SANENTO YULIMAN’S THOUGHT OF ART

• Main Author: Anindita, Puja
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/42197
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

Sanento Yuliman was an art thinker and an educator, primarily known as an art critic. However, studies that discusses Sanento Yuliman's thoughts regarding art are not yet large in number. Meanwhile, there are a number of things that can be used as references in understanding Indonesian art within his artistic thoughts. This research aims to review the practice of criticism and the development of art history in Indonesia through a discourse that can be found in the writings of Sanento Yuliman. The core issues in this research are what were Sanento Yuliman's thoughts regarding the practice of art in Indonesia? and how Sanento Yuliman conducted the practices of art criticism? The research samples includes the first writings that contained Sanento's ideas about art criticism, the development of Indonesian art, the discourse of two fine arts, and the discourse of the boom phenomenon in art, which are: Beberapa Masalah dalam Kritik Seni Lukis di Indonesia, books on art of painting Indonesia Baru: Sebuah Pengantar; Apresiasi Seni Lukis: Jika Cakrawala Diperluas; Seni Rupa Atas-Seni Rupa Bawah; Perspektif Baru, Seni Rupa Pembebasan Seni Rupa; dan Seni Rupa dan Ilmu Seni. As samples of the practice of Sanento Yuliman’s art criticism, this research uses 18 writings written in the period 1968-1992 which not only contained a review of fine art exhibitions, but also included the discussion of fine arts and the environment, popular art, the shifting value of traditional fine art as a commodity of tourism, phenomena that presented the indication of boom in the field of painting, topics that related to the existence of fine arts higher education , new creative processes, art awards, and topics related to international art world. These writings includes: Seni Patung Baru di Indonesia (1973), Perspektif Baru (1975), Seni Lukis Indonesia Baru: Sebuah Pengantar (1976), ASEAN Kembali Ke Akar (1981), Ketika Gambar Menyerbu Lingkungan Kota (1982), Jangkauan Rusli (1983), Lain Lubuk Lain-Lain Seninya (1984), Tubuh Tampikan (1985), Empat Pendekar Serat (1986), Seni Rupa dalam Pancaroba: Kemana Semangat Muda? (1987), Antara Sri dan Saraswati (1987), Para Anugerahwan dan Para Pendamping (1988), Pemiskinan Seni Lukis (1989), Kampung Seni (1989), ARX’89: Tetirah Kerja (1989), Pameran Imajiner (1990), Greget Grafis Nusantara (1991), dan Keluar dari Status Quo (1992). This research uses the qualitative analysis methods to analyze research data. This research also uses the approach of art history and the Feldman’s theory of art criticism to understand the characteristics of Sanento's art criticism in approaching art works and problems/issues regarding art. These approaches are needed to see what has become Sanento Yuliman’s crucial thoughts in the field of fine arts. Through the analysis of the writings that were used as research samples, it was found that Sanento's writings during the period of 1968-1976 tended to use the art criticism method and art history approach more as methods of approaching problems. In writings done during the period of 1981-1991, Sanento tended to have three other approaches, namely sociology, criticism of the vision of art education, and linguistics. These five approaches that Sanento used to approach the problems and issues regarding art led to a number of specific terms, such as: lirisisme, anti-lirisisme, anti-elitisme, kagunan, imba, wanda, pendusunan, pemingitan, etc. Through analysis of the research samples about Sanento Yuliman’s practice of art criticism in the period of 1968-1992, it was found that Sanento applied the method of art criticism in introductory text for exhibitions and book during the period of 1970-1976. After Sanento’s return from his studies in France, in the period of 1981-1992, Sanento applied the method of art criticism more towards his writings in the mass media. The regulations for writing articles in the mass media that limited the length of the page and the number of words resulted in a compaction of the completeness of the stage of Feldman’s art criticism method that Sanento tried to apply in his critique writings. This compaction shown through a stage of description that was immediately followed by formal analysis and interpretation, or a hypothesis that replaced the description to initially direct the reader to a broader topic before delved into a more specific review of an exhibition or a work of art. This compaction resulted that the application of the complete stages of Feldman's art criticism actually took place not in the body of the writing, but rather in the process of writing. The assessment or judgement stage conducted by Sanento was a way to assign the aesthetic novelty being pursued by an artist or as a correction to the practice of art in Indonesia in order to develop while following adequate principles. Based on the analysis of his critique writings, in today’s period, his writings can be read as a historical journey of art in Indonesia. This can be considered because of Sanento’s discovery of new visualizations in the works of Indonesian artists at the time, in any of his writing samples. Sanento was also able to unequivocally indicated new tendencies in Indonesian art.