阿凡迪

Upon close inspection, there is very slight craquelure visible in areas of thick impasto. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals no visible signs of restoration. Framed.
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NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

“It was his emotion that gave him the impetus to paint. Emotion for Affandi was like motor fuel. With his squeezing technique he could reach his destination by the time the fuel was used up.”

(Bambang Bujono, “The Birth of New Expressionism and an Intermezzo”, Sardjana Sumichan, Affandi Volume III, Bina Lestari Budaya Foundation Jakarta and Singapore Art Museum, 2007, p. 12)

Having grown up surrounded by autonomous leaders and scholars, Affandi’s psyche was engraved with a deep rooted sense of nationalism. Though he yearned to voice the social realities of his country like his artistic counterparts, he refrained from approaching his work from an overly political or analytical premise. Rather than imparting his own beliefs upon the viewer, he preferred painting touching compositions relating to scenes he had observed in his daily life, which truly represented the quotidian actualities of his homeland.

Affandi painted this thoughtful work during the 1960s, at the height of his oeuvre. By this time, he was already recognized on a global level, having returned from perambulate journeys abroad. The most prolific period of his career was eventuated with his fervent desire to articulate the fresh delight of the awakening republic. Rejoicing in the naiveté of the rakyat (people) of Indonesia whose lives were devoted to the land, this painting holds a mesmeric and nostalgic charm.

Far in the distance are a horse carriage and a laborer leaning forward. A complex, energetic sky looming above contains seemingly churning and vibrant clouds, delineated with thick blue, white and yellow impasto. The dark, comprehensive color tones compel the discerning viewer to search deeper into the intricacies of the work. 

Within the fully painted surface of the canvas Affandi skillfully imbues in his work a sense of linear perspective, such that the horse carriages travel in a line from the mountainous terrain in the distance towards the viewer’s space. The sinuous passage of foliage receding and levitating in the backdrop is manifested with dotted squirts of paint, a personal technique to which Affandi adhered. The artist would squeeze paint from the tube directly onto the canvas, thereby reducing the barrier between artist and painting.

Aptly considered the Father of Indonesian Painting, Affandi portrays a very familiar scene with such instantaneous and dynamic strokes that the work pulsates with unfiltered emotion. This candid depiction of modest, circadian life serves as a sincere testament to the Indonesian temperament during the infant years of its modern history.