Archive for February, 2010

There is actually no word for ‘artist’ in the Balinese language and painters consider themselves rather as artisans. In Bali, more than everywhere else, there is a clear difference between what is called sacred paintings (which are only created for a religious purpose) and  ‘fine art’ ( which is most of the time commercial art, without a negative connotation).

Traditionally, the subjects of sacred paintings are drawn from ancient Hindu epics which are ‘Javanese-Balinese adaptations’ of the classical Indian literature (Mahabharata, Ramayana) but also in legends, folktales, mythology. Depictions as we know it from classic western paintings such as landscapes, village scenes, real persons etc were not part of Balinese paintings from the beginning.

Accordingly, the content of the epics was drawn from the lontars (holy manuscripts made from the lontar leaves) and the painting in itself was created based on very strict rules regarding composition and depiction: certain postures, attributes, shapes, colours represent a certain demon or God and hence make them immediately recognizable. This style is usually defined as the traditional Wayang style (or Kamasan style).

Such paintings were not only following a set of rules during their creation but also in relation with their sacral meaning: offerings would be made and the painting, once finished, was consecrated with a ceremony. The paintings were however never worshipped, only the deities which are depicted in them.

Traditional paintings until the beginning of the 20th Century were only produced upon commission, may it be to adorn a village temple, the rear inside wall of a palinggih in a family temple or a ceremonial bale in the compound. The paintings could also be made on cotton cloth, on glass (reversed technique) or on paper. Rajas also used to commission sacred paintings for their traditional pavilions (for the headboards called ‘parba’ for instance).

The paintings were never considered work of arts which need to be preserved because they served a sacred purpose and being exposed to the elements, it was normal that they would alter over time.

Such pieces of art might be difficult to interpret and be appreciated by a western trained eye because the composition is very different from what we are familiar with. It also requires a certain understanding of the ancient epics from which they are drawn.

Balinese were used to pass down their ancestral knowledge orally or through their own experience as artisans so that paintings actually only evolve in very subtle ways over the course of time. More dramatic changes started to become apparent when, at the beginning of the 20th century, Bali began to attract visitors from abroad.

The artists Water Spies and Rudolf Bonnet are often associated with the very significant development which took place in the Balinese painting style of Ubud: they introduced to local painters new concepts such as correct anatomy, realistic perspective, how to play with light and shadow… Such concepts were absolutely foreign to the Balinese for the depiction of deities and demons were not related to ‘humans of flesh and bones’. Spies and Bonnet also brought in Western painting materials which differed from the traditional pigments which, for instance, were used to create colours. The most tangible input which they shared was to be most revolutionary: they encouraged young painters to exploit their own creativity and hence render their own individual interpretation of what they would see around them. This was the first step to depart from the very conventional rules set by the sacred paintings heritage and the ‘communal approach’ in their creation. There are nowadays still mixed feelings about the long-term impacts the introduction of such new concepts brought to the Balinese art.

In any case many young painters seized this opportunity and started a journey of discovery, defining their own style, which evolved and became more refined with time. New pieces were now depicting more secular subjects such as village scenes, barong drama, ceremonies, dancers… Anak Agung Gede Sobrat is a perfect example of such artist.

In the mid 30′s, Spies, Bonnet and the local artist I Nyoman Lempad created an artist guild called ‘Pita Maha’ under the patronage of the Raja of Ubud. Their aim was to ensure that although tourism meant a growing demand for Balinese paintings, quality, excellence and ‘profoundness’ should always remain the foundation for Balinese art. Through the association, they encouraged  painters to focus on creating really good quality pieces which they would select, display in selected galleries (such as the one of the Neuhaus brothers in Sanur) or facilitate to be sold abroad.

Later on, at the end of the 50s, another artist from the Netherlands, Arie Smit also became the key for a further evolution in the painting style around Ubud. He did not introduce concepts, dictate themes nor used any assertive approach but encouraged teenagers to play with colours and to fully spontaneously express their imagination. The paintings became very vivid in colours in an unconventional and rather imaginative way, creating a sense of livelihood and naïve painting. The group he supported in the village of Penestanan was to become famous as the ‘Young Artists’.

The painting subjects and styles have continued to evolve over the last decades and the most popular subjects currently tend to be bucolic village scenes, landscapes, ceremonies, dancers , tropical fauna but more modern, abstract pieces are also to be found.

Certain painters exhibit their own paintings in small galleries attached to their compounds or have gathered into communities such as the ‘Pengosekan community of artists’ under the lead of the fascinating Dewa Nyoman Batuan.

Through the area of internet, the globalisation and tourists coming from all over the globe, the younger generation of painters is absorbing a constant new flow of impressions and inspiration. Nowadays, certain artists still continue to live the sacredness of their art but the question which can be posed is whether the traditional sacred paintings and their sacral purpose can be pertained when the old masters still alive will depart.

Ubud has become since the Pita Maha association in the late 1930s one of the strongest cultural centre of Bali and offers the discerned travellers magnificent museums where the different painting styles can be discovered.

The Purist Villas are located in the small village of Kutuh Kaja, just off Ubud and are the perfect place to stay if you wish to discover Ubud and its incredible array of culture and arts. The villas are located in a lush set of gardens and have all been designed to display the most interesting artefacts from all over the archipelago: art, refined taste and a sensible approach to local style are definitely the credo of this elegant, peaceful hideaway just a few minutes from Ubud centre.

The Purist Villas warmly recommend you to visit:

The Neka Museum
The Puri Lukisan Museum
The ARMA Museum
The Rudana Museum
The Pengosekan Community of Artists
Tanah Toh Gallery

If you are interested in the Balinese Art of Painting, here are some books which we highly suggest you to read:

ð  Perceptions of Paradise-Images of Bali in the Arts (Yayasan Dharma Seni Museum Neka)

ð  The Folk Art of Bali- The narrative Tradition (Fischer & Cooper)

ð  Artists on Bali ( Ruud Spruit)

ð  Sacred Painting in Bali- Tradition in transition (Thomas L. Cooper)

ð  The Art and Culture of Bali (Urs Ramseyer)

Mireille Lefevre
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In order to give a resolution to this dilemma that has not given a specific and sole priority in the past, Vail Dr. or Vail Summit Orthopaedics was established to further address the needs of the patients. Having been in the industry for more than 25 years, Vail Doctors continue to be dedicated in providing the necessary treatments for this particular case of injury. What’s unique about this group of medical practitioners is that they do this using a different approach. They are more concerned about teaching the patients and having them understand what really transpired and how they will be able to cope with it in the easiest manner possible. Vail Dr. is well aware that each case is distinct from the other thus; exclusive treatments must be executed to cure each injury.

Although Vail Dr. is greatly focused on educating and providing patients with essential information relative to their cases – physical health recovery and medication – they are also full of competent doctors to carry out operative treatments when needed. As experts in sports medicine, Vail Doctors are able to treat patients with spine damages. This is why they have established a spine services group of well trained and experienced doctors who carries out replacements of the spine for patients who require this to be fully recovered. Expect some of the country’s best of the bests doctors, as this organization only includes doctors with excellent academic and employment history. They are all gracious and well mannered, making the patients feel like they really care. The latest and proven advancements in the field of medicine are being utilized for each patient’s rapid recovery.

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Precisely what could globe travel look like several years from now? How about 10 years from today? The area is evolving practically quicker than we can tell of it, however this informative article tries to catch at the least a snapshot involving just what many of us observe unfolding before our sight. It’s appealing as well as invigorating, and I imagine only splashes the surface of what could truly happen.

1.First of all, I want to set your mind to rest. The holiday marketplace isn’t faltering nor is it ripe for a economic downturn. In reality, John Pittman of ASTA thinks this year will probably be a year of recovery with a lot of travel agencies expecting to rebound beautifully. Dr. Rach of the NYU Tisch Facility expresses that “the global interest in travel as well as tourism supplies unprecedented opportunities in the years ahead.” Travel and leisure is a $7 trillion business and, within the next 10 years, quite a few foresee that sum to maybe double as baby boomers blast off and travelers everywhere multiply greatly.

2.United states travel is likely to continue widening and Europe is definitely likely to be providing 730 million tourists by 2020. Nevertheless, tourism will certainly no longer be dominated by Westerners. Travel is beginning to boom in China, India, as well as the Gulf States, and hundreds of millions more people from these regions will certainly embark on spanning the globe.

3.The online market place is actively playing a vital function in over 80% of travel-related research and bookings as more and more choose the convenience of performing such on the net. Forty-three per cent of all e-commerce purchasing is pertaining to travel, rendering it the number one grouping for e-commerce, and it’s building continuously. Also, significantly more consumers are traveling based upon consumer-led, peer-to-peer feedback and recommendation. To paraphrase, consumers are depending a lot more on fellow-travelers to search out a diversity of creative and appealing attractions and activities. Many call it the democratization or the full personalization of travel.

4.Added families prefer to authentically experience new locales, out of the ordinary adventures—that is, get acquainted with the local people, the idiosyncracies connected with a spot, the subculture and grittiness involving actual life. This also implies that quite a few will not only fly but will make trips by train, cruiser, bus, or even bike/motorbike. They will enjoy the full experience in lieu of anxiously hurrying to a spot, then rushing back home. A lot will be satisfied to investigate the nooks and crannies involving their very own country, while others will desire a more international or “foreign” experience.

5.Many areas not identified for being exceptional attractions may select casinos or gambling to obtain additional tourism. However, some other international locations will probably draw in travelers due to the allure, novelty, prices, or immensity connected with what they have to supply you with. Inside of Two decades, China is forecasted to be the number one tourist vacation destination. Some others surprisingly expected to attract great numbers are Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Qatar, Slovenia, Slovakia, together with, not surprisingly, Brazil.

6.More detailed features will maximize for travelers. Persons are already in a position to rapidly track down individual inns that cater to specific vagaries, to buy tickets to conceivably a leisure facility or perhaps a sporting event across the globe prior to even departing on the road, to discover the closest fitness center or health spa to wherever they will be staying in India or Japan. They can check the actual menu of an obscure but enchanting eaterie on the other side of the world. Thus, organizing a trip or business trip is taking on new meaning as the uniqueness of options becomes more and more detailed.

7.Twelve million new users register on the net every day—and, believe it or not, a great number are living outside the U.S. As the earth’s human population nears seven billion, about 23%-25% are in cyberspace and only 5% of these users are in the U.S. At no more than 15%-16% web saturation, Asia is positiioned to register hundreds of millions more members in the next few decades. Plenty of these will be researching and arranging travel and leisure online.

The Travel Express is just pulling out of your station. Undoubtedly you don’t want to get left out. Begin gearing up for your own odyssey across the globe. Travel is entertaining, progressively more low-cost, and you do understand you have not seen nearly enough of this universe yet.

Debra Fortosis is a professional travel agent. You can book travel on her user friendly website. She can even help you easily launch your own turnkey e-travel business. Book Travel: http://www.mndgetaways.com Contact Debra: mndgetaways@comcast.net Debra also caters to baby boomer travel: http://www.babyboomertravelwhiz.com
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Picking everything up and going on vacation can present some challenges, especially if the vacation is going to be more than just a couple of days. There are some things to consider such as forwarding mail or having accommodations for your pets. But besides having to take care of other things, you still need to plan the actual vacation and not spend your entire trip worrying about what it going on back home.

So once all of your affairs are in order, you can enjoy your vacation and concentrate on having fun. So what do you need to bring on vacation? That would obviously depend on where you are going, but there are some constants and some things that you should take along no matter where you go; a toothbrush being one; but some things are vacation specific. You don’t need to take along a bathing suit if you are going on ski trip, although you might want to so that you can take a nice soak in the hot tub after a long day on the slopes.

It’s important to take along things that make you more comfortable. Being away from home, especially if you are not on vacation, but maybe a business trip, can be difficult. Taking along something from home can make the experience more comfortable and easy. If you are going to be away for an extended amount of time, a small photo album is a good thing to take, that way you can along something familiar and important.

Although these days you don’t need to take an actual photo album, you just have to flip through the digital photos on your cell phone. There are some other things that you can take on a trip to make it more comfortable. Taking along your favorite bathroom supplies, soap and shampoo and the like is a good way to make it feel more like home. Another great way to make a hotel room feel more like home is to take along your pillow.

Unless you are staying in a five star luxury hotel, most hotel pillows leave something to be desired. Plus a lot of people have laid their heads on them. I prefer my own pillow to any hotel pillow any day. Not only is it more comfortable, it smells like home and I am used to it. If the pillow is familiar, then it doesn’t take as much time to get used to the bed.

Cheap airfares are important right now because money is tight and people are traveling for the season. Getting a cheap flight through Expedia is easy.
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Are you planning to escape the busy and hectic schedule and enjoy an amazing vacation with your spouse, peers, colleagues or your family? Are you still confused about the perfect location which will rejuvenate your senses and refresh your soul? The answer to all your confusions is Dubrovnik. Located on the coast at the Southern most tip of Croatia, this walled city is a must-see location with its renaissance architecture and lemon scented arcades and will instantly take your breathe away from the very moment you land in the majestic place. Very rightly called the “Pearl of the Adriatic” by the poet, Lord Byron, Dubrovnik really is a site to behold. Once you land in this heavenly place, you will discover plethora of divine and breathe taking locations to delight in and will create surreal moments which you will remember for your lifetime.

Contrary to the popular belief, Dubrovnik can be visited throughout the year as the place offers something for everyone. Just walking along the Old Town you can find numerous shops, galleries, museums and cozy cafes which are hidden among its many streets. When you think of vacation, what instantly comes to your mind is comfort and luxury. With extravagant and exclusive Dubrovnik accommodation, there is no need to worry about comfort and you can enjoy a grand and fun stay. The different assortments of apartments will add to your luxury and you can peacefully and quietly relish the holiday with your family or spouse. What more, these accommodations are well suited for all pockets. Whatever your budget, you can easily find your ideal accommodation according to your desires, preferences and taste. Whether you are looking for a luxurious apartment, a studio apartment or a cheap apartment the accommodations of Dubrovnik Croatia will provide you all. These apartments are scattered all over Dubrovnik, so you can conveniently pick an apartments according to the location you prefer.

If you are shopping lover, you can choose an apartment near the famous shopping centers, art enthusiasts can select apartments in the vicinity of the museums and art galleries or sports adventurers can have an accommodation where it will be convenient for them to enjoy the bountiful selection of activities such as coasteering, hiking, snorkelling in the crystal clear waters or seek thrill from the water sports such as sailing and sea kayaking.

These exquisite apartments provide the ideal opportunity to unwind and make the most out of your holiday. The serene and tranquil ambience will just regenerate new energy in you to take on your life with new vigor and strength!

For more information about dubrovnik summer accommodation,please visit: http://www.adriatic-home.com/en/Croatia/Holiday-Rentals/Dubrovnik .
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