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Obituary: Slamet Gundono:
Slamet Gundono
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Slamet Gundono. Courtesy of Slamet Gundono
Slamet Gundono, the nation's most prominent contemporary wayang dalang (puppeteer), died in Kartasura, Central Java, on Sunday from complications following a heart attack. He was 47.
In 1995, Gundono caused a buzz at a festival of dalang in Surakarta, Central Java, when he presented a pakeliran (Javanese wayang or shadow puppet show) that went outside the rules.
In front of famous classical puppeteers such as Ki Anom Suroto, Ki Manteb Soedharsono, and Ki Purbo Asmoro, Gundono crossed boundaries, mixing various disciplines from modern and traditional theater, music, dance and even contemporary arts vocabularies.
He revolutionized a world of wayang that had been considered stagnant.
Classical dalang were shocked, fans were surprised and protests followed the crazy spectacle.
However, renowned figures in the country's cultural scene found Gundono a breath of fresh air, including poet Goenawan Mohamad, the late author Umar Kayam, art critic Halim HD and Murtidjono, formerly head of the Central Java Cultural Center.
Since then, Gundono's creative flair had been unstoppable. He created wayang nggremeng, wayang api and wayang air.
In 1999, he developed wayang suket or grass puppetry, which became his signature piece. Gundono even named his studio in Surakarta Sanggar Wayang Suket.
He said that wayang suket existed somewhere in between the Western theory of theater and the Eastern puppet traditions.
'Like grass, the spirit has to keep growing. Grass does not need a lot of water and sun, but it keeps growing. I learned a lot from the philosophy of grass,' he told The Jakarta Post in an interview several years ago.
The philosophy became the inspiration behind wayang suket. His shows symbolized the grassroots spirit, reflecting on the self rather than on organizing a revolt or a social destruction.
'Life is like children playing in the yard. Life is essentially having fun. God sent us to earth with joy, therefore God shall be joyful when we return to Him. Don't commit graft, don't steal, don't gamble and don't be a womanizer,' he said.
Gundono did not only create a new form of puppetry, but he also adapted the stories to respond to social/environmental problems such as floods, water shortages and environmental destruction. He also delivered moral and religious values in his shows.
Gundono was also an avid writer of suluk, the poems recited during puppet shows.
His suluk confronted social problems, such as in Palagan Kurusetra, where he criticized the violence wreaked by different religious groups and different schools of thought in Islam. 'Did the Prophet Muhammad never allow his followers to harm enemies who yield? Then why did they act inhumanely toward their Muslim brothers?' Gundono wrote.
In the eyes of his peers, Gundono was among the few who could create original works. Kelingan Lamun Kelangan, Sukesi atau Rahwana Lahir, Limbuk Ingin Merdeka and Bibir Merah Banowati were among his creations that resulted from a prolonged creative process.
He always was energetic on stage despite weighing more than 150 kilograms. With ukelele in hand, Gundono danced with freedom to the music he was playing.
In Sanggar Wayang Suket, founded in 1999, he did not only make art but also conducted research and fostered discussions.
In 2005, Gundono received a prestigious award from the Netherlands: the Prince Claus Award.
In his note for the award, scholar Philip Yampolsky wrote that Gundono's work 'draws on the stories, characters, music and philosophy of Javanese tradition, but not in their classical, court-sanctioned formulations. Instead, he reassembles the traditional elements in a looser, alternative structure and uses them to affirm the dignity and integrity of the neglected and ignored, the people without power and voice.'
Born on June 19, 1966, Gundono defied his father, a classical wayang puppeteer, refusing to learn how to become a dalang, saying that he saw many puppet masters who were alcoholics and womanizers.
Instead, he entered an Islamic school. After graduation, however, he followed his father's wishes and pursued a career as a dalang.
A graduate of the Surakarta Arts Institute, Gundono was hospitalized on New Year's Eve after a heart attack. For the last two days of his life, Gundono was in coma.
Fellow puppeteer Sri Waluyo said Gundono died on Sunday morning with a smile on his face.
His funeral on Sunday was packed with artists from Surakarta and Yogyakarta, including dalang Ki Manteb and actor Butet Kartaredjasa.
Dozens of fellow artists also sent condolences through social media, expressing their loss of an important artist who was an inspiration for many others.
With his trademark attire ' a loose shirt and knee-length pants ' Gundono had made a significant mark not only in the world of wayang, but also in the nation's performing arts.
He is survived by his wife, Nuning Rejeki, a Javanese classical dancer, and their two children.
