阿凡迪

Sardjana Sumichan, Affandi Volume I, Bina Lestari Budaya Foundation Jakarta and Singapore Art Museum, 2007, p. 116, colourplate 40

This work is in good overall condition as viewed. There are signs of wear and loss along the edges and corners of the painting due to abrasions with an earlier frame, but this does not affect the overall image. There is a very light line that runs along the bottom edge of the work as the canvas was re-stretched. There is minor craquelure most notably in a few areas of thick impasto and at the bottom left corner of the painting, but this is stable and consistent with the age of the work. Upon very close inspection, there are a few tiny paint losses and minor flaking at the middle and lower right quadrant of the work. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals no evidence of restoration as viewed. Framed.
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Affandi is widely recognized for being one of the most significant artists within the 20^th century canon of Southeast Asian art. His unique vision and approach to painting are said to reflect the evolution and idiosyncrasies of Indonesian modernism. Prior to and after the Declaration of Indonesian Independence, Affandi worked tirelessly to paint propaganda posters, actively encouraging nationalism, soon after which he joined the Bandung Group of Five in 1950 which included other notable names such as Hendra Gunawan, Bar Sudarso and Wahdi. It is with this same patriotic passion that Affandi recreates daily scenes in Indonesian life, combining concepts of event and emotion to produce expressionistic art.

A highly decorated artist, Affandi received a scholarship to the Art School Shantinekan Tagore University and a grant to study art education in the United States of America for four months. He also received the Anugerah Seni and Gold Medal Merit Award from Indonesia’s Ministry of Culture and Education as well as honorary life membership from the Jakarta Academy. These formal recognitions were a glittering precursor to the development of what would become Affandi’s trademark style of squeezing paint directly from tubes to canvas and working it with his hands, an accidental discovery that came from his paintbrush breaking.

His characteristic approach to painting can be summarized as having an intuitive eye for naturalism with a strong sense of spontaneity. He uses bold brush strokes, three dimensional impasto layering and overlapping colors to convey emotional connectivity with his pieces that generally feature recreations of daily scenes in Indonesian life. In Self Portrait, Affandi’s use of his palms and fingers is evident and he has chosen the colors red, yellow and green to form the primary color palette of the piece. His visible gestures lend the piece an intrinsically human quality and the vibrant color choices emphasize emotion and instinct as Affandi’s source of creativity, as well as a great sense and awareness towards capturing his subject.

Although he is his own subject in Self Portrait, this piece – along with Affandi’s other self-portraits – is not a mark of vanity or self-obsession. Rather, having a collection of self-portraits in his oeuvre allowed Affandi to record his own physical and psychological changes, to remember how he felt at the moment of creation. Unlike his earlier self-portraits, which were more anatomical portrayals, Self Portrait is an example of Affandi’s progression to expressionism. It does not attempt to be physiologically accurate, but instead represents his inner spirit, a glimpse into Affandi’s internal dialogue and vulnerabilities.

The shift to expressionism parallels a shift in Affandi’s approach to communicating his state of mind, using freedom of form and color as a means to convey raw emotion instead of being trapped in the details of replicating likeness. While there is a limit on what viewers can infer from Self Portrait without knowing the artist himself, it serves as an example of self-awareness and emotional bravery, as well as being part of an important oeuvre that has left an indelible mark on modern Indonesian art.