WALTER SPIES
He later moved to Ubud. He is often credited with attracting the attention of the Western art scene of his time to Balinese culture and art. His house (today an hotel) has seen many illustrious visitors, such as Charlie Chaplin, Austrian novelist Vicki Baum, musician Colin McPhee, anthropologist Jane Belo and Swiss artist Theo Meier. He is also known for his influence over Balinese artists.
He developed the Kecak dance in collaboration with Wayan Limbak. With local Balinese nobleman Tjokorda Agung Sukawati, Spies founded the Pita Maha Arts Society (Pita Maha means "Great Forbears"), which purpose was to encourage the efforts of local Balinese painters. The result was an impressive explosion of creativity, even by Balinese high standards. Each Saturday, a four-person jury selected winners from among a group of about 150 submitted works. The winners were sold to international buyers, and the proceeds were plowed back into the collective.
Spies's legacy lived on in a vigorous Balinese arts scene for several decades after his death; he also introduced European art to the Balinese, who experimented with such details as playful treatment of perspective and created hybrid forms of their own.
Some scholars have argued that Walter Spies views on Balinese art tend to oversimplify the complexity of Balinese culture. However, Walter Spies didn’t come up with a narrow-minded, colonist perspective and his love and fascination for Bali and Balinese art were genuine.
Ida Bagus Made was born In Tebasaya in 1915, from a Brhaman family of artists. He first started to learn painting from his father and later on under the teachings of Rudolph Bonnet, considered him the most talented artists in Bali. He developed his art during the movement of modernization of Balinese art. At 21 in he joined the Pitamaha ...
Nyoman Gunarsa was born in Klungkung in 1944 and graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Yoyakarta. His paintings are depictions Balinese folklore such as traditional dance, character of classic tales and legends of the Hindu Dharma. He owns 2 museums: The Seni Lukis Kontemporer Indonesia for Contemporary art in Yogyakarta and ...
The Barong dance is also a story of Good overcoming Evil. The Barong, mythical creature, protector of good (embodied by two dancer in a costume), fights Rangda, the evil Lord of Darkness. The tale is told by a dance rythmed to the sound of a Gamelan gorchestra. As the fight goes on, supporters of Barong, a group of men armed with Kris, try ...
Born in Ubud in 1952, Nyoman Meja has built a bridge between tradition and modernity. He met Rudolph Bonnet in the 1970’s, which influenced his vision as post-traditional painter. As he still uses the Penalak as a strong reference to the Ubud style, his use of lighting is definitely of a modern approach. Among other topics, Nyoman Meja has ...
Born in 1970, Gusti Agung Wiranata inherated Walter Spies’ taste for dreamy landscapes. Despite some criticism pointing out his works as blatant copies of Walter Spies’ paintings, Gusti Agung Wiranata’s painting has defintely a soul of its own, adding his own sensitivity as well as more serenity in his work than the German artist. As ...
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Bali has sure seen the birth and progress of numerous bands this year, and here we are, happy to do our part related to the births and happenings related to the island's music scene! We are sure passionate to cheer for the newcomers to make their way and earn their place, of course starting in the local scene. This week we...
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