Nashar, Ahead of his time

Carla Bianpoen ,  Contributor ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 04/23/2009 2:08 PM  |  Lifestyle

The exhibition of the works by the late Indonesian artist Nashar (1928-1994), organized by the Association of Indonesian Collectors (ASPI), reveals he was far ahead of his time.

The strong-willed Nashar ignored the advice of his senior, Soedjojono, who told him he had no talent and would be better off being an office clerk.

Nashar persevered; doing exactly what he thought was best for him. But, like van Gogh, whom he admired, and who sold only one painting in his lifetime, Nashar hardly sold his work.

During his lifetime he was popular and known by many, but few were interested in buying his paintings. The collection in the exhibition mostly belongs to collectors, which suggest his paintings were sold after he had passed away.

Indeed, five years after his death, his paintings were offered in auctions. Ironically, that was completely contrary to what he believed in.

He is known as an artist of the three "Nons": non-concept, non-object and non-technique. He never subjected his art to the current trends, and remained poor until the end of his life.

He painted out of an inner urge, a natural inclination, and without any premeditated concepts. However, his paintings testify to his perfect command of technique, boasting compelling color combinations and bold lines that run over the colored planes.

Perhaps subconsciously, the hard bold lines upon the beautiful colors are reminiscent of the yin and yang concept.

Agus Dermawan, the editor of the book launched at the opening of the exhibition, says Nashar might have been influenced by this concept of balance and harmony, as he had read about it.

Entering the exhibition hall, one is first struck by the fantastic colors, so singularly Nashar. His self-made colors blend together in compelling combinations, such as terracotta, yellow, black and blue in Bentuk Bentuk Mencari (Forms of searching), or light orange with a darker orange and blue grey like in Perjalanan di Gunung (Mountain's trip), or an indefinable green with black and a little reddish orange as in Two Women, and green against blue with just a little brown in Wanita di Kebun Biru (Woman in blue garden).

But there is also that bold black paired with a creamy color through which a tinge of rose shines through. Another striking feature is the bold lines that go over the colored planes as forceful imprints of electric waves, as seen in Irama Alam (Nature's Rhythm).

Sometimes those "waves" resemble tangles of calligraphy. But Garis Garis Ingatan (Memory Lines) has lines in green, grey white, and orange, which are quietly set on a dotted plane of brown with additional planes of black and a touch of yellow.

And the lines in his Ayam Jantan (Rooster) are poetic and melodic. Some of his later paintings are totally different, featuring comic-style tuyul ghost faces. On his sickbed, perhaps in a state of hallucination, he complained tuyul visited him too often.

One wonders how the artist felt when creating such unusual compositions, and whether the whirling lines came out of the turbulence that was raging within him.

Since he was a painter by intuition, it would be interesting to know what inner feelings led him to color the woman green in Wanita di Kebun Biru. Is there actually an explanation for the colors he made himself to suit his intuitional expressions?

Those who knew Nashar mostly speak of the man as strong-willed, hardheaded, simple, ascetic and utterly poor.

His students, like Jerry T. and Nunung WS, speak highly of him. Nashar knew no hierarchy, they say; students or teacher, to him they were artists of equal naming. He did not teach theories, says Oei Hong Djien, he simply encouraged them to paint together. He was kind to others and strict with himself.

This exhibition and the book titled Elegi Artistik Karya Nashar (Artistic Elegy of Nashar's Works) brings to light the greatness of an artist who dared to ignore the advice of Soedjojono, a prominent artist at the time.

He chose his own way, dared to be different, and became a significant artist. Nevertheless, more research and perhaps a second book would do posthumous justice to this great artist.

Elegi Artistik Nashar
A solo exhibition
Organised by ASPI
Until April 24, 2009
At the National Gallery
Medan Merdeka Utara 14
Central Jakarta

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