Landscape Painting Dialogue

Landscapes painting are the classic theme in the art discussion. Millions people in more then 200 countries in the world discuses this painting theme. Landscapes painting learn by everyone who wants to make painting as early as kinder garden. Landscape paintings have been develop in many ways, more varied, more perceptive and more resilient in technical aspect, style and discourse. Hence, the landscape paintings always have attention of the viewers and the enthusiast.

In development of landscape painting discourse, there are several terms, which classify the scenery; landscape, seascape, townscape or cityscape etc. Why people like to paint or enjoying look at the painting? First, people lived at the scene, so they have the passion to accept it as part of their live. Then when the artist put the subject to canvas, we comprehend it as dialogue form, a connection with someone stand point, will, motivation, expression even the human need to play.

In the practice, painting landscape is not just to record the nature. When facing the scenery an artist will choose his or her point of view with personal artistic and aesthetics preference. These starting points are important to define the focus he or she wants to communicate to other, to involve the other in his or her aesthetics atmosphere or artistic skill and spiritual experience.

What kind artistic experience did you feel, when stare at Raden Saleh paintings “Hutan Terbakar” or “Badai”? What is in your mind when in sequence look at landscape painting “Pemandangan Pegunungan” by Affandi. “Banyuwangi” by Achmad Sadali, “Pemandangan” by Bagong Kusudiardjo, or “Alam Semesta” by G. Sidharta? It appear that from one remark, a landscape generate many dimension of experience and intricate entity; mood, preference and meaning.

What are the messages in the landscape paintings? “Badai” paiinting by Raden Saleh for example, is not only recording nature event, which are the daily life for seamen or sailor. The painting shows the romantic approach of Raden Saleh. How the ordinary event at the ocean become interesting and enormous moment. With the spirit of romanticsm, the storm is present as phenomenon and important moment in humankind experience. When Wahdi Sumantha as landscape painter apprentice of Abdullah Suriosubroto, choose to paint a landscape at Ciamis, he pick the location not just, because the scenery are beautiful. He choose it because his concern too the changes in that area which can destroy the environment future. Wahdi landscape painting is the reflection of his anxiety.

The way we try to understand, the meaning of landscape paintings can continuously developing at the end it will make us develop our awareness to environment. As part of the universe, we should learn from it.