Basu Swastha Dharmmestha: Making Batik and Marketing It (dalam Marissa Haque Ikang Fawzi)

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta | People | Wed, October 03 2012, 8:27 AM

Sumber: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/10/03/basu-swastha-dharmmestha-making-batik-and-marketing-it.html

 
(JP/Slamet Susanto)

Professors of economics with marketing expertise can be found at various universities, but economists engaged in the art of batik painting are rare. Among the few is Basu Swastha Dharmmestha.

Combining marketing and art is what the man with an MBA who is a marketing lecturer at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Yogyakarta has been doing.

Having learned to draw during childhood, in his high school years Basu also practiced batik painting while apprenticed with Javanese dance maestro and batik artist Bagong Kussudiardjo in his workshop in Yogyakarta.

Basu continued to paint with his first work, Burung Hantu (Owl), produced in 1968, followed by Keburukan vs Kebaikan (Evil vs Virtue, 1973), Ikan (Fish, 1980) and Dua Prajurit Pandawa (Two Pandava Soldiers, 1985).

From 1985 to 2010, Basu went on hiatus from painting to focus on teaching.

“In 2010, I visited an exhibition at the Jogja Expo Center (JEC). I was given a canvas to paint. Since then I’ve started batik painting again,” he said. Now with his hundreds of batik works, Basu hopes that through pictures, batik — already recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage item — will become even more popular around the world.

The demise of batik figures in Yogyakarta such as Bambang Utoro, Bagong Kussudiardjo and Amri Yahya has further motivated him. “I want to keep learning and painting to succeed the batik specialists, especially after the passing of Amri Yahya,” said Basu.

Basu avoids being trapped in certain batik design schools. His paintings constitute a blend of contemporary, naturalistic and abstract elements, all in a decorative style.

Through batik images, Basu also wishes to convey a message of peace. His fish motifs, for instance, depict the dynamic sea animals’ ability to adapt rapidly.

“Conflict is unnecessary. Adapting ourselves to current conditions and the world is something beautiful. It’s the philosophy of my fish patterns,” said the father of four.

Apart from fish, Basu also has adopted many wayang (shadow puppet) characters, particularly the Pandava brothers of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. With their lofty values, wayang figures are also seen as compatible with the science of marketing.

“We should identify our consumers. Europeans are fond of ethnic objects and wayang designs are ethnic in nature,” he said. Without a doubt, his wayang canvases are being collected by his overseas friends and foreign tourists.

“Such works will further globalize batik while communicating the noble values of wayang and the high integrity of the Pandavas as models of excellent conduct,” he said.

Basu shares his artistic talent with his family, related by blood to the late distinguished choreographer and batik painter Bagong Kussudiardjo.

To mark his return to the art world, Basu held a solo exhibition at the Koesnadi Hardjasumantri Cultural Center at UGM recently, displaying 54 works from 1968 to 2012 under the theme “The awakening of batik painting to make the world worth living”.

A book, Batik Lukis Basu SD (Batik Paintings of Basu SD), written by artists Marissa Haque and Meta Ayu Thereskova, was also launched at the event.

“I’m very interested in his work and feel grateful for participating in the efforts of Basu Swastha, an economist who combines marketing science and art,” Marissa said.

Today, the professor divides his time between teaching and art. “I have my family’s support. After retirement I’m going to be focusing on the art of batik painting and make batik even more famous the world over,” he said.

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"Basu Swastha Dharmmestha: Making Batik and Marketing It (dalam Marissa Haque Ikang Fawzi)"

Basu S.D. Pamerkan Lukisan Batik: dalam Marissa Haque Fawzi

Tanggal Posting 2012-09-26 15:03:33

 

Sumber: http://www.ugm.ac.id/index.php?page=rilis&artikel=4951

Pakar pemasaran UGM, Prof. Dr. Basu Swastha Dharmmestha, M.B.A., menggelar pameran tunggal lukisan batik bertajuk 'Kebangkitan Melukis Batik untuk Memayu Hayuning Bawana'. Dalam pameran yang digelar selama lima hari, 26-30 September 2012, di Pusat Kebudayaan Koesnadi Hardjasoemantri (PKKH) UGM ditampilkan 54 lukisan batik karya Basu S.D. dalam rentang tahun 1968-2012. Beberapa lukisan batik menggambarkan wayang, merak, ikan, dan prajurit.


Basu S.D. mengatakan pameran kali ini diselenggarakan sebagai upaya melestarikan dan mengembangkan nilai-nilai tradisi untuk memperkuat jati diri bangsa. Penetapan batik sebagai warisan budaya bangsa Indonesia oleh PBB pada 2011 silam semakin menambah semangat Basu untuk lebih berperan dalam pelestarian dan pengembangan batik, bahkan meningkatkan citra batik Indonesia di kalangan internasional.


Kegemaran melukis Basu bukanlah sesuatu yang baru. Ia mulai belajar melukis pada pelukis ternama, almarhum Bagong Kusudiharjo, pada 1986. Sementara pelajaran membatik didapat dari sang ibu dan nenek. Lukisan pertamanya berjudul 'Burung Hantu' dibuat pada tahun 1968. Selanjutnya, 'Keburukan vs Kebaikan' (1973), Ikan (1980), dan Dua Prajurit Pandawa (1985). Karena kesibukan sebagai akademisi, Basu rehat melukis selama 25 tahun. Baru pada 2010 ia mulai menekuni kembali hobi melukis hingga saat ini. Ditambahkan Basu bahwa ide menyelenggarakan pameran tunggal telah muncul setahun silam yang menargetkan memamerkan 100 lukisan. Karena keterbatasan waktu dan kesibukan utama sebagai akademisi menjadikan target tersebut belum dapat terealisasi.


Sementara itu, Rektor UGM, Prof. Dr. Pratikno, M.Soc.Sc., dalam sambutannya menyampaikan pada 20 Oktober mendatang UGM akan mendeklarasikan diri membuka panggung PKKH UGM untuk seluruh lapisan masyarakat seniman di Yogyakarta dan daerah lainnya di Indonesia. Hal tersebut sesuai dengan amanat dalam Statuta UGM yang menyebutkan UGM selain sebagai balai pendidikan juga balai kebudayaan. “Kami ucapkan selamat dan pameran lukis batik ini melengkapi semangat UGM dalam memperkuat komitmen UGM sebagai balai kebudayaan,” tuturnya.


Di samping menggelar pameran tunggal, dalam kesempatan tersebut Basu S.D. juga meluncurkan buku berjudul 'Ilmu Pemasaran dalam Seni Batik Lukis'. Buku lain yang juga diluncurkan dalam kesempatan itu adalah 'Batik Lukis Basu S.D.' yang ditulis oleh Marissa Haque dan Meta Ayu Thereskova. Buku tersebut dipersembahkan khusus untuk sang pelukis. (Humas UGM/Ika)

"Basu S.D. Pamerkan Lukisan Batik: dalam Marissa Haque Fawzi"

A News from UGM Yogyakarta: The Jakarta Post (in Marissa Haque Fawzi)

The Jakarta Post | Archipelago | Thu, September 27 2012, 8:31 AM 

Actress and former Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Marissa Haque wants to register with the National Mandate Party (PAN) in her efforts to seek a political ticket to return to the House of Representatives.

“The making of my membership card with PAN is in process,” she said while attending a batik expo at Gadjah Mada University on Wednesday.

Marissa admitted that her heart was with the PDI-P but she decided to join PAN to be closer to her family as her husband Ikang Fawzi had previously joined the party. She said many parties, including the Golkar Party and the Democratic Party, had said they would welcome her but that she had made a decision to join PAN. Asked why she wanted to return to politics, she said Indonesia was ruled by political parties and that “[if] we want to do something for the nation, we have to join these parties”.

She said if she won a legislative seat in 2014, she would join a House commission to help develop the creative economy or monitor law enforcement.

Sumber: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2012/09/27/actress-marissa-seeks-return.html

"A News from UGM Yogyakarta: The Jakarta Post (in Marissa Haque Fawzi)"