Di belakang kanvas
Presentasi khusus karya-karya Kustiyah (l. Probolinggo, 1935; m. Yogyakarta, 2012)
oleh Hyphen—
"Kustiyah, siswa ASRI, melukis alam pantai Tegal." Demikian kalimat yang menyertai sebuah potret dalam majalah SIASAT, edisi 484, September 1956. Potret kiriman warga Kalibuntu, Tegal, ini menggambarkan seorang perempuan muda, dengan rambut panjang yang dikepang dua, sedang melukis di tepi pantai. Tampak juga lautan dan perahu kecil sedang berlabuh tak jauh darinya. Dalam bidang kanvasnya, Kustiyah sedang melukis beberapa perahu yang sedang berlabuh.
Ketika potret ini terbit, Kustiyah telah menempuh pendidikan jurusan Seni Lukis selama tiga tahun. Ia juga dikenal giat mengikuti agenda berbagai sanggar di sekitar kampusnya di Yogyakarta itu. Kegiatan melukis di tempat di mana waktranya berada adalah salah satu metode pembelajaran ASRI yang juga merupakan semangat praktik berkesenian kebanyakan seniman pada zaman ini. Beberapa kelompok seniman yang terhubung dengan ASRI—antara lain Sanggar Pelukis Rakyat, Sanggarbambu, dan Gabungan Pelukis Indonesia—juga kerap melakukan kegiatan melukis bersama di alam terbuka. Para seniman era Revolusi ini percaya betul bahwa dengan perilaku ini, karya-karya mereka dekat dengan masyarakat. Ketimbang mengada-ada atau membuat jadi ada, karya-karya mereka justru apa adanya.
Di belakang kanvas adalah judul video percakapan antara tiga peneliti Kustiyah (dibuat bersama Ary "Jimged" Sendy, M. Revaldi, dan Prima Rusdi, 2021). Dalam video ini, 'di belakang kanvas'punya setidaknya dua arti. Pertama Kustiyah yang berdiri di belakang kanvas sembari memegang kuas dan melukis. Dan, kedua, Kustiyah yang hadir di belakang kanvas sembari berpose. Ia memang kerap jadi waktra (subject matter) dalam lukisan potret karya kawan-kawan senimannya—antara lain Gregorius Sidharta, Sutopo, Sudarso, Sunarto PR, Edhi Sunarso, dan Trubus. Pertanyaan yang tersirat dari 24 menit percakapan para peneliti ini adalah: Saat melukis potret dirinya, di mana Kustiyah berdiri? Saat menjadi model untuk lukisan kawan-kawannya, di mana Kustiyah berdiri? "Di belakang kanvas," adalah jawaban yang mewadahi dinamika kemungkinan posisi Kustiyah ini.
Di belakang kanvas juga merupakan judul dari presentasi khusus di ARTJOG 2023 Motif: Lamaran. Dua cukil kayu, tiga gambar, dan sembilan lukisan Kustiyah dalam ruangan ini dipinjam dari Griya Seni Hj. Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso. Sepanjang hayat Kustiyah, ia terus berkarya dan berpameran sampai 2006. Selain melukis, Kustiyah juga aktif dalam pelbagai organisasi perhelatan seni, senang merangkai bunga, dan piawai merancang baju mulai dari motif sampai dengan modelnya. Ia meninggal pada 2012. Pada 2015, keluarganya memajang banyak karyanya di Griya Seni Hj. Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso, di Jombor, Yogyakarta. Sejauh ini, Hyphen— telah mencatat 110 karya Kustiyah, kebanyakan lukisan. Dengan kata lain, seumur hidup Kustiyah, ia berkelindan di belakang kanvas.
Hyphen— (terdiri dari Akmalia Rizqita "Chita", Grace Samboh, Pitra Hutomo, Rachel K. Surijata, dan Ratna Mufida) menelusuri kekaryaan Kustiyah dengan motif senarai rasa penasaran. Bagaimana mungkin ada lebih dari 40 karya yang bisa kita lihat di Griya Seni Hj. Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso namun tak pernah sececah pun kami membaca mengenai Kustiyah? Dari mana kita mengenal praktik kawan-kawannya yang melukiskan Kustiyah? Mengapa sumber-sumber ini tak membicarakan sang model yang juga pelukis? Apakah ini kesengajaan atau kelalaian penulisan sejarah? Bagaimana kita bisa membaca praktik Kustiyah hari ini? Dimana kita bisa memosisikan kelindan peran dan praktiknya? Dan seterusnya…
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At the back of the canvas
A special presentation of Kustiyah’s works (b. Probolinggo, 1935; d. Yogyakarta, 2012)
by Hyphen—
“Kustiyah, an ASRI* student, painted the scenery of Tegal beach.” This was what accompanied a portrait in SIASAT magazine, issue 484th, September 1956. Submitted by a resident of Kalibuntu, Tegal, the portrait depicted a young woman painting on a beach, with her long hair braided in two. Just a few steps from her, a sea and a small boat were visible. On her canvas, Kustiyah was painting some boats who were lying at anchor.
When the picture was published, Kustiyah was a third-year university student majoring in painting. She was also a known keen participant in various events held by the art studios surrounding her campus in Yogyakarta. Plein air painting, in which the painter was present to encounter their subject matter, was one of the methods taught in ASRI. It was also one of the popular methods practiced by most artists at that time. Several artist cohorts linked to ASRI—including Sanggar Pelukis Rakyat (People’s Painters Studio), Sanggarbambu (Bamboo Workshop), and Gabungan Pelukis Indonesia (Indonesian Painters Association)—often conducted collective painting activities in the open air. These Revolutionary-era artists firmly believed that this painting method would help their works be more accessible to people in general. Their works would be graciously present among their environment, not forced or trumped up.
Di belakang kanvas (At the back of the canvas) is the title of a video conversation between three Kustiyah researchers (made with Ary “Jimged” Sendy, M. Revaldi, and Prima Rusdi, 2021). In the video, the phrase ‘at the back of the canvas’ had at least two meanings. The first was Kustiyah standing at the back of the canvas to work where she held the brush, painting. And the second one was Kustiyah standing at the back of the canvas to strike a pose. Kustiyah was often asked to be a model for her fellow artists, including Gregorius Siddharta, Sutopo, Sudarso, Sunarto PR, Edhi Sunarso, and Trubus. The 24 minutes-long researchers’ conversation led to these questions: when she was painting her self-portrait, where did Kustiyah stand? When she became a model for her friends’ paintings, where did Kustiyah stand? “At the back of the canvas” was an answer that embodies the dynamic possibilities of Kustiyah’s artistic whereabouts.
At the back of the canvas is also the title of this Special Presentation at ARTJOG 2023 Motif: Lamaran (Motif: Proposal). The presentation exhibits two woodcuts, three drawings, and nine paintings by Kustiyah—all are loaned from Griya Seni Hj. Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso. Throughout her life, Kustiyah worked and exhibited consistently until 2006. Apart from painting, Kustiyah was also an active member of various art organizations. She also enjoyed arranging flowers. She was also experienced in designing clothes, including making motifs and prototypes. She died in 2012. In 2015, her family displayed many of her works at Griya Seni Hj. Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso, in Jombor, Yogyakarta. So far, Hyphen— has recorded 110 works by Kustiyah, most of which were paintings. In other words, throughout her life, Kustiyah was perpetually entangled at the back of the canvases.
Hyphen— (consisting of Akmalia Rizqita “Chita”, Grace Samboh, Pitra Hutomo, Rachel K. Surijata, and Ratna Mufida) was driven by curiosity to trace Kustiyah’s body of work. How is it possible that there are more than 40 works that we can find at Griya Seni Hj. Kustiyah Edhi Sunarso and yet we have never even read anything about Kustiyah? Why are we familiar with the practice of her peers that painted her? Why didn't these sources speak about the painting model who also happened to be a painter? Was this intentional, or was this an example of imprudent historical writing? How can we read Kustiyah’s practice today? Where can we position her multiple roles, practices and how they’re entangled? These questions won’t stop…