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Lot Essay
I Nyoman Masriadi has won international acclaim as a leading Southeast Asian contemporary artist of this generation. Born in Bali and currently based in Jogjakarta, Indonesia, the artist employs satirical visual imagery and poignant narratives to explicate the vagaries of socio-political life in our present environment. His works, often featuring heavily muscled, dark-skinned figures, are reminiscent of the artist's influence from elements of contemporary visual culture, such as comic books and video games. Richly explicit, Masriadi's iconic paintings deliver the immediate visual impact demanded by a consumeristic and media-savvy audience, yet when critically interrogated, reveal layer after layer of profound messaging.
Fatman depicts a supposed Superman, bearing all the recognisable traits of bulging musculature, costumed tights and cape, whilst being launched into brisk flight. It appears to pay tribute to the Marvel Comics superhero and all his subsequent Hollywood film incarnations, through its apparent visual bravado and pop-art execution. Andy Warhol was the first to elevate the comic book character to artistic icon, through his highly coveted edition of Superman silkscreen prints. However Masriadi enacts a tongue-in-cheek twist: within his satirical universe, the character of Superman is depicted as an aging, balding has-been. His obvious potbelly suggests a severe lack of exercise and the long-expired days of chasing villains. Furthermore the figure displays an apparent possession of excess wealth, boasting a shiny ring and a gold tooth, at odds with his projected image of altruistic public defender. The higher this floundering 'Superman' flies, the more limited his view of the horizon.
Masriadi subverts his Superman into an 'anti-hero', illustrating a withering commentary on the aspirational individual who still perceives himself as a god-like figure despite his blind worship of materialism and luxury culture. This biting portrayal of self-delusion parodies our obsession with the perfect body and the endless pursuit of attempting to present oneself in a certain way - for example an insistence on wearing certain outfits and jewelry in an effort to conform, no matter if they are laughably unflattering on the individual and convey a lack of taste or finesse. Within his signature caricatures, Masriadi also highlights the aggregated presentation of an urban reality, and ultimately the pathos of its unfortunate victims.
Interestingly, Masriadi is not alone in attempting to convey a sense of satire, cynicism, and futile aspiration in the form of flying figures. First-generation Indonesian contemporary artist Heri Dono presents a similar take in the installation format of Flying Angels which is rife with socio-political narratives. Similarly, celebrated Chinese contemporary artist Yue Minjun executed Sky in 1997, using the mocking visage of multiple flying figures to parody social sentiment and the blurring of individual identity during the late 20th century. The idea of being suspended against an empty space indicates a grievous lack of awareness of how high or low one is actually situated, or what grounded reality really means. The universality of this motif translates across cultures to bear witness against our contemporary human condition, and Masriadi aptly describes this within the explosive humor of Fatman.
Fatman depicts a supposed Superman, bearing all the recognisable traits of bulging musculature, costumed tights and cape, whilst being launched into brisk flight. It appears to pay tribute to the Marvel Comics superhero and all his subsequent Hollywood film incarnations, through its apparent visual bravado and pop-art execution. Andy Warhol was the first to elevate the comic book character to artistic icon, through his highly coveted edition of Superman silkscreen prints. However Masriadi enacts a tongue-in-cheek twist: within his satirical universe, the character of Superman is depicted as an aging, balding has-been. His obvious potbelly suggests a severe lack of exercise and the long-expired days of chasing villains. Furthermore the figure displays an apparent possession of excess wealth, boasting a shiny ring and a gold tooth, at odds with his projected image of altruistic public defender. The higher this floundering 'Superman' flies, the more limited his view of the horizon.
Masriadi subverts his Superman into an 'anti-hero', illustrating a withering commentary on the aspirational individual who still perceives himself as a god-like figure despite his blind worship of materialism and luxury culture. This biting portrayal of self-delusion parodies our obsession with the perfect body and the endless pursuit of attempting to present oneself in a certain way - for example an insistence on wearing certain outfits and jewelry in an effort to conform, no matter if they are laughably unflattering on the individual and convey a lack of taste or finesse. Within his signature caricatures, Masriadi also highlights the aggregated presentation of an urban reality, and ultimately the pathos of its unfortunate victims.
Interestingly, Masriadi is not alone in attempting to convey a sense of satire, cynicism, and futile aspiration in the form of flying figures. First-generation Indonesian contemporary artist Heri Dono presents a similar take in the installation format of Flying Angels which is rife with socio-political narratives. Similarly, celebrated Chinese contemporary artist Yue Minjun executed Sky in 1997, using the mocking visage of multiple flying figures to parody social sentiment and the blurring of individual identity during the late 20th century. The idea of being suspended against an empty space indicates a grievous lack of awareness of how high or low one is actually situated, or what grounded reality really means. The universality of this motif translates across cultures to bear witness against our contemporary human condition, and Masriadi aptly describes this within the explosive humor of Fatman.