Picturing Islam: Art and Ethics in a Muslim Lifeworld

Indonesian painter Abdul Djalil Pirous′s pioneering advances in abstract modernism and modern Islamic aesthetics have established him as a leading figure in the world of Asian art.   In Picturing Islam, cultural anthropologist Kenneth George explores issues of religion, nationalism, ethnicity, and globalization through the life and work of this original contemporary artist.  Working in close collaboration with Pirous, George tells a captivating story about this painter s pursuit of a political, religious, and artistic identity as it emerged over the course of modern Indonesian history –– from a time of revolution and anti–colonial struggle to the current period of post–authoritarian hope and uncertainty. Along the way, George reveals the artist s anguished paintings and reflections on the culture of violence that Indonesia unleashed in his ethnic homeland of Aceh, as well as his embrace of Islamic aesthetics and ethics as a way to resist being defined by globalized art styles and discourses emanating from the West.

While providing a compelling and richly drawn portrait of an individual artist, Picturing Islam: Art and Ethics in a Muslim Lifeworld also contributes to a deeper understanding of the cultural politics of Asia s postcolonial art world as well as the creative and ethical sensibilities of its Muslim artists.

List of Illustrations viii

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xiii

Note on Qur′anic Verse xvii

Guide to Indonesian Spelling and Pronunciation xviii

Introduction: Picturing Islam 1

1 Becoming a Muslim Citizen and Artist 15

2 Revelations and Compulsions 39

3 Diptych Making Art Islamic and Making Islamic Art Indonesian 54

Part 1: Making Art Islamic 54

Part 2: Making Islamic Art Indonesian 66

4 Spiritual Notes in the Social World 80

5 Anguish, Betrayal, Uncertainty, and Faith 107

Conclusion: A Retrospective 132

Afterword: Choosing a Frame 143

References 148

Index 155

Kenneth M. George is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and an associate of its Center for Southeast Asian Studies. His ethnographic work on contemporary Indonesian art has been supported by many fellowships including awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. George′s first book, Showing Signs of Violence, was awarded the 1998 Harry J. Benda Prize in Southeast Asian Studies by the Association for Asian Studies. He also served as the Editor of the Journal of Asian Studies from 2005 through 2008.

"This refreshing approach makes this book a welcome contribution to be read in conjunction with other relevant theoretical and disciplinary works." (Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 1 February 2012)

"This book provides a compelling and richly drawn portrait of an individual artist, and contributes to a deeper understating of the cultural politics of Asia′s postcolonial art world and the creative and ethnic sensibilities of its Muslim artists. It is a must–read for contemporary art historians and anthropologists alike." (Journal of Folklore Research, 19 January 2011)

"Written in straightforward language with extraordinary sensitivity, this book is addressed to undergraduate students of anthropology, religion, and art history." (Museum Anthropology Review, 2011)