Singapore, Masriadi: Black Is My Last Weapon, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore, August 22 - November 9, 2008

Singapore Art Museum, Masriadi: Black Is My Last Weapon, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore, 2008, illustrated, page 91, colourplate

The painting is in good condition, as is the canvas, which is clear and taut. Examination under ultraviolet light reveals a very minor repair on the lower left, near the edge, which is not visible to the naked eye and is only apparent under UV light. The paint layers are intact. The colour of the actual painting is sharper and less yellow-toned than the catalogue illustration, particularly the white shade.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The composition of Untitled appears chaotic, teeming with superimposed figures from one corner to the other. At the centre of this cacophony is a naked man sprawled on his front on a hospital bed. His entire body is held down by four people while a crowd watches from behind. Close observation reveals a triangular ꩲcomposition in the picture plane, suggested by three points of white. The base 🎃is formed by the nurse, in her white uniform, on the left corner, and the sportsman, wearing a white t-shirt, on the right, while the peak is represented by the doctor.

Although it does not seem evident at first, there is order in this chaos. Masriadi deliberately refrains from colouring most of the figures; leaving them all in black and white, except for the main figure, and the three key antagonists. Dominating the entire canvas is of course the main figure. His skin is green-tinted, his red tongue is protruding and his face expresses utter pain. While his limbs are secured, the nurse gets ready to inject him, but the violent nature of the procedure casts doubts🍨 of the medicine's healing properties. Here is a man in♋ need of medical help but finds torture instead. A hospital is a place an ill person goes to as a last resort and a hospital bed is where someone would feel most vulnerable. When the people who are supposed to heal brutally inflict pain instead, trust is breached and the betrayal is irrevocable.

Joining the nurse is a sportsman, still clad in his uniform. H🌞is eyes are narrowed and his grin is menacing. His white teeth are clamped between red and blue gums while his huge black hands cover most of the patient's back, fiercely holding him down. He is a sportsman with an unsportsmanlike attitude. In the mean time, the doctor, who is deliberately unidentifiable, has his hands prominently on the railing of the hospital bed, doing nothing. Together, these figures form four archetypes: the victim, the oppressor, the hypocrite, and the inept authority figure.

It is not a coincidence that Masriadi depicted the scene in the present Lot as extremely frenzied.  This important early work by the artist was executed in 1999, when Ind🙈onesia was experiencing one of the country's most significant transition periods. Having suffered from the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997-1998, followed by political cataclysm culminating in President Su𒀰harto's resignation in May 1998, Indonesia in 1999 was taking its first steps toward rebuilding the health of the nation and democracy. June 7, 1999 marked Indonesia's first free parliamentary election since 1955.

The archetypes that Masriadi illustrated in the present work can be applied to various scenarios: the tension between Indonesia's varioꦗus political parties or Indonesia's relations with other nations in the period of 1998-1999, among others. In Indonesia's present bullish economy and stable government, it seems difficult to imagine that there existed a dark chapter in its history. It is artwork like Masriadi's that serves as bold reminders of how dark the abyss was and how far the nation has come. On a more general and global sphere, however, it is a true test༺ament to the prevailing spirit of human endurance. As Friedrich Nietzsche's maxim states, "What does not destroy us, makes us stronger."