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Lot Essay
For Affandi, one of the masters of modern Indonesian painting, the act of putting paint to canvas was a cathartic, outward expression of the internal. Developing his own style of expressionism, the quick, unfaltering swirls of paint that fill his canvases give his art a sense of immediacy and freshness as he captured his scenes and subjects. The immediately recognizable style of Affandi's paintings, and his depiction of relatable subjects through powerful imagery, cemented him as one of the most important painters in the pioneering generation of modern Indonesian painters - a reputation that continues into today's context.
The period of the 60s can be understood as a time where Affandi had already begun to develop his unique style of painting directly from the tube and applying it directly with his fingers. He soon realized that this was the best means for him to record and express his art. The use of vibrant colour, complemented with his fine lines of paint that danced across the canvas was particularly suited to capturing the vibrancy and power that Affandi favoured in his subjects. The 60s also marked Affandi's return to Bali following the events of the Second World War, and the Indonesian struggle for independence - a period of time that saw the artist struggle with both his artistic as well as political identity. Affandi sought the liberation he had experienced in Bali in the pre-war years, where he was able to freely experiment in his art, and became enraptured with the richness of Balinese life and culture. He was not to be disappointed, and the return to Bali rejuvenated his artistic senses as he set out to paint all manner of Balinese cultural life and activity. Affandi sought to present a pan-Indonesian cultural identity, and set out to paint subjects across the country, and from all walks of life - immortalizing them within the lively strokes and undulating colours of his paint.
Affandi offers us a unique perspective in Eating Crabs by painting the scene from a first-person view. Our attention is focused on the physicality of the hands that grasp the crab, and the immediacy of the moment. A popular delicacy in Southeast Asia, Affandi has chosen to magnify the simple experience of tucking into a favourite dish by representing it on a grand visual scale. Travelling between Yogyakarta and Bali, and spending time by the beach observing the rolling waves and the battling prows of the docked boats, Eating Crabs is a depiction of the seaside environment which Affandi felt a deep sense of affinity for. He painted several works featuring crabs and lobsters, and was particularly interested in expressing the life and vibrancy of these creatures.
In the present lot, Affandi meditates on the moment just before the crab is consumed - drawing attention to it's existence as a living creature with an expert blending of bright yellow and green. The figure's right hand grasps the crab's pincer with a surprising lightness, and we are reminded of the connection between man and animal. The remaining crabs in the lower portion of the canvas are reduced to the form of their shells which now come to resemble the silhouette of flowers, which Affandi was also fond of painting. A master of evoking form with a few swirls of paint, Affandi expertly captures the essence of the scene.
As a painter, especially one who painted without the mediation of a brush, hands were of utmost importance for Affandi. The heavily material aspect of his art - laden with thick impasto and gestural smears of paint - reflected his desire to represent the materiality and reality of lived experience. The intentional exposure and incorporation of the surface of the blank canvas into the painting brings a certain rawness to the painting, and further emphasizes the tactility of the work. For Affandi, his hands were they way in which he came into connection with the world, and the way in which he expressed himself to the world through his art. In this way, his canvasses can be understood as an extensions of himself. Holding the sweeps of his fingers and the expression of his gestures, Eating Crabs is a reflective painting that encourages a consideration of the way in which we relate to our surroundings, and also the beauty of connection that can be found in the simplest of moments.
Known for painting a series of self-portraits, Eating Crabs can also be viewed as a self-portrait of the artist, capturing and celebrating the physical connection with the world which Affandi experienced and represented through his hands.
The period of the 60s can be understood as a time where Affandi had already begun to develop his unique style of painting directly from the tube and applying it directly with his fingers. He soon realized that this was the best means for him to record and express his art. The use of vibrant colour, complemented with his fine lines of paint that danced across the canvas was particularly suited to capturing the vibrancy and power that Affandi favoured in his subjects. The 60s also marked Affandi's return to Bali following the events of the Second World War, and the Indonesian struggle for independence - a period of time that saw the artist struggle with both his artistic as well as political identity. Affandi sought the liberation he had experienced in Bali in the pre-war years, where he was able to freely experiment in his art, and became enraptured with the richness of Balinese life and culture. He was not to be disappointed, and the return to Bali rejuvenated his artistic senses as he set out to paint all manner of Balinese cultural life and activity. Affandi sought to present a pan-Indonesian cultural identity, and set out to paint subjects across the country, and from all walks of life - immortalizing them within the lively strokes and undulating colours of his paint.
Affandi offers us a unique perspective in Eating Crabs by painting the scene from a first-person view. Our attention is focused on the physicality of the hands that grasp the crab, and the immediacy of the moment. A popular delicacy in Southeast Asia, Affandi has chosen to magnify the simple experience of tucking into a favourite dish by representing it on a grand visual scale. Travelling between Yogyakarta and Bali, and spending time by the beach observing the rolling waves and the battling prows of the docked boats, Eating Crabs is a depiction of the seaside environment which Affandi felt a deep sense of affinity for. He painted several works featuring crabs and lobsters, and was particularly interested in expressing the life and vibrancy of these creatures.
In the present lot, Affandi meditates on the moment just before the crab is consumed - drawing attention to it's existence as a living creature with an expert blending of bright yellow and green. The figure's right hand grasps the crab's pincer with a surprising lightness, and we are reminded of the connection between man and animal. The remaining crabs in the lower portion of the canvas are reduced to the form of their shells which now come to resemble the silhouette of flowers, which Affandi was also fond of painting. A master of evoking form with a few swirls of paint, Affandi expertly captures the essence of the scene.
As a painter, especially one who painted without the mediation of a brush, hands were of utmost importance for Affandi. The heavily material aspect of his art - laden with thick impasto and gestural smears of paint - reflected his desire to represent the materiality and reality of lived experience. The intentional exposure and incorporation of the surface of the blank canvas into the painting brings a certain rawness to the painting, and further emphasizes the tactility of the work. For Affandi, his hands were they way in which he came into connection with the world, and the way in which he expressed himself to the world through his art. In this way, his canvasses can be understood as an extensions of himself. Holding the sweeps of his fingers and the expression of his gestures, Eating Crabs is a reflective painting that encourages a consideration of the way in which we relate to our surroundings, and also the beauty of connection that can be found in the simplest of moments.
Known for painting a series of self-portraits, Eating Crabs can also be viewed as a self-portrait of the artist, capturing and celebrating the physical connection with the world which Affandi experienced and represented through his hands.