Flexibility and Strength 2003

Curator: Editor: Let's look at Nyoman Masriadi's "Flexibility and Strength" from 2003, made with acrylic paint. I find the pose quite striking; it seems like the figure is both vulnerable and powerful at the same time. What strikes you about it? Curator: For me, it’s all about the labor and the materiality. Consider the artist's process – the layering of acrylic to achieve this hyper-real, almost sculpted effect on the body. And then, what kind of labor is represented in this figure? It reminds me of sculptural practices using bronze – referencing, yet breaking with the means and aspirations to wealth associated to it. Editor: So you're seeing the labor involved not just in the making of the art, but also implicitly referenced *within* the art itself, in terms of body image, through his musculature? Curator: Exactly! Masriadi's dark palette is not only visually impactful, but I think a deliberate nod to Indonesian artistic production often involved manual practices like dyeing textiles and working the land. The bright background throws all focus onto the body, the main 'product' if you will, which is further reinforced through being nude, but in simple underwear which acts as a commodity. It is an aesthetic play between a hyperreal representation and a modern and even commercial abstraction. Editor: I see what you mean. So, in a way, the piece makes me think about value creation, and even potentially touches upon ideas of class? Curator: Absolutely! How labour and physical capabilities translate into symbolic, aesthetic, and potentially monetary capital are central themes when considering the social background. Editor: Thanks for pointing out these aspects related to process and labor, and how the art touches on broader societal conditions and questions surrounding wealth.