Self-Portrait was an artwork that was painted after Affandi won an award at Venice.

About the Artwork :

The artist is well-known for his figurative works, particularly the 1960s body of work exploring the damatic exaggerations of wayang topeng (masked theatre) performance and the stereotype roles of the masked characters. As can be seen here , aesthetic emphasis through brush strokes , palette choice and presentation of the subject can endow the sitter with a certain personality and disposition. In his early career, Affandi was a self-taught artist and he rejected the intellectualisation of art, preferring to derive his subject matter and inspiration from everyday Indonesian life. Nonetheless, the artist's exposure to Western art traditions and his perceptions of socio-cultural issues in his homeland are strong undercurrents in his work. In this painting, Affandi uses his signature whipping convoluted brush strokes to imbibe a sense of vitality and dynamism into this self-portrait. With a strong palette of primary and secondary colours --red,yellow,green as well as a hint of brown and flesh undertones, a sense of the artist's spiritual and emotional depth in evoked. As with Affandi's other work, the facial expression beneath divulges an insight into his interpretation of self. With downcast eyes and a mouth of broken teeth, we see an aging artist, yet one who still exudes confidence and passion. This painting was created to commemorate an honorary degree conferred on him by Singapore University. Gazing directly at the viewer, this is an artist who is aware of his success and yet realises the frailty of his physical self.

Background info of Affandi :

Affandi (1907 – May 23, 1990) was born in Cirebon, West Java, as the son of R. Koesoema, who was a surveyor at a local sugar factory. Affandi finished his upper secondary school in Jakarta, but he forsook his study for the desire to become an artist. Affandi taught himself how to paint since 1934. He married Maryati, a fellow artist, and one of his children, Kartika also became an artist.

In the 1950s, Affandi began to create expressionistic paintings. Carrying the First Grandchild (1953) was the piece that marked his newfound style: “squeezing the tube.” Affandi paints by directly squeezing the paint out of its tube. He came across this technique by accident, when he intended to draw a line one day. As he lost his patience when he sought for the missing pencil, he applied the paint directly from its tube. The resulting effect, as he found out, was that the painting object appeared more alive. He also felt more freedom to express his feelings when he used his own hands, instead of a paint brush. In certain respects, he has acknowledged similarities with Vincent van Gogh.

Description :

- The painting is dominated by a face of a male figure.

- In the foreground, there is a face of a male figure.

- The painting is composed of curvy , wavy , bold and messy lines.

- The colours used are contrasting and warm , with a mixture of primary and secondary colours , and a little  of eath and flesh colours.

- The texture created are rough as the lines are messy and wavy.

Analysis :

- The composition of the painting is painted where the main focus is the face of the male figure in the center.

- The background is characterized by green and earth colours.

- The foreground is dominated by the face of the male figure that is painted in bold and wavy brush strokes.

- The artist draws focus to the face by painting it with bright and warm colours with the dull colour as the background.

- The brushstrokes executed are bold , wavy , messy and curved.

Interpretation :

- The painting depicts the man , probably the artist himself , in a very spiritual and emotional mood.

- The subject matter is a reflection of the artist as it was painted not long after he won an award.

- Unlike his other paintings , this painting seems to show that the artist himself is aging as the mouth is filled with broken teeth and with a downcast eye.

- The artist seems to suggest that the figure is elated.

Evaluation :

- In my opinion , this painting portrays the exhilaration of the artist himself.

- The choice of colours portrayed with a mixture of primary and secondary colours --red,yellow,green as well as a hint of brown and flesh undertones, a sense of the artist's spiritual and emotional depth in evoked.

- It is a successful attempt because the colours used surfaces the spiritual and emotional depths of the artist.