Srihadi Sudarsono

The work is in good condition overall, as is the canvas, which is clear and taut. Indication of light wear and handling is evident around the edges of the painting, but paint layers are well-preserved. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals no evidence of restoration. Framed.
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“I believe that the nature of my painting must always express the beauty and the elegance of the human soul.”

Srihadi Sudarsono cited in Art: At 73 - New Horizons For An Artist, Sonia Kolesnikov- Jessop, The New York Times, February 9 2005

 

Srihadi Sudarsono has depicted the natural beauty of an Indonesian rice field. Golden Harvest demonstrates the importance of agriculture as a key influence upon the country’s economy. Throughout his career the artist has painted similar themed works, such as Horizon (1978), Landscape (1981), and My Green Country; Tractors Cut Greenness (1984).

Srihadi’s landscape works are visual implementations, for they encompass parallel strips of colour that symbolize the rise and falls of human existence, while the ethereal and divine are represented by the horizon, a hazy blue in the distance. The infinity of nuances that are found in the artist’s collection of works, serve as his tools for spiritual exploration. The imagery within his paintings alludes to the artist’s emotions, and is less about the clarity of the objects that inhabit the works. His works often feature a contemplative silence and colorful theatricality that lie outside the reality of shapes and forms.

During the sixties Srihadi began to experiment with the “color field” principle within his artworks, and soon earned the reputation as being a colorist artist. The interplay of hue gradations in Golden Harvest is reflective of the artist’s genius for applying colors into the paintings. The alternating stripes of bright colors that represent the rice field create a sense of depth in the landscape, while the short brushstrokes that are dabbed on in white, are suggestive of movement of the wheat blowing in the field. A prevalent theme in the artist’s work revolved around life and its disparities.

Though the artist came from a wealthy family, there were others whose livelihoods were dependent on the successful yield of their crops. This struggle to survive was something unfamiliar to the artist. Golden Harvest is a portrayal of a flourishing harvest, suggestive of his understanding about the important relationship between the landscape and the farmers. The period of political unrest in Indonesia during the 1940’s, also influenced the underlining themes of his works. Although Golden Harvest was produced late in the artist’s life, the painting’s message remains an indicator of his continued respect, and belief in revolutionary ideals to inspire change in a nation.