Srihadi Soedarsono

(b. 1931)

Dua Penari Janger

Footnotes

Provenance
Private Collection, Singapore

Published
H. Soemantri, Indonesian heritage. Vol. 7 Visual art, Singapore, Archipelago Press, 1998, p.67, pl.6

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Dua Penari Janger or Two Janger Dancers was painted 1981 at the peak of Srihadi's practice when he lived and worked in Bali. Janger, a choral dance that originated in Bali in the 1920s, was an informal way for unmarried youth to mingle and flirt through song. The lyrics were often about love, but there have also been songs about patriotism, sports, and peacebuilding, particularly during the turbulent post-Soeharto era.

In the present lot, two Janger dancers are dressed in full regalia and made up to the nines, yet, they are not dancing. Instead, they sit angled towards each other, idle and in waiting. Their attire is identical, as are their expressions, their faces plastered white with makeup. As one dancer stares to the side, the other challenges the viewer, both anchored in a flat sea of orange-red.

Seen here more than in any of his later work, Srihadi demonstrates his mastery of colour to "convey emotional sensation". The intense orange-red background—the colour of passion, life, and fertility fills the negative space and fuses with the dancers' red and yellow kembem or torso wrap. The artist has stated in an interview—colours...represent the essence of what I see. For example, I can use a lemon yellow to represent the freshness of a morning, the spirit of the atmosphere.

A painting by Srihadi, titled Virginity and also dated 1981 is an apt comparison to the present lot. It depicts a solitary male Janger dancer, with his hands clasped hopefully across his chest. Once again, colour and character convey emotions as an orange-red sea floods the background and a fresh lemon yellow sarong wraps the young man's lower torso. See J. Supangkat, Srihadi Dan Seni Rupa Indonesia, Art: 1 New Museum, 2012, unnumbered page & plate. In both works, Srihadi's palette is bright, nostalgic, and glowing with the ingenuous optimism of youth.