Abstract Paintings by I Gusti Ngurah Buda.
At Jenggala Gallery, Jl. Uluwatu II, Jimbaran.
Tel. 703311.
When ‘Abstract Expressionism’ exploded onto the
art world in the mid 1940’s the term was used as a definition
of a free, gestural painting. It referred to a non-representational
art, which rejected the portrayal of the contemporary world
in a realistic manner, by drawing attention to invisible forces,
spiritual energies, and cosmic laws of nature which were not
reproducible by realistic methods of representation. It was
a personal art, and it made no direct or critical reference
to cultural or political events. However that was over 60
years ago and times have changed. I Gusti Ngurah Buda is a
young committed Balinese artist, who uses his abstract expressionistic
paintings to convey an awareness of the rapidly uncontrolled
urbanization of Bali and its impact on the Balinese landscape,
identity, culture and life style. The archetypal Balinese
village and residence is in harmony with nature. The new Modernist
International architectural style, favored by the urban developers,
is unsympathetic with the local surroundings and the traditional
Balinese architectural forms. Gone are the walled courtyards,
with free standing pavilions, the open spaces, the rice fields
and the native forests.
Gusti Buda studied art in the Denpasar School of Fine Art.
He was born in 1975, and raised in Sangeh, a village outside
Denpasar which is surrounded by some of the shrinking forests
and rice fields of southern Bali. Although he feels forced
to accept the harsh reality of urban development, his concern
and his critical views towards the expansion have become the
inexhaustible source of inspiration for his work. Through
his paintings, Buda wishes to express the saddening condition
of Bali’s natural environment. The title of his exhibition,
‘Overload’, at the Jenggala Gallery, refers to
his insistence in presenting artworks which depict the disorderly
buildings plundering nature. According to Buda: “Bali
builds so many hotels and villas replacing green rice fields
and forests so fast that it is close to losing its natural
charm”. Utilizing mixed-media, Buda creates beautifully
composed elements of architectural forms in aggressive colors
to convey his theme of the ferocious urban development of
Bali. A theme he has been pursuing for over six years.
As the paintings ‘Hamparan Bidang Kaku’, ‘Life
City Night’, ‘Modern Area’, and ‘New
Paradise’ all demonstrate, there is a remarkable unity
and cohesiveness to Buda’s work. All of the canvases
are created with a similar technique. A rough texture background
of latex, sand and rice paper is initially placed on the canvases.
Thick acrylic paint is then applied with gestural brushstrokes,
or paint rollers, to create a dynamic series of bold squares
and rectangular forms, which suggest the prevailing concrete
buildings and messy city architecture that is rapidly becoming
the Balinese skyline. Consistently painted in fierce colors
of red, yellow, ochre and black, these suggested architectural
forms shimmer and vibrate against each other, causing frictions
and tensions. Finally, a glossy varnish is applied to the
canvases, suggesting the brittleness and newness of the invading
urban environment. Viewed ‘en-masse’ these repetitive
images convey the ongoing encroachment of the Balinese landscape
by violent, insidious, urban sprawl.
However, there is another prominent feature of Gusti Buda’s
work that must not be ignored. Buda also believes “that
the urban development in Bali should have to heed to the Balinese
concept of Tri Hita Karana”. This concept promotes balance
in the relationship between People, Man and the Creator, as
well as Man and Nature. Buda believes that “the harmony
of the three will bring happiness in life”. Red, yellow,
ochre and black are colors that are traditionally associated
with Balinese Hindu spiritualism. Within all of the works
on display Buda balances his red, yellow, ochre and black
architectural squares and rectangles to perhaps suggest a
possible urban development that could result from adhering
to these Balinese spiritual concepts. Also, throughout Buda’s
paintings, he continually displays that exquisite sense of
balance that we have come to relate with Balinese artists.
Gusti Buda’s art is quite intriguing, as there are three
elements co-existing in his work. Firstly, Buda presents typical
abstract expressionistic canvases that can be admired for
their use of emotional and spontaneous painterly gestures,
and for the evocative potential of the use of color. Secondly,
Buda is able to utilize the more traditional goals of abstract
expressionism, which suggests powerful invisible forces, spiritual
energies, and cosmic laws of nature realized through principles
of Hindu Mysticism, and, finally, Buda uses an innovative
approach to abstract expressionism to suggest his interest
in ongoing urban development. His chosen subject-matter does
not clash with the formal concerns of his paintings. This
is a rather delicate balancing act, and the fact that Gusti
Buda has been able to meld these various themes into a coherent
whole speaks very highly of his artistic skills and his vision.
E-mail: artwords2004@yahoo.com.au
