Delsy Syamsumar

Delsy Syamsumar, an Indonesian “Neo classic” painter, is originally from Sungai Puar, Bulkittinggi West Sumatera. He was born in May 7, 1935, and has shown his painting talent since his 5 years old. During revolution war, his family decided to stay in Bukittinggi. Delsy, through elementary school, high school and Islamic Education, was always protrude in painting subject and he always been the first winner in every schools competition in West Sumatera (Sumatera Barat).

At the age of 17, Delsy was able to draw historical comic that he sent via post to magazine published in the capital city. His works such as “Mawar Putih”, “Bajak Laut Aceh” that were published in “Aneka” made him famous all around Indonesia in his very young age.

If Minang generally tended to work as trader, this little Delsy was different. He was called to Jakarta by publisher with sufficient facilities. Referred to that assurance, his mother let Delsy go and his mother wanted his son would be the “famous painter” like Raden Saleh and basuki Abdullah. Delsy, since in elementary school had been bought a set of oil paint by his father, a Rumah Gadang carver. Although Delsy was well known as an epic comic painter, illustrator, mass media journalist and art director in some national movies, he never left canvas and oil paint.

His illustrations were appreciated by several art literatures in Australia and France as the cartoon maker in several mass media and Indonesia novel covers and in cinema as a senior Art Director. As a movie art director, he once reached achievements in National and Asian Festival. In his workshop, beside he taught talented young painters he also guided them to be reliable cinema workers (the winner of Movie and Television serial Award). Delsy’s one-man-show in 1985 at Balai Budaya was assumed as the national art event because his oil paint style harmoniously brought his illustration that previously well known, expressive and existential and always easy to remember by people (Painting observer, Agus Darmawan T, in “Suara Pembaharuan”) Delsy’s painting characteristic was considered to be lied on his capability to paint women. Actually his ability to paint expression and movement of his figures that were communicative to his work point of view. But in painting women, his painting observer concluded that women’s anatomy in Delsy’s painting as found the “right and strong field” to catch life power. The point of view of Delsy’s painting sometimes filmiest, probably it because his life as movie worker that affected him. His works composition were excellent and great to be seen as taken from the camera point of view.

Delsy’s Solo Exhibition had been performed in Hotel Indonesia, Gedung Kesenian Jakarta. His paintings once recorded as the most expensive painting sold in Indonesian famous painters collaboration exhibition (Basuki Abdullah, Affandi, Lee Man Fong, etc) in Gedung Kesenian Jakarta (Taman Ismail Marzuki). And in collaboration exhibition at Balai Budaya during pre-reformation, Delsy’s painting always recorded as the most devoted painting by collectors. In 1992 he also had a chance to make collaboration exhibition with Basuki Abdullah. The world of cinema made him almost disappear for long enough in his creativity and it mounted when he became an art director for several Indonesian legend movies, for instance “Saur Sepuh”. He took too long in the world of cinema with historical legend theme, motivated Delsy’s creativity in many paintings with legend and historical themes, including to record Indonesian struggle history around 1945. His works for instance: Sentot Alibasya Prawiradirdja (comic), Gadjah Mada (comic), Christina Martha Tiahahu (comic) and some paintings that illustrating heroisme of Cut Mutia, Kereta Api Terakhir Yogyakarta, Sepasang mata bola, Dapur Umum and his last work in 2000 “Gelar Perang Sentot Alibasya Prawiradirdja" was quite colossal.

Curriculum Vitae

Name : Delsy Syamsumar (Delsy Sjamsumar) Place/date of birth : 7 May 1935 : Born in Bukittinggi West Sumatera Originate Minang (Sungai Puar).

• 1945 - 1949 : Educational background from guru Arifin Zainun Ex INS Kayu Tanam Bukittingi West Sumatera.

• 1950 – 1954 : Joint with SEMI (Seniman Muda Indonesia) d/p Zetka and A.A. Navis. Continually winning for painting competition
• 1954 : Placed in Jakarta by publisher, to write and draw comic
• 1955 – 1959 : Got a good response from PP&K institution in all around Indonesian concerning to the heroic comic. Joint with “Seniman Senen” movie workers, theater and press (mass media) involved him to work on stage, behind the scene and journalism and also as an illustrator in some magazines and newspapers. Got a good response from PP&K institution and Japen in all around Indonesian concerning to the heroic comic serial “The History comic of the Indonesian Motherland Hero”

• 1960 : First time as a movie Art Director
• 1961 : Got Achievement of painting critics for credit title film PERFINI “Pejuang” in sketch
• 1962 : As the movie Art director of “Holiday in Bali”. Persari won the best color decoration in the Asian Film Festival, Tokyo. Won the 1st prize of PWI caricature competition.
• 1964 – 1966 : Decorator of Hotel Indonesia d/p Teguh Karya.
• 1966 – 1970 : As a permanent journalist and illustrator in “CARAKA” magazine of Ditpom, got the predicate as “I’excellent Dessinateur” (art lecture of Paris)
• 1970 – 1978 : As a movie Art Director. Initiating film poster and magazine printing (“Lavita”, “Variasi” and “Kartini”)
• 1978 – 1982 : Elected as the vice Chairman of all Art Director of Indonesian Film and Television Association (KFT). Pointed as the movie Art Director in “Buaya Deli” that got achievement as the best movie with historical background.
• 1982 : Elected as the Vice Chairman of “Yayasan Bengkel Seni”
• 1983 : As the Art Director for 3 movies (Jayaprana” etc). Participated in exhibition of Indonesian illustrator association, Became the Art Director for Saur Sepuh (seri 3,4,5) movie legend.

• 1985 - 1986 : Solo Exhibition at Balai Budaya – Sarinah – TIM (surprise national)
• 1991 : Nominated in movie art director for “Saur Sepuh” with El Badrun (FFI 1991)
• 1992 - 1994 : Training for cartoon animation. Painting exhibition with Basuki Abdullah. Solo Exhibition at Hotel Indonesia, Gedung Kesenian.
• 1995 : As the Production Designer in some television serial.
• 1996 : Art Supervisor and archeology for colossal movie: Fatahilah.
• 1997-1998 : Collaboration exhibition at Balai Budaya – Menteng Parada etc.
• 1999 - : In his age of 64, integrating creativity in painting of oil paint.

• 2000 : Finishing colossal work: Gelar Perang Sentot Prawirodirjo.
• 2001: In the early of 2001 as his social action concerning to the natural disaster in Bengkulu by continuing the wipe of Abdurrahman Wahid (Gusdur) and Megawati as the President and Vice President of Reformation. That work was auctioned to be donated to the victims of natural disaster in Bengkulu Sumatera
• 2001 : Right on 20 June 2001 Delsy Syamsumar was called by the Almighty Artist, buried in Jakarta Burial Pots TPU Klender.

Achievement

Delsy Syamsumar was a painter with numerous achievement, as the great comic illustrator, Art Director of Indonesian legend movie such as Saur Sepuh and such things, and his last predicate as a neo classic painter. This predicate appeared since his tendency to paint with classic theme by modern technique.

Begin by comic

Stylish, expressive and romantic. Those were comic characteristic created by Delsy Syamsumar in his early career that also raised his popularity as the painter in his teenager. Sentot Alibasya troops maneuver to attack General Vol Jett regimen near Selarong Cave, meanwhile the big troops of Diponegoro attack Yogyakarta. Or Srikandi Ambon Martha Tiahahu successfully burnt the Dutch down, then she nimbly swung on the rope while “bite her sword”. Well, Delsy’s fantasy with insufficient historical argumentation and his addiction to the American movies like “Apache” or “The Buccaneer” probably had represented a specific temperament in our publishing illustration development someday, make the first “applied illustrator” that loved by many readers in Our Country. However, supported by talent and ability to improvise expression and situation paintings that is the dynamic of illustrations characteristic and his oil paint to the end of his life.

Senen Artist

Delsy alias Dalasi Syamsumar from Minang was in Senen Jakarta around 1955, not for trading on the walk side, but stood along the night at a coffee hut to listen the long “Seniman Senen” discussions, through many years the pameo of long-haired artist that had been chased away from coffee shop to coffee shop, so that many times they had to stay on the sidewalk or gas station. It seemed that his teachers did not expect the oil paint painter ex INS Kayutanam in Sumatera Barat that protruded him to be in ASRI Jogja in order to become Delacroix or Goya that “momentum schilderij” said his teacher. Delsy himself did not get what it means. He prefer ro understand his senior fellows of movie and theater workers or journalist at Senen, such as Misbach Yusabiran speech about neo realism of Italy, theater Ibsen and Lorca explain Wahyu Sihombing, Sukarno M Noor and Wim Umboh, then about movie journalisme by Zulharmans to argumentative debate about jewelry ring of Wahid Chan. Usually Delsy was not talkative, only sit in the corner with his friendship Harmoko (Ex Minister of Information) and Khaidir Rachman while make some notes on used paper or the white side of cigarette pack. “Look out for BKM!” All people there shaken up, seeing one family on a pedicab, father, mother and child, all of them wore spectacles.

“Barisan Kaca Mata (a group with spectacles)” said Harmoko. The atmosphere was noisy. “Senen… Beloved Senen!” a row of poet written by Misbach Yusabiran or this Delsy’s sketch memory recorded the expression of the late movie star Wahid Chan and the crowd of vegetable traders early at four o’clock in the morning on the used paper that scraped from the station mud. “This is Indonesian neo realism, muddy paintings!” his fellow yelled again.

Story Board

His felt itchy to make sketch of society and perhaps involved to wallow in the mud hole, probably made Delsy concern to paint his own country characteristic that also full of “Action”, strength, nobleness, toughness, tricky or a beautiful that submission and foolish. His itchy hand complication, however, raised in realism and even caricature, such as his comic after that, performing drama of his fellow Mottinggo Busye “Malam Jahanam” that harmonious and during that time still round trip Malioboro – Pasar Senen. Renewal version of Pangeran Diponegoro in colored comic by Delsy was useless. That prince (Pangeran) actually did not give up in Magelang, but absolutely defeated by “Prince of Cinderella” or the new hero “Superman” in the market. Still around his fellows, in his destiny discussion Delsy once brought by Sihombing and Sukarno M. Noor to make musical stage decoration, then Sitompul asked him to make movie critic in artist caricature for weekly newspaper until 1963. teguh Karya then brought Delsy to Karya Hotel Indonesia workshop to decorate entertainment until 1966. However, Misbach that made him to become the art director in “Holiday in Bali” that won the best art decoration in Asian Festival, Tokyo. This technique was continued by his fellow Mottinggo Busye, that became director in 1969, and he tried to use Delsy’s story-board system (like comic) to direct accurately the crucial scenes in the movie. This system was also helpful to help other directors.

Illustration

The Mottinggo Busye’s novels booming around 70s made Delsy also raised up, said press gossip in this country. Lectures in France about Indonesian authors never missed to say “I’excellent dessinatur Delsy Syamsumar” especially to the illustrations for Mottinggo Busye according to the story, then gossip publisher that previously concerned to the movie star, by Delsy popularity, they saw another opportunity to increase their publishing. It was pointed out that Delsy’s illustrations that sexy was identical to the women, his wives or his models that alternately left him. Some newspaper and weekly magazines quoted each other, and polemic could not be avoided, including Delsy’s own caricature that protect himself. He was not a movie star, even he only a movie worker, he said. He was a millionaire Picasso that keep many models, Delsy objected. After his personal life was mounted, it became national press ethic code (closed by “Tempo” magazine’s topic, December 1973), then Delsy’s life that always stable now in trouble, his success became his additional suffer.

Pra Design

His itchy hand to make direct movie poster by Delsy had been begun since he decorate the movie. Usmar ismail himself also ordered the first poster “Pejuang” to Delsy to be continued by ordinary poster studio. With the first workshop of used bicycle garage located on the centre of this republic, in Menteng Raya, to work, Delsy was more interested to make experiments of poster, artistic work, and so on, other than make advertisement agent that always failed. But his famous trademark works such as the airplane logo of “Bouraq”, heart magazine “Sartika” and the most famous logo of “Kartini” magazine, was Delsy’s style in alphabets experiment. Alphabets experiment in the form of Minang house that was sent for “Singgalang” newspaper in Padang was imitated from hotels, Padang restaurants, tailors to the pushcart of satay padang all around of Indonesia country. For calendar and poster and brochure, Delsy’s style was well known at Public Health from waring toward mosquito, to hernia and elephant leg disease. His works illustrated the first Guide Book of the state oil company PERTAMINA entitled “Penggunaan Minyak Pertama dalam Pertempuran di Laut Aceh (The First Oil Usage in Laut Aceh Battle)”, that until now still well known and discussed in the ceremonial event of the first oil invention in Indonesia. Especially in movie poster experiment (1 sheet), in transformation from the lead negative printing to offset in 1970. Delsy appeared with his first poster that had been offset “Biarkan Musim Berganti” directed by Mottinggo Busye. It was said that in 1975, his partner since in Senen, the comedy movie star the late Mansursyah, asked him to make movie poster company seriously. But the place provided by Mansursyah for studio in Sentiong was often flooded and many goat owned by local society there.

Movie Art Director

One day, still in 70s, an explosion blow his workshop roof, the experiment for “medium” explosion that supposed to be done by Rano Karno for Busye’s movie “Sebelum Usia Tujuh Belas” in fact too “hard” and cut a hand of Delsy’s staff at movie production. If in 50-60s this workshop was often visited by Senen artists, ATNI artists and artist homebase from Yogya such as Idrus Ismail, M. Nizar, Sumantri and also Mottinggo Busye, after 1970 some movie art cadres such as Imam Tantowi, El Badrun, Taslim and many more started to practice here with all experiments. Especially in national movies since 1965, Delsy as the art director that directed make up artist, decorator, fashion designer and special effect, was always work harder for realism movies such as “Biarkan Musim Berganti” or historical movies such as “Buaya Deli” and many more. However, Delsy was not the art director that commonly asked by producers. The last one was at Bali in 1983 for the new version of “Jayaprana” movie, too many sadness for him, he said. A set of Balinese village had been prepared for fire scene, must be down to ruin, because in fact the shooting permit from the Ministry of Information in Jakarta had not been completed by the producer. At that moment, a telegraph came from Padang that told him about his mother dead, then from Indonesian Film and Television Association (KFT )his own daughter present as a special make up and accompanied him because his sick condition was not approved because “Elsa” status still as co-worker for special make up, although he was talented and had become an apprentice for several movies.

In KFT meeting they then decided to fired Delsy, he confessed it was a mistake in profession. Painting and painting become Delsy’s activity in order to record all happiness, tension or sadness. It happened since he made sketch at Senen, then he moved it into oil paint canvas. Period to period chronologically paintings reproduction that represented him as best he could were represented here. In the early 1970, the world of Indonesian painting had been shocked by the appearance of illustration manifestation that represented with expressive and full of movement. That illustration was made by Delsy Syamsumar. An illustrator and painter that was born in Bukittinggi that gamble his art fortune in Jakarta. And his illustration work appeared in some magazines and story book even in comic. Painting of Jojing, this could be Delsy’s masterpiece at his oil paint works, not only in the dance of the sensual woman wilderness that he illustrated, but the content to be conveyed. As a social realism artwork, Jojing told about a village chief that being in a party to enclose the signing of thousands million rupiahs. Here the woman wilderness of Delsy as if found a strong field to grasp life power. Is not appropriate to compare Sudjojono realism that expressively encourage to open the dark world like that. The unique life in Indonesian Paintings. If it related to spontaneous explanation with strong expressive line, at glance there were one or two women portrayal painting with Antonio Blanco manifestation, a painter from Spain that lived in Bali. But Delsy Syamsumar still stood on himself. By kept exploit and diligently work with communicative style that brought by his illustration world, his paintings tried to solid specific characteristic, full of movement and that chaos.

Source

This article is based on the version on the Indonesian Wikipedia.