Balinese painters breaking the shackles of tradition
By Putu Wirata
DENPASAR, Bali (JP): An increasing number of Balinese painters are breaking the shackles of tradition and moving into abstract expressionism.
Eleven members of Sanggar Dewata Indonesia, who are holding an exhibition at the Sika Art Gallery in Ubud until today, are known as Sebelas Pelukis (Eleven Painters). They are Nyoman Sukari, Made Sumadiyasa, Ida Bagus Krisna, Putu Sutawijaya, Kompyang Setiawan, Ketut Taman, Teguh Ritma Iman, Made Wiradana, Made Mahendra Mangku, Wayan Sunadi and Ketut Tenang.
Sanggar Dewata Indonesia is an organization of music students from the Indonesian Arts Institute (ISI) in Yogyakarta and graduates from Balinese universities. Most of them are followers of "figurative" abstract expressionism, which they apply to traditional themes and ideas. The 28 works on exhibit attest to their style in the way they elevate traditional Balinese art symbols, most of which are steeped in myth and philosophy.
Sukari's work, Bomber Setan (Evil Bomber, 80 cm x 100 cm), features diabolic expressions. In Bali, evil is depicted in the mystical faces of Rangda and Celuluk, wide-eyed creatures with gaping mouths and huge teeth. But in Sukari's work, evil has been reduced to the word "bomber" and its capacity for destruction. Evil is moving about, popping up everywhere. It is able to express itself in anger and hunts for prey.
The theme of evil is also demonstrated in Sumadiyasa's creation, Leak dan Modernisasi (Leak and modernization, 122 cm x 170 cm). Sumadiyasa is still a student at ISI Yogyakarta. His work features a demon mask on a paper backdrop coated with shades of black, blue, white and red. Leak epitomizes the negative side of human nature, which is also a characteristic of Rangda and Celuluk.
Sumadiyasa presents a modern version of the topeng Rangda (the mask of Rangda), his hair braided like footballer Ruud Gullit's and his own. Carvers in Bali depict Rangda in a similar way, with strands of hair falling parallel to an extended tongue and a face complete with bulging eyes. It has long hands, toenails, and a dangling pair of papaya-like breasts.
Mangku, Taman, Tenang and Iman all apply a "contemplative" abstract style. In Mangku's work, Beban diantara kegelapan dan kegelisahan (The burden between darkness and confusion), he affixes a piece of paper that resembles a calendar of calligraphic abstract art. The paper is centered on the canvas amid harsh brushstrokes of yellow and brown. The upper and lower ends of the work are shaded dark and he has drawn a line below, which looks like something from a plough. Upon closer inspection, the picture could be that of a human body supporting a funny head, which could be interpreted as someone confused and with a lot on his mind.
Tenang's work, Cakra Suci (Holy Cakra, 120 cm x 150 cm), depicts a cakra with a white thread tied to a wooden stem. The image is triangle shaped, vaguely formed with squares and a white stroke, as if to emphasize the spirituality of the suspended cakra.
Anatomy
In terms of human anatomy and kundalini (yogic expression), the main cakra's location should be around the navel. Cakra houses a secret and hidden power and is the gate to the human spirit. It is an irrational metaphysical concept, but it becomes rational for those who have undergone similar experiences and who like to explore invisible forces.
A different style, dubbed Yogyakarta Surrealism, can be observed in the works of Krisna. One of his works, Badai (Storm, 70 cm x 90 cm), shows Krisna working up a terrible storm, with people, snails and other objects blowing in the wind. In Balinese Hinduism, storms are not brought about scientifically or caused by air pressures. They are caused by the deity Vayu, who controls the wind, and by Indra, ruler of the rain, thunder and lightning.
Younger students of the abstract expressionist style often ask if the older artists have been influenced by history and cultural changes in Bali.
Dr. Jean Couteau, a social anthropologist and Sorbonne graduate living in Bali for 20 years, says there is a difference in the groundwork of American abstract expressionism and expressionism as practiced by the members of Sanggar Dewata.
Abstract expressionist artists of the 1950s like Jackson Pollock, Willem De Kooning and Franz Kline were refined rebels in search of intrinsic logic through the use of body movement, whereby their personalities appeared and then crumbled into senselessness.
But the abstract expressionism of Sanggar Dewata, as well as that of Sebelas Pelukis, is really an individual process. They have rebelled against the norms and obstacles of traditional aesthetics. They were not against developing and dealing with cultural situations, but they also did not react to social dilemmas in their environment.
They were pursuing freedom by challenging the collective ownership of symbolic meanings, and reintroducing them in their personal style. They did not expect to excel in abstraction; freedom was all they wanted.
Have they achieved their aim? The answer from their work is no. Balinese symbolism is here to stay, although perhaps polished and dressed up in new apparel. Traditions remain near the surface. Their brushstrokes fail to disclose any awareness of things that may have taken place around them. No one is obliged to illustrate social complexities, but it may be this that differentiates this younger generation from their American contemporaries.