Biennale pays homage to masters

I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Ubud, Bali

Featuring the works of respected Indonesian, Balinese and Western painters, the Historiography Exhibition is one of the prominent events of the Summit Bali Biennale 2005.

Bali Biennale director Prof. I Made Bandem referred to the exhibition as an attempt to conduct an historical reconstruction of the development in Balinese painting.

"We hope the exhibition will enlighten the public on the figures, events and works that have played a significant role in the course of the island's fine arts history," Bandem said.

The Neka Museum, a cultural complex in Campuhan, Ubud, has been chosen to host the important exposition. Meanwhile, the difficult task of identifying and selecting the featured artists for the exhibition was shouldered by the biennale's curatorial board, which included noted art critics Jean Couteau and Suwarno Wisetrotomo and curator Ipong Purnamasidhi.

Eventually, the board short-listed 59 artists, most of who had won prestigious arts awards, such as Indonesia's Wijaya Kusuma or Bali's Dharma Kusuma.

"The selection was based not only on the aesthetic achievement and personal mastery of the artists but, most importantly, on their contributions and influences to the development of fine arts in Bali and Indonesia," chief curator Putu Wiratha Dwikora stressed.

He cited German painter Walter Spies as one such artist.

"His works display an outstanding aesthetic achievement," said Putu Wiratha. "Moreover, Spies played a pivotal role in introducing Western modern painting techniques and concepts to Balinese artists, thereby bringing the island's fine arts to a whole new level of creativity."

In the fabulous book The Development of Painting in Bali, noted art patron and founder of Neka Museum, Suteja Neka, and art historian Garret Kam, credited Spies with acquainting Balinese painters with the Western techniques of perspective, depth, light and shadow.

Furthermore, Spies, along with Dutch artist Rudolf Bonnet, prince of Ubud Cokorde Gde Agung Sukawati and Balinese master I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, established in 1936 the Pitamaha artists' association.

The Pitamaha was the primary force behind the birth of a unique painting style later known as the Ubud style. The influence of Spies and Bonnet is apparent in the work of artists who belong to this style.

In addition to Penjor and Pemandangan di Iseh by Spies and The Girls Nyoman and Ketut by Bonnet, the Historiography Exhibition also showcases the works of the Balinese founding fathers of the Ubud style, such as the eccentric Ida Bagus Made Poleng, Lempad and Spies' protege Anak Agung Gde Sobrat.

"Bonnet also played an important part in the development of Balinese painting, providing Balinese artists with guidance on human anatomy, and helping establish Museum Puri Lukisan in Ubud. The museum collects and safeguards the best of classical Balinese paintings," Putu Wiratha said.

"Western artists, to varying degrees, assisted Balinese painters in developing their skills using new materials and exploring secular themes," he added.

Unsurprisingly, the exhibition provides ample space for these artists. The artwork of Arie Smit, who encouraged the birth of the Young Artists style in the 1960s, Hans Snel, W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp and W.G. Hofker lend an aura of a majestic past to the exhibition.

The Historiography exhibit also features the work of Indonesian master artists who were inspired by the beauty and cultural dynamics of Bali. The work of Affandi, Hendra Gunawan, Dullah, S. Sudjojono, Fadjar Sidik, Abdul Aziz and Srihadi Sudarsono grace the walls of the Neka Museum, reminding visitors of the dynamic, mutually beneficial cultural interaction that had occurred between the artists and the island.

"In Bali, (these artists) found their muse, and in their work and passion, a subsequent generation of Balinese artists found a burning creative foundation," Bandem noted.

Balinese artists' ability to accept outside influences and combine them with their indigenous culture gave birth to various styles: the Ubud, Batuan and Young Artists style, and on to modern painting styles.

As a tribute to the richness of Balinese fine arts, the Historiography exhibit has set aside a generous space for the work of Balinese masters, from the traditional Kobot, to the prolific Nyoman Gunarsa and to the avant-garde I Nyoman Erawan.

It also features the hauntingly beautiful photographs of Rio Helmi and the powerful pieces by Nyoman Nuarta, arguably Bali's top modern sculptor.

"Essentially, the Historiography Exhibition is an aesthetic homage, our tribute to those master artists who have endowed the island with such a beautiful and rich cultural heritage, particularly in the realm of fine arts," Bandem said.