Bali's legendary mystique rediscovered in photos with soul
Joseph Mangga, Contributor, Jakarta
Huge table-top photo books on Indonesia are nothing new. In fact wander into the gift shop of any major local hotel and you are liable to find a dozen.
Now there's Bali -- Paradise Rediscovered, an ambitious 240- page photo tour of the resort island that was unveiled last Friday at the Alila Hotel Ballroom in North Jakarta, along with a photo exhibition that will be on display to the public until the end of this month.
In the aftermath of the almost surreal 2002 terrorist bombing, Charles Orchard, the book's publisher, feels that many of us have forgotten just how phenomenally special a place Bali is. From its misty volcanoes and terraced rice paddies, to the incredibly spiritual and creative local culture, to the bizarre international cross-pollinating tourist destination, there is one and only one Bali.
We all supposedly needed a major photogenic cattle-prod to remind us that all that magic and beauty are still there, and fully intact, on this strange little island that always seems to rekindle fresh magic and imagination amongst all those who live or travel there.
Compiled last August over a two-week period by an army of 32 accomplished American, British, Australian, Japanese and local photographers -- such as Tim Hall, Martin Westlake, Rupert Tenison, Jason Childs, Rama Surya and Rio Helmi) -- the final collection of 300 images out of 62,000 photos taken is unparalleled in terms of its diverse and all-encompassing coverage of Bali.
The volume is divided into eight sections, each with a mystic title -- like Ghosts In Paradise, The Hidden World and Placating Demons and Angels -- and a preceding essay by notable writers about Indonesia such as Victor Mason and Made Wijaya. The supreme editor for the project is famed anthropologist Dr. Lawrence Blair, best known for his Ring Of Fire documentary series in which he explored some of the most remote regions of the archipelago.
He was also on hand in Jakarta for the photo exhibition opening at the Alila, featuring over 40 images from the book.
Every photo explores a different vision of Bali -- some the more familiar images of traditional cockfights, landscapes, Legong dancers and coral reef fish; while others juxtapose East and West into what can only be described as Bali's own unique version of cultural fusion.
They include a wild rock performance by the Bali punk band Superman Is Dead, a bunch of Kuta surfer kids proudly showing off their fiberglass spears, or a stream of long-haired Harley- Davidson bikers weaving through the Ubud rice fields.
The exhibition and photo book seem to ultimately succeed because of one very important factor: every person involved with the project seems to have a very deep-seated past or present personal relationship with the island of Bali. No quick-buck artist, fly-by-night photojournalist mercenaries in this bunch, thank you!
In fact, 10 percent of all book sales profits will be donated to the upbringing and education of Balinese orphans in the care of Kasih Karunia in Kuta. Tony Bennett may have left his heart in San Francisco, but it's pretty obvious that the makers of this book left theirs in Bali a long, long time ago.
For more information on the exhibition, contact the Alila hotel at tel. 231-6008, or e-mail info@ibalidesigns.com