Survival and Change: Three generations of Balinese painters

by Hill, Christopher (2006), 110pp., ISBN 1 74076 123 5.
AUD$40.91 (Including GST: AUD$45) (softcover)

Survival and Change explores the work of three generations of Balinese painters in the context of the extraordinary political and social changes that have occurred in the region during the 20th century.

From the stylised religious paintings of Tjokorde Oka Gambir, an aristocrat from the village of Peliatan who painted under colonial rule, to Dewa Putu Mokoh's unique visions of daily life painted in the era of mass tourism, this book details how art has changed while demonstrating how individual creativity has survived.

Survival and Change not only focuses on the artists and their work, but also consumers and their expectations. It examines changing Western attitudes to non-Western art, and looks at how demand for an imposed view of Bali has influenced practiced and pressured artists. Detailed analyses of particular paintings provide insight into the beliefs and techniques that inform Balinese art practice, and demonstrate the richness and diversity of these dedicated artists.