Bali artist Erawan overcomes 'creative block' with new works

By Putu Wirata

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Nyoman Erawan, one of Bali's foremost painters, is attempting to overcome his "creative block" by presenting his new works, some of which have been on display in Citra (Image), an exhibition of his paintings at The Chedi Gallery, Ubud, since July 15.

More of his works will be exhibited at the Padma Gallery later this month along with the works of dozens of painters belonging to the Sanggar Dewata Indonesia (the Indonesian Deity Workshop).

Over the past two decades, Erawan has made a name for his avant-garde flair through his paintings entitled Pralayamatra. He has explored Balinese and Hindu philosophy and icons and manifests them in his works in an expressively abstract style, making use of the wiping, sprinkling, nudging and collage techniques.

Erawan, 42, among other things, pictures cuts of the Kamasan shadow puppet shows, images of the remains of ceremonial burnings after the Ngaben rite and so forth.

His social criticism is couched in refined esthetics so that the visual appearance of his works is either one of inner beauty or gloom. His symbolic messages are difficult to capture.

In Citra, an exhibition which will last through to mid-August 2000, Erawan is offering something transitional. Dozens of his works in smaller sizes -- 30 cm by 30 cm up to 50 cm by 50 cm -- feature cheerful and gay colors that give the impression of "coquettishness" as if Erawan were undergoing his "second puberty". Only one of his paintings, measuring about 2 m and entitled Citra Kosong (Blank Image), presents figures and resembles a portrait capturing the social reality of Indonesia.

"Until two decades ago, our people only engaged in muted criticism. Now, such criticism may never hit home. We must shout out loud and people are accusing one another in a highly verbal manner. Besides, violence is now more openly committed and disintegration is a looming threat everywhere," he said, harking back to one of his works Ibu Bumi Nusantaraku (The Mother of My Indonesian Land), which he exhibited at the Komaneka Fine Art Gallery in 1998.

Recently, social reality in Indonesia has indeed presented a picture of disorderliness. This nation has been hit by one crisis after another in the social, political, economic and moral arenas, seemingly leaving an impasse. A real Citra Kosong (Blank Image).

In portraying this worrying reality, Nyoman Erawan has divided his canvas into three areas, each of which has a figure with a dualism of hope and fear. In the spirit of the Hindu culture and philosophy prevailing in Bali, the left area is filled with deity figures surrounded by a divine aura, something akin, perhaps, to a hope and a dream for the arrival of the legendary Just King.

The smiling god has removed his mask of justice, leaving his angry face to be seen, the face of God Vishnu expressing his fury about the avarice shown by the Korawa, the descendants of Drestarata, when they are about to seize the entire territory of Indraprasta, a kingdom that belongs to the Pandawa.

The next two areas in the canvas contain two figures in an upside down position, a symbol that everything has been turned upside down in the present era. These figures represent man's horror and fear as the nation is torn apart by internal ethnic, religious and sectarian strife.

This work is very similar to Erawan's proclamation marking the end of the heyday of the abstract and expressionistic style of the Sanggar Dewata Indonesia, a style which has been dominant for about 25 years and has led to the emergence of dozens of "creative followers" in the fine art world in Bali.

As an avant-garde artist blending Balinese Hindu philosophy and an abstract and expressionistic style, Erawan seems to have experienced a "creative block" of sorts. He feels extremely discontented as his Pralayamatra period is not fully effective in overcoming the ignorance of the community as it struggles to come to terms with the various recent crises.

"The political elite and also our nation as a whole do not seem to be willing to learn from history. Violence repeats itself time and again just like in the old days. Everything that has been built up has to be demolished again now," he said. In his opinion, his Pralayamatra works are just like "a loud shout 'sans' voice". So now he is trying to "shout even more loudly" through his works, which have a more vulgar intellectual content.

Paris-born art critic and anthropologist Jean Couteau is one of the fine art observers overjoyed at this phenomenon.

"I have been bored with the esthetic exploitation of Balinese culture, which seems to be concerned solely with propping up tourism. Luckily, many Balinese painters have set themselves free from the shackles of this Balinese identity," he said, after viewing Nyoman Erawan's latest works.

In Bali, he went on, there are a host of social problems brought about, among other things, by a change in the Hindu and non-Hindu population composition, especially since the intensification of urbanization in the past two decades. A change in population structure, he said, brings with it a social shock. It is this phenomenon that Nyoman Erawan and a few other young Balinese painters, like Masriadi, Pande Ketut Taman, Putu Sutawijaya and Made Duatmika, have captured in their works. Indeed, Bali is not simply a paradise on earth that is full of charm.

The exploitation of the Balinese character and culture has caused an inexpressible bitter feeling among the Balinese. Their cry was simply ignored by the New Order rulers and even by the post-New Order ruling elite. Despite the present freedom of speech, the ruling elite still find comfort in practicing "democracy from the top" and dictating their policies to the broad masses.

Therefore, the intellectual phenomenon of these Balinese painters' works is only a beginning. They have just woke up from their intoxicating dream of "touristic charm".