by Arif Bagus Prasetyo
The World of fine arts in Bali has characteristic. It is one of the directions of fine arts in Indonesia. It stands among few main cities in Java, known as centre of Indonesia’s fine art develop
ments; like Yogyakarta, Bandung, and Jakarta. One of the common phenomenons is where tradition of fine arts in Bali makes it as centre of International artists. They come to this island of Gods, to gain creative energy and get their inspiration through direct communication with nature and tradition of Bali, as residence or just visitors.
Already for sometimes, Bali is known all around the World as tropical paradise with mystical aura. Balinese culture with various rituals, the friendly people, and beautiful nature, makes Bali rich. These attracted the foreign visitors to come and visit the island. Among those visitors, are artist. Some of them stay in Bali for only few days, but some others keep on coming back to Bali many times, even ended up residing in the island. The International artists created art works, with Bali as their inspiration. It formed and playing an important role, as well as speaks about the image of Bali.
From the colonial era up to now, the enhancement of Bali still attracts International artists to dig inspiration, work, and publicize artworks in this island. From time to time, fine arts in Bali rang by the existence of International artists; from the generation of Walter Spies, Rudolf Bonnet, Le Mayeur, Donald Friend, Willem Gerard Hofker, Theo Meier and Han Snel in the beginning of 20th century up to this 21st century; high tech era. Even there is no clear or accurate data available, there were and still are International artist who supported and still supporting Bali as base of long creativity.
Several International artists commemorated as pioneers to modern fine arts World in Bali. Rudolf Bonnet and Walter Spies in 1927 changed the face of fine arts in Bali, which in previous decades only served the function and means of religious communal. They introduced secular theme, modern Western technique, and individual modern conscious creativity to local artists in Bali. Other important personage is Arie Smit, which in the 60’s led a group of young artists in the village of Panestanan, Ubud, and in the end born out a naïf motif of art with such characteristic, under the flag of “Young Artists”.
Amazement of International artists towards Bali, mostly sourced from public’s view, which dominated that Bali is paradise in the World, with the artistic people and very religious life, living in harmony together with nature and other human beings. Romantic image and the exotic of Bali received a wide acceptance from end of 1920’s decade, when colonial power of the Netherlands reached the peak and restored “tradition” of Bali, which was central strategy of conservative colonials of the Netherlands. Mainly in 1920’s and 1930’s, experts in the anthropology, linguistic, archeology, and theology fields, started to come to Bali and organize high tech portrait about the island of Bali as “The Last Paradise.”
Various image of beautiful Bali as paradise, become public menu in a journey literature, fine arts books, as well as in travel brochures in 1920’s and 1930’s. Back then, Bali is paradise to many International tourists, including the artists whom escaped themselves from their modern Western life that they thought was penurious With their eyes, thoughts, and attracted feeling towards Bali with all its mythological image, International artists come one after another to Bali to work. When over seeing it, they think Bali as a rich source with unique and attractive visuals. The natural panorama of Bali; beautiful, mystical, unique people, and tradition, are image of Bali that are known Worldwide and become artwork’s favorite subject by International artists who comes to Bali.
Fine art exhibition of Bali from Beyond present artworks of International crossed generation artists in Bali. Majority of them are currently works actively. In this exhibition, image of exotic nature, culture, and people of Bali, no longer dominated in the presented works. This image only seen on the work of Rudolf Bonnet, Arie Smit and Han Snel, who are noted as the old generation artists. New generation’s artists bring out the romantic and exotic feature on artwork of Paul Moran and Shan F. Clergue. Paul Moran explored magic nature and the beauty of Balinese people; especially woman’s body. Figure of Balinese woman on artworks of Shan F. Clergue stroked out nostalgic view about pure, natural, and mystical of Bali.
Several artists now commonly presented works with “exotic’s spiritual” and replaced “exotic’s nature – tradition of Bali” as subject of creative exploration. They adventured dimensions behind nature and tradition phenomenon of Bali. Marck Jurt, Pieter Deiman and Patrick Okorokoff expressed spiritual strengths that gives charisma of Bali. Keiji Ujie and Tineke Vermeer developed a trembling cosmic energy on their sculpture works, inspired from nature and life in Bali.
Majority of artists involve in this exhibition, tends to inspire Bali as a form of sanctuary; special zone with aura that able to intensively search out creativity in their own path. They reside and work in this island, but still focuses on personal themes that does not directly adopted life in Bali. Their spiritual creativity influenced by the artistic nature and tradition of Bali, but they do not just visually record about Bali from Westerner’s point of view.
Please view several artworks from this exhibition. Piet Nuyttens captured his memory of the life of Papua people. Razceljan Salvarita revitalized various patterns from the base of traditional fine arts. Skjoldvor Margareta Wiseth centralized her attention of formal expression in shape and color. Bruce Sheratt dived into the fantastic phantasmagorias. Linda Buller structured and organized visual naïf narration from her imagination and spontaneous expression. Michael Chesney interrogated dramatic changes in visualizing this digital technology era.
Other artist does not only work outside their path of the romantic and exotic image of Bali, but blows creative idea, outside their classic paintings and sculptures. Anja Zwanenburg and Stephan Max Reinhold present artistic photography that was processed using digital technology equipment. Emilie Sermet present “digital painting” with abstract motif which was fully worked on, off the computer. Stephen William Barwell present book that contained bunch of poems, where he explored flexible relations and experienced between image and texts.
Bali from Beyond exhibition would like to show that Bali in this 21st century remains to be attracting and inspiring to many International artists. Those International artists who work in Bali does not only continue the historical tradition which once created by those from the past, but at the same time to fruit a new inspiring path of creative development. By putting side by side the artworks of old and new generation, this exhibition reflects the progress movement of International artist’s vision, who are here to visit and work in Bali. This is the indication on changes of Bali in Westerner’s point of view, together with realistic changes on Bali itself.
