IndonesiaStarting in the 1990's, a paradox began to develop in the Indonesian art scene. On one hand, there was commercialization as Indonesian painting suddenly became something sought after by collectors. Exhibitions grew rapidly and audiences increased, but the demand was for painting, especially painting of a purely aesthetic nature. Contemporary art had made progress in the 1970's when installation was introduced, but this progress was suppressed as this form of art was not marketable in this new Indonesian art scene. So contemporary artists went elsewhere for validation, as opportunities opened up to show their work internationally. Even with this new international support, artists had a difficult time achieving recognition at home. This dichotomy of the mainstream, nationalistic painters and the contemporary, anarchistic artists caused a breakdown of Indonesian art. Mainstream painters were validated by the society and promoted by the government because their works were pleasing and innocuous, but this involvment of the government stunted the growth of these painters as artists. Meanwhile, contemporary artists, because they were not acknowledged in their own country, went abroad for recognition and validation. Yet they still did not feel confidence in their aesthetic abilities and their work had a tendancy to be driven by political criticism rather than by artist concepts.
Jim Supangkat, "Indonesia: In Search of a Politically Correct Work
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Tisna Sanjaya
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