Cultural Inheritance's Influence to Indonesia's Abstract Woodcarvings

Indonesia is one of the countries in this world blessed with a diverse culture. This culture has been passed down and preserved from generation to generation. Embedded as well into their culture are their religious duties and aspirations. These two aspects are what serve as guides for their artists in molding their art traditions. Each craft is like a form of scientific study, each requiring a systematic method for a successful output. One of their flourishing art traditions is their woodcarvings. Each piece is carefully carved and transposed into intricate designs that aim to depict more than what each piece physically portrays.

The Wooden Canvas

The Indonesian culture, although influenced by numerous other cultures, is dominantly close in relation to nature and most especially religion. The fact that they use wood as their carving canvas brings us closer to understanding their love and high respect for nature. Wood of different types, from soft to hard, dark to white, are used in all types of wood carvings. Designs such as flowers, plants, trees, animals, and dragons are usual when dealing with Indonesian wood-carved art works. Each work of art is unique therefore is very much cherished by the Indonesian culture and is popular to woodcarving collectors all over the world.

The Common Themes

Indonesian wood carvings are typically made in the likeness of human beings. With a few varnishing and colorful touches, the finished crafts are always life-like in nature and expressive at first glance. Human beings are portrayed in different eccentric positions that it even gives off the feeling of adoration for the nature surrounding it. In addition to human beings, Indonesian wood carvings take up the shape of common domestic animals as well. As part of their nature-inclined culture, they carve animal design that would not only represent human feelings at its best but the Indonesian history, incorporated in every detail.

Whatever the theme, whatever the design or concept and whatever the material used, each piece of carefully carved wood is evident of Indonesia's colorful, spontaneous and bright culture. You will notice as well that each detail incorporated in their woodcarvings is aimed to express the raw human traits that add lifelike touch to the woodcarving piece itself. By logging into the Internet, you will soon discover that Indonesian wood carvings definitely portray the Indonesian art, religious beliefs and culture at its best.

Bali Culture

Bali is an Indonesian island that is rich in indigenous culture. A lot pf people say that Bali culture is unique and that the people of Bali have always been contented with the "now." If you ask a Balinese person what heaven is like, the probable answer will be "just like Bali". This only goes to show that most Balinese people are happy to be where they are and never worry.

One factor that contributes to this laidback lifestyle is the culture of close family ties in Bali. In the Balinese culture, support is always available. Balinese extended families are so tightly knit that all members usually reside in the same complex.

Hinduism is one of the main religions in Bali. The Bali culture is based on a form of this religion, which is called "Hindu Darma". This religion reached the island during the eleventh century. Most of the family customs and traditions as well as community lifestyles of the Balinese people are influenced by this. The religious influence even expands widely into the arts, which makes Bali distinct from the rest of Indonesia.

In spite of the influx of tourists to the island, Balinese people have managed to preserve their culture. Almost every native of Bali is an artist in some form or another. Parents and villagers have passed on their skills to their children, who all seem to have inclinations either to music, dance, painting, and decor.

Another remarkable mark of the Bali culture is the series of ceremonies and rituals known as the Manusa Yadnya. This marks the different stages of Balinese life. Cremation is very popular on this island - and unlike in the West, death is a joyous and colorful event for the Balinese.

Indeed, Bali has a rich culture, making it distinctive from the rest of the islands in Indonesia.

Privacy Policy for partsoftheindonesian-culture.blogspot.com/

Privacy Policy for partsoftheindonesian-culture.blogspot.com/

If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by email at serabe002@gmail.com.

At partsoftheindonesian-culture.blogspot.com/, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by partsoftheindonesian-culture.blogspot.com/ and how it is used.

Log Files
Like many other Web sites, partsoftheindonesian-culture.blogspot.com/ makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable.

Cookies and Web Beacons
partsoftheindonesian-culture.blogspot.com/ does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser.

DoubleClick DART Cookie
.:: Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on partsoftheindonesian-culture.blogspot.com/.
.:: Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to partsoftheindonesian-culture.blogspot.com/ and other sites on the Internet.
.:: Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html

Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include ....
Google Adsense


These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on partsoftheindonesian-culture.blogspot.com/ send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see.

partsoftheindonesian-culture.blogspot.com/ has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers.

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. partsoftheindonesian-culture.blogspot.com/'s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites.

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.

Shakespeare in the Shadows

Puppets from "Macbeth in the Shadows"
Originally uploaded by seni-seni.

An intriguing new production is breathing life into wayang kulit in Malaysia, where the art form is slowly vanishing. Macbeth in the Shadows adapts the action of Shakespeare's classic play into shadow puppetry, with the dialogue performed in Bahasa Malaysia.

From Malaysia's Sun newspaper:

Slowly but surely, if no one does anything about it, traditional folk art such as wayang kulit (shadow puppetry) will disappear from our shores. Right now, there are only a handful of its exponents still keeping this culture alive.

Among them is Dollah Baju Merah (Dalang Abdullah Ibrahim), one of the last leading Tok Dalangs (shadow puppeteer) in the country.

Pusaka (Centre for the Study and Documentation of Traditional Performance in Malaysia), in association with the British Council, will be bringing Malaysians a taste of Shakespeare performed wayang kulit-style.

Macbeth in the Shadows combines the efforts of Dollah, British novelist-playwright-illustrator Edward Carey, and local poet-writer-translator Eddin Khoo.

The performance involves the design and creation of new puppets by Dollah and Carey, based on the characters in Macbeth. Khoo will adapt and interpret the original play to suit the requirements of wayang kulit.

Macbeth in the Shadows is scheduled to be staged at the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPac) in September.

Read more about on this production on the Malaysian blog, Bibliobibuli.

British Gamelan Trail

Yesterday I examined a SOAS PhD thesis on Balinese gamelan theory by Kate Wakeling - who plays with the London gamelan Lila Cita, and has also studied Balinese dance for a number of years. A really well written piece of work, with much of substance, particularly in relation to new compositions and their theorization.

Kate's supervisor is Mark Hobart, a SOAS professor of media studies and a close colleague of mine. After the examination, I sat in on a meeting Mark held with my co-examiner Neil Sorrell, arts producer Hi Ching and Balinese dancer Ni Made Pujawati (Mark's wife). Hi Ching, Ni Made and Aris Daryono (a Javanese musician who plays with the Southbank Gamelan Players) are developing a project for heritage funding called the British Gamelan Trail. If the bid is successful, this will take Aris and Puja around the country (with a particular focus on the London area) talking to people about how gamelan has been embedded in communities. The idea is to develop a general history of gamelan in Britain, with a focus on 6 groups in particular. Documentation will be included in an exhbit on Balinese dance and storytelling planned for the Horniman Museum in 2011-2012.

At this meeting, Neil offered a synoptic overview of gamelan. Neil's own studies go back to 1971 - when he attended one of Bob Brown's summer sessions in Bali. He believes the first gamelan ensemble in residence was at Dartington in 1974- a set of instruments borrowed from Europe. The Durham Oriental Music Festival sparked the interest of the Indonesian embassy to purchase a set of instruments, which was played by the group to become known as the English Gamelan Orchestra (which later morphed into the Southbank Gamelan Plyaers). Neil was able to use the EGO's existence to convince York to purchase a set of instruments for £6000 in 1980. This was the first set of instruments purchased by a university. The Cambridge University gamelan, a gift from an Indonesian cabinet minister who had a child studying at Cambridge, followed a year or two later.

We also spoke about other ensembles - Cragg Vale, the Bow Gamelan and the like - which will likely fall outside the remit of the British Gamelan Trail project.

The project is a clever and fascinating one - hope it gets funded...

Discovering Indonesian Art at the TIM Centre

Taman Ismail Marzuki Art Centre which is known as the TIM art centre was named after a prominent Jakarta-born composer who is well known for his efforts in promoting the arts in the country. Unlike many other art centers in Indonesia, the TIM centre has a unique approach to promoting art and culture among the locals as well as tourists. Instead of the usual dichotomy of traditional art versus modernism, this centre embraces both styles and showcases the best of both worlds. Traditional dance performances such as Wayang, dramas and Puppet Theater are among the regular features of the centre's program.

The Taman Ismail Marzuki Art Centre is particularly well known for presenting local Indonesian artists and other regional artists from countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam. Staying true to the vision of Ismail Marzuki, who was well known for composing patriotic songs during the early days of the Indonesian independence, the centre helps promote the indigenous music of the region.

Perhaps the most popular song composed by Marzuki was Rayuan Pulau Kelapa (Solace on a Coconut Island), which gained many accolades locally as well as internationally. His work was honored posthumously by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in 2004 with him being declared a national hero.

The TIM centre fills in a long-felt void in the cultural scene in Jakarta. Earlier, many local artists where hampered by the lack of a proper venue to perform. But with the establishment of the art centre they now have state-of-the-art facilities as well as a regular appreciative audience. The centre also has a planetarium that is a favorite among schoolchildren.

Wayang As One of the Indonesian Traditional Art

Wayang known since prehistoric times of about 1500 years before Christ. Indonesian society held belief [pagan] worship of ancestral spirits called or Dahyang Hyang, manifested in the form of [the statue] or image.

Wayang is the Indonesian traditional art developed primarily in Java and Bali. UNESCO has recognized puppet show on November 7, 2003, as a work of amazing cultural stories in narrative and beautiful heritage and valuable (Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity).

There are puppet versions played by people in costume, which is known as the puppet people, and there is also a collection of puppet plays puppet puppeteer. Puppet plays is such a mastermind puppet or puppet show. A story told in the wayang performance usually comes from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

Wayang show in every country has its own technique and style, thus puppet is made in Indonesia Indonesian people who have a genuine story, style and extraordinary puppeteer.

Sometimes repertoire Panji stories and stories Menak (Islamic stories) performed well.

Puppet, by the predecessors of this country really means very deep. Sunan Kali Jaga and Raden Patah was instrumental in developing the Puppet. The Guardian in the land of Java is arranged into three parts. First Wayang Kulit in East Java, the Wayang Wong or Wayang Orang in Central Java, and the three Wayang Golek in West Java. Very connected each one another. Ie "Where the contents (Wayang Wong) and Where the Skin (Wayang Kulit) should be sought (Wayang Golek)".

Types of wayang

Wayang Kulit (Leather Puppet)

Wayang Kayu (Wooden Puppet)

Wayang Beber

Wayang Orang

Wayang Suket

The types of wayang kulit by region or ethnic origin

There are also puppet who uses language like Local Melayu Betawi, Palembang and Banjar language:
1.Yogyakarta, Surakarta
2.Gagrag
3.Banyumasan
4.Bali
5.Banjar (South Kalimantan)
6.Palembang (South Sumatra)
7.Betawi (Jakarta)
8.Cirebon (West Java)
9.Madura (now extinct)