Black December 1974 Statement
Considering that over the past several years, art and cultural activities are done without any clear cultural strategy then we are drawing the conclusion that the arts and culture producers are not in the smallest sense aware of the discourse regarding the most basic human problems about our culture. This signals that some time has past since a spiritual erosion has taken place, which is currently destroying the development of art and culture.
It is for this reason that we feel it necessary that in this black December in 1974 to state our opinions about the tendency that is manifesting itself in the forms of contemporary Indonesian paintings.
1. That the diversity of Indonesin painting is a reality that may not be denied, nonetheless this diversity does not in itself showing a healthy development.
2. That in order to guarantee a sustainable cultural development painters are beckoned to provide spiritual directions that are based on the the values of humanity and are oriented to the realities of social life, and political-economic culture.
3. That creativity is the destiny of painters that go through whatever means possible in order to arrive at new perspectives for Indonesian painting.
4. That therefore the identity of Indonesian painting has an immediate and clear existence.
5. That what creates a dead-end for the development of Indonesian painting to this day is the old and over-used concepts, that are still held on to by the establishment, arts and culture producers and established artists.
For the sake of our painting, it is now time to bestow an honour upon that establishment, which is the honour for the cultural pensioner.