a) Discuss the use of colour and brushwork.
In the painting, Spying Eyes, Lucia Hartini had used strong contrasting colour of orange red and shades of bright blue. The brick wall, which extend from the foreground all the way to the background, is getting smaller and smaller creating a sense of depth. It is painted with orange-red and occupied almost three-quarter of the painting. In contrast, the drapery that is worn by the female figure at the foreground of the painting is painted with different shades of blue. The orange-red, which is the main background colour, creates a strong contrast with the blue drapery thus allow the viewer’s eyes to focus on the female figures, which brings out the importance of the female figure despite the fact that it has only occupied a relative small proportion of the painting.
Moreover, the background of the painting is painted with turbulent sky with thick layers of clouds. The general dark tone of the background also set contrast with the foreground where the colours used are much brighter. Thus, the bright colours with highlights in the foreground caught viewers’ attention first. The viewers will then notice the significance of the female figure and the cracking zigzag brick walls. The female figure is painted in golden brown, which represent a healthy skin tone. The colour might have easily blended in with the brick wall with the absence of the blue drapery. However, the blue drapery that wrapped around the female figures provides contrast with the skin tone thus highlights its importance instead. Hence the viewers’ eyes will travel from the female figure along the brick wall towards the background of the painting.
As for the brushwork, the artist has adopted a high academic accuracy and traditional painting technique. Every brushstroke are well-blended, no trace of brushstrokes could be seen. In this manner, the form of the figure will be well rendered and clearly defined. Thus, it will provide a realistic form that is highly resemblance to real life. This corroborate with artist’s intention of painting in surrealistic style, where the objects that are taken from real life are combine in an illogical way to form a dream-like world. The realistic figure yet in a fantasy setting will thus bewilder the viewers.
Secondly, the brushwork for the blue drapery has highlighted the contrast between the shadows and the smooth curve of the fabric. Thus it gives the drapery a sense of fluidity and realistic form. However, as for the brick wall, the hard edges are clearly defined. This provides a contrast between the drapery and the wall which can shock the viewers.
b) What social concerns are intended in Lucia Hartini’s work? Discuss with reference to “Spying Eyes” and another named work by Lucia Hartini.
Lucia Hartini’s works are intended to engage critically the inherited gender norms and social expectation of women in Indonesia. This could be seen both in “Spying Eyes” and “Srikandi” 1993.
Lucia Hartini’s art is inseparable from the social-political condition in Indonesia. Here, the women are perceive as subordinate to men and is seen to be obedient to man’s order. Women are been looked down and especially so for female artists. Due to the society, there are very few female artists and usually their voice could not be heard. The social and political judgments also constantly criticize them. Lucia Hartini once said, “my obsession with eyes, especially human (spying) eyes, frightened me very much. They follow me wherever I go and watch my business.” Thus, human eyes have appeared in both of her artwork “Spying Eyes” and “Srikandi”. In “Spying Eyes”, the female figure is drawn cradle together which suggest lack of security due to the eyes from the public keeps on scrutinizing her. While in “Srikandi”, the female figure stared back at the glaze confidently. This shows that the public often criticize the female artist due to the existing gender norm.
Also, it is also shown in the brick wall found in both paintings. In “Spying Eyes”, the zigzagged wall may represent the social prejudice that trapped the female figure. This wall seems extended all the way to the sky signified that the social norms had existed for a very long time. The brick wall is also painted in orange-red which may represent Hartini’s angers and frustration towards such system. The brick wall is in zigzag may also indicate the difficulties the female in Indonesia had to go through while trying to fight back against the system. While in “Srikandi”, though one side of the brick wall is in zigzag form. The other side is straightened. It might represent her will of fighting back the rigid social prejudice. In addition, both paintings shoe that there are cracks on the wall and the smooth drapery are covering the wall, this might represent that this sexism are slowly eroding in modern days.
c) Lucia Hartini has explored dreams and imagination as she sought to discover herself through her works. Why did she create dream-like imagery and do you think she has been effective in using dreams as part of her work? Discuss with reference to her named works.
Lucia Hartini lived in a society where straight forward critical and confession discourse are not accepted. Thus she is forced to adopt allegorical and symbolic style to express her thoughts and ideas. As she had been engage critically with inherited gender norms and social expectation, she addresses the issues in an open, honest and advocating ways with the use of dream-like imagery. I think she had been effective in using dreams as art of her work, due to her use of symbolical figures in the painting such as in “Srikandi”, 1993.
In “Srikandi”, Lucia Hartini painted a female figure, which represents srikandi, a well-know “women warrior” in the legend of Indonesia. Srikandi fight courageously in the battle and won the recognition of Prince Arjunza. It is dressed in the blue clothes which were worn by the members of women armies who fought to protect the Sultan. Srikandi, the female figure, stand confidently and looks back at the doubting gazes from the public. Due to this famous and well-known heroic female figure, Lucia Hartini can thus effectively convey her message to the viewers, which is to fight back the doubting and scrutinizing eyes of the society and break the social gender norms. Though due to the social-political condition, she was unable to paint openly on the canvas of her hidden message, her used of dream-like imagery did provoke a sense of confusion at the viewers and shock them.
Furthermore, the use of vibrant yet contrasting colour, the zigzagged cracking walls and the turbulent sky did mention to the viewers her hidden message. The orange-red suggest her anger at such social issue of sexism. The fantasy setting yet realistic figure advocate the viewers. It bewilders the viewers with such contrasting elements and thus makes them think of the environment around them. Though dream-like imagery is not realistic, but it is highly resemblance to the real life and it is easier to engage powerful emotion and allow the viewers to understand the art piece clearly. Such as the cracking brick wall did suggest Hartini’s desire to break through the cage of gender prejudice.
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