BALI PAINTING AS A CULTURES REFLECTION

Bali Painting - Solo DancerA process of drawing something in a flat form using paint or ink is called a painting. Have a closer meaning with aesthetic and art makes a painting as an object fully contain with creativity implementation. A painting can represent someone imaginer feeling to amused art curator or a person who loves painting or just to eyes sight seeing. Naturalism and representative is a way of painting creativity, these two themes can be a painter narrative act to pour a story of everything at their painting.

Firstly, a history of painting is detected through cave paintings which were found in several countries such as in French, Spain, Portugal, China, Australia, India etc. Cave painting is a reflection of life in prehistoric era and will be a record for modern era. When a man start to recognizing a cultures, then painting development is not just using cave wall as media to paint but its already use other media; canvas, fabric, board etc. Natural color from a charcoal and limestone are also turning to a modern media use such as paint or ink which is vary in type. Spiritual motif giving a big influences for all development history of a painting in both Western and Eastern country, other motifs also derive from painter creativity.Painting - Trio Dancer

When culture began to touch Bali, especially in ancient of Hinduism era, painting is being introduced as an art. Proved that in Bali’s Sanskrit is a form of hand painting brushed at a stone, most of these painting are depiction of Kingdom or spiritual leader on that year, so their movement and their history could be detected on Bali’s heritage. First Bali’s painting was found at Kemasan (Klungkung regency) as form of a puppet painting, this painting was purposes as a gift to procession of proposing King’s Banyuwangi (a region in Eastern Java) daughter. First puppet painting is being inspired by stories of Ramayana epic. Simple character of painting combined with natural media giving a new era in Balinese painting. Then painting was developed and began spreading to other places until founded some painting style in accordance of a place where it began to make. Kemasan, Batuan, Ubud are native region in painting style and be direction style to Bali’s painter on their painting. Uniformity style of two dimension painting is also affected by traditional Bali’s culture of ancient Hinduism.

Painting - Old Lady SmileSince inclusion of Western culture in Bali’s life in year 1926 and 1928, Bali began to introduce with painting in three dimension look. This style had been brought by Walter Spies and Rudolf Bonnet. Lighting, coloring, and arrangement of space in Bali’s painting are begun to modernize. Painting object orientation is lead to become freedom choice in a painting. Effort in earning standard and quality of Bali’s paintings is about to find its way.

How far does standard and quality being developed? We could find the answer by exhibited on Bali’s paintings.

BALINESE DECORATIVE DOUBLE DOOR

Natural Door - DEWI KADRU - Sraya Bali Style Original DesignConnection between inside and outside world is very common known as “door”. Has a meaning as a flat movable barrier that is fitted into and closes the entrance to a building, room, cupboard, car, etc., door is a primary function in all building interior. Besides protecting a privacy of other inside interior, generally door is the first building interior that touched by a human to enter the advance world.

Design and use of the door was first discovered at the ancient Egypt tomb. In general, door has many variety of types depends on its shape, mechanism, function, and even on a culture of what region where it’s founded. Because door became a part of a building then it has a component that has to proper with design interior of the house. Attached at the doorway, a door must have a hinges to connect a doorway with the door, so the door can move freely when opened and closed. The door has several components such as light and air ventilation (top rail), door handle and key as middle rail, and supported bottom panel as a bottom rail. Along with development era and modernization, technology of door’s design already modified to meet a demand of human who want simple design for an easier life. But infrequently, still there is ancient design hunted to meet with the esthetic of home beauty and interior building.

Bali a place where always keep the harmonization between culture and modernization also has a concept in building architecture and interior design. Mentioned on several Hindu Sanskrit that universally conceptual of “Tri Hita Karana” and “Tri Mandala” always apply in developing a building as well as in the interior design, these universal concept can’t separated with Balinese community and still applied until now. Tri Mandala is a concept of a house geographical landscape divides into Main Mandala (a sacred landscape), Madya Mandala (a residential landscape), and Nista Mandala (a landscape of disposal area; e.g. toilet). The door is an equipment to separated these three area and be a bridge to harmonized them. Tri Hita Karana is a concept to emphasize a relationship between a human with God, with a Man, and with the Environment. Door which attached and be a part of “Penyengker” is also an application of Tri Hita Karana concept, shows a relationship between a human and the non biotic Environment. Wood material and its natural color is a form of relationship between human and biotic Environment. The door carving and decoration is the form of spiritual dealing between human and God as a creator of Universe.

Everything which is explained Balinese decorative door could providing the answer to a question; why Bali always contain of cultural and Mystical touch on every details? A comprehension of Bali’s decorative door will turn to be useless if you never touch the carved panel as a sensation taste of Balinese culture, and be prepared to the unique greatness of Bali interior inside.

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CHRYSANTEMUM, AN ORNAMENTAL BEAUTY FROM BEDUGUL

ChrysanthemumTravelling to Bedugul will provide a distinctive satisfaction; the way of natural treatment of an attractive view and a blush of a windy valley, could contribute calmness. Good weather and climate which supported by fertile ground condition, giving this land with agriculture commodity value and beauty sight for Bali tourism. Various kinds of vegetables, leaves, and flowers that essential factor of plants is definitely could turned by a nature for doing something glamour to a visitors. And Chrysantemum is one of so many beautiful plants in Bedugul that will be a theme of this article. Having itself as a perennial herb plant, Chrysantemums could be growing in perennial land with tropical till subtropical climate. Sometimes people called this plant as Mums only. Include in family of Asteraceae, Chrysantemums are native to Asia and Northern Europe country. China is a country of Chrysantemum nativity and a land where this plant had founded for the first time. Then on its history, Chrysantemum had brought to Japan and became inspiring a Festival of Happiness in Japan. Been adopted to Europe make this plant having a name as Chrysantemum (“Chrysous” = gold as a first colour from first variety, and “Antemon” = flower).

Generally, Chrysantemum is flower plant that could reach about 150 cm height, with deeply lobe leaves and decorated with varieties of shape and coloring flowers. Chrysantemum has a perfect florets called disk florets, contained with female and male reproductive organ, and imperfect florets called ray florets which is only has one reproductive organ. Reproduction organ in Chrysantemum could give this plant being cultivated by a seeds, and stem stake will be other choice of cultivation.

Variation in color and shape of Chrysantemum flower is able to attract insects and became an enemy to a Chrysantemum farmers other then stem and leaves fungus. In addition to use as a reduces of polluted air and insect repellent, Chrysantemum also has a medical uses as antibacterial and increases body’s immune in the form of an herbal tea.

Chrysantemum willing to give positive and cheerful excitement for plants lovers, each petals, color and shape of florets could give symbols meaning to some places around the world. If fogy begins to thin Bedugul valley and the weather became bright, then Chrysantemum will display beauty ornament and will provide positive energy to a visitor’s sight.

LEKO, ANCIENT DANCE (BALI ART FESTIVAL 2009 NEWS HIGHLIGHTS: SATURDAY, 27 JUNE 2009)

logo-Pesta-Kesenian-BaliIn the review of the cultural event Pesta Kesenian Bali 2009 this time, will be appointed on the theme of dance “Leko”.  This dance is one of so many Balinese ancient dances which might has already rare to be performed and not much known by Balinese society. Today, Leko dance could be found only at Jembrana, regency at Western area of Bali.

In journey of Leko dance, the dance was come from a sacred art entertainment for the kingdom and noble. Like “Joged Bumbung” dance, Leko dance also using a traditional music “Rindik” to accompany the dance. Rindik is a Balinese traditional music made from bamboo. Leko dancing also involve with a dancer which is taken from the audience, and this dancer known as “Pengibing”. Leko dance using two female dancers while in Joged Bumbung only using one female dancer, this made a different between Leko dance and Joged Bumbung dance.

Leko dance was predictably inspired by “Gandrung” and “Gambuh”, appear in year of 1915 at Pendem village, Jembrana regency. Leko at that time was only a traditional music of “Gerantang” accompaniment with some traditional music device. Then in its evolution, Leko had equipped with a dancers who dance along with a traditional instruments. Leko was a traditional performance tribute to a royal and a king’s family, and a way of villagers to reassure the palace. Leko dance had gone through an upside down existence, where on a colonialism era in Bali, this Leko dance couldn’t perform again, but then raise and still exist until now.

The existence of Leko dance couldn’t detach from a cultural preservation synergy between traditional artists and others related community to protect ancient cultures. Through Bali Art Festival 2009, again Leko dance performance promotes to an audience in purpose of re- introducing this ancient dance for every younger generation. Hopefully, this promotion could lift up again the existence of Leko dance as one of Balinese heritage which deserve to be protect from extinction.

Quick Source : Bali Post (Saturday, 27 June 2009)

Barong Bali, Form of A Traditional Mythology

Barong pic Bali, island surrounded by sense of mystics and has a magnetic attraction, Island of God with so many culture and tradition that still exist until now. Equilibrium between vertical and horizontal nexus already contribute and taking role on every side of Balinese community. What could be a reason why Bali always exists as a traditional community and always has a visitor from modernization flow outside of Bali almost every year? Believe the answer is Balinese community trustworthy to the matter that they always called harmonization relationship between a human and God as a creator, protector, and executor of this universe. This is also became a reason why religion in Bali has a harmonic rhythms with its traditional culture. Hindu community in Bali believe that three avatar of God as a creator, protector, and executor had bring so many phenomenon in life, where one of those is law of nature between good and evil, wrong and right, beauty and beast and many differences in this universe and became appear also in traditional mythology of Bali. One of those is “Barong” that represent in Barong & Rangda Dance, this triumphant dance is very popular not only for Balinese people but also for viewers around the world.

Barong 1 picActually, Barong is a form of Bali pre Hinduism inheritance, being transformed to a figurehead or mask of an animals or ancient human which has magical forces. Mystic of Barong mask came from its wood material which taken on cemetery area. Could be in the year of being created, Barong mask has so many different type, nowadays there are several being known, for example: Barong Ket, Barong Gajah, Barong Asu, Barong Landung, Barong Bangkal, Barong Brutuk, Barong Kedingkling until Barong Sai. Barong character in Balinese mythology is reflected of spirit in a human itself, where in Balinese Hinduism believe that a human has a”guardian sibling” when being born in the nativity process, the guardian elements are blood, placenta, and fetal membrane. All these elements will always protect and guard a human all through the process of life till being reunited again with the universe. Barong as a king of spirit is one of those elements as “guardian sibling” and has a power to protect human from any evil through the interaction process of life.

How of good and evil became law of nature happened on every human kind being presented in the procession of theatrical Barong & Rangda dance, story from Mahabrata epic is a conceptual theme for these dance to reflected Barong as a symbol of protector and king of spirit having a battle with Rangda as a symbol of death and queen of evil. Have been written through all a colorful and graceful dance movements that good spirits taking a victory against evil. Where evil always exist and creep the universe in every nightmare, always forced and pushed a human to go to the edge of black hole is reflected on the last part of the dance performance, and again Barong will appear to giving a protection so a human will be shield with a good spirits.

barong 2 picPerformance of Barong & Rangda dance bring us to the reflection of how we suppose to live, good and bad spirit on every human on this universe will always be a substance in law of nature, always existing in all circumstances.

Barong Bali is not just only a reflection of traditional mythology, isn’t it?