Carving

Stone Carving

Stone carvings were mainly used to decorate temple and palaces and the carvers had much more leeway their use of subject matter than the artists and illustrators. There is little difference between the iconography decorating temples and that of private buildings. Gateways represent the dividing line between the inner and outer world sand as such is the recipients of some of the most fantastic carvings. As well as, portraying deities and demons, the carvers included many scenes from public life and there are many temple surfaces enriched with the antics of the Dutch Colonists, including scenes of bicycles, drunken parties, car breakdowns and even aero planes. Bali's modern-day centre of stone carving is the village of Batubulan situated halfway between the towns of Denpasar and Ubud, Gianyar. Although you can see excellent examples of Balinese stone carving all over the island, the temples in the North tend to be much more creative (with the exception of Pura Puseh in Batubulan). If you plan to tour northern Bali, it is worth taking the time to visit Pura Meduwe Karang in Kubutambahan, Pura Dalem in Jagaraja and Pura Beji near Singaraja. See Bali Road Map (centerfold) for locations. In order to see the work of Balis most famous stone-carver and accomplished artist, I Gusti Nyoman Lempad, visit Pura Sagen Agung in Ubud.


Wood Carving

Wood carving, like stone carving, has traditionally featured largely in temple and pa ace architecture with little free standing 'sculpture' work produced commercially. Immaculately carved demons and mythical beings decorate pillars, door panels, linters and window shutters with the aim of protecting t buildings from evil intruders. Scenes of legendary figures placed within floral décor set a more pleasant and educational tone.

When producing tools and objects for everyday use, sculptors had a much freer hand in choosing subject matter. With the arrival of European influences, wood carving started to develop along more innovative and commercial lines. Although there have been noteworthy carvers, for example; I Nyoman Cokot, Ida Bagus Nyana and Ketut Nongos, artistic integrity has suffered as a result of the commercial boom in the tourist industry. These days' whole villages specialize in producing certain styles of work. The village of Mas, near Ubud, is probably the best known for its carvings of female figures, Buddha's, characters from Hindu epics and the traditional Topeng and Wayang Wong masks.