In order to approach the spiritual in art, one employs reality as little as possible.
-- Piet Mondrian, Sketchbook II, 1914 --
The two most important themes in the series of paintings produced by the Balinese painter Made Supena are fences and cliffs. Usually classified as an abstract artist by a world hungry to assign people and things to neat categories, Supena has not a problem with the label but clarifies his attitude with a sardonic smile and the revealing comment, “Abstraction is a point of departure not a destination.” An examination of his roots and the process that brought this beautiful series of paintings into existence is most informative.
Fences or pagar as symbols that are in Supena’s mind irrevocably intertwined with trust and belief. They also refer to an important Balinese religious ceremony, Pagarwesi, an important day for honoring the ancestors with offerings and festivities that can be literally translated as “iron fence”. This rather surprising name is a call to the Balinese to fortify themselves against malevolent forces and reminds them of the struggle between the forces of dharma and adharma often simplistically translated as evil and good. For the Balinese who traditionally live behind thick walls, there is a certain security evoked by fences. In spite of these spiritual, intellectual, emotional, overtones and the abstract category, Made’s initial inspiration is pleasingly simple. While sketching in the vicinity of one of Bali’s most sacred temples Jati Luwih, located on the slopes of the Batu Karu volcano, he was transfixed by the rhythm created by the trunks of a row of trees, which resembled a fence.
It can be argued that since his work was derived from nature that it is not pure abstract art as defined by such purists as Piet Mondrian. It is, however, deeply spiritual. Those simple lines on paper were brought back to the studio and reworked into a series of compositions than transposed onto canvasses. The application of paint and selection of color is far more spontaneous. In Supena’s own words the finished painting results from a series of unpredictable experiments. As with Balinese religion and culture there is an inherent and at first glance often seemingly contradictory dualism. Supena’s art is about visually capturing the suspense existing between these polarities. On the physical level he plays with form, color, composition and texture. He purposely utilizes both sides of the brain, the conscious and subconscious, the rational and emotional, the natural and supernatural known in Balias sekala niskala to achieve his end. His chief aim is to embody his canvasses with vibrant energy known in Balinese as kesaktian even those his sense of humility would prevent him from ever using that word..
Abstract art in Bali is a new concept. Along with Nyoman Erawan and Made Budiana, two other outstanding Balinese abstract artists with whom he closely identifies, Supena is conscious that he would have a far easier time if he would surrender to current commercial trends and depict more accessible, figurative subjects such as Balinese dancers. Trained in traditional carving in his homevillageofSingapadu, and once an adherent of the style of painting originated by Gusti Nyoman Lempad in the 1930s, Supena is more than capable of establishing a reputation for himself in any genre or style. Several other young Balinese abstract painters in the last years made a sudden switch to a figurative style under pressure from the art market. Supena, however, remains steadfast. He does not rule out the possibility that he might once again wish to explore figurative subjects but if he does it will be on his terms.
Perhaps the most extraordinary aspect of these stunning paintings is that for the viewer of any nation or culture they transcend all borders. The sensual rhythms, rich colors and textures draw us into a dream world. As when staring at clouds with squinted eyes we can see numerous real images rise from our imagination and gradually dissipate back into the surface. When asked if he has been influenced by Balinese art and culture, Supena is unequivocal – “of course”, he responds. Balinese spiritual and material culture runs deep in the artist and his art. Supena even denies the non-existence of the abstract in traditional art. “What of the lingam?” he reminds us, “Is it not the stylized representation of the phallus of the almighty god Shiwa?” All Balinese artists and their art is ultimately rooted in their tradition, these new forms are, paraphrasing the title of a 1934 article written by the scholar W. F. Stutterheim in 1934 about the development of Balinese of early Balinese modern art are, “New Branches on an Ancient Trunk”.
