Micah Crand a l l - B e a r Saiful Raz m an
Catalogue for Lines — Horizon by Micah Crandall-Bear & Saiful Razman Art Jakarta 30 Aug - 1 Sep 2019 JCC Senayan
Curated by Chabib Duta Hapsoro
Walltext translator Ninus Andarnuswari
Presented by D Gallerie Jl. Barito I No.3, Kebayoran Baru Jakarta, 12130, +62-21-739 9378 dgalleriejakarta@gmail.com www.dgalleriejakarta.net
Catalogue design by Kotasis Kamar Desain 3x3x3 Surabaya, Indonesia www.kotasis.com
Digital Edition
Micah Crand a l l - B e a r Saiful Raz m an
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Lines — Horizon
“Landscape only becomes really spectacular when you know what you are looking at.” Günther Vogt
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H or i zo n
Staring unconsciously at the horizon becomes an experience inseparable from our lives. Such experience might also sneak up on moments in-between busy times, for example on a trip. When looking at the view of ricefields from the top of a train, our farthest gaze can catch the line of horizon that separates heaven and earth. And thus we can have a glimpse of poetic moments that have been, let’s say, co-opted in such a way by popular culture: dusk and sunrise. The horizon is landscape painters’ first reference to start working. Many of these painters portray vivid experiences of gazing at the horizon in a variety of ways through fields 5
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of color and surface textures, which then evoke lyrical experiences of the gazers. This presentation brings up a selection of works by artists who pursue abstract works that guide our perception toward the horizon. Micah Crandall-Bear for the past few years has been cultivating an abstract visual language that refers to a landscape. Micah’s works display intrinsic characteristics of the earth and our disorientation toward changes of the earth accelerated to a certain extent. Layers of field or lines of his creations suggest a landscape abstraction, piled from the sky to the subterranean region. From such compositions, we can see how a delicate painting approach can reveal atmospheric experiences surrounding the horizon and landscapes. The lines in Saiful Razman’s works also refer to a landscape, albeit 6
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“Micah’s works display intrinsic characteristics of the earth and our disorientation toward changes of the earth accelerated to a certain extent.”
flatly, ignoring the principles of perspective. With medical gauzes and tissue papers as materials, in essence Saiful wants to talk about the idea of resistance over the idea of monumentality and eternity. Saiful appears to extend the life of those disposable objects by making them art objects. The lines created and the dark-light nuances brought out seem to hide an intricate handwork of the arrangement of those objects. With it, the artist preserves memories or perceptions unfolding on a landscape.
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“... in essence Saiful wants to talk about the idea of resistance over the idea of monumentality and eternity.”
Catching the horizon has always been an indivisible part when looking at a landscape. An experience like this might made a naturalist painter, Wakidi (1889-1979) never get bored expressing the Ngarai (canyon) Sianok in Bukittinggi, West Sumatra. He created hundreds of Ngarai Sianok themed paintings until the end of his life. These paintings are mostly present in the eyes of birds perspective which see this canyon from the height. From there Wakidi could see the horizon that 8
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The depiction of Ngarai Sianok by C. T. D. Deeleman, entitled Het Kerbauwengat (lithography, circa 1865). Deeleman was one of the artists assigned by the Colonial Government to capture a number of natural landscapes in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). Image by Tropenmuseum, part of the National Museum of World Cultures [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons. org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)]
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separated heaven and earth. The horizon becomes the backbone, binding of all the details of the landscape composition, ricefields, river streams, canyon cliffs, vegetation, cloud clusters, expanse of sky and others. Thus the horizon marks the nature and landscape outreach by human eyes. This marker can be said to be always present in landscape paintings. On the other hand, the depiction of nature in landscape paintings often shows human anthropocentric efforts towards nature, followed by conquest. Mooi Indie (Beautiful Indies) paintings froze the tropical landscape of Indonesia in the colonial period. These paintings were initially used as knowledge documentation tools, such as botany, earth science, geography, etc. After these knowledge was obtained, the colonial government then exploited the nature through plantations and mining. This exploitation then continued to humans. The frozen 10
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beautiful landscapes through these paintings ironically concealed the colonialism. Through their works, both artists can be said to freeze personal moments as they directly experience the landscape while also introducing filters on such experience. Their works reflect a change in human perspective in seeing landscape. Abstract visual language is seen as an effort to present the representation of nature more freely, and more importantly, avoid anthropocentric frame in viewing landscapes. Through Micah’s work, landscape is realized as a dynamic entity. Humans become figures who are constantly experiencing disposition, so that they can only reach the landscapes impressions. Saiful’s works show the irony of modern monuments, reflecting human efforts to immortalize the memory of achievements, which in some cases are accompanied by a 11
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“Their works reflect a change in human perspective in seeing landscape. Abstract visual language is seen as an effort to present the representation of nature more freely, and more importantly, avoid anthropocentric frame in viewing landscapes.�
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number of conquests. Saiful realizes that “eternity is always ephemeral�. Ephemerality is a fate, that will always be witnessed by nature and landscape. We also get another understanding about the horizon. Horizon always changes depending on our altitude. Then the human view about landscape is always relative. Nature and landscape always beyond our gazes. According to Rachel Ziady Delue (Landscape Theory, 2008) landscapes are always elusive. Landscape always leaves a transcendental experience that can never be fully described. ---
Chabib Duta Hapsoro Curator
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Micah Cranda ll-Bear
Onyxium acrylic on canvas 153 x 213 cm 2019
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M i c a h C rand a l l - B e a r
Lucia acrylic on canvas 153 x 213 cm 2019
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Micah Cranda ll-Bear
Dillon acrylic on canvas 122 x 213 cm 2019
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M i c a h C rand a l l - B e a r
When You Feel Happy and Sad at the Same Time acrylic on canvas 122 x 214 cm 2019
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Micah Cranda ll-Bear
Helio acrylic on canvas 153 x 183 cm 2019
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M i c a h C rand a l l - B e a r
Orchid acrylic on canvas 153 x 183 cm 2019
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Micah Cranda ll-Bear
Skyen acrylic on canvas 137 x 168 cm 2019
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M i c a h C rand a l l - B e a r
Elwood acrylic on canvas 137 x 168 cm 2019
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Saiful R azman
Closure gauze, tissue paper, polyvinyl adhesive, polycrylic, acrylic on canvas 190 x 228 cm, triptych. (190 x 76 cm each) 2019
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S a i f ul R a z m an
Closer Gauze, tissue paper, polyvinyl adhesive, polycrylic, acrylic on canvas 190 x 228 cm, triptych. (190 x 76 cm each) 2019
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Saiful R azman
Forever Gauze, tissue paper, polyvinyl adhesive, polycrylic, acrylic on canvas 190 x 228 cm, triptych. (190 x 76 cm each) 2019
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M i c a h C rand a l l - B e a r
Micah Crand a l l - B e a r Born in 1980
COLLECTION Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA - Facebook, Prineville, OR | Forest City, NC | Luleå, Sweden | Altoona, IA - Resnick Foundation, Los Angeles, CA - Visa, Foster City, CA - Altera, San Jose, CA and Penang, Malaysia - Infoblox, Santa Clara, CA - Intel, Folsom, CA - University of Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA - The Infinity Condominiums, San Francisco, CA
EXHIBITIONS 2019 Art Market San Francisco, George Billis Gallery, April, San Francisco, CA | Altum: Solo exhibition, Brannan Mason, Los Angeles, CA | American Artists in Paris, Le Salon Des Arts, June, Paris, France | Solo exhibition, Elliott Fouts Gallery, July, Sacramento, CA | Art Jakarta, D Gallerie, August – September, Jakarta, Indonesia 2018 Seattle Art Fair, Joseph Gross Gallery, Seattle, WA | Ataraxia, Licht Feld Gallery, Basel, Switzerland | Modern
Micah Cranda ll-Bear
Landscape, Slate Gallery, Oakland, CA | Art Stage Singapore, D Gallerie, Singapore 2017 Galerie Brigitta Leupin, October-November, Basel, Switzerland | Wide Open Walls, Sacramento, CA | Art Stage Jakarta, D Gallerie, Jakarta, Indonesia | Radium: Solo exhibition, Elliott Fouts Gallery, , Sacramento, CA | Art Pampelonne, Joseph Gross, Saint Tropez, France | Versailles Now, Mirus Gallery, San Francisco, CA | Art Market SF, George Billis Gallery, San Francisco, CA | Art Palm Springs, Adrien Kavachnina Gallery 2016 Scope Miami Beach, Joseph Gross Gallery, Miami, FL | Group Exhibition, Adrien Kavachnina Gallery, Paris, France | Telluric: Solo Exhibition, Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Group Exhibition, Christopher Hill Gallery, Healdsburg, CA 2015 Latitudes, Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Art Palm Beach, Castle Fitzjohns Gallery, Palm Beach, FL | MIA Art Fair, Castle Fitzjohns Gallery, Miami FL | Castle Fitzjohns Pop, Seafair yacht / Miami, FL 2014 Spectrum, Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA | aMFa Gallery, Orina, CA | Dogpatch Gallery, San Francisco, CA | Two-Person show with Tim Saternow, Christopher Hill Gallery, Healdsburg, CA | Essential Six, PBS / KVIE, Tim Collom Gallery, Sacramento, CA
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M i c a h C rand a l l - B e a r
2013 New Horizons, Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Face Yourself, Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA | 40 and Under, Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Grand Opening, Christopher Hill Gallery, Healdsburg, CA 2012 Launch, Sacramento, CA | aMFa Gallery, Parallel Affinity, Berkeley, CA 2011 Abstract: 2000 – 2010, Temporary Contemporary Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Develop, California State University of Sacramento, The Union Gallery, Sacramento, CA | 40 and Under, Elliott Fouts Gallery, Sacramento, CA | Launch, Sacramento, CA | The Man and the Latter, Beatnik Gallery, Sacramento, CA 2010 Terrene Series, Francesca Gallery, Sausalito, CA | Skinner Howard Gallery, Sacramento, CA | The Urban Hive, Sacramento, CA 2005 A Creative Merger: A Collaboration by the CA | Lawyers for the Arts, Sacramento County Public Law Library, Sacramento, CA | The Sacramento Public Law Library and the Attorney Generals Office, Sacramento, CA | The Sacramento Department of Justice, Sacramento, CA
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Saiful R azman
Saiful Raz m an Born 1980 in Malaysia
EDUCATION 1998 - 2003 University (Institute) Teknologi Mara, Selangor, Malaysia Bachelor of Arts in Painting AWARDS & GRANTS 2017 Major Awards for The Young Contemporaries National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2003 Honorable Mention, Phillip Morris Malaysia-Asean Arts National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia RESIDENCIES 2004 Artist in residence, Rimbun Dahan, Malaysia COLLECTIONS Singapore Art Museum, Singapore | Bank Negara Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Rimbun Dahan, Malaysia SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2015 Vertical Speed, Richard Koh Fine Art, Jakarta, Indonesia 28
S a i f ul R a z m an
2013 Forms of Void, Richard Koh Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2012 Ereksi Jeneral, Richard Koh Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2008 Pelan Pelan & Bilik Gerakan, The Annexe Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2018 18th Asian Art Biennale Bangladesh 2018, Bangladesh Shilpakola Academy, Dhaka, Bangladesh | Art Jakarta 2018, D’ Gallerie, Jakarta, Indonesia 2017 Kuala Lumpur Biennale, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | The Unreal Deal : Six Decades of Malaysian Abstract Art, Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | The Young Contemporaries Awards, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2016 Malaysian Art, A New Perspective, Richard Koh Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Al-Kesah, Tribute show to Ismail Zain, Galeri Petronas, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2015 Malaysian Art, A New Perspective, Richard Koh Fine Art, Singapore | Making Space: We are where we aren’t, Sekeping Sin Chew Kee, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2014 Obscured Lucidity, Richard Koh Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2013 Beirut Art Fair, Menasart, South East Asia Pavilion, Beirut, Lebanon 2011 Ekspress Rakyat, Chan Hempe Galleries, Singapore
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Saiful R azman
2010 New Object(ion), Galeri Petronas, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2008 Tukar Ganti, New Malaysian Paintings, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Singapore 2006 From The Edge, Ivan Doherty, Sydney, Australia. 2004 3 Young Contemporaries, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Jl. Barito I No.3, Kebayoran Baru Jakarta, 12130, +62-21-739 9378 dgalleriejakarta@gmail.com www.dgalleriejakarta.net