Our relationship is far more than casual. I often visit Basel and likewise Larry often visits me in Bali. Larry loves Bali, and together with his father feels a close emotional relationship with the island and with its artists. I can see that when it comes to Bali, Larry shares his parents' spiritual connection with the island. However I will leave aside his parents for the moment and talk about Larry and his unique perspective on life as viewed through the lens of his artworks.
There is an element of seriousness that I feel is important to acknowledge. When considering Larry's work I often find myself forced to ask all kinds of questions, such is the range of possible interpretations that each of his works implies. Is it the case that the mode he enters when working, either in his studio in Basel or in Maggia Ticino in Switzerland, is nothing more than a mood of relaxed freedom to work unfettered by the various problems in the world? I only ask myself this because the energy he puts into his work seems to spring eternal, driving him constantly to create with a vitality that would appear to have no end.
Of course this implies, perhaps, that Larry's work may not be immediately accessible to a wide public. However, I would maintain that understanding his work process by process is the route to true appreciation and enjoyment. In this sense I am reversing a habit that has been ingrained in aesthetics until recently, and which turns out to be meaningless here.
As a current student of an educational institution, I would imagine that Larry is forefronting spiritual more than visual experience in his artistic production. The graceful lines that Larry creates form simple objects that require little effort from the viewer in terms of interpretation or appreciation. Wherever I meet these lines I simply refer - subconsciously - to the work of other artists, or to figures from my own personal experience. And ultimately this is the enjoyable part of 'enjoying' things like the free poetry of line that flows as freely as words describing the arc of daily experience.
By now I think I have seen all of Larry's work created for and posted on Instagram. These posts demonstrate a cumulative strengthening of character, whilst at the same time form an image that itself 'imagines' a process of exploration, whatever the media: paper or canvas, black and white or colour.
Larry needs to work hard, I feel, because he is still young and there are many other artists his age, all eager to make a name for themselves. In following his process through social media, and after taking some time to appreciate his work in consideration of his formidable natural talent, I am more than confident that he will soon blossom into a serious and successful artist. (Yudha Bantono, Bali - 06.02.2022)
