Instant Karma, Yayat Surya’s portrait of John Lennon. Srisasanti Art House catalog

Yayat Surya’s solo exhibition at Srisasanti Art House in South Jakarta comes as an interesting alternative to the usual representation of legendary icons.

While using hexagrams from I-Ching, the ancient Chinese Book of Changes, to visualize Indonesian rock star Iwan Fals and rock band Slank may be surprising, pairing them with Western rock stars sets Yayat apart from any other artist of the kind.

Inspired by Andy Warhol’s paintings of Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali and other celebrities, some time in the sixties, artists old and young went on to perpetuate  idols like John Lennon, the Beatles, and political figures such as Che Guevara and Mao Zedong in a manner that is commonly called Pop. Even today, the trend is apparent in established and upcoming artists. Some were lured into Pop through sheer fascination, while others –lacking creative inspiration – simply followed the trend for commercial gain.  

Yayat (b. 1964), however adds a twist to his solo exhibition titled “Soundtrack” — at the Srisasanti Art  House in Jakarta, which is on show until Dec. 20.

He limits himself to depicting legendary icons from the world of popular and rock music, selecting those whose lives and lyrics stood against social or political norms that were either incompatible with their personal stance, or ultimately against the basic principles of human rights.

Even if the lyrics speak of peace and love, they are basically grounded in the spirit of resistance, subversion or rebellion.

Thus, although Yayat’s images derive from Pop, which some find particularly shallow, Yayat gives depth and content that calls for pondering over the deeper meaning.

The images in his “Soundtrack” exhibition are marked by layers of blur where musical notes and words come together in dim colors laying side by side with vibrant hues. At first, one is struck by the lyrics or statements from the iconic rock star in question, which have been chosen to set the tone.

The “I believe I am God… I dreamt I was the Antichrist and I believe it” message at the top of The Notorious Bogeyman (Marilyn Manson) painting is an eye catcher. The rest of the work is splattered with text and graphic designs, culminating with another message in a different font: “We will sell our shadow to those who stand within it”.

Breaking the monotony of the texture, a formation of little lines pierces through the upper part of the image.  

Similarly, the first of Instant Karma (John Lennon) reads “The trouble with reality is it leaves a lot to the imagination”, with Lennon’s face appearing through a curtain of blurred lines, texts and musical scores.

Meanwhile, in the Visionary (Jim Morrison), the text “The most important kind of freedom is to be what you really are”, grabs one’s attention.

But more remarkable is the light and darker colors that bring together the two parts of the face, with text on the left side and musical scores filling the right side, all of which can be read as hexagrams symbolizing meanings, characteristics of the yin-yang through (hidden) horizontal lines, where each line is either yang (an unbroken, or solid line), or yin (an open line with a gap in the center).

While the picture of the Indonesian singer and song writer Iwan Fals is covered with text heavily clashing with musical notes and images of the members of Slank, the iconic Indonesian rock band celebrating its 26th year of existence this December, it is the division of colors and the appearance of the eyes that is particularly striking.    

According to Yayat, who is a fervent reader of the I Ching and its 64 hexagrams, his entire oeuvre is based on hexagrams, though the viewer may not be aware of it. After delving into the background and lives of the selected rock music idols, Yayat picked the suitable hexagram fitting the life, lyrics or statements of each celebrity, infusing his paintings with the energy that has driven these idols in their creative lives.

Yayat’s paintings apply techniques often used in the world of music, such as sampling (using the original voice of somebody else for one’s own song) or remixing. Some of the paintings appear as a combination of several parts of a cover design to create something new. According to Anton Larentz, the curator of the show, his work could be called Post-Pop.

But Yayat also depicts the tragedies that befell some of the superstars such as Michael Jackson, who is famous for his enormous talent but also because of his spectacular strangeness, and whose life was tainted by denials of skin surgery and sexual abuse. The painting Black on White is a portrait without lyrics or musical notes. Michael Jackson’s photograph is superimposed on a badge from the Santa Barbara County sheriff’s department, without makeup, looking plain and a bit tragic.

All of the pop artists Yayat Surya presented have been or are marked by undeniable charisma: Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Michael Jackson, Freddy Mercury, Kurt Cobain, Mick Jagger, Bono U2, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Prince, Marilyn Manson, Miles Davis, Patti Smith, Iwan Fals, and the members of Slank.

It took Yayat two years to research, absorb information on the lives and struggles of the rock stars, and integrate their features using hexagrams in characteristic visual representations. The outcome is a well-cared and prepared show, in which no doubt the curator Anton Larentz who stayed with Yayat for around one year, made a significant contribution. The catalogue that comes with the exhibition includes biographies of Yayat and the rock stars, an excellent curatorial essay. Additional notations by Arief Bagus Prasetyo could well serve as a model.

The only discordant note in “Soundtrack” may be the cold and stiff sculptures featuring pale-colored musical notations set in front of the paintings and marked by flowing lines and energizing colors. But perhaps this is precisely what Yayat wishes to portray, the yin and yang of all things in life.


Soundtrack

Dec. 2-20, 2009
Solo exhibition by Yayat Surya
Srisasanti Art House
Jl. Kemang Raya 81
Kemang
South Jakarta

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