. Sudarso would sit for hours watching Affandi paint.
One day Affandi looked at him slightly irritated and asked, “Why do you like to watch me paint for hours and hours?” Sudarso informed him that he wanted Affandi to instruct him in drawing and painting. Affandi started giving him lessons and half used tubes of paint thus, beginning a lifelong friendship.
Perhaps it was luck that led Sudarso to dedicate his entire life to painting. Still, there was much for him to overcome. At the time the only successful Indonesian painters were those who completely detached themself from being Indonesian. Sudarso chose a very different route and experienced a very hard life, but through art Sudarso was able to float through all realms of Indonesian Society.
The period was very discouraging for aspiring painters, as the door was shut on any Indonesians that might posses undiscovered or creative talent.
The Dutch press along with the Dutch artists living in Indonesia until the Japanese occupation, all belittled and degraded the potential of the indigenous people.
It was impossible for Indonesian painters to get showings because the Dutch could not fathom an Indonesian painter having talent unless he spoke Dutch, dressed Dutch, and was formally educated by a Dutch painter.
When the Germans invaded Holland and the Japanese moved into Indonesia they were astonished to find such brilliant work in painters giving exhibitions for the first time.
As the Indonesian art scene began to flourish he moved to Yogya and began teaching at Akademi Seni Rupa Indonesia, which was the most prestigious art school of its day. He was also head of the legendary “Pelukis Rakyat”.
Sudarso choose happy and simple, beautiful young women and girls as his subjects. He found such amazing beauty and intensity in women but was most noted for his rendition of hands and feet. Everything about the hands and feet is realistic down to the smallest details.
Besides fathering the painting revolution, Sudarso and his wife Hj. Asiyah had 8 children. All five of the boys became painters. The youngest of these sons has established himself as a father figure to another generation of Indonesian painters. Gono, is a magnificent abstract painter with a color and texture sense unparalled in all of art. His paintings sell all around the world for thousands of dollars.
Sudarso’s paintings are extremely rare at this point in time. He has been collected around the world and is in many museums. His most notable collector, and close personal friend, is President Soekarno. First President of the Republic of Indonesia.
To truly biography Sudarso, who passed away in 2006, would be a much larger task. He was monumental in the transformation of art into a political tool for Indonesians. The real Sudarso experience is too vast for a single post. Check back for future postings.
Similar art in: Original Fine Art, Biographies
Neal and I met through a mutual friend in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. He had invited both of us over to look at his most recent foray onto the canvas and after looking at the painting Neal and I had the exact same comment. We found this interesting and immediately gave each other a bit of credibility. Later Neal and I bumped into each other at a restaurant where we laughed, started talking art and made theoretical plans for me to see his work. Shortly later at his neighbor’s birthday party we slipped away and looked at the painting he was currently working on. I was obviously impressed and the rest is shall we say history.
Similar art in: Original Fine Art, Neal Adams
Oil on Canvas
This is one of my favorite new pieces of Jason’s. What a beautiful perspective. The large leaves in the foreground with the rice terraces and volcano smoldering in the background. Absolutely brillant!
Similar art in: Original Fine Art, Jason Monet
Sudargono 2006
While recently travelling in Indonesia I was able to reconnect myself with the artist Sudargono. First of all, let me be the first to welcome ‘Gono’ to the JL Galleries family. This is one of his newest pieces painted this year. Over the course of a week in late September, I spent some time catching up with him and learning about his new style.
During 2006 Gono has dealt with the loss of his father, painter Sudarso. This has been devastating to not only Gono but to the whole of Indonesia. Sudarso was the ‘Master’ of Indonesian Realism, as well as being one of the fathers of modern Indonesian painting. Have a look through the Sudarso Gallery.
In May, Gono and his family were fortunate to escape the 6.3 earthquake without serious injury. They quickly pooled their resources to aid others that were seriously injured or homeless. Gono, his wife Tuti and children Gabe and Gintani fed, clothed, entertained and educated hundreds of people who were divastated over the course of the disaster.
There is still much to be done!
Similar art in: Original Fine Art, Updates, Gono
Bambang Wiwoho
Oil on Canvas
Loved this painting the moment I saw it. It reminds me of a painting I loved while growing up in my family’s home, but this one is much better. Bambang likes to paint the wild and natural scenes he finds in the midst of the city. They seem to be almost in the rainforrest.
Similar art in: Original Fine Art
F. Malik ‘Tree’
Ink on Canvas
Jessica Collins Costa Mesa CA
This was the first piece sold after my last trip. Fachrudin Malik lives and paints in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia. Usually, he only paints with black ink making this a rare and special piece. Details are what make Malik’s paintings so spectacular. He works meticulously on multiple projects at a time often taking months to complete them.
Similar art in: Original Fine Art
Jason Monet’s portraits are full of structure and mood highlighted with an array of colors and energy.
While painting, Jason is a swift whirlwind of personalities and paint as he races time to capture the light and the “moment”.
Similar art in: Original Fine Art, Jason Monet
Gono 1997
Oil on Canvas 10 * 13 feet
Beth Gates & Geoff Dorn, California
If you look closely in the middle of this painting you can see the two story government and its reflection in the pond. The ‘Clown’ reference is to the politicians that work in this building. This one was a treat to see in person with its massive size. So much to see in all the psychedelic abstractions.
Similar art in: Original Fine Art, Gono
Acrylic on Canvas 1984 16 * 20 inches
Private Collection Jerry Kraan, Holland
This painting is an interesting preview of some of the direction he would be taking in the 1990’s. The question is what is in the window? I get a ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ vibe. Even though this painting is not very large I get an oversized canvas impression from it in this photo. Besides something being in the window, it seems that the window has become an entity in itself, a ‘mask window’.
Similar art in: Original Fine Art, Gono
Gono ‘Famous Cive Door’
Oil on Canvas 1994 62 * 51 inches
Private Collection Ingrid Quell, Germany
One of my all time favorite Sudargono paintings. I find it so fun and invigorating to have a world class painter immortalize the rubber ducky. I can hear Ernie from Sesame Street singing every time I see this painting; “Rubber ducky, your the one… you make bath time so much fun…” When I first saw ‘Famous Cive Door’ it was already sold but not yet shipped. The buyer had called Gono and asked him on what he was working. When he described the current painting she bought it sight unseen! More of us art ‘patrons’ should be so bold.
Similar art in: Original Fine Art, Gono
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