Bali has captured the world’s imagination from as far back as the late 16th century when Western mariners first dropped anchor off its shores. To put it succinctly, Bali has become one of the most famous islands in the world.
Those early seafarers were charmed and mystified by what they encountered, and even today many tourists still leave the storied isle feeling that they have discovered their own personal paradise. We who live here know well the island’s stunning beauty and its unique spiritual aura.
In August 2003, a talented and energetic team of international and local photographers descended on Bali to capture the heart, mind and soul of this small but significant Indonesian island through their camera lenses. They ultimately created Bali: Paradise Rediscovered, a slow-motion snapshot, if you will, taken over the course of a week and a half, a mélange of images that froze Bali in a pictorial time capsule.
In a publishing tradition that harks back to the “Day in the Life” series of photographic portraits of countries popular in the 1990s, the work captures the real-life moments of an island going about its everyday affairs – both ordinary and profound, routine and extraordinary.
The team consisted of 17 local and 15 international photographers from ten countries around the world. Each photographer has achieved excellence in their careers, their individual work shown in numerous galleries, exhibitions, print collections, as well as internationally distributed art books and magazines.
The team was given a simple brief: show the world a Bali that it thought never existed, a Bali that is there and well loved, a Bali that is obvious yet often unseen, unappreciated. In other words, they were given the task of capturing the pulse, the essence of the place.
Under the guidance of local and foreign Bali guides, they set about shooting a series of arresting and sensitive portraits of Balinese at work, at play, at prayer, or simply going about their daily lives. We see gaggles of laughing schoolgirls, kick boxers, joggers, kecak and dancers, architects, beach boys and surfers, pigeon fanciers, laundrywomen, gamelan musicians, footballers.
The settings range from bathing places, rice terraces, volcanoes, underwater coral gardens, crowded markets, foodstalls, traffic-clogged streets, cremation grounds. A special section keeps alive the fine art of black and white photography.
Eight accomplished writers also weighed in – Bruce Carpentar, Diana Darling, Made Wijaya, Lawrence Blair among them – to pen a concise and evocative text that presents a fresh post-bomb visual interpretation of the island at a time when Bali was going through a serious period of introspection, rebirth and rediscovery – hence the book’s title.
The logistics of the project were formidable, requiring a support and backup staff of 75 people. Travel itineraries and accommodations had to be arranged beforehand for the ten days of shooting, assignments given out, locations coordinated, drivers, assistants and a video crew dispatched, writers and editors made ready.
An estimated 62,000 images were taken of which over 300 are featured in the book. In a postscript in the backmatter, the publisher relates some of the dramas that played out during the course of the project.
The handsome table-top quarto format volume was produced by Charles Orchard, edited by Ubud-based anthropologist Lawrence Blair (noted for his Ring of Fire documentary film series), art-directed by Leonard Lueras who has produced over 30 books on the Asia-Pacific region.
The publisher’s intention, and that of the scores of dedicated people who put effort into the project, was no less than to create a picture book that would remind people of the beauty and uniqueness of Bali and encourage the return of visitors. In this, they succeeded admirably.
Bali: Paradise Rediscovered, edited by Lawrence Blair, Charles Orchard 200 (info@ibaldesigns.com), ISBN 979-97964-3-1, 240 pages.
Available for Rp450,000 at Periplus Bookshops in the Bali Galleria and in the Matahari in Kuta, Warung Made in Seminyak, Ngurah Rai Airport (both the international and domestic terminals), Keris Gallery in Nusa Dua and in Gramedia Bookstores.
For comments and suggestions, please write : pakbill2003@yahoo.com
Copyright@2004 PakBill
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