2.

0 ANALYSIS OF PAINTING (NATIONAL ART GALLERY)

THE BAIT

The artist of The BAIT is the creation of Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal. Datuk
Syed Ahmad Jamal was born in Muar, Johor in 1929. He was awarded the Sultan
Ibrahim scholarship to study Architecture in England. He enrolled himself at the
Birmingham college of Architecture in 1950 after remained in this institution for one year
before deciding to study painting. For three decades and during this length of time he
has distinguished himself as a painter, a sculptor, a designer, and art educationist, an art
critic and most recently an art historian writing on matters pertaining to both the
traditional and contemporary at forms of Malaysia since his students days in London,
subscribed to expressionistic values (National Art Gallery, Malaysia, 2003). Datuk Syed
Ahmad Jamal also enrolled in one of the famous art education in a year 1955 at Kirkby.
From all his painting, Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal was hailed as “Tokoh Anugerah Seni
Negara (20, Sunday Plus, People, Sunday Star, May 21, 1995, by [Link]).To understand
his long – standing commitment to Expressionism, its is necessary to consider some of
the formative influences which shaped his thinking and his outlook.
From his recounted, Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal that even as an art
student he was already drawn to the theoretical writing of Vassily Kandinsky and Paul
Klee and his early interest was with the works of the German expressionist. He was
especially drawn to the works of such artist as Nolde Kirchner and Max Beckmann
because of the “raw power and forceful directness of the works “. Yet another strong
formative influence on Syed Ahmad Jamal has been the abstract brand of expressionism
that came out of the New York School (National Art Gallery 2003). Another statement is
that, it was in England which introduced him to the origins of abstract thought, The Route
to San Romano, Beckmann, German Expressionists, Cezanne, drama, the Stunt shows,
art galleries, museums and even high street shopping that Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal
formulated a method to sensitive imagery and a doctrine of life that would always
strengthen his vision and commitment. (20, Sunday Plus, People, Sunday Star, May 21,
1995, by [Link]). Abstract Expressionism (a style whereby the artist is tending to express
his emotional experience rather than to show the physical world in a realistic way) had

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emerged in the United States and was the dominant style of painting during the Cold
War began. (National Art Gallery, 2003)
The Bait, Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal was produced in 1959, is one of the
most famous paintings in the story of Malaysia. It is consider the first fully abstract, non-
objective painting to have been produced in the story of Malaysia marked the beginnings
of a shift toward abstraction in this country. The size of the dimensions is 122cm x
154cm. The medium used are oil on board. It has the landscape formatted. The origin of
The Bait is a very provocative picture with the extraordinary vigour of the piece, its
almost elemental strength that goes straight to the depth of one’s sensibilities and
entraps one into its compelling beauty which Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal pictures seeks to
portray the hope of man in the world of storm and violence which Datuk Syed Ahmad
Jamal has never lost sight of the fact that his spiritual roots are in the soil of Malaya
(Cultural New from Asia, 1962). He acknowledges his past through his childhood life
with different environment and a lot of difficulty of hardship that he experience before.
The frame gives the painting more space. Pictorial area forms the
harmonious feeling. Beside of all the technique use in this painting use rendering stroke
by Chinese brush. The calligraphy qualities internet in the work also reminds one of the
Chinese brush painting traditions of the Far East. Looking back to his earlier life, Datuk
Syed Ahmad Jamal might have absorbed the Chinese influence when he lived together
with Abdullah Esa. Abdullah has attended Chinese courses for government officers at
Bulatan Merdeka (Syed Ahmad Jamal, 1999, pg 86). The way the Chinese brush work
form the dynamic a great changes on the surface with both thick and smoothly on the on
the board. The paint is founded to be opaque. From the analyst Datuk Syed Ahmad
Jamal, he attempts to fuse Western and Eastern influences, namely Chinese influences
(National Art Gallery, Malaysia, 2003).
The Bait and Winter Wind combined an element of vivid energy and
movement with the gestural elements of calligraphy in a celebration of expressionism
(20, Sunday Plus, People, Sunday Star, and May 21, 1995). The sister panting of Winter
Wind which also produced in the same year before The Bait, signal a breakthrough of
great significance. According to Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal (2003) the idea of The Bait
was taken from the Winter Wind (Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal, 2003). The painting of
Winter Wind was drawn in England, When Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal was looking
through the window during winter arrives, the small trees are often blow by the strong iris
wind. Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal was attracted by the twisting and the movement of the

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branches, as the shapes seemed to suggest something. It is then, Datuk Syed Ahmad
Jamal got the inspiration and he painted the Winter Wind once he went back to his
Motherland. (Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal, 2003).Then he transform the same method and
style in to The Bait. What the similarity between the both Winter Wind and The Bait
painting is that they have the same idea, style, technique and also know as sister
painting by Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal. It’s discerned the restless energies and the
dynamic form that typify the works of the younger Syed Ahmad Jamal.
The background of The Bait is cover with white colour which enhanced
the mid-ground and foreground. From the text above the fuse of Western and Eastern
influences, namely explicitly Chinese influences, evident in the use of the empty white
background of the work. He chooses the white colour which means purity and simple
with the concept of traditional feature. And another evident is that, as we knew Chinese
calligraphy writing also use newsprint paper or white cloth for writing the strong subject
on it with white background to contrast its subject. As we can see, his art work is more
to Malay traditional concept by using white (purity) enhance the beginning of the new era
of the Malay tradition of art work. The white found on the background of The Bait to
showing the movement of the foreground (object). The white also carry symbol of royalty
and powerful structure found on the painting which the artist uses white colour as the
background. Although the background is plain and simple it came as subjective to the
painting carrying the motif of Expressionism style.
As we knew again that Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal has inspired the
Bauhaus expressionism tendencies such as Paul Klee and Vassily Kandinsky as they
concept of expressionism panting. As mention by Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal (2003), he
respected the interest of the German Expressionism because they are the first to
introduce and oldest the free style of Expressionism with pure colours (non-naturalistic),
surface, outline, form and texture. During the personal interview with Datuk Syed Ahmad
Jamal (2003) , he mention that he admired all the German Expressionism but he did not
imitate any of they painting , as he use his own style, idea and technique in order to
achieve his own Abstract. With the simple white opening of the background Datuk Syed
Ahmad Jamal have achieve a great expressionism and abstract to his painting. Datuk
Syed Ahmad Jamal has the potential on his colour with the white and as a background
because he ever involves in several serious writer on traditional Malay art form has a
resulted in the publication of the book which attempts to expose an indigenous aesthetic
in Malay art forms. Beside, as a writer he involves in Malay Stage drama and film

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production on Malay legends and myths such as “Gunung Ledang and Lela Mayang
“are ones of the colours motif in his painting. The evidenced show this Malay legends
and myths referring to the royalty (using super nature white colour as purity) (National
Art Gallery, Malaysia, 2003). Another new technique that Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal,
learned is his new style is that transition from one to the other produce some very
beautiful paintings, with a new technical touch make the canvas white, place the idea on
the surface, contrast the colour of the subject against the white, thus giving more force
and impact (Outstanding Malayan Artist, by Sullivan Franck). On my observation, this
new technical touch which Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal using is very conventional ways to
expressed his painting and also creating space that we can see the archetypal shape
from right bottom side is bigger than the archetypal shape from the left upper side in
fig.1. The spacing between the archetypal shape from right bottom side and the
archetypal shape from left upper side which really fit one each another. According to
Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal (2003) the space between the both archetypal shapes of The
Bait painting, gives an echo.
Another structure or the part of the painting is that influence of Cubism is
noticeable in the conscious structuring of the fragmented planes which reiterate the
essential two archetypal shapes begin to emerge. In some critic the archetypal shapes
look like fish flies (is one of fishing equipment) and on one of the critic that taken from
Anugerah Seni Negara identified the archetypal shapes as “Aksi Burung Hadir Secara
separuh lut sinar “which mean the bird showing half bright with motion. Actually his
subject is a bird going to be trap. The small subjects on the right bottom side of The Bait
painting it refer to a Bird know as Red Robin. As we see directly on the small subject
(archetypal shape) have a red colour in the centre on the small archetypal shape. On his
interview with Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal (2003), he mentions during his stay in England,
he noticed a particular bird that it is very common to found in England. That why he use
the Red Robin bird as his archetypal shape as the subject and the colour to refer too.
The second archetypal shape or the big subject found on the left upper
side of The Bait painting is referring to a trap. Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal described that
the trap has bait inside the centre of the archetypal shape and notice having a dynamic
form of vortex structure in the centre creating a space or vacuum. (Datuk Syed Ahmad
Jamal, 2003) Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal (2003) expressed his subject or archetypal
shape that the bird refer to a human or us and the trap refer to a larger group, nation or
the environments that somehow is related to us. This could involve in political and

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democratic system. Another thing is that Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal (2003) express his
painting and his motif saying whether the bird will be trap or not. In his way of saying that
the bird has to depend or decide on his own attitude. According to Datuk Syed Ahmad
Jamal (2003) attitude play an important role in all human life. “If the bird breaks free from
the trap, it can bring success Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal (2003).In other words like us
when we want to have success in life; we have to pass through different obstacles.
The rending of the two groups of dynamic, suirling, forms that float that the white
background, evoke suggestions of rapidly rushing water (Anugerah Seni Negara, 2003).
The two archetypal shapes consisted of several colours white, black, brown, purple,
different toning of blue, different toning of green and different toning of red. By this toning
it created a structure of movement that is very dramatic. As we watch the painting for
several minute the archetypal on the left hand side showing it’s begin suirling from left to
right (clockwise direction).What make the suirling motion is from his simple white
background. From the background and foreground which has the space of the art
element that can give the movement to the two archetypal shapes. The spaces are
shallower as we see directly. On the other the spacing is not screened off because it
gives clearer image to the two archetypal shapes. By the spacing created in this painting
it give direct two dimensional and also forming semi 3 dimensional image. How the
painting gives a colour dynamics out look is that the artist blended the entire colour that
mention on the above by the brush stroke with all the edges on the two archetypal
shapes.
Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal used both dark and semi light colour to his painting on
the subject (two archetypal shapes). In such way he able to use both high and low
saturated colours. Majority his colours on the subject are mixed colour. As mention on
above colours use on the two archetypal are white, black, brown, purple, different toning
of blue, different toning of green and different toning of red which the blue toning
dominant all the other colours. From the colours gives the feeling of cool and harmony
and unity colours. Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal (2003) said went he started to draw The
Bait with very calm feeling. On self analyst the colours from the two archetypal shapes it
gives moderated contrasts from the rendering make by Chinese brush stroke. Both
repetitions and echoes can be notified on the painting. Without notice on his colours
become bolder and his canvasses become larger.
The artists adopt linear approach, which emphasize the edges of his
subject which build up the form with brush stroke. None of this painting emphasizes

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vertical, horizontal, or diagonal lines. The stroke makes the lines clear and with both
angular and curved lines
The organization of The Bait Painting is more complex as begin seems
simple. The reason seeing the design simple because the stroke make by the Chinese
brush is quite natural. From the analyst the stroke make by the Chinese brush converted
into dynamic form way by the colour are not begin blend together and giving more
curves to his subjected (two archetypal shapes). It is more in ordered and seemingly
accidental. The form from the left hand dominated over the form from right hand side.
The artist does not proportions of the forms relate to each other. As begin mention the
form has the character of harmonious.
At its appearance, this highly expression work by Datuk Syed Ahmad
Jamal, so ahead of its time in this country, exuded and enviable aura inspired by it’s
glaring Uniqueness and its ground breaking significance. The Exuded mean to give off
like sweat or a smell as free and Enviable mean desirable enough to arouse. As the
word mention Aura, the painting have the power inspired. From the general observation
the degree of variety are creates something that looks different from the rest of the
artwork from the expressionism painting. Because of this the creation on the painting
give the artist uses variety to make certain part or make the artwork more interesting
(National Art Gallery, Malaysia, 2003). Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal does his work seem
spontaneous and carefully planned.

Conclusion

Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal gave the feeling and vision of The Bait painting
with its motif and the experiences he have encountered through is life in the form of first
full modern abstract and it caught a picture of talent and vision. Beside that the
combination an element of vivid energy and movement with the gestural elements of
calligraphy in celebration of expressionism. Perhaps a cross-section of his more
important and powerful works would be more effective if assessed from a chronological
point of view.

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References Cited List

Anugerah Seni Negara (2003), Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur.

Cultural News from Asia, New Delhi, No: 23, September 1962.

Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal (2003) Malaysia Artist. Interview by Ronnie Anak Kilat, Ngu
Tiang Ching and Natasha, 7 September 2003. Petronas Art Gallery, KLCC.

Datuk Syed Ahmad Jamal (1999) Kenang-Kenangan Syed Ahmad Jamal Seniman
Negara. Kuala Lumpur, Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.

Outstanding Malayan Artist, by Sullivan Frank.

20 Sunday Plus, People, Sunday Star May 21, 1995, by Anu.J.