wim bakker
visual arts in bali A century of change 1900-2000 Edited by Willem Campschreur
Lecturis
Table of Contents
Foreword 8
by Adrian Vickers Introduction 10 by Henk Schulte Nordholt
i Early visitors and the Pax Neerlandica 1900-1925 12 artistic life before the pax neerlandica 13 [1] Historical maps of Bali 16 Traditional painting 13 Rivalry and religion 15 [2] Documenting the people of Bali 17 The artist W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp 20 [3] The enchanting island 22 [4] Drawing the puputan (1906) 27 [5] (Un-)natural pictures of Bali 30 Artistry, the individual, and the community 34 artistic life under the colonial administration 35 Influence of Pax Neerlandica on society and culture 35 The photographs of Dr Gregor Krause 36 [6] Dr Gregor Krause 38 [7] Krause’s successors: filmmaker Colin Ross 42 Shifts in cultural patronage 43 Restoration projects by the Dutch 43 [8] Restoration projects 45
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ii The rise of modern Balinese art 1925-1950 48
iii Old ties and new tendencies under the republic 1950-1975 154
‘my bali’: the appropriation of a culture 49 A cultural circle of Bali lovers 49 [1] Maps for tourists 50 [2] The Colonial Exposition in Paris 51 [3] The foreigner’s eye 52
trends and transition 155 Art Gallery Sindu and Toko Pandy 155 [1] Art Gallery Sindu 156 [2] I Rudin, I Rundu and I Regig: painters from Sanur 160 The meaning of ‘modern’ in art 166
R. Goris/W. Spies and J. Lamster/G.S.Fernhout: two pictorial books 58 [4] The kpm Line 60 [5] The ‘Droste album’ 62
Puri Lukisan, the realization of a Museum of Modern Art 168 [3] Museum Puri Lukisan, Ubud 170
W.F. Stutterheim: A new shoot on an old tree 64 [6] Innovations in woodcarving 66 [7] Innovations in painting 70
a new generation: the young artists 169 Arie Smit and the discovery of naive painting 169 [4] The Young Artists 176
Han Grader: civil servant and passionate scholar 75
The biblical message and the Young Artists’ style 183 [5] The Catholic Mission 184 [6] The Protestant Church 186
Jane Belo’s ‘little artists’ 77 [8] Every Balinese a born artist? 78 the quest for quality 79 Tourism on the rise 79 Pita Maha and the development of art 81 Toko Neuhaus, a commercial entreprise 90 [9] Hans and Rolf Neuhaus: the aquarium 92 [10] Toko Neuhaus 98 Toko Neuhaus vs. Pita Maha: a personal and professional conflict 104 Ubud and Sanur school 106 [11] Ubud school 108 [12] Sanur school 114 [13] Artists of Batuan 120 the paradisiacal image at war 119 A lull before the storm 119 [14] The collection Schlager 128 Japanese occupation and the return of the Dutch 133 [15] The restoration period 134 Crossing to the post-colonial era: two cultural projects 139 [16] Bali: Atlas Kebudajaan 142 [17] ‘East-Indonesian Art’ 150
the fate of kobot’s ceremonial painting 190 [7] A ceremonial painting 192
iv The transition from ‘traditional modern’ art to an international art scene 1975-2000 194 the turn to cultural tourism 195 [1] Woodcarving for the masses 196
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Notes 273 Bibliography and other sources 277 Index 280 Acknowledgements 285
‘traditional modern’ art on the brink of change 199 Exhibition Suatu Pengamatan /A closer look 199 [2] A Closer Look – Contemporary Balinese Art 200 Pengosekan Artists Group: an exclusively Balinese project 204 [3] Pengosekan Artists Group 205 The Seniwati Gallery: girls and women in art 208 [4] The Seniwati Art Gallery 209 Vocational training 208 [5] I Nyoman Mandra: traditional Kamasan-style training 212 [6] Vocational training i 216 [7] Vocational training ii 222 the end of the era of ‘traditional modern’ art 215 Of old artists 228 [8] Sanur: I Rundu, I Rudin, I Regig and Ida Bagus Pugug 229 [9] Ida Bagus Made Nadera 235 [10] Anak Agung Gde Sobrat 240 [11] Ida Bagus Made ‘Poleng’ 244 [12] I Dewa Ketut Baru 248 [13] I Made Jata 254 [14] Ida Bagus Made Togog 258 Of ‘Raja Seni’, new patrons of art 268 the meditation of the pedanda 269
About the author 286
artistic life before the pax neerlandica
Bali is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, a small island of 5,633 square kilometres, yet it developed a culture with a variety and a character of its own that can hardly be imagined for such a small area. All the more since only a limited part of the island is habitable. High volcanoes in the middle and inhospitable forests in the west occupy a large part and also form natural barriers between communities, especially between the northern and southern parts of the island. Furthermore, [1] the fertile southern slopes are criss-crossed with deep ravines. Newly constructed roads and bridges have now put an end to this geographical fragmentation, but originally it contributed to the creation of a wide variety within Balinese culture. In the precolonial period Bali was divided into a number of more or less independent kingdoms. Each of its principalities had to try to maintain its position among their noble relatives, each from its own residence and palace or puri. A puri consists of a piece of walled land with larger and smaller pavilions where the king and his many family members and retinue reside. As such, it functions as a centre and source of cultural stimulus. In constant rivalry, the princes not only try to mutually interact with political and military matters, but also to surpass each other in artistic and ceremonial performance. Under these weakly developed power relations, the Dutch conquered northern Bali in the mid-nineteenth century with Singaraja as their stronghold. From there they conducted punitive expeditions against the unwilling rulers of southern Bali. But it took until 1908 before the whole island came under Dutch authority. The kingdoms of Badung and Klung kung did not just continue, but collapsed with their whole family and court followers in the enemy’s fire, or killed themselves and their loved ones in front of the enemy’s eyes. With this massive ritual suicidal attack, the puputan, the political power of the Balinese royalty was finally ended.
Traditional painting
Certain families of artisans belonged to the raja’s puri (palace of the king) while living in their own neighbourhood near the palace. By marrying as little as possible outside this group, they ensured that their artistic specialty remained within their own circle and was carefully passed on from father to son. A famous example, near the most important royal court of the Dewa Agung in Klungkung, consisted of a group of painters who had organized themselves in their own quarter, the banjar. This banjar sangging (sangging meaning artist/craftsman) in the desa Kamasan, just south of Klungkung, is the only remaining centre of traditional painting, which still functions as such. The painters thus lived under the patronage of the king, to whom they had to be available at all times. They had to produce different kinds of paintings for the court: pictures on canvas or wooden panels for the private rooms, but especially the many cloths and flags for the puri’s public courtyards. That’s where the ceremonies were held that were accessible to everyone. In addition to the usual fees for the assignments, the members of the banjar were given status and enjoyed the use of certain rice fields which remained the property of the king. Befriended courts could also rely on Kamasan painters for their special occasions, which gave the patronage system a political dimension. In addition, they performed assign ments for the many temples, and eventually ordinary desa people could also ask for simple paintings, such as the cheap canvases on which certain calendars were displayed. This was the reason that paintings from the banjar sangging could be found not only in the near vicinity of the banjar but all over the island, and although they greatly influenced traditional painting in other places, people in general were well aware of the subtle differences in style between paintings with a different provenance.
artistic life before the pax neerlandica
i Early visitors and the Pax Neerlandica 1900-1925
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[1]  Historical maps of Bali
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1 Map from the travel account of Dr Julius Jacobs, 1883. There are still nine principalities in existence.
2 Map from Nieuwenkamp’s book with drawings, 1910. The principality of Mengwi has disappeared from the map. Most remarkable are the illustrative additions to the map and the decorations
that surround it. Gregor Krause used this map for his book of photographs in 1920 (p. 168). [Photograph: Collection Stichting W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp]
[2] Documenting the people of Bali
As early as the nineteenth century, photographers had Balinese posing in front of their cameras. In 1865, Dutch pioneer photographer Isidore van Kinsbergen improvised an outdoor studio and photographed both members of the ruling classes and ‘ordinary’ people.
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1 The raja of Buleleng and his court Photograph: I. van Kinsbergen [Leiden University Library, kitlv 2683]
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[3] The enchanting island 1
Two kinds of publications about Bali may be distinguished. One that primarily wants to document the life and people of Bali while the other wants to present Bali as an ‘enchanting island’. Three topics emerge: the reputed harmony of daily life; the exulted world of the gods in temples, and rituals; and Balinese women’s legendary beauty.
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1 Seemingly relaxed village scene Photographer unknown. [Collection Minerva] 2
2 Rice harvest, 1910 Photograph: Studio Kurkdjian. [Collection Minerva]
Studio Kurkdjian in Surabaya was one of the most famous purveyors of photographs that were keenly purchased. The photograph is not by Onnes Kurkdjian who died in 1903; the studio employed about 30 photographers among whom Thilly Weissenborn, the first professional woman photographer of the Dutch East Indies. 3 W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp To the market 1910 Pen and ink Dimensions unknown [Photograph: Collection Stichting W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp]
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The young Dutch artist, W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp, was the first artist to busy himself with capturing, in his own words, the ‘wonderful beauty of nature and art [in Bali]’. In this drawing he also wanted to carefully document the appearance of way the women, the way they were dressed and what they were carrying on their heads.
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4 W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp View of the Batur Volcano with the Batur temple complex at its feet, before it was destroyed by lava Pen and ink 24 x 18 cm 1904 [Collection Stichting W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp] 5 The Pura Beji, Sangsit Photograph: Studio Kurkdjian [Collection Stichting Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen, Coll.no. tm-60019063]
6 Dutch caption underneath: ‘Office for the dead on Bali. The corpse is brought to the upper part of the tower’ Photographer unknown, private photo album [Collection Minerva]
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7 The death of Abhimanyu Kamasan style painting late 19th century Natural pigments and ink on bark cloth 100 x 106 cm [Collection Neka Art Museum, Bali]
The higher world of the gods is represented in this fairy-tale-like setting of a temple court.
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‘my bali’: the appropriation of a culture
A cultural circle of Bali lovers
The Dutch often called the Indonesian Archipelago affec- [1] tionately ‘our’ Indies. It was clear what the expression in tended to say: although located on the other side of the globe, our colony is a natural part of our small country. It was not only ‘our’ possession in a political-economic sense, but also emotionally. A good example of this cultural appropriation was the set-up of the Dutch contribution to the Internatio nal Colonial Exposition Paris, in 1931, where Bali was presented as the Dutch showpiece. [2] In the second quarter of the twentieth century, this was ever so true for Bali, but over the years the Dutch had to share Bali with many foreign visitors who also loved the island. Quite often, these visitors had become so enthralled with what they had experienced that they almost wanted Bali for themselves. Bali was thus no longer ‘our Bali’ but rather for each of these visitors had become some kind of ‘my Bali’. In their works one often reads between the lines: if you touch ‘my Bali’ you touch me and it is almost impossible for me to put into words how I experienced it. They also had a strong tendency to elaborate on their experiences and they not only spoke for themselves but even for the Balinese.1 The Balinese, meanwhile, knew exactly what their world looked like. However, they now were no longer in charge of their own island. The colonial administration was in control and more and more foreign guests chose Bali as their cherished holiday destination. These guests were curious about many things on the island but only in a way that matched their own ways of seeing things. It was better not to ask the Balinese for explanations because the uninitiated guests would not understand what the Balinese were talking about. The most accessible experts were the few dozen foreigners, some of whom had lived on the island for quite some time.
‘my bali’: the appropriation of a culture
ii The rise of modern Balinese art 1925-1950
This was a rather peculiar circle that loved Balinese culture. All of them were birds of a different feather and they all had their own ways of looking at Balinese culture in general and at visual arts in particular. They were active in the fields of administration, research, and arts, although the boundaries between these fields were not always clear. The circumstances were such that these foreigners crossed each other’s borders even when they found it hard to accept the other’s interests or ideas. Needless to say that they sometimes also got in each other’s way. So, just before and immediately after the beginning of this second quarter, and in the wake of Nieuwenkamp and Krause, a whole new generation of painters, photographers, writers, and scholarly researchers came to Bali. And like their predecessors they put their experiences or careful research into all sorts of publications. There were educated researchers and civil servants who cared about the expressions of original Balinese culture as it had existed for a long time. They paid particular attention to visual and other trad itional arts and strove to preserve it. More visible however were the artistically oriented people, predominantly visual artists, but also writers and musicians. There is no doubt that they loved and respected traditional Bali, but they often indulged in their admiration for the innate ‘artistry’ the Balinese supposedly possessed. Without a second thought they uncritically applied their norms and values on Balinese art products, which initially caused confusion with some [3] Balinese. Later their art approach was gladly used as a source of inspiration to blend in with Western traditions. Among the first careful researchers was the Dutch ethno musicologist, Jaap Kunst and his wife C. Kunst-van Wely, who published a detailed monograph about Balinese music.2 Walter Spies, a Russian born German artist and musician, settled on the island in 1927 and added to our knowledge of Balinese performing arts through his beautiful book Dance and Drama in Bali (written with co-author Beryl de Zoete) [ p. 5 8]
[1]  Maps for tourists
For the benefit of tourists, the maps of Bali were given facelifts and now included routes to show people how to get to where they wanted to go, where to stay, eat, and buy souvenirs.
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1 Map from Auto-wegenatlas Java-Madoera-Bali, [1930-1935].
The map includes no less than nine advertisements: for a hotel in Denpasar,
a photo studio and three art shops, including in Klungkung. The big absentee among these advertisers is kpm.
2 Map from the brochure Bali, A Garden of Eden [1933].
kpm published its own maps and brochures showing the excursions tourists could make by taxi.
[2] The Colonial Exposition in Paris
In 1931, the Netherlands presented its colonies in a grand style in Europe during the Exposition Coloniale Internationale de Paris. Although the entire archipelago was featured during the exposition, Bali’s presence was disproportionate, especially through its music and dance. Bali was presented as the colony’s showpiece.
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[All three photographs from Zeijlstra (1931)]
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1 The pavilion at the Colonial Exposition in Paris in 1931 (architect W.J.G. Zweedijk). On 28 June it was destroyed by a big fire. Many precious pieces were lost. 2 Immediately after the fire, under the direction of architect P.A.J. Moojen, a new pavilion was erected, made entirely of plastered wood. It opened on 18 August 1931. Photograph: Chevojon.
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3 The performance of the dance group from Peliatan, Ubud, under the direction of Cokorda Raka Sukawati. Photograph: Harlingue.
[2]  I Rudin, I Rundu and I Regig: painters from Sanur
i ketut rudin (1920-2002)
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1 I Ketut Rudin Baris dancer Coloured ink on paper 35.5 x 24.5 cm Before 1964 [Collection Stichting Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen, Coll. no. rv-4225-81]
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2a, b I Ketut Rudin Dance positions Ink on paper 32 x 25 cm Ca 1950 Made for Art Gallery Sindu [Collection Wim Bakker]
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i gusti made rundu (1919-1993)
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4 3 I Gusti Made Rundu (Si Rundu) Bird composition 1 Ink and watercolour on paper 46.5 x 33 cm 1937 [Collection Stichting Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen, Coll. no. rv-b135-74] 4 I Gusti Made Rundu (Si Rundu) Bird composition 2 Ink and watercolour on paper 46.5 x 33 cm 1955 [Collection Stichting Nationaal Museum van Wereldculturen, Coll. no. rv-b135-75]
Twenty years later we still recognize the regular pattern with birds, although the composition has become much stronger. 6
5 I Gusti Made Rundu (Si Rundu) Insects Ink and watercolour on paper 20 x 26 cm Ca 1960 Photograph Wim Bakker. [Collection Neuhaus] 6 I Gusti Made Rundu (Si Rundu) Wayang kuda (The horse dance) Ink and watercolour on paper 20 x 26 cm Ca 1960 Photograph Wim Bakker. [Collection Neuhaus]
When Hans and Rolf Neuhaus visited Bali after the war Rundu gave Rolf this work to take home.
[4]  The Young Artists
Arie Smit made the artists pay attention to contours that were made in colour instead of using only black, as well as to filling in the entire background with colour. He used this method himself and his pupils learned this technique directly from him. On Smit’s advice some painters even left the faces simply blank with only a contour.
1 I Nyoman Cakra (1945) Calon Arang Acrylic on canvas 58 x 38 cm 1966 [Collection Wim Bakker] 2 I Nyoman Cakra (1945) Wedding Ceremony Oil on canvas 70 x 90 cm 1970 Photograph: Richard Janssen. [Collection Neka Art Museum] 3 I Wayan Pugur (1946) Temple Celebration Oil on canvas 70 x 140 cm 1968 Photograph: Richard Janssen. [Collection Neka Art Museum]
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The ‘Young Artists’ style was a pictorial language with rather strict rules so that everybody could join the production process. The standard procedure was that the artist whose name appeared on the painting would make the pencil drawing, after which the areas were filled with colour, often with the help of others. Subsequently, the painter would provide the contours and lastly the decorative lines. Smit used to call this procedure ‘webbing’. Painters in Penestanan who did not want to conform to these rules but followed their own procedures remained outsiders.
4 Pencil drawing, partly filled in (detail) [Collection Wim Bakker] 5 Arie Smit [From: Lim 1983] 6 I Nyoman Cakra, showing one of his early paintings, 1982. Photograph: Wim Bakker. 7 I Made Andy Calon Arang Oil on canvas 49 x 34 cm 1982 [Collection Wim Bakker]
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8 I Ketut Tagen (1946) Procession Oil on canvas 63 x 126 cm 1987 Photograph: Richard Janssen. [Collection Neka Art Museum] 9 I Ketut Parsa (1947) Preparations for a ceremony Oil on canvas 27.5 x 36.5 cm 1981 [Collection Wim Bakker] 10 I Nyoman Cakra Rural scene Oil on canvas 37.2 x 57.5 cm 1982 [Collection Wim Bakker]
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