“It appears every Balinese native, from cradle to grave is creative, "rhymed Noel Coward in his irreverent 1932 ditty Charlie Chaplin, now cemented between Western notions of Bali as a community of artists.
Indonesian art critics, however, decry that Bali is trapped in fossilized rigid traditions. There is no significant development in Balinese art. But wait. What are we talking about? What is art, anyway? Let me illustrate by sharing stories behind two of the most-seen works of art from Bali. Children growing up in Bali before the 190s, have encountered stories such as the final battle of the war in Gatotkaca Kuru Setra, ancient epic Mahabharata through puppet shadow shows. Before the introduction of television shows to puppet shadows were cinemas in Bali, Java and beyond. Shadow-puppet masters wove imagination of the people, mixing embedded moral codes in ancient epic comic relief with episodes where the characters of the epic discuss life from day to day town, gossip, and above all, disseminate information to the public.
visitors arriving at Ngurah Rai Airport in Bali are offered a scene of this story at first traffic en route to the Ngurah Rai Bypass. The sculpture represents Gatotkaca discovering his chest defiantly, standing on the horses pulling the chariot of Karna. Horses, chariots and warriors are larger than life, all displaying the frenetic vitality and movement.
This modern concrete sculpture by I Wayan Winten of tected, Peliatan, Ubud, is a crucial point in the war between the two branches of Bharata clan. After ignoring the provocation after provocation of their cousins Korawa ogre-like, five brothers virtuous Pandawa declare war reluctantly. During the battle, the warrior Karna, to serve the Korawa duty, wanted to settle a personal account against Arjuna, the third brother Pandawa who was captain of their army. Karna had an invincible weapon he received as a boon to Surya, the sun god. The Pandawa knew that if he had the opportunity to use against Arjuna Arjuna's death would break their spirit for battle.
During the era of the New Order of Suharto, wayang puppet shadow masters were "encouraged" to focus on telling the last chapter of Mahabharata. After the war was over, when the king was right, and people lived in harmony, all content and prosperous. It was through cultural tools that Soeharto maintained its iron grip on Indonesia from 1965 to 1998. However, Bali has always had a poetic license following the directives of Jakarta, and was with an interpretive leap that this statue was commissioned in 1994.
Although the story is an incredible story of filial obedience (Gatotkaca obeyed the request of his father Bima), officially this sculpture is a tribute to the sacrifices that we did for his nation, or "king and country" if you like. Balinese philosophy, parents, teachers, government and God are all respected as Catur Guru or four teachers. Ostensibly, they know better, and we must respect and obey.
A sculpture by the same artist in the place known as "Dewa Ruci roundabout", commissioned in 1996, represents Bima slaying a sea serpent. This story is not from the Indian Mahabharata, but from an old Javanese text that spans it. It tells the odyssey of Bima in search of the elixir of life, at the request of his teacher Drona.
On a superficial reading, the story exemplifies the virtue of obedience of a good student to his teacher. Bima is powerful, honest naive warrior with strong determination. It can not be bought. It holds firmly to its values.
The wicked Drona is actually trying to find ways to kill Bima. favorite students of Drona, the Korawa, want to go to war with the Pandawa brothers, but they fear the mighty warrior Bima. Before they openly show their animosity against the Pandawa, they ask Drona to find ways to eliminate Bima equation. Drona Bima said that to attain perfection and liberation, he must obtain the elixir of life.
misguided Drona Bima to mountain tops, deep in the forests and caves, and finally, at the bottom of the South Seas. In the tradition of quests, Bima faces many powerful monsters at each location where it is headed. Bima power prevails. Not only does it defeat the monsters, also beating Bima breaks the curses reveal them as divine beings again, make allies of them.
At the bottom of the South Seas, Bima defeats a powerful dragon. It is this stage which is shown in sculpture. Entering the field of Dewa Ruci, however, Bima is rendered powerless and redemptions. He readily accepts his fate, his impending end, knowing he has done his best. Dewa Ruci appears and speaks to the warrior, giving him advice. "Do not set if you're not clear why you go. Do not participate in the food you have not yet tasted. Do not dress in familiar outfit when you do not know their meaning. You can learn from ask questions ... "
later Bima attained enlightenment by entering Dewa Ruci's ear. The details of the story are full of symbolism. Officially, this sculpture is still a monument to filial piety, duty and obedience.
The next time your eyes rest on these sculptures, as long as you are not driving of course, reflect on these stories. Perhaps you too will discover new meanings.
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