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Lot Essay
In comparison to his Indonesian contemporaries, Affandi was considered a well-travelled artist throughout his lifetime. With his sojourns, Affandi captured various scenes and landscapes that he encountered and characterised them with distinct qualities in his canvases that are unmistakably of his aesthetic. Thus, Affandi's travel pieces are all unique and sought after by many.
From many of his travels, Expo '70 in Japan was one of Affandi's most well-known and appealing periods within his oeuvre. Invited by Raka Sumichan, an Indonesian collector who was close to him, Affandi visited the first ever world's exposition in Japan. With the theme of Progress and Harmony for Mankind, this mega fair was supported by a group of world's most visionary and significant architects in the history, offering a place that was highly modern and ahead of its time. To Affandi, it was a feast for the eyes and soul considering his simple life in the rural area of the country. His excitement was very much palpable in each works created during this trip through his exuberant lines and choice of colours. Influenced by the bright lights and highly urbanised environment of a modern Japan at the fair, Affandi was placed miles away from the rural agrarian Indonesia he knew so well, full of excitement to explore the peculiar yet exciting experience.
ENVISIONING THE INVISIBLE
Expo '70 – Toshiba-IHI Pavilion was one of the unforgettable sights which left an indelible impression on Affandi's memory. In the present lot, Affandi successfully captures the impression of the pavilion by imposing the scale and grandeur of the unusual structure. The pavilion was designed by one of Japan's leading architects of the 20th century, Kisho Kurokawa – it was his initial exploration on the idea of Metabolists, a concept he was well-known for, revolving around the notion of impermanence and change in most of his architectural project. In Affandi's interpretation of the scene, our view is taken down to follow the dark patch of grass on the right side of the canvas that leads us to find theastonishing pavilion structure anchoring itself on the ground. The pavilion was painted against the dark navy blue setting resembling a clear night sky with clouds.
Accompanying the scene, Affandi portrayed a crescent moon that appeared in the upper left corner of the composition, effortlessly balancing the bustling composition on the ground. The moon is ever-present in the scene, highlighting every inch of the visible detail
in the scene. It is a distinct characteristic of Affandi's Expo ‘70 series that most of his works were painted in the evening setting. With this new choice of exploration, Affandi breathes a new life to his subject by brilliantly capturing the essence or spirit of his motif through a bold choice of colours. Distinct from his other works of Indonesian subjects, Affandi's palette during his travel to Japan is full of festivity dominated with yellow, dark navy blue, green and scarlet red. The portrayal of human figures further enhanced Affandi's astonishment to the grandiosity of the pavilion as they were dwarfed by the giant scale of the construction in this festive yet intimate
composition. Spontaneously painted in the simplicity of lines, a crowd of visitors are making their way to the centre dome, looking forward to what they will encounter or experience when they enter the dome.
Through this subject, we can see Affandi's profound enthusiasm in exploring and expanding his artistry. As a painter who expressed his emotion rather than imitating forms as his eyes see it, Affandi did not paint what he observes, but rather how he felt about it. Thus, besides the use of colours, lines were also one of Affandi's primary vehicles in instilling a sense of emotional quality to his painting. A man with a high degree of sensitivity, Affandi's bold lines convey his inner vision onto his chosen subject. Notably, in Affandi's case, his favourite lines were those found on the Javanese traditional leather puppets, wayang, with curvaceous lines. This distinct characteristic of Affandi's works never left his canvases as he practices his art until the end of his life. However, during his trip to Japan that Affandi was ‘forced' to break the boundaries of his usual practice. In the present lot, Affandi vigorously weaved straight gestural lines through the direct painting method created by the artist, building up the triangular-shaped structure that surrounding the central dome. It is an interesting juxtaposition presented between the rigid structure and the centre dome, which organically formed with the use of Affandi’s signature swirling lines, introduces dynamism to the work. With this unique technique created by the artist, Affandi truly exemplifies the medium's expressive potential.
Expo '70 – Toshiba-IHI Pavilion was arguably one of the artist's favourite sites from the fair. This is presented again in one of Affandi's Self Portrait works during this trip, making the subject exceptional and personal to the artist's experience. Though the scene was limited to the intimate portrayal of the Toshiba-IHI Pavilion, Affandi celebrates the progression in humanity through his extraordinary vision and interpretation. Expo ’70 –Toshiba-IHI Pavilion is a true testament of Affandi’s great artistry where talent is uncontainable and has no boundaries.
From many of his travels, Expo '70 in Japan was one of Affandi's most well-known and appealing periods within his oeuvre. Invited by Raka Sumichan, an Indonesian collector who was close to him, Affandi visited the first ever world's exposition in Japan. With the theme of Progress and Harmony for Mankind, this mega fair was supported by a group of world's most visionary and significant architects in the history, offering a place that was highly modern and ahead of its time. To Affandi, it was a feast for the eyes and soul considering his simple life in the rural area of the country. His excitement was very much palpable in each works created during this trip through his exuberant lines and choice of colours. Influenced by the bright lights and highly urbanised environment of a modern Japan at the fair, Affandi was placed miles away from the rural agrarian Indonesia he knew so well, full of excitement to explore the peculiar yet exciting experience.
ENVISIONING THE INVISIBLE
Expo '70 – Toshiba-IHI Pavilion was one of the unforgettable sights which left an indelible impression on Affandi's memory. In the present lot, Affandi successfully captures the impression of the pavilion by imposing the scale and grandeur of the unusual structure. The pavilion was designed by one of Japan's leading architects of the 20th century, Kisho Kurokawa – it was his initial exploration on the idea of Metabolists, a concept he was well-known for, revolving around the notion of impermanence and change in most of his architectural project. In Affandi's interpretation of the scene, our view is taken down to follow the dark patch of grass on the right side of the canvas that leads us to find theastonishing pavilion structure anchoring itself on the ground. The pavilion was painted against the dark navy blue setting resembling a clear night sky with clouds.
Accompanying the scene, Affandi portrayed a crescent moon that appeared in the upper left corner of the composition, effortlessly balancing the bustling composition on the ground. The moon is ever-present in the scene, highlighting every inch of the visible detail
in the scene. It is a distinct characteristic of Affandi's Expo ‘70 series that most of his works were painted in the evening setting. With this new choice of exploration, Affandi breathes a new life to his subject by brilliantly capturing the essence or spirit of his motif through a bold choice of colours. Distinct from his other works of Indonesian subjects, Affandi's palette during his travel to Japan is full of festivity dominated with yellow, dark navy blue, green and scarlet red. The portrayal of human figures further enhanced Affandi's astonishment to the grandiosity of the pavilion as they were dwarfed by the giant scale of the construction in this festive yet intimate
composition. Spontaneously painted in the simplicity of lines, a crowd of visitors are making their way to the centre dome, looking forward to what they will encounter or experience when they enter the dome.
Through this subject, we can see Affandi's profound enthusiasm in exploring and expanding his artistry. As a painter who expressed his emotion rather than imitating forms as his eyes see it, Affandi did not paint what he observes, but rather how he felt about it. Thus, besides the use of colours, lines were also one of Affandi's primary vehicles in instilling a sense of emotional quality to his painting. A man with a high degree of sensitivity, Affandi's bold lines convey his inner vision onto his chosen subject. Notably, in Affandi's case, his favourite lines were those found on the Javanese traditional leather puppets, wayang, with curvaceous lines. This distinct characteristic of Affandi's works never left his canvases as he practices his art until the end of his life. However, during his trip to Japan that Affandi was ‘forced' to break the boundaries of his usual practice. In the present lot, Affandi vigorously weaved straight gestural lines through the direct painting method created by the artist, building up the triangular-shaped structure that surrounding the central dome. It is an interesting juxtaposition presented between the rigid structure and the centre dome, which organically formed with the use of Affandi’s signature swirling lines, introduces dynamism to the work. With this unique technique created by the artist, Affandi truly exemplifies the medium's expressive potential.
Expo '70 – Toshiba-IHI Pavilion was arguably one of the artist's favourite sites from the fair. This is presented again in one of Affandi's Self Portrait works during this trip, making the subject exceptional and personal to the artist's experience. Though the scene was limited to the intimate portrayal of the Toshiba-IHI Pavilion, Affandi celebrates the progression in humanity through his extraordinary vision and interpretation. Expo ’70 –Toshiba-IHI Pavilion is a true testament of Affandi’s great artistry where talent is uncontainable and has no boundaries.