Paul Nagano's oeuvre pays tribute to Bali

Carla Bianpoen, Contributor/Jakarta

For many people, Bali is the ultimate in exotic beauty, for some there is a notion of sin and destruction, but for most people Bali means spiritual bliss. Whichever of these attractions appeals, Bali holds everyone under its spell the moment one sets foot on the island that has an atmosphere like nowhere else in the world.

For Paul Nagano, born in Honolulu and residing in Boston, Bali's "fatal" attraction took him there, year after year, for more than two decades. Basically a painter inspired by landscapes, he would go out in the field and make little sketches, which he would work out into large sizes. His first exhibition here some 15 years ago, showed Bali landscapes as one sees them with the physical eye, with vibrant colors or with colors fading in the heat of the sun.

But over the years, Paul Nagano has come to "absorb" Bali as a way of life, transcending as it were, from the realistic landscapes into the depth of the inner self, with color combinations that one would call more dramatic and expressive of feeling -- of profound thought -- and of intense ponderings.

Such is evident in his extensive work on the lotus flower which has become an important part of his visualized reflections.

Called "the first of all flowers", which blossoms on stagnant and murky waters with a sensual and imperious perfection, the lotus is in many beliefs regarded as the very first sign of life upon the undifferentiated vastness of the primeval waters. Symbolic meanings abound in Hindu and Buddhist iconography, in literature and in Far Eastern alchemy. Major writers of Hinduism make the lotus a symbol of spiritual fulfillment from its rising out of darkness to blossom in full sunlight. The Buddhists see it as the Buddha's nature, untouched by the polluted atmosphere of samsara.

For Paul Nagano, the lotus flower is a lesson of life. There was a time when he stayed in an area in Bali where the lotus grew in all its glory. As he sat for days on end watching the plant as it first emerges from the earth, growing into a plant, the budding of the flower its blossoming into full bloom, its decay followed by another sprout, it was as if he was "experiencing" the whole cycle of birth, life, death and rebirth. Gradually, reflections on his own existence intertwined with meanings of the flower in many religions, beliefs, countries, literature and as he observed the grasshopper hopping from one to the other flower, nurturing itself with part of its leaves, he came to identify himself with the insect.

Visual representation of such ponderings are evident in the work titled A Day in the Life of a Grasshopper, in which Balinese figures, paddy fields, the contours of the island of Bali form the shapes of the "eaten" parts by the grasshopper. Remarkably, the flower itself remains untouched and pure, suggesting the inner spirit of the island that remains unaffected by the influx of destructive elements.

The lotus in his pieces is either integrated with other living things in nature, or with water, a symbol of life and of unconscious energy. The work Bathers in the Lotus Garden, for instance, shows a scene, where the leaves open with nudes, men and women, enjoying a splash. As in all his work, the lotus remains unaffected, in fact it appears as mere decoration, and one would wonder why.

Interestingly, far from being the highlight of the picture, the nudes are integrated as part of the landscape, which is a distinct difference from the Western nude tradition that usually puts the female nude as a point of focus.

Landscapes indeed have been his obsession and his forte, his skill grown with the passing of the years. Nudes are often just decorations within the landscape, and figures are covered with the texture of nature. The work Full Moon Terraces for example, shows how he superbly integrates a woman into the terraces of the Walter-Spies-like landscape, and a Buddha head only unfolds from the clouds after a closer look.

Looking at his retrospective of paintings, produced over two decades and encompassing some 100 pieces, is discovering the change of an interesting landscape painter into a fascinating artist of class with colors moving into spellbinding hues. Sometimes used in a contrasting combination, they remain refined, as can be seen in the work Marigolds and Pura at Lake Tamblingan, which depicts the golden colors of the Marigolds contrasting with the dark mysterious background. At other times he may draw the viewer into the land of the beyond, which some call the surreal, like in the work Lotus Shrines -- where the lotus and the shrine unite into a higher Light -- or Kemana (Where are we going) -- where a juxtaposition of realistic images transcends into surrealistic scenery.

The 67-year-old Paul Nagano received a degree in English literature from Columbia University in New York before turning to art at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied for four years, but never completed a degree. For the past twenty years, Nagano has been visiting Bali every year, where he was lucky enough to have a host and patron like art lover Yusuf Wanandi.

While his water color technique has distinctly grown, as shown in the fine details of his refined work, Paul Nagano -- whose first exhibition of watercolor paintings in Indonesia was a rarity -- there is a prominence in the now vibrant world of water color art.

Asked about the beauty that he sees amidst what some may call infiltration of destructive elements, Paul Nagano cites the French artist Henri Matisse, who once said that art is like a restful armchair. Nagano likes to think similarly. With his art, indeed the artist tries to elevate the human spirit.

Two Decades NAGANO Water colors of Bali By Paul Nagano Through September 22, 2005 CSIS Bldg, 2nd Fl, Jl. Tanah Abang II/no. 23-27, Jkt Tel. 62 (21) 3865532 ********

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