Art is filled with love; perhaps it is because through art, love can be expressed without any barriers, becoming a representation of pure feeling and emotion. The Russian-French artist, Marc Chagall, was once quoted saying that “Art must be an expression of love, or it is nothing”.
Love is ever present in Bali, and in many forms. There are those who find love in Bali, fall in love in Bali or indeed fall in love with Bali. Some may even experience all 3 pieces of this love-pie, if they are lucky enough. With Bali’s long history of art, the island is the perfect hub for love and art to come together.
Ever-famous Antonio Blanco for example, found his feet in Bali in 1952. Here, he found an inspiration in love. Antonio set his eyes on a Balinese girl, the daughter of the contractor of his home, Ni Made Rondji. She was young and beautiful; he grew more and more infatuated. Blanco managed to convince her to model for his works, and he painted with the emotion she brought out of him. Eventually, they fell in love; art brought them closer together. He continued to paint Rondji, showcasing on canvas his romantic-expressive style, only exacerbated by the fact he was painting the woman that he loved.
This is no isolated incident however, as the Belgian painter Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur ‘suffered’ a similar fate. Despite only planning to visit Bali for 8 months, his love for one of his models, Ni Nyoman Pollock, kept him on the island where he eventually married her. He continued to paint her after they got married, insisting she should not have children so that she could keep her beautiful figure.
Of course, love in art is ever-present, but another love exists here. It is the love for art itself. Here, one can appreciate the rich history that art on the island has been through. We can witness Blanco’s and Le Mayeur’s expression of love, on canvas, with our own eyes, perhaps even capturing for a brief moment, the strength of their emotions as we treasure and admire their work.
Join Artpreciation’sArtDiscovery tours to expand your knowledge of art, and thus develop your own love for art, right here in Bali.
ArtDiscovery Program by ArtPreciation
KomplekPertokoanNakulaMegah 5 Unit J
JalanNakulaTimurKuta
Phone: 823 6733
Email: emelia@phoenix.co.id
