Lot Essay
It took a long time before the paintings of Djoko Pekik were appreciated and sold commercially. Thus for more than 30 years the artist supported his family with the sale of Lurik, a cotton cloth characterized by stripes and quiet hues, tightly woven on handlooms by old women in the remote villages of central Java. Unlike the better known and more popular batiks and ikats, Lurik is often neglected and rarely mentioned literature on Indonesian textiles. Indeed the choice of this fast disappearing and under-valued craft as his main form of livelihood illustrates how Djoko Pekik's trade, artistic work and personal ideals intersect and complement each other. His deep respect for this fast eroding tradition and work, as well as his identification with indigenous aesthetics are revealed on the canvas.
The connections between Djoko Pekik's paintings and lurik are more than a philosophical one. Like the textile, his paintings are mostly strong, dark and simple, usually set in an earthy tone, and just as the textile contrasts with the glamorous batik, Djoko Pekik's paintings are a far cry from the hunmourous and at times comical works of Kerton. Instead, they are suffused with the pathos and struggle of everyday living as experienced by the common folk to whom the artist is intimately attached.
Djoko's paintings are more than mere sentimental expression for a romanticised life, the common people are not glorified as heroes but depicted as real people. The paintings showcase their pains, sufferings and the moral depravity of the society. Emotions are often stirred when one looks at the works and there after come questions, as the artist commented on his own works: "My experience of history, of Indonesia, of mankind and its dreams and achievements, along with people's individual lives and strategies, is deeply meaningful to me. It is this experience which I pour onto the canvas. ... ... While seeing and admiring the development of my country, I meet village people in the city. They are looking for work and for development. they form long lines, both to the city and within it. They mesmerize me. They made me sad - and here I invite them to speak directly to you. They carry many burdens on their backs and they are part of teh history of this land made from our spilled blood, Indonesia" (Biennale '89: Pameran & Kompetisi Seni Indonesia Lukis ke VIII, biennale ke VIII, Dewan Kesenian Jakarta, Taman Ismail Marzuki, 24 Juli-24 Agustus 1989, Jakarta: Pt. Multi Setco Stupa, 1989, p.26.).
The connections between Djoko Pekik's paintings and lurik are more than a philosophical one. Like the textile, his paintings are mostly strong, dark and simple, usually set in an earthy tone, and just as the textile contrasts with the glamorous batik, Djoko Pekik's paintings are a far cry from the hunmourous and at times comical works of Kerton. Instead, they are suffused with the pathos and struggle of everyday living as experienced by the common folk to whom the artist is intimately attached.
Djoko's paintings are more than mere sentimental expression for a romanticised life, the common people are not glorified as heroes but depicted as real people. The paintings showcase their pains, sufferings and the moral depravity of the society. Emotions are often stirred when one looks at the works and there after come questions, as the artist commented on his own works: "My experience of history, of Indonesia, of mankind and its dreams and achievements, along with people's individual lives and strategies, is deeply meaningful to me. It is this experience which I pour onto the canvas. ... ... While seeing and admiring the development of my country, I meet village people in the city. They are looking for work and for development. they form long lines, both to the city and within it. They mesmerize me. They made me sad - and here I invite them to speak directly to you. They carry many burdens on their backs and they are part of teh history of this land made from our spilled blood, Indonesia" (Biennale '89: Pameran & Kompetisi Seni Indonesia Lukis ke VIII, biennale ke VIII, Dewan Kesenian Jakarta, Taman Ismail Marzuki, 24 Juli-24 Agustus 1989, Jakarta: Pt. Multi Setco Stupa, 1989, p.26.).