16 artists show their work
at Adi’s Art Studio & Gallery,
Jl. Bisma 102, Ubud. Tel: 977104.
In their exhibition, ‘B.C.A. Balinese. Contemporary. Art.’, at Adi’s Art Studio & Gallery, the viewer is taken on a whirlwind trip through the art of 16 artists all resident in Bali. The exhibition is intended as a survey of contemporary trends which have emerged in Bali, and Indonesia, over the last few years. In this respect it is fair to say that the exhibition is not exactly ‘cutting-edge’. Rather, in the words of the curator of the exhibition, Adi Bachmann, the show is about: “Paintings in oil or acrylic on canvas. Metal, cement, stone and wood sculptures are also presented. Nothing is jumping up and down, back or forth, or in and out. There are no cruel performances, no intellectual concepts only, and no video installations. What the show presents is charming, sometimes controversial, but never destructive, often funny, thought provoking works of art”. By avoiding the fashionable, yet non-commercial, modes of Installation, Performance and Video Art, Adi is presenting ‘safe’ and collectable contemporary art which has a commercial potential well beyond its exhibition life-span. It should also be noted that the exhibition is a snapshot of Adi’s personal and catholic taste, and is not entirely representative of the diversity of art trends and styles currently evolving in Bali, and the Ubud area in particular. The 16 artists showing are:
Adi Bachmann, born 1943, Munich, Germany. Adi creates ‘constructions’, from found objects, which show a strong sense of design. His works appear to be influenced by certain elements of Pop and semiotic Assemblage art.
Agustian Supriatna, born 1981, Lampung, Sumatra. As a sensitive abstract expressionist, Agustian paints extremely delicate images that explore many personal and metaphysical concerns, with splendid colors, forms and lines.
Arga Direja, born 1967, Singaraja, Bali. Arga is a ‘naïve’ painter, in so much as the canvases are attacked with expressive brushstrokes and vivid colors. Much of Arga’s paintings feature delightful retrograde patterning.
Ari Sudarma, born 1966, Singaraja, Bali. Reminiscent of the work of Cezanne, Ari creates paintings in a ‘Neo-Post-Impressionist’ style, let’s say, which depicts the Balinese landscape with bold shapes and striking colors.
Gede Sudarma, born 1972, Sudaji, Buleleng, Bali. Gede’s paintings are created in a highly realistic manner. The works are skillfully composed and balanced, and often feature superb lighting and a surreal, voyeuristic subtext.
Gusti Ayu Suksmawati, born 1969, Ubud, Bali. Suksmawati paints in an intentionally ‘child-like’ method. Concentrating on issues concerned with past childhood events, the carefree images act as a metaphor for the present.
Hutomo Ishii, born 1947, Sapporo, Japan. It is easy to see that Ishii was expertly trained in Japan as an artist. All of his works contain that exquisite Japanese sense of simplicity and elegance, as they explore color and texture.
Made Ariana, born 1975, Singaraja, Bali. In much of Ariana’s work traditional Balinese materials will be used to create a collage, onto which explorations in color, abstracted form, and paint texture will be carried out.
Made Mudra, born 1975, Peliatan, Bali. Given the success of ‘New Asian Cubism’ currently in Asian art circles, Mudra’s geometric paintings of chunky people are the most up-to-date works on show in the exhibition.
Necky Sodikin, born 1972, Bandung, Java. Necky’s bold paintings contain a blatant primitivism that appears to be based on traditional Indonesian Myths and Legends. All the canvases contain much expressive line, form and color.
Nyoman Sutarja, born 1980, Ubud, Bali. Utilizing a technique that evokes ‘street-graffiti’, Sutarja is able to create amazing images that make pertinent political comments about Balinese lifestyles, and corruption from the West.
Ronald Wigman, born 1954, Den Bosch, Holland. Wigman’s impressions of Balinese markets and street-stalls are superbly realized as decorative and geometric patterns, which display a striking amount of European art training.
S. Buamar, born 1970, Malang, Java. Incorporating sharp snatches of text, with strong and often brutal images, Buamar’s paintings indicate a ‘German Expressionistic’ approach to Indonesian political, social and cultural issues.
Symon, born 1947, Detroit, USA. Well-known throughout Bali, Indonesia, and most of Asia, for his extravagant and often erotic silk-screens, Symon, in recent years, has been developing a much more painterly and lyrical style.
Tini Wahyuni, born 1965, Singaraja, Bali. Essentially a surrealist painter, Wahyuni’s canvases are brilliantly executed realistic paintings, which depict strange anomalies in the landscape. There is much atmosphere in the works.
Trisno, born 1970, Singaraja, Bali. Trisno runs the full gauntlet of abstract expressionistic splashes, smears, scratches, drips, washes, colors, lines and broad sweeping brushstrokes, to create impressive and compelling canvases.
As a personal survey of popular contemporary art trends which are currently emerging in Bali, the exhibition, ‘B.C.A. Balinese. Contemporary. Art.’, is well worth a visit. The eclectic mix of nationalities, ages, styles, imagery and techniques of all the artists highlights the eclectic mix of art currently available throughout Bali. However, it must be said that Adi’s Art Studio & Gallery once again goes for the ‘over-kill’. Within the three small viewing areas of the gallery there is not a centimeter of wall space left. This huge collection of over 80 individual paintings on exhibit is given no room to ‘breathe’, which results in a somewhat confusing and chaotic display. Adi’s Art Studio & Gallery should endeavor to remember that often ‘less is more’.
