Diyanto may well be a representation of the eternal gloom of an artist born from the "Bandung School." He stands on two different plains: the formalism inherited from the Bandung Institute of Technology on the one side, and the desire to follow contemporary trends in the world of visual art on the other side. The public often finds it difficult to grasop the ideas behind Diyanto's works which are laden with philosophical thoughts and heavily influenced by theatrical and literary works. This literary weight can be seen in the titles of his works, for example in Semangka yang Dikuburkan (The Buried Watermelon, 2002) and in Bulan dalam Baskom (The Moon in the Washbasin, 2002). Titles, for Diyanto, are not merely a means to give meanings to his works; rather, they are like poetry, which just like any literary text holds specific interpretations. It is therefore not surprising if many people presume that, just like his works, Diyanto way of giving titles is like a poet's; a collection of aphorisms visualized. Perhaps episteme comes from Diyanto's passion for literature and his engagement as artistic stage director for theatres of national and international stature. He is also an ardent reader of books on Culture, Philosphy, as well as on social issues.

His latest exhibition, "Halaman Terbakar" ("The Burned Yard"), which was held at the beginning of 2002, betrayed his restlessness amid the two shifting plains on which he has been standing. Shining through was not only Diyanto's immersion, but also the final stage of his apprehension in exploring composition of text, icons and signs that he had been working on and had pervasive in his daily life. The exhibition marked a new phase in which Dyanto shifted from the identity of his past works, to begin something that he had yet to identify. The shift is comparable to the the action of a bee that had been collecting abundant masses of honey, fervently desiring to unload itself. Or to quote Nietzsche: "Behold, this cup wants to become empty again, and Zarathustra wants to become man again."

Although he has grown within the tradition of fine arts, Diyanto is aware that the creative process on canvas has its limitations. It has a language and character of its own. Diyanto sees his experience as an artistic director for the theater stage as the cause of his existential restlessness. He once said: The tension between wishing to create an image and the actual expression is an important constraint; it's how to find an excuse for our own presence amidst the alibi of the world of other people.

Diyanto does not deny the efficiency of paintings as an artistic medium of expression. However, he completely disagrees with the opinion which says painting is the only means for his creative processes. As an artist, he yearns for a consensus in the Indonesian world of visual art where every development is adeptly judged, based on the meaning, value, or artistic quality of an artist - a situation where all aspects and matters of the visual arts in Indonesia find their form, face, and dignity.

Aminudin TH Siregar

Born on February 23, 1962 in Kadipaten.
Studied at Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) (BFA; 1991).

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1998 "The Stone That Doesn't Reach Through You", Bandung Gallery, Bandung.
1999 Paintings and Installations, Millenium Gallery, Jakarta .
2000 "Invitation Of Flies", Koong Gallery, Jakarta.
2001 "Zeroretorika", Café Modernekunst, Pasau, Jerman.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1998 "Turn Left, You May Proceed", Padi Gallery, Bandung; "Jakarta Painting Biennale XI", Ismail Marzuki Cultural Centre (TIM), Jakarta.
1999 "Collaboration with Urban Poor Consortium", National Gallery, Jakarta; "Contact: Unstable Field of Power", John Curtin Gallery, Perth, Australia; "Web-Art, Indonesia-Australia Art Exchange", Soemardja Gallery, ITB, Bandung.
2000 "The 15th Asian International Arts Exhibition", Tainan County Cultural, Taiwan; "Figure in The New Century", Edwin Gallery, Jakarta.
2001 "Winds of Artists in Residence 2001", Fukuoka Art Museum, Fukuoka, Jepang; "BAE Biennale", Selasar Sunaryo Art Space, Bandung.

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