Biennale pays homage to masters

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.