1a)
The colour that dominates this painting is orangey-brick red. This colour could possibly represent aggressiveness or the feeling of being restrained because Lucia Hartini feels very angry and suppressed about the gender discrimination (against women) in her society. This orangey-brick red is painted on the zig zag brick walls, and these brick walls seem to entrap a woman, who is in a vulnerable foetal position. This use of the orangey-red further reinforces the feeling of being trapped, restrained and suppressed as it surrounds the woman as though it is enclosing in on her.
The sky is the background is predominantly black with some wisps of red clouds or smog. This smog seems to be red, but as it seeps in between the brick walls, it becomes white. The black could show how bleak Lucia Hartini feels her life is, while the red-to-white clouds encroaching towards the woman could be how the society's discrimination against women is like to Lucia Hartini.
Another colour used is medium blue. The colour blue is supposed to represent power as it was worn by female warriors who protected the sultans. However, in "Spying Eyes", it is not the case. The woman's vulnerable and powerless posture makes her donning of a blue dress not powerful at all. I think Lucia Hartini's choice of blue could suggest sadness or it could also mean that maybe she would like to see herself become a strong female warrior in time to come.
The medium shade of blue greatly contrasts the bright orangey-red. It's like fire and water clashing. It draws the viewer's attention to the painting and helps in conveying Hartini's message in a subtle way.
As for the brushwork, they are very well-blended and being well-blended, it makes the forms in this painting look very realistic even though such a setting is not possible in real life. When an impossible setting is depicted in a very realistic manner, it allows the viewer to be more attracted to the painting. Personally, I think it even allows the viewer to imagine what it might be like to be in such a surrounding that is portrayed in "Spying Eyes". Giving the viewer a sense of what her message is in the painting.
Another thing is that, Lucia Hartini's brushwork brings out the fluidity or rigidity of objects, depending on what they are intended to be. The flowing, draping fabric and the hard brick walls brings out another stark contrast. Having painted the walls to be so rigid and the cloth to be so fluid, it embodies the situation Lucia Hartini is in: The harsh criticism and skeptical looks of the society against her vulnerable, soft self.
1b)
I think that the main social concern being expressed in Lucia Hartini's work is the issue of gender discrimination in her society. Lucia Hartini was born as a Catholic in a predominantly Muslim environment. The Muslim culture strongly believes that women only lived to cook and care for children, hence Lucia Hartini would most likely have felt very suppressed as an aspiring female artist at that time. This feeling of being suppressed, she would then transform it into her artworks, and this can be seen in "Spying Eyes". The woman in the foetal position dressed in flowing, blue drapery is a symbol representing the women who are suppressed in that society. The aggressively zigzagged, hard brick walls would translate into how Hartini feels confined in real life as a woman, while the eyes on the walls would symbolize the scrutinizing and doubtful eyes of the society.
Hartini is obsessed with eyes as they frighten her and she feels like they follow her everywhere she goes, watching her. This obsession with eyes can be seen in the "Spying Eyes" sequel, "Srikandi" (1993). There is a radical and vast difference between "Spying Eyes" and "Srikandi" though. In "Srikandi", the sky in the background is not as bleak as the one in "Spying Eyes", there is one straight wall and one zigzag wall. I thought the zigzag walls in "Spying Eyes" representing hurtful criticism from the society, so with one wall straight in "Srikandi", it felt like maybe Lucia Hartini did not get as much criticism anymore or maybe she just took it in her stride. Most of all, the woman in "Srikandi" is standing upright, looking very confident.
The transition from "Spying Eyes" to "Srikandi" seemingly tells people of Lucia Hartini's journey of self-discovery and self-development. She has changed from being a vulnerable and passive woman to a strong, confident woman because Srikandi is a brave and bold female warrior from the Javanese shadow puppet in the Mahabharata epic. On top of that, the woman in "Srikandi" bears a resemblance to Hartini herself in real life, thus showing that Hartini has now become a modern woman who is striving for or has already achieved some equal status in society. Also in "Srikandi", the woman stridently stares back at multiple disembodied eyes, which represent the scrutinizing and discriminating eye of the society. This is way different from the vulnerable woman in "Spying Eyes" who is already "defeated" and cowering from a beam of scrutiny from just one eye. This further re-emphasizes the fact that Lucia Hartini has grown from a passive woman, who was born to be submissive to man, to a self-confident and powerful woman, wearing the blue cloth like a brave female warrior.
1c)
Lucia Hartini, living in a society that discriminates against women, could not express her anger and frustration in a straightforward manner. To avoid more scrutiny, her works have become heavily symbol-laden. Exploring dreams and imaginations allowed her to express her personal feelings or convey personal messages subtly. For example, in "Imagination XII", she placed a wok in between two cliff-like edges and set it ablaze with explosions. This represents her anger and the wok represented how women in that society were expected to be housewives. If she had done this in a less dream-like manner, the society would easily link it back to her emotions and hence, create even more scrutiny.
I feel that Lucia Hartini's use of dreams as part of her works is very effective. Just like writers use metaphors to convey emotions, artists using symbols to convey their emotions can also be just as effective. Through Lucia Hartini's "Spying Eyes", I can read between the lines and know what it feels like to be the one lying like that on the ground. Through "Srikandi", I can feel that she no longer feels vulnerable as the woman is in a powerful stance. Through comparing "Spying Eyes" and "Srikandi", I can tell that she has changed and is no longer the submissive woman that the society intends her to be. The zigzag walls or straight walls allowed me to better understand what she feels like in that environment, whether it is painful and aggravating or whether it still feels harsh but her own personal change just bends the feeling of pain and aggravation into something that does not affect her as much anymore. I think this is all due to the fact that, her choice of symbols is very appropriate. The choice of symbols can play a big role in helping the viewers pinpoint the emotion or message that is being conveyed.
Just like "Spying Eyes" can tell me how much turmoil was in her (at that time), "Umbrella 2000" can literally show me that she feels like she carries the weight of the universe on her shoulders. In "Umbrella 2000", a woman, wearing a white dress, was shown carrying an umbrella. It looked really heavy because as the handle of the umbrella extends, it becomes the universe. The usual 'carrying an umbrella' become 'carrying the universe' through this symbolic portrayal done by Hartini.
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