Exhibition From the Kali Satu Group at Lovina, Singaraja

Five students of the Department of Fine Arts Education, Faculty of Linguistics and Arts, State Teacher’s Training and Education College (IKIP) of Singaraja is holding an exhibition in the area of Open Stage, Lovina in North Bali from 2 June to 2 July 2005.

Ketut Englan, the owner of the exhibition venue said that he was pleased to be able to make cooperation with Department of Fine Art Education of IKIP Singaraja to motivate the interest of the Northern Bali community in art creativity. It was said that any form of art activity wherever it originates from, as long as it was positive and gave a good impact to the community, would be given the opportunity.
Open Stage is located 3 km in the west of Singaraja. Its location is very strategic, namely on the side of the main street of Lovina’s tourist resort. The exhibition was inaugurated by the Dean of Faculty of Linguistics and Arts Education Drs. I Gede Batan, MA, presented the works of Dedy in woodworks like interior lamp shades, visual communication design like websites, leaflet and booklets, Munawir’s design and 30 paintings by Johanes, Eka and Wira.
Intriguingly observed are the paintings in which the three are inspired by the presentation of humans and their environment, but they express it pursuant to their own styles. Johannes who has a painting capacity in the realism style painted by taking the theme, the impact of technology. His realistic paintings were made in the surrealism style so any ideas in his mind could be portrayed more easily and completely. His works represent many criticism and expectations to all parties to take part in making the earth safe and peaceful.
Paintings by Wira takes the theme Balinese Dance. According to him, Balinese dancing was rarely performed at public places. If any, it must be intended for the consumption of tourists or on the occasion of temple festivals. His interest then arises from this reality to depict Balinese dances as documentation and a cure his longing for this art.
In his painting, Wira repeatedly makes use of monochromatic dark brown. This matter is assuredly appealing in the painting of rangda and barong dance since it creates a magic atmosphere. Meanwhile, on other paintings such as the painting of the legong dance, the use of such colors certainly decreases the character of the painting. The movement of the dancer that ought be attractive, and the dancer’s ornament that ought be dazzling, make them as if not coming into view. Moreover, the illustration of the dancer was made in the position of slow action.
The painting by Eka with the theme, Wanita (woman) looks so terrifying. According to him, a woman is originally predestined to be kind-hearted, persevering and a beautiful being. Women also have an important role for men so she is known as ‘the mother of man’. However, the painting by Eka does not expose those qualities to view the woman looks like ‘the loser’ of her man partner. This occurs on account of value friction in the life order in the community. And Eka takes an interest in that matter.
The painting by Eka looks unique. His painting style is the decorative traditional one. His colors tend to lead to dark and make his painting immensely magic. In the meantime, the forms he portrayes are full of fantasy. As a result, it makes them tremendously unique. But, to be able to understand his painting requires a dialog with its painter as within such paintings are full of local and private symbols. (BTN/Gung Man)

Sketch and Drawing Exhibition at Sidik Jari Museum

The “Sandal Jepit” (literally means slipper with a thong) community exhibited 29 sketches and drawing works at Sidik Jari Museum Denpasar from 4 June to 4 July. Sandal Jepit community is a name of a small group of which members consists of 12 students of the Indonesian Institute of Arts (ISI) Denpasar. They are Dewa Gde Agung, I Made Mahardika, I Putu Agus Adiyasa, I Made Astika Yasa, I Wayan Darmawan, Minati Kusuma Putri, I Putu Edi Asmara Putra, Ni Wayan Udiyani, I Made Sudyatmika, I Made Bayu Yasana, I Gusti Lanang Gde Masa and I Wayan Januariawan.
Sidik Jari Museum that is situated on Jalan Hayam Wuruk, Tanjung Bung-kak Denpasar often gives the opportunity to young artists to exhibit their works. According to I Gusti Ngurah Gede Pemecutan, owner of the museum and also a painter, his museum is indeed founded, apart from displaying his personal works, also made a place for exhibiting works of beginners or famous painters.
The exhibition of the Sandal Jepit community was inaugurated by the Rector of ISI Denpasar, Prof. DR. Nyoman Rai S., commenced by the presentation of performing art that was played by 4 members of the community. In his opening speech, Rai said that what the students carried out was good and correct. He also analyzed the name of ‘sandal jepit’ that connoted countrified or unfashionable, in which according to him was so important and necessary in the life of modern humans. He expected, by the spirit of ‘sandal jepit’, young artists would be able to create good, quality works of art and beneficial for many people.
Some works that had distinguished features at the exhibition were seen on the work of Udiyani that presented a silhouette of a tree with the background in monochrome color. Gentle images of a woman figure was obviously expressed here, produced by the tone of the tree in the silhouette appearance. Likewise, the work belonging to Januariawan entitled “Hijau-merah” (green-red) that tries to examine the truth of color theory in which two contrasting colors will produce harmony if they are given locking color between them. Januariawan ultimately accomplished to prove this truth through his drawings. (BTN/Gung Man)

I Gede Budi Yoga
Keeps on Working Even if Unsold

The carver I Gede Budi Yoga keeps on producing for statues and paintings even if they are rarely sold . That was what he said to Bali Travel News when being interviewed at his house and workshop in Sedang Village, Abiansemal Sub District, Badung Regency.

Budi Yoga, an alumnus of SMK Batubulan said that this situation is unchanged since the bomb blast in Kuta, in October 2002. “I expect that European tourist will continue to come, because most of them are fond of statues and paintings,” said Budi.
Besides displaying his works at his house, Budi also brings them to art shops and galleries in several places like Denpasar, Kuta and Ubud. Style and form of both his specialty is naturalist, classic, independent and contemporary.
Budi’s statue is still in the classic and realist form, just as it seen from the statue of an old man feeding the fighting-cock in a cage. The making process of guwungan (cock cage), he works on very carefully. “A little mistake will break the wood. This sometimes happens when carving the cage,” he said. Seen in the picture; Budi (center) and his partner while making the statue.
(BTN/Yan Beryas)

The Exhibition of Sergio Lopez Orozco
Introducing the Ancient Piece

Humans have enjoyed mildness, power, and natural beauty for centuries, offered by “kertas krya daksa”, handmade paper, but few people try to present and dedicate their life to open the hidden sign inside.

It was Sergio Lopez Orozco, a Mexican painter, who opened the mystery of handmade (kertas krya daksa) through the exhibition entitled “Homepage to Covarrubias”. He performed 70 paintings that was held for a month from the 9 June until 9 July in ARMA Museum, Ubud and officially opened by Mexican Ambassador for Indonesia, Pedro Gonzalez Rubio S.
Agung Rai, the owner of ARMA Museum explained that all these works were painted on “amate” (handmade paper). This exhibition was held as well to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of Miguel Covarrubias, a Mexican writer and anthropologist for his merit contribution in introducing Bali through his book “Island of Bali”.
Guided by the book “Island of Bali”, Sergio Lopez on his third world journey paid a visit to Bali. Then, he found out the process and origin of “tapa” paper which is considered very old. “Tapa” cant be found in Bali, however when he visited the ARMA Museum, he saw the painting in Kamasan style on “ulan taga” paper or bark-cloth paper that has the same character as “amate” paper, the painting or sculpture media is especially made with ancient Mexican techniques. “I want to hold a workshop about this “amate” paper, so it may inspire people on the almost disappearing ‘ulan taga’ art”, Lopez explained. Sergio Lopez Orozco had produced 2.000 masterpieces for almost 41 years that he has been occupied in art. (BTN/Para)