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拍品专文
Alongside S. Sudjojono and Hendra Gunawan, Affandi is considered one of three key modern artists in Indonesian modern art history. Essentially self-taught, Affandi began painting steeped in Indonesian arts and culture. By the 1980s, Affandi had reached the height of his artistic maturity through a lifetime of painting and constant experimentation in the development of his characteristic style. Portret Diri (Lot 169), Rangda (Lot 170), Bali Seas (Lot 171) and Lotus (Lot 172) are excellent examples from the artist's later years in the 1970s and 1980s. The four lots present a confident Affandi who was sure of his artistic technique - the addition of thick impasto to the canvas perfectly mirroring the desired effect in the finished work.
Portret Diri (Lot 169) is indicative of Affandi's ability to express a range of emotions through his paintings. Portret Diri is an intimate piece, whose subject matter makes the trace of the artist in the light movement of paint across the canvas even more significant. The intentional exposure and incorporation of the surface of the blank canvas into the painting brings certain rawness to the painting, and emphasises the tactility of the work. The genre of the self-portrait necessarily brings the viewer into the intimate psychological world of the artist. From the wispy light blues and subtle whites of the artist's hair and beard suggesting both age and fragility, to the warmly pulsating tones of reds and yellows that dominate the centre of portrait, perhaps Affandi reveals himself as a man undoubtedly into his elder years, but still looking out defiantly at us with an undeniable vitality and strength.
In Rangda (Lot 170), Affandi depicts the fearful and monstrous demon queen from Balinese myth in a bold composition that evokes both awe and power. A subject matter that Affandi portrayed several times throughout his painting career, Affandi often painted the figure of Rangda as part of the sacred Barong dance that served to narrate the mythological struggle between good and evil. In the present lot however, Affandi has chosen to focus on the figure of Rangda herself. Engulfing the canvas in fiery swirls of red, orange and yellow, Affandi's technique of applying paint directly from the tube onto the canvas and then using his hands to create expressionistic streaks succeeds in conveying the visceral nature and the uninhibited power of the mythical character. Within the surging strokes of the painting, the face of the Rangda, as well as the claws on her hands and feet stand out in delicate contrast to the chaotic composition of the painting, and Rangda is truly a work that displays Affandi's mastery of technique as well as a powerful continuation of his immediately recognizable style.
The tumultuous emotion of Bali Seas (Lot 171) captivates the viewer as the waves assault the canvas in a flurry of motion and strength. Affandi found spiritual connection and artistic inspiration painting the sea and many of his best works have been painted from the shoreline or the beach. Bali Seas is a powerful work from the artist, and he has again allowed for the rough surface of the canvas to add to the representation of the unrestrained power of nature. A work that clearly displays Affandi's expressionist tendencies, the apparent chaos of the waves ultimately succeeds in evoking an experience of being overcome by the rolling waves of the sea.
Lotus (Lot 172) is an exceptional and rare work that demonstrates another side of Affandi's artistic sensibilities. Less frenetic and more contemplative, Lotus is a rare study in detail by Affandi. The petals of the lotus flowers are delicately defined in the middle foreground of the painting, and the fence that occupies the upper right corner of the scene suggests an interesting use of linearity that contrasts the circular forms of the floating lotus flowers.
Portret Diri (Lot 169) is indicative of Affandi's ability to express a range of emotions through his paintings. Portret Diri is an intimate piece, whose subject matter makes the trace of the artist in the light movement of paint across the canvas even more significant. The intentional exposure and incorporation of the surface of the blank canvas into the painting brings certain rawness to the painting, and emphasises the tactility of the work. The genre of the self-portrait necessarily brings the viewer into the intimate psychological world of the artist. From the wispy light blues and subtle whites of the artist's hair and beard suggesting both age and fragility, to the warmly pulsating tones of reds and yellows that dominate the centre of portrait, perhaps Affandi reveals himself as a man undoubtedly into his elder years, but still looking out defiantly at us with an undeniable vitality and strength.
In Rangda (Lot 170), Affandi depicts the fearful and monstrous demon queen from Balinese myth in a bold composition that evokes both awe and power. A subject matter that Affandi portrayed several times throughout his painting career, Affandi often painted the figure of Rangda as part of the sacred Barong dance that served to narrate the mythological struggle between good and evil. In the present lot however, Affandi has chosen to focus on the figure of Rangda herself. Engulfing the canvas in fiery swirls of red, orange and yellow, Affandi's technique of applying paint directly from the tube onto the canvas and then using his hands to create expressionistic streaks succeeds in conveying the visceral nature and the uninhibited power of the mythical character. Within the surging strokes of the painting, the face of the Rangda, as well as the claws on her hands and feet stand out in delicate contrast to the chaotic composition of the painting, and Rangda is truly a work that displays Affandi's mastery of technique as well as a powerful continuation of his immediately recognizable style.
The tumultuous emotion of Bali Seas (Lot 171) captivates the viewer as the waves assault the canvas in a flurry of motion and strength. Affandi found spiritual connection and artistic inspiration painting the sea and many of his best works have been painted from the shoreline or the beach. Bali Seas is a powerful work from the artist, and he has again allowed for the rough surface of the canvas to add to the representation of the unrestrained power of nature. A work that clearly displays Affandi's expressionist tendencies, the apparent chaos of the waves ultimately succeeds in evoking an experience of being overcome by the rolling waves of the sea.
Lotus (Lot 172) is an exceptional and rare work that demonstrates another side of Affandi's artistic sensibilities. Less frenetic and more contemplative, Lotus is a rare study in detail by Affandi. The petals of the lotus flowers are delicately defined in the middle foreground of the painting, and the fence that occupies the upper right corner of the scene suggests an interesting use of linearity that contrasts the circular forms of the floating lotus flowers.