Self/Relationships
Self-Identity
- A three-quarter view of the artist with a
bandage on his right ear. He is wearing a
green cloak and a fur cap. Behind him is a
painting of geishas in kimonos and mt. fuji.
Towards the right of the work, we see a
suggestion of a door with details of paneling. To
the left, we see a candlestick-like structure.
Vincent van Gogh
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear.
1889
Oil on canvas
- In Van Gogh’s painting, short and straight/
vertical strokes were used throughout. The
overlapping vertical lines made him look stiff and
the lines also suggest a sense of
anxiety/tension.
- Dominant shades of green give the painting a
cold/chilly atmosphere, which could suggest the
loneliness experienced by the artist. Close-up
portrayal of the face helps to direct our attention
to the artist’s emotions
Vincent van Gogh
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear.
1889
Oil on canvas
- Van Gogh appears distraught; probably
suffering from the earlier accident/fight with Paul
Gauguin. A solemn/sorrowful atmosphere
envelops the room. There is no eye contact
between Van Gogh with the audience and this
further emphasized his sense of loneliness &
depression.
- The overlapping strokes used also appear like
a fence that separates him from the viewer. He
is alone in his suffering and we are unable to
reach out to him.
Vincent van Gogh
Self-Portrait with Bandaged Ear.
1889
Oil on canvas
Here, Van Gogh is dressed in a rather smart
jacket & waistcoat, appearing serious &
somewhat calm. He seems to be glancing
out at us in an uncertain manner.
The orange beard contrasts with the overall
blue colour scheme. (Blue & orange are
complementary colours).
The light blue background is enlivened with
stylized swirling brushstrokes. Such free
and overlapping strokes are echoed in the
clothes of Van Gogh, his hair and
moustache.
Vincent Van Gogh
Self-Portrait
1889
Oil on canvas
Affandi (1907 - 1990)
- Indonesian Expressionist artist
Affandi
Nostalgia of Mother
1940
Oil on canvas
- Portrait of his mum showed adequate
mastery of anatomy & academic skills
- Contours of the face, with eyes, nose &
mouth received close attention &
accentuation
- Hands: Showed impression of linear
movement, painted with less patience
 Revealed signs of expressive
tendencies
Affandi
A Child & its Blind Father
Mixed Media
- Sketch of an old, blind man being led by a
small boy
- Both are dressed in rags
Affandi:
- Admired Van Gogh’s
expressive style & humanitarian
life view
Van Gogh. Bedroom in Arles. 1889
Affandi
My Room
1942
Oil on canvas
- A number of figures study a
map
- Oil paint has been quickly &
sketchily applied with loose
strokes & lines
Affandi
The Militia Prepare their Strategy
1946
Oil on canvas
Affandi (1907 - 1990)
- Focus on visual & emotional expression in his work
- Themes  Poverty , injustice, struggle for
independence
- Characteristic Style:
- Thick, impasto technique, showing strong
movement & expressive tension
- Squeezed paint directly on canvas & used
hands/tube’s nozzle to paint
Affandi: Self Portraits
Self portrait = Representation of the self, & the self’s
existential experiences
Affandi
I am Under the Lamp
1964
Oil on canvas
Affandi
Self-Portrait
1975
Oil on canvas
Read jumbled responses
- Depicts himself as an elderly man
with unkempt and thinning head of hair
and thick features
- Captures his physical likeness &
conveys a sense of life & personality
- He looks out from the picture to
face the viewer
Self-Portrait
1975
- Style:
- Gestural application of paint &
Fauvist colour sense
- Suggests himself as a robust man
whose forceful presence is asserted
formally through wildly coloured palette
- Physical energy propelled through
spirited brushstrokes on the picture
surface
Self-Portrait
1975
Caring
1971
Self Portrait with Pipe
1977
- Self portrait with
accompanying motif of a
sun -- an alter-ego
- Dynamic, swirling strokes.
Wajahku
1981
- Self portrait embracing solar
eclipse
- Sorrowfully embracing
black ball of eclipsed sun,
the disappearance of
which meant the death of
everything and meanings
in universe
- Capture essence of life
force which suffuses
universe
Solar Eclipse
1983
- Identify with and repeatedly
attempt to capture the sun in
paint, thick and dynamic swirls
in blue, or orange, or red,
black
- Touch of melancholy -convinced that he would die in
1987.
- A whisk of bamboo and a red
sun + sketchy image of himself
against background of canvas
- Self image in light oil-colours,
almost disappearing into
background, fading away
Unsuccessful
1987
- Effects lie more in relief of thick
impasto than in any outline or
colour.
Dead Chicken
1987
- Form of a dead fighting cock
hangs upside down in the centre of
the canvas
- Bottom right, face of Affandi
emerges from the shadows, a
ghost like apparition, severed
from any bodily context
- Dismembered head on the
ground, where the feet of the
living tread = identifcation with
dead cock and death
(imminent death?)
- Use of darker greys mixed with
whites and yellow
Affandi: Self Portraits
- Created individualized, expressionist paintings as means to perceive
reality
- Saw himself as the medium to explore one’s emotional and psychological
depth
- Influence of Van Gogh: Image of the suffering artist & Sense of
empathy for human suffering
- As a Life-giver -- Use of image of sun / eclipse
• Affandi:
PAINTING = A process of fixing into colour and form the
storm of energy from emotions which had arisen through
concentrating on something that inspired it
- Tends to leave his works unfinished
- Expressionistic:
- More true to the subjects than any photo-realistic
works
- Engaged, honest emotional experiences deemed
more important than intellectual analysis
Bayu Utomo Radjikin (Born 1969)
(Malaysian artist)
Bayu Utomo Radjikin (Born 1969)
(Malaysian artist)
Untitled 4
Bayu Utomo Radjikin
2011
228cm x 165cm
Charcoal and acrylic on canvas
Bayu Utomo Radjikin
Lang Kacang
1991
Mixed media
Size: 141 x 104 x 120cm.
Bayu Utomo Radjikin
Lang Kacang
1991
Mixed media
Size: 141 x 104 x 120cm.
Bayu Utomo Radjikin
Lang Kacang
1991
Mixed media
Size: 141 x 104 x 120cm.
Bayu Utomo:
~ Fascination for warriors
- A sentimentality for Malay
symbols
- Theme:
- War & misery
- Self-righteousness, confidence, pride, heroism, perseverance
- Sculpture depicting a warrior without arms, probably belonging to a
tribal group in Sarawak, Malaysia. He seems to be standing in an
upright & sturdy position, with his legs wide open, ready to attack or
defend. (just like a proud soldier) With his head tilted up, he seems
confident enough to win any battle. The body is gone but armour is still
in place (suggest bravery); Armless but still ready for battle (suggest
strength) His mouth is wide open, suggesting that he is probably
shouting just as how warriors would in a battle.
Bayu Utomo Radjikin
(Malaysia)
Lang Kacang
1991
Mixed media
Size: 141 x 104 x 120cm.
- Sense of mystery/myth: face resembles that of an animal; half human,
half animal? Reminds one of tribal sculpture through the use of feathers
& materials. The dark grey armour coupled with the brown of the face
& legs further suggest tribal roots
- The metal & other scrap materials used made reference back to the
traditional warrior armour and war accessories (tattoo?)
Bayu Utomo Radjikin
Bujang The Brave
1991
Metal & mixed media
97cm x 55cm x 100cm
National Art Gallery Permanent
Collection Sculpture
Bayu Utomo Radjikin
x figure
1993
oil on canvas
83cm x 110cm
- We see the expression of utter terror on the child's
countenance, the vulnerability of its emaciated
frames pressed against a wall and helplessness of the
clasped hands and the eyes, wide opened witnesses
to all that is horror and abjection.
- The expression on the child is obvious to all; there
can be no doubt about it and it forms a striking
contrast to the convoluted background.
- The backdrop: somewhat like the ink-blot tests; it
elicits and defeats attempts at conclusive
explanation.
Bayu Utomo Radjikin
x figure
1993
oil on canvas
83cm x 110cm
- There you see substances of the artist's vision on
the labyrinthine complexities of the world, anxiety
laden absurdities of life and the powerfully
oppressive forces at hand. The nightmare within this
canvas is now resonating with the chilling reality.
- Evokes the modern man's angst and grotesque
alienation in an unintelligible and hostile world.
Bayu Utomo Radjikin
(Malaysian artist)
- Works with the themes of war and suffering in his artworks
- Explore the issues that these human conditions brought about.
Some artists use their art to depict
various socio-political, socio-economic
and socio-ecological conditions. Issues
such as war, social unrest, urbanisation
and the destruction of nature have
always been of concern to artists. Their
artworks serve as visual records of
these events, and as expressions of
their opinions about the society they live
DISCOVERING IDENTITIES
Since the 1990s, a multiracial group of Malaysian artists has placed greater
emphasis on sociological issues arising from the multiracial and multicultural
realities of modern Malaysia. Adopting a broader approach to artistic creativity,
these artists have highlighted issues related to the self and the other, notions of
minority identity, and questions related to the environmental transformations that
are taking place as the nation embarks on an accelerated industrialization process.
Among the issues raised by these artists are matters related to multi-ethnic cultural
values and aspirations in the face of a national cultural policy. Also projected are
issues of cultural dislocation faced by immigrant societies as they sink their roots
into their country of adoption. Influences derived from the rapidly expanding
information age contexts and their effects on the heterogenous malaysian social
matrix are also featured.
Other works by Bayu Utomo
The world through the eye of a Malaysian artist
"Conversation by the square; Trafalgar ”
57.5cm x 139.5cm, Oil on Canvas, 2005
"Conversation by the river; Thames”
57.5cm x 139.5cm, Oil on Canvas, 2005
Conversation at Picadilly Circus”
57.5cm x 139.5cm, Oil on Canvas, 2005
"Monologue at Tate Britain”
57.5cm x 139.5cm, Oil on Canvas, 2005
Bayu Utomo
Words at the Acropolis, Athens
2006
Acrylic on canvas, 58cm x 139cm
Bayu Utomo
Words at the Brandenberger Tor, Berlin, 2006
Acrylic on canvas
58cm x139cm
Bayu Utomo
Sight
2006
Acrylic on canvas, 40cm x 100cm
References
http://www.age.jp/~pranoto/bookenglish/003.htm
http://antropologifoto.blogspot.sg/2011/10/affandi-legend-of-indonesian.html
http://bayuutomo.blogspot.sg/
http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/lifestyle/171027-cover-story-bayu-thewarrior.html