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Java’s Sane Van Gogh
 Kaisar
Wijantono is an admirer of troubled 19th century artist Vincent Van
Gogh, but the East Java artist is decidedly not mad, bad or dangerous to know,
Duncan Graham
finds.
Apart from artistic style
there seems to be little in common between Indonesian painter and sculptor
Kaisar Wijantono and Dutch expressionist Vincent Van Gogh.
From all historical
records the prolific post-impressionist 19th century artist who shot
himself when aged only 37 – and then took two days to die – lived a tormented
life. The self-amputation of his left ear, which he then gave to a prostitute,
is one of the most famous anecdotes in artistic history.
Who knows what black dogs
of depression howl in the cavernous conscience of Kaisar, but the 40-year old
Javanese presents as a wholesome and balanced individual with a steady hand,
offering a cheerful and positive face to the world.
While Kaisar’s style is
distinctly European and often enigmatic, there are no swirls of anguish and
flecks of doubt in his work – and hopefully not in his soul.
“Van Gogh was not mad,”
said his admirer with some vigor. “He was certainly misunderstood. But he was
a genius.”
Like the brooding
Dutchman Kaisar has his own self-portrait. It shows a pensive artist in a
paint-splotched smock, apparently seeking inspiration in a caffeine fix.
Coffee cups and cigarette
butts litter his cluttered workplace, but no sign of absinthe, the wine and
wormwood liquor that sustained Van Gogh and is supposed to have affected his
sense of color. Instead the Javanese finds inspiration in classical music,
particularly Beethoven, and the ochre and emerald tones of rural Java.
Kaisar is one of those
most fortunate Indonesian artists who can make a reasonable living from his work
without having to drive a bus or a desk during daylight hours.
His success has negated
his parents’ predictions that a man with no “proper” job would be doomed to a
life of penury. His needs are frugal (he’s a single parent of an eight year
old) and he doesn’t seem to hanker for wealth.
“I’ve always been a
professional, ever since I left the Jakarta Art Institute where I had teachers
who loved the European tradition,” he said. “I wandered around Indonesia for
five years. I liked adventure and knew that one day I’d settle down. I was
offered a job with (the oil company) Pertamina, but I rejected the chance. All
I wanted to do was paint.”
Van Gogh was a Christian
fanatic to the point of being rejected by church conservatives. Kaisar is far
more balanced. He was raised a Muslim but converted to Protestantism when a
religious teacher at his elementary school forbade students to greet people of
other faiths.
“I thought this was quite
wrong, even though I was young at the time,” he said. “In my heart I was a
rebel. I thought I could not trust anyone to teach me about religion, so I had
to find out for myself.
“We should not criticize
others – that’s the role of God. Just enjoy life and don’t hurt anyone.”
There’s no history of
artistic talent in Kaisar’s family. He was born in Malang where he still
retains a modest studio on the back veranda of his parents’ house in a kampong
on the edge of the East Java city. But most of his time is spent in Jakarta
where the big commissions attract.
He recently finished a
seven-meter high statue of Moses commissioned by an overseas construction
company for its Jakarta headquarters. He’s also created other statuary for
private clients and doesn’t seem to mind shifting from oils on canvas to cement
on walls, though the two seem incompatible.
The serious money is in
sculpture where the size of the assignment demands the client put cash up
front. With painting the outlay on oils and canvas is small so the artist can
self-finance, paint what he likes and speculate on finding a buyer later.
He’s had exhibitions in
Jakarta, Surabaya and Malang, worked on furniture designs in Australia and is
now preparing for another show in his hometown.
Unlike his mentor Kaisar
has avoided still life and landscapes, preferring portraits. He’s attracted by
real and mythological historical incidents, beautiful women, the village poor,
artisans and humble folk.
One of his major works
called Maestro (which he completed in a night of intense work) shows a
wood carver fitting a magically charged mask to a dancer’s face that can’t be
seen, while a black cat prowls.
The setting is clearly
tropical and from the costumes and features, Javanese. But in the background
through a wedge of light beyond the carver’s hut rise green hills in the style
beloved by Renaissance artists, particularly with religious subjects.
His Dwarapala is
another substantial canvas showing one of the two great statues of the fearsome
guardians against evil spirits. These goggle-eyed figures festooned with skulls
were probably part of the entrance gates to the Singosari palace, the 14th
century kingdom centered just north of Malang.
“When I went to Singosari
I was disappointed to find that the statues are in a developed, urban area,”
Kaisar said. “There are houses all around and the figures are just at the side
of the road. I wanted to create a more natural scene, as it might have been in
the recent past.”
So four village girls,
each with a baby on her hip, stand before the awesome carving, their expressions
bland as though adult life has rushed on them too soon, stealing their youth and
locking them into inescapable responsibilities.
Kaisar is vague about
prices. His big works sell for about Rp 10 million (US $1100) in Malang, but
fetch higher sums in Jakarta.
“I’m lucky, I have plenty
of work, though I don’t go looking for it,” he said. “Sometimes I don’t have
enough money – then it comes!
“Clients seem to find me.
I now spend about half my time on sculpture. I don’t have a gallery. I really
only want to sell to people who appreciate my art.
“I like working in Malang.
The light here is soft, the air cool. It’s easy to get access to people. The
situation is less hectic, life is slower.
“When we look at a
picture, what is our reaction? It should show feeling. There should be
character. We should not be afraid to express our beliefs. Life is art. If
you want to be an artist you must love life. Life is beautiful.
“I live for painting. I
don’t paint to live.”
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