Indonesian Art v. Gallen-Kallela
Indonesian Art
Initially, the Indonesian artists adhered to the Western standard of Mooi Indie or the Beautiful Indies which involved naturalistic, romantic and landscape painting. By then, as Helena Spanjaard, a Dutch art historian opined, very few Indonesian artists such as Raden Saleh Syarief Bustaman were lucky to get access to Dutch art circles. Spanjaard wrote that Indonesian art had four phases. Phase 1 was between 1900-1942 and it followed the beautiful Indies Western mode. Towards the end of he first phase, the Association of Indonesian Painters was formed in 1938 which lobbied for real life issues in the Indonesian society and was spearheaded by notable figures such as S. Sudjojono, Affandi and Gunawan. Artists formerly unknown under the Dutch colonial rule greatly benefited following the Japanese occupation with benefits of art courses and exhibitions, supply of materials and studios.
Phase 2 occurred (1942-1950) occurred during the Indonesia fight for Independence from the Dutch. In Madiun, Yogya and Solo, the artists formed the revolutionary union, SIM. Other notable artists among them Hendra Gunawan and Affandi helped in the founding of other subsequent organizations such as Center for Indonesian Painters and People’s Painters. Phase 3, 1950-1965; following independence from the Netherlands in 1949, two art institutes were founded namely ASRI in Yogyakarta and the Bandung University Training Course for Art Teachers, a Dutch initiative with Dutch instructors (SEAMEO Regional Center for Archaelogy and Fine Arts). There were splits in the artist groups with the Yogyakarta institute constituting artists like Sudjojon and Affandi while the Bandung group comprising artists among them Muchtar, Sidharta and Pirous. Phase 4, 1965-1995; was triggered by Overseas Indonesian art students appreciating their home art and Indonesian government supporting Indonesian art.
Galen-Kallela
Aksell Galen-Kellela (1865-1931) was a Finnish painter who is most renown for his Kalevala illustrations. His paintings were significant in giving Finland a national identity. Opposing his painting aspirations, his father sent Gallen-Kellela to a grammar school in Helsinki when he was eleven. He followed his painting ambitions when his father, a police chief and lawyer, died in 1879. He studied at the Finnish Art Society between 1881-1884 and under the instructions of Adolf von Becker. He befriended painters Adam Dornberger and Academe Julian and August Strindberg, a writer. When he married and begot three children (Marjatta, Kirsti and Jorma), he did romantic paintings most notably the Kalevala such as the Aino triptych. The news of the death of his daughter Marjatta from diphtheria chart a new course for his work, switching from romantic to pugnacious illustrations such as The Defense of the Sampo, Lemminkainen’s Mother and Joukahainen’s Revenge. Subsequent studies were print-making and fresco-painting. He resorted to politicizing his frescoes such as depicted by the Illmarinen Plowing the Field of Vipers fresco which portrays one of the vipers clad in the Romanov crown and the plowing of the field to get rid of the vipers reflected his desire of an autonomous Finland. Kullervo Goes to War fresco followed (David, Patty, Akseli & Groninger). During the Finnish Civil War in 1918, Gallen-Kallela together with his son Jorma fought at the front-line. When the Finnish regent, General Mannerhein, heard the news, he gave him the task of designing flags and official regalia after independence was got, and later made him Mannerheim’s aide-de-camp. Prior to his death in 1931, he left being incomplete illustrations of the Great Kalevala.
In both Indonesia and Gallen-Kallela’s country, Finland, art played a vital role in the fight for independence. Much of the 1800’s saw Finland under Russian rule and in 1890’s, Finnish nationalist movement was in its peak. Artists’ oeuvre switched from romanticism to realism so as to instill national feelings in their quest for an autonomous Finland. Gallen-Kellela’s oeuvre, such as the Illmarinen Plowing the Field of Vipers fresco, and symbolism in his paintings like gathering dark clouds and a pale dawn; were expressionistic and impressionistic art that reflected the artist’s wish. The expressionism of Gallen-Kalleila’s art is also manifested by his switch from romantic paintings to pugnacious works that depicted the fight for independence from Russia that would ensue.
In Indonesia, artists came together between the 1940’s to the 1950’s to support the struggle for Independence from the Dutch. Under the movemehttp://www.lib.monash.edu.au/tutorials/citing/harvard.htmlnt Persagi, Sudjojono lead a group of painters to portray the Indonesians’ general attitude in their unrelenting fight for independence from the Dutch yoke of colonialism. This is reflected by his [Sodjojono’s] 1940 painting, Stand Guard for Our Motherland and Pertempuran Sultan Agung dengan JP Coen. This and other paintings made the Indonesian artists were effective not only as the media of information to the Indonesians, but also as a way of protesting to colonialism.
Gallen-Kalleila was one of the painters who broke the traditional way of romantic and landscape painting in their studios and in its stead, started painting works that addressed realism, real-life issues. Indonesian art followed the Western standard of painting which constituted naturalistic, romantic and landscape described as the beautiful Indies or what Sudjojono described as Mooi Indie and quasi-reality art. The Indonesian art then became socially engaged and it changed to realist, impressionist and expressionist standard replacing, the ‘holy trinity’ of the ricefield, the misty volcano, and the palm tree.”
Dating back to the 1600’s slash-and-burn method of cultivation was a norm in the Koli area, therefore, leaving very few natural sceneries whose features could be used to portray national identity using art. However, Gallen-Kalleilla’s paintings, his extraordinary studio houses that he built, and The Kalevala illustrations brought a national identity of the Finnish art which evokes in Finland visitors up to today. In Indonesia, its art identity was through Indonesianization whereby the Indonesian government promoted art and through Javanese and Balinese art forms, gave Indonesia a national character.
In conclusion, a country’s national identity brings about cultural awareness to its citizens. Art can be an effective tool with which citizens can be mobilized for a cause. Art addresses real-life societal issues or romanticism, scenery or non-scenery paintings. Art has been used for many centuries to express one’s imagination, depict rituals and symbols, and relating life with mystery as Albert Einstein quipped, the most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science Art a powerful tool of communication and passes information to a desired audience for a specific objective; is entertaining to the viewer and soothes one’s mind; art is used for therapeutic purposes by psychotherapists and psychologists such as the Drawing Drawing Series; can be used to inquire societal aspects with no political intentions such as graffiti; and lastly, to bring about political changes through avante-garde arts. Great artists and artistic movements have come and gone, yet, whatever message they portrayed have changed the people in one way or the other; a proof that their legacy lives on.

Works cited
Jackson, D., Wageman, P. , Gallen-Kallela, A. & Museum Groninger. Akseli Gallen-Kallela: the spirit of Finland.Groningen, Holland: Groninger Museum, 2006.
SEAMEO Regional Center for Archaelogy and Fine Arts. SPAFA journal: a publication of the SEAMEO Regional Center for Archeology and Fine Arts (SPAFA)., Volumes 9-10.Oregon: The Center, 1999.