Balinese Painting and Technology: Western Artists

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Balinese Painting and Technology: Western Artists

As was clearly demonstrated between 1930 and 60, Western points of view and artistic training dramatacally changed the style and content of painting in Bali. Clicking on any small image will display a higher resolution version of the painting.

Walter Spies1895-1942

Calonarand

Walter Spies 1895-1942
oil on canvas
c. 1930
ARMA collection

Russian-born Walter Spies was trained in art in Dresden Germany and arrived in Bali in the late 1920's he was the point of introduction to a host of foriegn visitors. Settling in Ubud, Spies, with his compatriot Rudolf Bonnet, founded the Pita Maha Artists Cooperative, the organization which is credited with organizing and invigorating Balinese art through the start of World War II. He died in captivity in 1942.

Rudolf Bonnet1895-1978

Two Girls, Nyoman and Ketut
Rudolf Bonnet
Crayon on paper
1976
Neka Museum Collection

Dutch Artist Rudolf Bonnet was a co-founder of the Pita Mah Artists Cooperative. Where Spie's work has more mystical content, Bonnet focused on everyday scenes of Balinese life. His influence on the painting of local artists was significant, reflected in the new topics and more careful attention to human form that developed during the thirties..

Willem Hofker1902-1981

Goesti Made Toessi
Willem Gerard Hofker 1902-1981
Pencil on paper
1943

ARMA collection

Born in Amsterdam, Hofker studied and painted in Europe until 1938 when he traveled to Bali and lived until 1944. Hofker's subjects were Balinese people, oftentimes clothed in ceremonial outfits..

Arie Smit1915-


Village Scene Arie Smit Oil on Canvas 1990 Sumertha Gallery	Banyan Tree Arie Smit Oil on Canvas 1990 Neka Museum Collection

Arie Smit is a Dutch-born painter who arrived in Bali in 1956. Opening his studio to local children, Smit is credited with bring modern material to Balinese painters, inspiring an entire genre, the Young Artists.

Han Snel1915-


Three Girls Han Snel Oil on Canvas 1967 Sumertha Gallery	Women carrying Offerings Han Snel Oil on Canvas 1976 Neka Musuem Collection

Arriving in Ubud in 1949, Snel's work focused on portraits and everyday scenes depicting Balinese women. Married to a Balinese woman and deeply involved in Balinese society, his work over the last 50 years has become more stylized, moving from figurative to completely abstract work since 1993.

Antonio Maria Blanco1926-


Dancer Antonio Maria Blanco Watercolor on paper Mr and Mrs. Jusuf Wanadi collection

Manilla-born spanish artist Blanco arrived in Ubud in 1939, and still paints daily in his Ubud house and studio, surrounded by his wife, children and grandchildren. His work is characterized by expressive nudes inspired by Balinese ceremonies..

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