Author: Amy

If you think collecting blue-chip stock can make you richer, then you should go to more painting exhibitions. Because, now the richest people in the world choose another way to invest, namely through art.

One Chinese billionaire, Liu Yiqian, recently bought an iconic painting by Amedeo Modigliani worth USD170.4 million through an auction held by Christie’s Auction House earlier this week.

In September last year, Christie’s main competitor, Sotheby’s, announced a $ 500 million art auction plan from its previous owner, Alfred Taubman, who died earlier this year.

“No matter what happens to the economy, you will always see a sale of art,” said Lamar Villere, portfolio manager at Vilere & Co., an investment company from New Orleans that owns Sotheby’s shares, CNN was quoted as saying.

In New York alone, there will be auctions of artworks worth a total of USD26 trillion. Although it is not yet clear, the main purpose of these rich people to buy art objects, but certainly the value is always going up and withstand the economic crisis.

Many art observers said that these older people bought up art to keep their money safe and not be undermined by the impending economic crisis. “They are not true collectors. They are investors,” said Joel Mesler, owner of the Mesler Feuer art gallery in New York.

Questions from many people regarding the causes of expensive paintings became more prominent when the world of art passed through the mid-1990s and entered the second millennium. In 1996, Raden Saleh’s painting Deer Hunting sold for S $ 2.8 million. Walter Spies’s painting titled Blick von der Hohe sold 1.8 million Singapore dollars at the September 2001 auction.

Reported by Bisnis.com, some say, the painting collector is divided into three categories: art lover, semi art lover, and business and pure business.

Ismail Sofyan, PT Metropolitan Development boss who is also a senior painting collector, chose to become an art lover collector. A number of paintings on display in his private gallery save the work of old masters and contemporary. For example, the works of Basoeki Abdullah, Affandi, Popo Iskandar, Sunaryo, Mohtar Apin, and his works.

Ismail chose to collect paintings for inner satisfaction and not to become investment goods. He collected paintings ranging from the price of hundreds of millions to billions of rupiah through auctions, galleries, and exhibitions. “None of my paintings are for sale,” the architect and painter explained.

Question arises. How profitable is investing in art?

Melanie Gerlis, author of Art as an Investment? Revealed, from all investment calculations, the average value of the benefits that can be achieved in a period of five to ten years is around 4 percent.

“You could say less than gold, bonds, and stocks,” Gerlis said in the Telegraph.

Not only is the profit lower than investors expect, but also the risk is high. Analysis conducted by Stanford University revealed that from 20,538 paintings sold during 1972 and 2010, it was known that Sharpe Ratio reached 0.04, far from 0.24, the value predicted so far.

Sharpe Ratio or Reward to Variability Ratio, often used by analysts to measure whether or not the type of investment, mutual funds, for example. An investment that has a high Sharpe Ratio is said to be called a good fund because it has a good risk-adjusted return (high).

Art critic Brian Sewell disagrees with his investment in this artwork. “Nobody should buy art for investment,” saying the artwork is for “pleasure and enlightenment.”

But he also offered advice to investors: “If you buy art, buy what others buy. This is a fake market, and one day, it will explode. And when it explodes, that’s the biggest profit you will get.”

The essence of art is a means to express expression or taste in a medium. The media in question can have a broad meaning, such as music, dance, theater, fine arts and others. In fact, you can also pour art just by making the expression on a plain shirt, front and back, a little more colorful.

Talking about fine art, it turns out that there are not a few names of Indonesian artists who are able to bewitch many people, even to all corners of the world through their paintings.

Of course, the path that these maestros took was not easy. Ups and downs, drops of sweat, tears, and disappointment adorn their days to the point that their struggles are rewarded with the coronation of “Legend” by many because of their unquestionable beauty.

Here are some biographies of famous Indonesian painters

Basically, every painter has their own characteristics and features and that is what makes them different. By continuing to hone their skills, some of them were able to beat international painters at the exhibition. Want to know who these maestros are? Let’s see!

1. Abdullah Suriosubroto (1878-1941)

Abdullah Suriosubroto was born in the city of Semarang, precisely in 1878. Abdullah is the adopted son of Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo who is a figure in the Indonesian National Movement. He is known. He was known as the first male Indonesian painter of the 20th century.

At first, Abdullah followed in the footsteps of his adoptive father to enter a medical school in Jakarta. After graduating from Jakarta he continued his studies in the Netherlands. After settling there, for some reason Abdullah suddenly turned his back on painting and entered the fine arts school.

Upon his return to Indonesia, Abdullah consistently pursued his profession as a painter. He is very fond of landscapes, which he often pours into his paintings.

The decisions he made when he was young were not in vain, thanks to the work he produced he was included in the genre dubbed “Mooi Indie” or Indies Indah.

Abdullah Suriosubroto is often talked about through his oil painting works as a result of seeing nature from a distance and is romantic.

One of the most famous Indonesian painters, he spent most of his time in Bandung to be close to the natural scenery, before finally moving to Yogyakarta and died in 1941.

2. Affandi Koesoema (1907-1990)

Among the maestros and legends of famous Indonesian painters, maybe Affandi is the one who uses the strangest painting technique. He paints without a brush.

The initial process, he did was to spill colored paints onto the canvas, if seen, it might give a messy impression. But after that Affandi will brush the paint colors with his finger until the finishing stage with charming results.

Affandi Koesoema is a long-lived artist. He was born in Cirebon in 1907 and died in 1990.

Affandi is regarded as the most famous Indonesian painter in the world, thanks to his expressionist style and distinctive romanticism. In the 1950s he held many solo exhibitions in the United States, United Kingdom, India and Europe.

He is also known as a simple and humble person. Once upon a time, a painting critic from the West asked what the schools of his paintings were. Unexpectedly he even asked back and asked the Western critic to explain about the schools that exist in the painting.

However, many people considered him a genius. Because during his lifetime Affandi has produced more than 2000 works.

Read Again: 5 Most Expensive Paintings in the World, One of them is Leonardo da Vinci’s Painting

3. Agus Djaya (1913-1994)

This famous Indonesian painter was born to a Banten noble family on April 1, 1913 with the real name Raden Agus Djaja Suminta.

With this background, it’s no wonder he got a good education. After completing his education in Indonesia, Agus Djaja continued his studies at the Rijks Academy (Academy of Fine Art) in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

While in Europe, he got acquainted with some of the world’s great artists, including Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali including Ossip Zadkine, a famous Polish sculptor.

Upon his return to Indonesia, Agus Djaja founded Persagi (Association of Indonesian Drawing Experts) and led it from 1938-1942 which was the first organization of fine artists in Indonesia. Therefore, Agus Djaja is declared one of the forerunners of Indonesian painting.

After that, he was recommended by Bung Karno to be the Chairman of the Cultural Center for the Arts Section in 1942-1945.

Apart from being a painter, during the independence revolution, Agus Djaja was active as an Intel Colonel and F.P (field preparation). He was absent from holding a solo exhibition for almost 40 years because of the role and condition of the nation at that time.

After the revolution was over, in April 1976 he held a solo exhibition at Taman Ismail Marzuki, Jakarta. More than 70 paintings are on display. Agus Djaja has characteristics with blue and red colors that seem to give a magical feel. He also often pours puppet objects into each of his works.

After a long time in the capital, Agus Djaja finally decided to move to Bali. There he founded a dream gallery on the shores of Kuta.

4. Barli Sasmitawinata (1921-2007)

Barli Sasmitawinata is a proud Indonesian realist painting maestro. He was born in Bandung on March 18, 1921, and died in Bandung on February 8, 2007.

Barli began working in the world of painting in 1935 when his brother-in-law asked him to study painting at the studio of Jos Pluimentz, a Belgian painter who had lived in Bandung.

Not satisfied with getting knowledge from Jos Pluimentz, he then studied with Luigi Nobili, an Italian painter. In this studio, Barli began to get acquainted with Affandi.

This acquaintance did not become a thing of the past. Together with Affandi, Hendra Gunawan, Soedarso and Wahdi Sumanta. Barli Sasmitawinata founded the “Five Bandung group”. This group makes their relationship like brothers. If there is a painting event, they are always together.

The great thing is that Barli Sasmitawinata is still thirsty for knowledge, even though he already has name fame. In 1950, he continued his education at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere Paris, France. Followed at Rijksakademie van beeldende kunsten, Amsterdam, Netherlands in 1956.

Barli is also known as a famous Indonesian painter who emphasizes art education, for that after returning from the Netherlands he founded Rangga Gempol in Dago, Bandung in 1958.

In order to appreciate his long career in painting, the government through the president gave the Satyalancana award to Barli Sasmitawinata in 2000.

5. Basuki Abdullah (1915-1993)

Basuki Abdullah was born on January 25, 1915 and died on November 5, 1993, is one of the world’s most famous portrait painters from Surakarta – Indonesia.

This famous Indonesian painter, who is a realist and naturalist, was appointed as a painter at the Royal Palace of Thailand in the 1960s and an official painter at the Merdeka Palace in 1974.

More than that, his obsession with pursuing similarity in face and shape has made Basuki Abdullah liked by the upper class. Various statesmen and their wives competed to ask him to paint them, such as Bung Karno, Prince Philip from England, Prince Bernard from the Netherlands, and the Sultan of Brunei to jet setters such as Mrs. Ratna Sari Dewi.

Basuki Abdullah’s talent for painting was inherited from his father’s artistic spirit, Abdullah Suriosubroto, who is also a painter.

Basuki Abdullah started his education at HIS Catholic and Mulo Catholic Solo, Central Java. Then he received a scholarship in 1933 to study at the Academie Voor Beeldende Kunsten Den Haag, the Netherlands.

He is also one of the Indonesian painters who made the nation proud, because on September 6, 1948, during the coronation of Queen Yuliana in the Netherlands, Basuki managed to beat 87 painters of international caliber in a competition held in Amsterdam.

Apart from Indonesia, he often holds solo exhibitions abroad, such as in Thailand, Malaysia, Japan, the Netherlands, England, and other countries. In fact, no less than 22 countries in the world collect his works.

Residents of new homes usually buy a painting to give a beautiful impression to a room. However, what happens when replacing a house with scary paintings in the world? I was amazed … but the hair on my neck stood up!
A painting full of abstract scribbles has a high artistic value, which can create a spooky impression.
Some paintings have creepy themes made by world-famous painters.

Try your test by looking at the scary paintings below!

“The Crying Boy”

In plain view, this boy is adorable, isn’t he? However, the work of Giovanni Bragolin’s painting or also called Bruno Amadio, became famous because of the story of a firefighter. The Sun magazine published the story in 1980 in England.

There was one fire that occurred in one house this year, but the only item left was the painting “Crying Child.” Very hot flames did not scratch this painting. A lively fact, the boy in this painting, is an orphan greater in danger. Wow, goosebumps, too, the story!

“Death of Marat”

Still Edvard Munch, a Norwegian painter. This time his work tells the story of a man named Marat who fights against his illness. The brutal, horrific impression studied by patients still struggling to produce remains seriously ill.

“The Hands Resist Him“

The making of this painting was in 1972 by Bill Stoneham. “The Hands Resist Him,” ​​thought the figure of a boy who was said to be Bill when he was a child. He was seen standing alone with an expressionless girl doll beside him.
Mystical stories often occur in this painting because, based on the recognition of people who have received, this painting often moves on its own. Also, the girl doll in the picture often disappears. Geez, you’re so scary!

“The Dead Mother“

This work by Edvard Munch is included in the next creepy painting. The fact that was released, this painting was the outpouring of the painter, Edvard, who was left dead by the comics. The emotions expressed in each stroke seemed to make “The Dead Mother” very real and lively.

According to the story, the figure of a child in this painting looks very lively because someone is staring then the boy’s eyes will come along. Ouch! Do you dare to be surprised?

“Heads Severed“

This work is one of the scariest paintings in the world. The painter is Theodore Gericault, who is identical to his romantic works. However, for this work, he places different romanticism. Pieces inspired him in hospitals and laboratories. The concept is beautiful … but it’s scary at night?

The limitations possessed by people with mental disabilities do not necessarily become obstacles to their artistic creativity. Art, in their case, can be a medium of psychiatric therapy in addition to being a medium of expression.

“Previously, they had to be distinguished from those who truly had talent from those who had no talent but had the energy to channel their frustrations,” said Nova Riyanti Yusuf, as a psychiatrist in the ‘Pioneering Indonesian Brut Art Network’ discussion.

Nova said that painting for people with mental disabilities or psychiatric problems could be an opportunity to express emotions moreover if those with limited psychic abilities are unwilling or able to express it directly.

Children or people with mental disabilities have limited psychological and social functions. However, the causes and implications of these deficiencies cannot be explained.

Some that are classified as mental disabilities are difficult to control emotions and social and mental retardation or with a weak brain capture. Schizophrenia or disruption of thought processes and emotional responses also include mental disabilities.

“Doctors do not necessarily understand how he feels, because sometimes to hurry home and do not need to check again, they will say they have not heard a disturbing where, for example. So what can be done (as distribution) is by painting,” Nova said.

According to Nova, interestingly, not only as a medium of expression, the artwork of people with mental disabilities has a value that is not inferior to those with conditions in general.

“I agree that the work of the disabled is eagerly awaited because it is not just a matter of work, but there is a statement in it,” Nova said.

“Work is not something strange; even writing people is now easy. But what is different, people with disabilities give a sense of their work. Besides talent, there is a deep sense of things that they cannot express,” she said.

Another positive value from issuing expressions through art was expressed by the companion of persons with disabilities at the Hadiprana Art Center, Timotheus Warsito. According to her, painting can help her students be more focused and train the motor system.

Timothius admitted, during their time, she helped train many children who already have talent in the field of painting. She often gets recommendations from parents or teachers of children who appear to have talent in the field of painting.

Her job is to see the recommended artistic talents of each child and then help direct and explore these talents as a potential and one of the psychiatric therapies.

“(Painting) is very effective to help focus training, motor training is also more subtle and also from the communication that conveyed their ideas into better paintings,” said Timothius, who claimed to have taught hundreds of children.