Barong I

This painting is titled Barong. This title is unique, because the barong was portrayed as only a small figure by Hendra Gunawan, who placed it at a distance at the lower right side of the canvas. Meanwhile, the dominant figure is that of a leak, an evil creature that is the mortal enemy of the barong. Leak is the incarnation of Durga, the scourge of the peaceful world. Hendra deliberately accentuated the figure of the Leak, because at the time when it was created, in 1970, evil creatures roamed freely in Indonesia. Politicians were busy enjoying their power. The rulers began planning oppression. And the people who had been or were still plunged into negative circumstances were forced to become hard and stubborn, and subject to repression from the authorities. From thisLeak phenomenon a major event in Jakarta, called Malari (fifteenth of January) 1974. Hendra had a deep understanding of the story and the existence of Balinese Barong, so that in his painting he was able to tell the Barong story from all angles. (Agus Dermawan T.)