Paradigm of Abstract Expressionism Painting

of Balinese Artists in Yogyakarta

I Gede Arya Sucitra, Retno Purwandari and Kadek Primayudi

Institut Seni Indonesia (ISI) Yogyakarta, Visual Arts Faculty, Jl. Parangtritis Km. 6,5, Sewon, Bantul

Departement of Visual Art, Department of Craft, Department of Communication Visual Design, ISI Yogyakarta

Keywords: Paradigm of Art, Abstract Expressionism, Aesthetics, Balinese Art.

Abstract: Art discourse in Indonesia has discussed the need for Indonesian concepts, paradigms, and categories both in

historical studies, aesthetic theories and general cultural strategies. With various kinds of cultural

achievements and works of art produced by Indonesian artists. This research departs from observations of

certain styles that have developed communally in the field of Indonesian art, especially Yogyakarta, which

later became an art development identity in the 1990s, namely abstract expressionism style. In this study will

deeply read and trace the achievements of the "art paradigm" and the development of expressionism abstract

paintings, especially in Sanggar Dewata Indonesia (SDI) artists in Yogyakarta which reached its golden age

in the span of 1990-2000.

The focus of Balinese artists who became the object of this research was Made Wianta, Nyoman Erawan, and

Made Sumadiyasa. The birth of abstract expressionism paintings that are faithfully carried as the language of

representation of a number of Balinese artists who are the subject of study in this study shows that the

problems of form, pattern, and method of work are only as visual intermediaries in realizing their deepest

imagination of cultural and personal experiences.

1 INTRODUCTION

There was something interesting that was conveyed

by the Art Observer, Academician A.A.M. Djelantik

about "Balinese identity" in the development of

Balinese art in the 1990s at an exhibition of paintings

by seven painters of the Indonesian Goddess namely

Made Djirna, Nyoman Erawan, Made Budhiana, and

several others at the Ubud Bali Neka Museum. In this

exhibition, several artists such as Made Djirna,

Nyoman Erawan, Made Budhiana have developed

abstract expressionism style/patterns. Of course, this

creativity is relatively new between the bustling

decorative markets, Balinese traditions and

surrealistic styles that developed in the 70-80s era.

This kind of exhibition will invite many questions

that arise in the hearts of the attendees, such as:

Where do you return to this work? Can this still be

displayed as Balinese art? Is it the appearance of the

Balinese theme, can the paintings be classified for

Balinese painting? Which can be called Indonesian

national art? Perhaps many question marks will still

be waving in front of you, which cannot yet be

answered "(Djelantik, 1990).

The mental burden and creativity of Balinese

artists who migrated to Yogyakarta armed with

traditional Balinese capital, when they found a

different atmosphere from the perspective of art in

Bali. The clash of understanding of this language

arouses the thought process and personal perspective

of artists from Bali in "seeing the spirit of Bali".

One understanding that is often emphasized by

the predecessor of SDI, one of them is I Nyoman

Gunarsa, which is in creativity in processing shapes,

colors, fields, what and so on, the 'image of Bali' still

emanates from it. The supporting generations of the

Dewata Studio come and go. Following in the

footsteps of his predecessors without releasing his

identity, the nest of the Dewata Studio hatched new

figures who immediately became calculated figures

such as Nyoman Frawan, Made Budhiana, Made

Djirna, Nengah Nuratha, Bendi Yudha, and Made

Rutha.

The spirit of building newness, especially in the

visual translation of works of art, led Balinese artists

who at that time were still struggling through art

education to obtain more cultural capital provided and

now available in the vicinity. The Balinese-Javanese

Sucitra, I., Purwandari, R. and Primayudi, K.

Paradigm of Abstract Expressionism Painting of Balinese Artists in Yogyakarta.

DOI: 10.5220/0008557001770185

In Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Interdisciplinary Arts and Humanities (ICONARTIES 2019), pages 177-185

ISBN: 978-989-758-450-3

177

cultural spirit provides a broad and deep cross-section

to expand creative ideas. The fact that the output of

creation is strongly influenced by the surrounding

environment and what artists consume intellectually,

as stated by M. Dwi Marianto (Marianto, 1997), "So

what is important to note in seeing what is presented

is to question also about dreams what dreams,

obsessions, and concerns are contained in the works

on display. Because both direct and indirect works of

art always reflect the situation and conditions in

which the artist lives, because idioms and metaphors

used in language and especially in the art are always

shaped by the surrounding environment.

The artwork is a product of a culture where the

artists are born and work. There is always a

connection between the lives of artists and the

behavior of the local culture that gave birth to it

(Saidi, 2008). Indonesian culture is a compound

condition because it capitalizes on various cultures in

the region that develop according to the demands of

its own history. Experience and the ability of these

regions provide answers to each of the challenges that

give shape, shape, and culture. Also, the socialization

process which was later developed within the

framework of each culture gave color to the

personalities that emerged from the cultural

environment (Kayam, 1981).

Art discourse in Indonesia has discussed many of

the needs of Indonesian concepts, paradigms, and

categories both in the study of history, aesthetic

theory, and general cultural strategies. With a variety

of cultural achievements and works of art produced

by Indonesian artists, there is a tendency to hurry to

talk about what kind of paradigm should be used in

mapping the aesthetics that underlie the work. And

usually, the Indonesian traditional treasures are dug

up, then put in place as a "paradigm" that is "typical

of Indonesia". In this framework, there is a

preoccupation and like finding a "national aesthetic"

framework whose elements are said to be found in the

"peaks" of all ethnic traditions in Indonesia

(Sugiharto, 2003).

But since then abstract painting, which has always

been debated as a graft of Western art, has become a

discourse in the history of the development of

Indonesian art. The building of this discourse is as if

the abstract painting of Bandung apart from the

discourse of modern Indonesian art. Jim Supangkat

writes that the issue of Bandung abstract painting is a

view that is rarely discussed in official discourse,

although it is often debated in the context of the

discourse of modern art. This view places the

development of Indonesian modern art based on

modern art theory which is commonly applied

throughout the world, which is the paradigm of

international art. This modern art theory is rooted in

the art of post-modernism, namely the concept of

post-modern art that was confirmed in European

culture - America after World War II. Konsepsi ini

percaya pada totalitas universialisme. The concept of

modernism which is the cornerstone of

postmodernism in Indonesia is undeniable, formed

based on the paradigm of Western culture, which its

application outside the Western world, feels forced

(Nurjaman, 2010). This conception places abstract

painting as a milestone in the development of modern

Indonesian painting. This placement map is based on

the fact that abstract painting offers a whole new

concept and aesthetic values when compared to

Indonesian art in a figurative context, which has been

known since prehistoric times as symbolic art.

This article departs from observing the

achievements of certain styles that have developed

communally in the Indonesian art scene, especially

Yogyakarta, which later became the identity of the

development of art in the era of the 1990s namely

abstract expressionism style painting developed and

popularized by Balinese artists Sanggar Dewata

Indonesia. The development of the art world in

Yogyakarta, especially the artists who received art

education at the ISI Yogyakarta Faculty of Art, is

certainly not sterile from the influence of art theory,

alluding to works of art from various parts of the

world to the traditional communal values. In this

study, I will deeply read and trace the achievements

of the "art paradigm" and the development of abstract

expressionism, especially in the artists of the

Indonesian Dewata (SDI) in Yogyakarta, which

reached its golden age in the 1990-2000 range.

These works are driven by artists from the

Indonesian Dewata (SDI), which for the past forty

years towards the end of the second millennium gave

color to art. The aspects of Balinese locality that

present cultural identity appears to be evident in the

Balinese contemporary artists' works. Their work

presents Bali in a new 'style'. The style is certainly

different from the achievement of I Gusti Nyoman

Lempad and friends when developing the Pita Maha

stream. Artwork is a cultural representation of the

community. In other words, "style" is also the cultural

identity of the communal society. In this regard Polly

Wiessner explained, that style is a formal variation in

the material culture which contains information about

personal and social identity. Personal identity in

question is that each member of the community has

their own way of expressing their cultural identity

more as individual expression.

ICONARTIES 2019 - 1st International Conference on Interdisciplinary Arts and Humanities

178

The character of the artists of the city of

Yogyakarta, as expressed by Made Bakti Wiyasa

(Sucitra, 2013), is considered to be able to live the

spirit of Balinese artists who study at ISI Yogyakarta

with Balinese culture as a Mother and inspiration

spring, who are also experiencing revitalization with

the spirit of the era passionate, amid anxiety about the

threat of cultural alienation because it pre-assumes

that modernization is westernization which is

considered the same as uniformity of taste and

decadence.

For this reason, young Balinese artists are aware

of the challenges faced; that those who inherit local

cultural traditions resulting from centuries of

acculturation with culture from outside, experience

contact with new ideas that are not in the traditional

culture. In line with this, Sucitra (2014) views

Yogyakarta as a creative home for art learning space,

as well as educating their mentality, providing rapid

and challenging growth in artistic processes.

Yogyakarta is also a place for the confrontation

between tradition and renewal.

Culture formed by humans, and that is the result

of the human perception of the world. This mindset is

a pattern because of the pattern of cultural patterns.

The best way to communicate with the public about

the world, and perceptions that are easy to do through

thinking about humans every day, as a tangible

manifestation of their perceptions. (Liliweri, 2002)

borrow the words of Joseph Levenson, the study of

humans who think, ....in the experiences of

individuals and individual groups of individuals,

under the direction of symbols, they capture, feel,

reason, value, and carry out (Geertz, 2004).

Artists as the main actors in the creation of works

of art, certainly have their own way of looking at

translating various influences around them. The

resulting artwork also has a distinctive personality

value and contains various links to elements of

universality and local cultural values. This issue is the

focus of this study, which raises the research question

1). What is the understanding of the art paradigm in

the creation of abstract expressionism of SDI artists

in Yogyakarta, 2). What is the form of visual

expression of abstract expressionism of SDI artists in

Yogyakarta. Starting from the problems stated above,

it aims to describe the concepts and thoughts that

developed in the creation of abstract expressionism

paintings on SDI artists in Yogyakarta. And know the

aesthetic/creative achievements and recognize the

visual tendency of abstract expressionism paintings

created by SDI artists.

2 STUDY OF LITERATURE

This study uses a multidisciplinary approach. But the

main focus is using an anthropological approach with

a theory developed by Thomas Kuhn, namely the

paradigm as a scalpel in interpreting the substance of

this research. According to Kuhn, paradigms are large

theories in which there are smaller theories.

Theoretical perspective, cosmology or paradigm

defines the main issues that researchers think

(Saifuddin, 2006). But in the development related to

the subject of research as an enriching part of the

paradigm's perspective, of course, other scientific

involvements such as history and aesthetics are used.

There are several general views regarding flow,

models, theoretical systems, theoretical orientations

regarding paradigms. In Kunh terms are called

paradigm orientations. Following Pelto (1984), a

paradigm orientation includes Saifuddin, 2006: 31):

a. The conceptual area where discipline is

considered work;

b. Methodology, including research design,

verification criteria, preferred techniques, and

assumptions regarding the balance of "art" and

"science";

c. Implied philosophy of the perpetrator: is it free

or bound, rational or emotional, good or bad.

In his famous book and is still often used as a

reference by scientists, namely The Structure of

Scientific Revolution (1972), Thomas Kuhn uses the

term "paradigm" in two different dimensions: "first,

the paradigm means the whole device - Kuhn calls it"

constellation "- beliefs, values, techniques, and so on

that are shared with members of a society. Second,

the paradigm means certain elements in the device,

namely ways of solving a puzzle, which is used as a

model or example, which can replace other models or

ways as a basis for solving puzzles in normal science

(Saifuddin, 2006).

To support the in-depth discussion of paradigm

theory, the author also uses an aesthetic theory of

abstract expressionism in one of the legendary art

books namely Concerning The Spiritual In Art

compiled by Wassily Kandinsky in 1911. In theory,

he built to mark and dissect abstract works

expressionism namely impression, improvisation,

and composition. Here's the statement Kandinsky

describes: (1) A direct impression of outward nature,

expressed in purely artistic form. This I call an

"Impression."

(2) A largely unconscious, spontaneous

expression of inner character, the non-material

nature. This I call an "Improvisation."

Paradigm of Abstract Expressionism Painting of Balinese Artists in Yogyakarta

179

(3) An expression of a slowly formed inner

feeling, which comes to utterance only after long

maturing. This I call a "Composition." In this, reason,

consciousness, purpose, play an overwhelming part.

But of the calculation nothing appears, only the

feeling. Which kind of construction, whether

conscious or unconscious, really underlies my work,

the patient reader will readily understand (Kandinsky,

2008:117).

3 DISCUSSION

3.1 Interpretation of the Abstraction

Paradigm

The focus of Balinese artists who are the object of this

research is Made Wianta, Nyoman Erawan, and Made

Sumadiyasa. The three Balinese artists consistently

and continuously manage the creation of works in the

abstract breath. Made Wianta represents Balinese

artists who studied at STSRI ASRI Yogyakarta in the

70s, Nyoman Erawan in the 80s and Made

Sumadiyasa who was the youngest after STSRI ASRI

became ISI Yogyakarta representing young artists in

the 90s. Of course, the analysis of the visual paradigm

remains their work performance in the era of the 90s

when abstract expressionism reached its heyday.

There is an interesting statement Dewa Gede Purwita

in the Nyoman Erawan Catalog book titled

COSMOLOGY RITUS: Rima Nyoman Erawan

Motif In the Cosmic Mandala, as follows, the

universal abstract form that is invisible in the socio-

cultural Balinese society is always present as a source

of interest in translating it into reality. This behavior

has always been the same as the reason for the

creation of mystical beings such as Gajah Mina,

Rangda, Barong, Fire, Wind, and so on. Reflections

on the abstracting activity are clearly seen from how

Balinese humans have the greatness in imagining and

realizing their attraction from the intangible abstract

nature to reality (Purwita, 2015).

In line with this, M. Dwi Marianto once stated

about Bali's human (artist) reflection ability in

manifesting itself through spiritual abilities that

became material towards newness. "... presumably,

the members of the Sanggar Dewata have come to

explore again by kapujanggan/brahmana art that

prioritizes spirit and the process of giving birth to a

work of art (fully felt), and sees the practice of art as

a puja - offering to God - through art. Hopefully this

is not only good as a counterweight to life that is now

flooded with products of modern culture, instant

cultural products, and the chaotic uncertainty due to

cultural changes that are too instant, but more

important is the realization that ideas for all creation

of works of art there is only in the dialectical space

between the spiritual and the material. It was there

that there were the spirits of beauty, the lokananta

title, the characters, threads of ideas, and waves of art

which were sensitive to musicians/dancers/ or painter,

materialized and recycled as a work of art. Without

willingness and sensitivity to see the spiritual, if art is

too small to accommodate anything new and

refreshing "(Marianto, 1997).

Abstraction in fine art indeed the problem lies in

the problem of visual form. The term abstraction is

used in this paper to represent the meaning: the

process of extracting forms from sensory captured

phenomena into something that is a clump of ideas

which after being influenced by the process of

personal mental abilities becomes an artistic idea that

is ready to manifest in the form of later painting

works. Because of the many influential factors that

play a role, the idea in its embodiment becomes a

visual language that is multi-value and if drawn on

the problem of form, the result of the painting is

abstract figurative.

The process of abstraction of painters continues to

develop in line with the development of world art

which increasingly ignores thematic principles in

conventional painting, and prioritizes experiments to

get new discoveries in art. Indeed, in the history of the

birth of art, especially in the West, as a reference in

the development of art in Indonesia, it has not run

smoothly but is full of a series of revolutionary events

until the present styles. In line with this, Bambang

Sugiharto (Sugiharto, 2003), said that even in the

field of art, the history of the development of art in

the West, for example, always tends to be seen as a

series of chronicles characterized by revolutionary

ruptures which are usually associated with events -

decisive socio-political events such as: Middle Ages,

Renaissance, Baroque, Romantic, Modern,

Contemporary, and so on; or associated with

fundamental changes in the field of "style" (style,

schools) such as: Naturalism, Impressionism,

Expressionism, Abstract Expressionism, and so on.

And this pattern of understanding history

immediately becomes a standard pattern used in

various places. "Style" (flow or style) and socio-

political conditions are seen as two keys to

understanding the "paradigm" of art.

The implication of this is that the notion of 'art'

itself inevitably follows the pattern of Western

understanding as well. Like science, as if the

definition of art must be universal, and that means the

definition of Western-style art is the benchmark.

ICONARTIES 2019 - 1st International Conference on Interdisciplinary Arts and Humanities

180

The term 'abstract' in art is a rather loose term for

naming works of art that do not have clear subjects

(in the purest sense are works of art which consist of

lines, shapes, and colors which are completely free

from the illusion of forms in nature), as well as art

that if there is a subject, it has experienced distortion,

simplification, and advanced enrichment. And more

generally, abstract art is an art in which the natural

forms (if any) no longer function as objects/themes

that must be brought but live as motives, as an excuse

to make things rather than make nothing.

The abstract term first appeared in the talk of art

marking one of the schools/movements in the

mainstream of modern western art in the early 20th

century. Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) was

considered a pioneer in that. Wassily Kandinsky, in

his theory Concerning the Spiritual in Art (1910)

expressed the existence of three sources of inspiration

for the birth of abstract painting. The first impression

is a direct impression of everything that exists outside

the artist, human, universe, objects and so on. Second,

improvisation is a spontaneous expression that is not

realized. Here inspiration arises in a person and is

spiritual. The three compositions, expressions of

feeling, are formed consciously, even though they

remain in irrational or logical levels. Slow

expressions will be arranged in harmony, thus

forming a composition that is pleasing to the eye.

Abstraction is a term used not as tightly as in talks

about modern paintings and sculptures such as

cubism or futurism. All art without a subject that can

be recognized is called abstract, but also art that has a

subject but has experienced distortion, simplification,

or enrichment on a certain level. The word is often

used by artists themselves to describe a quality of the

artwork is a work of art that is formative and pay more

attention to how a work of art is delivered or

manifested rather than what the work is (Mayers,

1985).

Abstract definition according to the Indonesian

National Encyclopedia (1990) reads: Abstraction

(from the Latin word 'Ab', meaning from and

'Trahere', interesting), is a process of separating

certain aspects of the object as a whole and focusing

only on one aspect among the aspects that exist. This

process produces a general and universal

understanding. According to Aristotle this process of

abstraction occurs at the ratio of humans which

releases something from the five sensory ingredients

presented to it. There are three types of abstraction,

namely material abstraction, mathematical

abstraction, and non-material abstraction.

3.2 Interpretation of Abstract

Expressionism's Work

To make it easier to understand and explore the space

of creative thinking and the aesthetic paradigm of the

three abstract artists of Balinese expressionism, the

authors of the analysis will be based on the personal

spaces of their journey and the work they created in

the 1990s.

1. Made Wianta

Figure 1: Irama Bersambung, 1990, 150 x 290 cm, oil paint

on canvas.

Balinese artists born in 1949 in the village of

Apuan, Tabanan Bali who had received STSRI ASRI

fine arts education from 1970-1974 did indeed have a

unique and sometimes controversial process of

creative processes, especially relating to their

freedom of viewing a tradition and the ideal of

creating art. Wianta is an intellectually free human

being who is interested in ideas, but he opposes any

theoretical/ideological constraints or limitations. The

key for Wianta as a human being is freedom is not

constrained by expression and the search for the

connotation of the essence of things.

He passively sees the essence of ideas and objects

and actively creates them in paintings and objects.

Louis Fichner in Understanding Art (1995) states that

abstract art is a simplification or distortion of forms.

Only in the form of the essence of the natural form or

object abstracted. Abstraction, significantly changes

objects, so that they become their essence. Wianta is

a person who is free and has a strong personality, he

is not afraid to act in his own name and for himself.

He knows that he has something to say in

words/imagination, and he expresses it. His character

is hard-hearted, active, creative, and forward-looking.

He does not separate the past but the future. He

desires to change the rules; his paintings are visual

impressions. His freedom to have social, intellectual,

as well as artistic implications.

Free in the way of view, Wianta is thus free as an

artist (painter). Again, what's important to him is

creativity. The title of one of his articles in the Bali

Post (January 27, 1981) expresses this: "artistic

creativity is absolute but the creation of this work is

not always of quality". In other words, the process is

more important than the results of the process. The

Paradigm of Abstract Expressionism Painting of Balinese Artists in Yogyakarta

181

creative process is a good work prerequisite

(Heryanto, 1994).

Enjoying abstract paintings can be done by

looking at the harmony of the composition of visual

elements. Visual elements in the form of composition,

color, lines, and texture of the painting, create certain

impressions and messages. Everyone has the right to

interpret abstract paintings according to the

background of his experience because painting is a

visual sign of multiple interpretations. Abstract

painting was created through the process of changing

or simplifying forms into geometric or biomorphic

forms. It can also be created in expressive form. In

abstract paintings, visual elements are arranged in

such a way that they convey certain messages or

impressions. These visual elements have symbolic

characters and meanings. The character and symbolic

meaning of visual elements can imply certain

meanings desired by painters. In an interview with the

author with Made Wianta about the style of his

paintings which always experience the process of

metamorphosis and are not standardized in the same

motion. He emphasized the power of creative work

that continues until later it will find the artist's

personality.

The creative process and work patterns of Wianta

are very much in line with what turned out to be the

idea of Kandinsky, in terms of producing works,

whose colors, the composition of space, lines and

points and their rhythms are created as a result of his

freedom of spiritual exploration.

The pouring of Wianta's abstract vision on canvas

invites us to a psychological contemplation. Even so,

the abstract and modern vision of Wianta is not

without concepts or limitations. He gave new

movements and nuances to the shapes and colors that

he had inherited from the old tradition. Wianta's

artwork is still rooted in Balinese art. In the Executive

magazine article (1990) Wianta said, "For me the

world is abstract. Is there an object or not, for me the

same. Life is only a matter of time. I am well aware

that space and time are always changing. Even though

the sun rises in the East, it sets in the West, but nature

changes every time. "

2. Nyoman Erawan

Figure 2: Pralayamatra XXXXIV, 1997, 105 x 135 cm, oil

paint on canvas.

Nyoman Erawan is one of the Balinese artists who

has cross-media and cross-disciplinary talents, an

interest in the creation of art that is not only in

painting but also in installation, sculpture,

performance art, and poetry. An artist born in 1958,

Sukawati Gianyar, Bali has such complex creativity

and studies the anxiety of creativity that is so

profound and total. In a long stretch of creativity,

perhaps almost all areas of art and cross-art have been

traced to the vortex of its creative constellation. He

has become accustomed to articulation both in terms

of medium, technique, and subject matter, especially

in his artworks that unfold exploration of abstraction.

His creativity was so solemn in the concept

centered on the cosmological circulation of Balinese

Hindu philosophy, always giving him a space of

creativity that never vanished. Moving on to the thesis

that abstract art and ornaments are in the awareness

of flatness, Nyoman Erawan's abstraction is just the

opposite, that is, rejecting flatness. From the

beginning, his work had a strong awareness of space.

About this matter, Wayan Seriyoga Parta said that the

space for Erawan and most of Bali's abstract artists

have never been limited to the dimensions of the

medium of work, space is an integral part of

cosmology ”(Parta, 2015).

In such a long span of time, Erawan's existence

stretched across cross-medium crosses with creative

energy that exploded and continued to flow. So if we

"re-unpack" the travel file of the art of Erawan's

painting, we will meet with a stretch of traces of

creative behavior, starting from the strong use of

symbols that are closely related to Balinese cultural

traditions. Referring to Erawan's work in the 80s, the

theme of the Balinese tradition of spirituality became

his way of expressing the relationship between human

cosmology and the universe. One of them is in the

ICONARTIES 2019 - 1st International Conference on Interdisciplinary Arts and Humanities

182

concept of destruction, in Hinduism in Tri Murti's

cosmology in the power of Shiva.

Pralaya is seen as the final stage of the procession

of life, the stage towards nir, emptiness which

actually has spaces with visible talk energy. Through

his study of the Ngaben procession, Erawan began

with a visual struggle which then continued on his

rites. The accumulation of interest in physical

elements from the remnants of Ngaben has

implications for the visual variety that is present

adorning the fields of the canvas. Exploration of

various possibilities produces a variety of lines,

coarse and fine nicks, brush strokes, splashes,

textures and the use of primary colors often accent in

abstract paintings. Indeed, the abstract in Erawan's

work refers to abstracting, he processes form by

deconstructing it, revealing it and visualizing it in

such a way, vague, with a powerful new form.

Erawan starts with a visual struggle which then

continues on his rites. The accumulation of interest in

physical elements from the remnants of Ngaben has

implications for the visual variety that is present

adorning the fields of the canvas. Exploration of

various possibilities produces a variety of lines,

coarse and fine nicks, brush strokes, splashes,

textures and the use of primary colors often accent in

abstract paintings. Indeed, the abstract in Erawan's

work refers to abstracting, he processes form by

deconstructing it, revealing it and visualizing it in

such a way, vague, with a powerful new form.

Subject Matter by Nyoman Erawan's painting lies

in his form of abstraction in his work, the focus is on

the accumulation of various colors, incisions that

form barriers, expressive lines so as to form an object

that is represented in various forms and forms of

motives. In it will be found a variety of patterns of

dual matra, various lines in geometric form. Motives

that are present in both the subject matter and outside

can be said as verbal motives, in this context the

verbal motives are decorative ornaments which

appear in Nyoman Erawan's work. Verbal motives

that usually adorn Nyoman Erawan's work are stone

motifs, fire, leaves, padma, kembang bajra, feather

patterns (sometimes assembled to form wing-like

shapes), spiral lines, lines that form a checkered

pattern.

3. Made Sumadiyasa

Figure 3: Humanity I, 1994, 110 x 150 cm, oil paint on

canvas.

Made Sumadiyasa comes from a village that still

holds a strong tradition and is still filled with beautiful

rice fields and beautiful nature. Precisely he came

from the village of Selemadeg, Tabanan Bali. It was

during his education at ISI Yogyakarta that Made

gained the freedom to build his artistic adventure

where at that time the campus provided freedom of

creativity for students to find the best patterns,

creative methods to build art networks.

In the initial phase of work in 1992, his work

presented elements of figures/objects, especially

human formations. In this period, it was understood

that Made's creative process was still influenced by

strong formation studies as long as he studied

Balinese art which was thick with strong but

straightforward elements of the formation. His work

was inspired by Balinese cultural activities such as

humans to temples, dance moves, and gamelan. The

imagination of Bali is still attached to the

encouragement of the creation of works of art.

The next phase between 1993-1994, Made began

to choose symbols as the language of expression

which is sometimes vague toward abstract forms. By

presenting impression figures and symbol inserts, as

in the work of Humanity 1 (1994), the work seems to

begin to combine vague forms with strong lines and

color expressions. Identity is no longer easily

recognizable. Made has increasingly come to

recognize the spirit that is in him that no longer

depends on formal formations but goes a long way

into the problem of 'taste'. Each object has its own

emotional spirit and it must be recognized by the

depth of imagination. The expressive language in

Made's works is not just in forms or illusions in space.

It is in the level of emotion which can be understood

in the quality and intensity of feeling. Feeling is tied

to situations, so Made's emotions are important in

terms of the process which creates a feeling of

"ecstasy" in him: When I paint, the vibrations of

Paradigm of Abstract Expressionism Painting of Balinese Artists in Yogyakarta

183

colors are combined with the creative process

reflecting my emotions about the theme of the work,

and I became unaware of everything else and focused

on what I was imagining. This feeling gives me an

extraordinary sense of pleasure (Wisetrotomo,1998).

The work phase with a total abstract by

eliminating the elements of formation and symbolism

in mid-1994, as seen in the 1994 Spirit of the Forest

work, Made gained enlightenment to find the level of

pleasure with spontaneous movements and let the

freedom of his subconscious form his imagination.

Made gave his wildness to form a mysterious sweep,

which was filled with natural energy and spirituality.

4 CONCLUSIONS

Panorama of Indonesian art cannot be separated from

the origin of the artist and also his contact with the

surrounding environment which galvanizes the

thinking process and the method of creating it. This

research that desires to recognize the

paradigm/cosmology of thinking and creating

Balinese artists who are intensely engaged in work in

abstract expressionism style.

It is clear in the process of research that it seems

that the cosmology of the creation of artists' work

cannot be separated from the cultural capital and

knowledge they have, besides being related to spirit

and its ability in flexibility and awareness to be freed

from theoretical constraints. let go of theoretical

confinement. Like Wianta, for him to create art at first

it must have a strong, cultural foundation of

knowledge so that it can become a pillar of the spirit

that is invisible to be manifested spiritually in the

form of works of art. Freelance and non-fearsome

work on the results that will be obtained is the way

Wianta finds his union with the world 'taste'.

Paradigms that are not much different are also

explored by Nyoman Erawan and Made Sumadiyasa.

His introduction and intense contact with Balinese

traditional culture enriched his visual language, but

what was taken was his essence and local genius

symbols, so that his work could freely go in and talk

about and borrow Balinese labels in the process of

creating a symbolic Balinese taste or even very

absurd just lines, and colors.

The birth of abstract expressionism paintings that

are faithfully carried out as a representation language

of a number of Balinese artists who are the subjects

of this study indicates that the problem of forms,

patterns, and methods of work of work is only a visual

intermediary in realizing their deepest imagination of

cultural and personal experiences. In an abstract way,

their minds and creative processes become unfettered,

thus spirituality becomes more total finding spaces of

inspiration for other consciousnesses.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This article is the result of research in the field of art

involving many parties. Therefore, on this occasion,

he expressed his gratitude to the head of the ISI

Yogyakarta research institute for providing research

opportunities and funding. Thank you to the reviewer;

Prof. Drs. M. Dwi Marianto, M.F.A., Ph.D. and Dr.

Timbul Raharjo, M.Hum., and the three Artists Made

Wianta, Nyoman Erawan and Made Sumadiyasa.

REFERENCES

Djelantik, A.A.M., 1990.“Kata Pembukaan Tujuh Pelukis

Sanggar Dewata Indonesia”, Katalog pameran, 29 Juli-

29 Agustus, Museum Neka Ubud Bali.

Ensiklopedi Nasional Indonesia, 1990. PT Cipta Adi

Pustaka. Jakarta.

Geertz, Clifford, 2004. Tafsir Kebudayaan, Kanisius.

Yogyakarta.

Heryanto, 1994. “Gaya Lukisan Made Wianta”, Skripsi,

Prodi Seni Murni. Jurusan Seni Murni FSR ISI

Yogyakarta.

Liliweri, Alo, 2007. Makna Budaya Dalam Komunikasi

Antarbudaya, LkiS Yogyakarta. Yogyakarta.

Kandinsky, Wassily, 2008, Concerning The Spiritual In

Art. The Floating Press.

Kayam, Umar, 1981. Seni, Tradisi, Masyarakat, Sinar

Harapan. Jakarta.

Marianto, M. Dwi, 1997. “Adakah yang Baru dan Segar

dari Sanggar Dewata?”, Catalogue pameran Sanggar

Dewata Indonesia.

Mayers, Bernard, 1985. How to Look at Art from The Book

of Art, vol 1, Grolier Incorporated. London.

Nurjaman, AA, 2010. “Proses Pembentukan Seni Lukis

Abstrak Indonesia”, Sulebar M. Sukarman, et al., 2010,

Soulscape: The Treasure of Spiritual Art, Yayasan Seni

Visual Indonesia. Jakarta.

Parta, Wayan Seriyoga, 2015. E®Motive: Reconstructing

Visual Thought, Buku Arti. Denpasar.

Purwita, Dewa Gede, 2015. “Kosmologi Ritus: Rima Motif

Nyoman Erawan Dalam Mandala Kosmik”, E®Motive:

Reconstructing Visual Thought, Buku Arti. Denpasar.

Saidi, Acep Iwan, 2008. Narasi Simbolik Seni Rupa

Kontemporer Indonesia, Isacbook, Yogyakarta.

Saifuddin, Achmad Fedyani, 2006. Antropologi

Kontemporer: Suatu Pengantar Kritis Mengenai

Paradigma, Kencana. Jakarta. edition II.

Sucitra, I Gede Arya, (ed), 2013. Narasi Sanggar Dewata

Indonesia, Sanggar Dewata Indonesia. Yogyakarta.

ICONARTIES 2019 - 1st International Conference on Interdisciplinary Arts and Humanities

184

__________, 2014. “Dialektika Estetika Seni Rupa

Kontemporer Bali Melalui Karya Upadana dan

Valasara”, Journal of Urban Society’s Arts,

Yogyakarta: ISI Yogyakarta, Vol. 14, Nomor. 1, April

2014.

Sugiharto, Bambang, 2003. “Seni dan Paradigma: Sebuah

Tinjauan Epistemologi”, Wicaksono, Adi dan Mikke

Susanto, et al., ed. Aspek-aspek Seni Visual Indonesia :

Paradigma dan Pasar, Yayasan Seni Cemeti.

Yogyakarta.

Wisetrotomo, Suwarno dan Garret Kam, 1998. “The

Oneness of Culture: An Interpretation of the Paintingof

I Made Sumadiyas”, Catalogue Made Volume II,

Indonesia.

Paradigm of Abstract Expressionism Painting of Balinese Artists in Yogyakarta

185