2010s
Since 3.000
years B.C. inhabitants of Harappa and Mohenjodaro, early civilization around
the Indus valley in
Tat Savitur varenyam. Let
us meditate on the splendor of God Savitar.
Bhargo devasya dhimahi, May
our minds be inspired,
Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat. By that
divine light.
God Shiva appears as Nataraja, not as Lord but as Lady of Dance. She eternally turns the
wheel of flames, the cycle of birth and rebith, forever destroying worn parts
of the universe to make space for creation. In this case the weary world is
patriarchy, caused by the privilege, selfish and competitive nature of most
man. The
Who is afraid
of Calon Arang’s daughter
The frightening
Rangda figure at top right of the
painting is Calon Arang, a lovely
woman who by unfortunate circumstances becomes a wicked widow. She obtains
powerful black magic power by worshipping the fierce or dark side of the
protective Mother Goddess, Durga (Kali, wife of Siwa, Buddhism: Palden Lhamo).
To attract
men's attention, she put her daughter Ratna
Manggali at the most attractive way on her lap. But despite the fact that
her daughter is the most beautiful woman of the entire 11th century Kahuripan kingdom, no men dare to marry
her due to fear for the mother’s overwhelming power.
Enraged by the
idea that without husband her beloved daughter may never be happy, she put a
spell to destroy the kingdom, causing devastation as shown at the background of
the painting.
Unlike the
birth of Venus, the water surface
during the birth of Goddess Prajnaparamita
is smooth and calm, except around Her birth. Her shell is kept in balance by
the two Hinduism mythical dragons Basuki
and Anantaboga. She is the embodiment
of the perfect wisdom (Prajna =
wisdom, Paramita = perfection). Her
perfect insight of the reality as emptiness or not-self (Buddhism: Shunyata, Hinduism: Anatman) is indispensable for the Bodhisattvas and makes that She rules over all contradictions such
as wealth, time, religion etc.
That is why Her
birth is welcomed by all sides. In the drawing, the contradiction of wealth is
symbolized by the boat refugees (middle left, disadvantaged) and the yacht
woman (middle right, advantaged). The contradiction of time by mythical birds Garuda (above right, past), submarine,
yacht (middle right, present) and spacemen (above left, future). The
contradictions of religion by the adherents of various religions. Her birth is
blessed by the Balinese Hinduism priest pedanda
Siwa (below left, ringing his genta)
and Balinese Buddhism priest pedanda Budha
(below right, holding his holly water bowl).
The visit of the
late grandmother II
Like The visit of the
late grandmother I, the image of my never-known late grandmother determines
this painting. She appears on the east-bridge of Tirtagangga when a peaceful situation is threatened, expressed
respectively by the sleeping child and by the vultures.
Her supernatural
appearance is enhanced by the moon scenery and by the dragon sculptures on both
sides of the stair, which came to life due to the approaching danger.
Turning the
wheel of life continuously in the centre of the drawing is a dancing act of Siwa, the Lord of Dance (Nataraja). As long as addicted to
illusion, mankind, in the drawing represented by women of different origins,
will always subject to this dance. Amused by the dance, the women do not
realize that the reason of their laugh is precisely the reason why it will end.
To symbolize
the submission of illusion, Siwa
stands upon its embodiment, the demon dwarf Apasmara
Purusha.
The painting
shows the unexpected encounter of an oriental and a western nymph. On the right
side is the Balinese expression of a nymph, Legong.
She stands in front of a female western angel, who is also supernatural,
heavenly and divine feminine. As they operate on the same spiritual level, most
likely they meet each other. Such an encounter would be accompanied by intense
curiosity on both sides for the strange appearance of the opposite. At the same
time, affection arises as they know they are creatures of the same order.
Meanwhile, as
usual on earth, most people swims aimless in all directions, unaware of the
encounter above them.
1990s
The drawing is
also a family portrait, from top left: my daughter Sita, my late wife Marike,
my self and my daughter Manik,
respectively at the age of 9, 47, 46 and 15.
The painting
shows astronauts during spacewalk taken by surprise when Garuda, a Hinduism-Buddhism legendary bird-like divinity,
approached them.
Agni is the
universal energy when it manifests as fire. In our time, the greatness of Agni
is shown when a super tanker is on fire. Even an immense human achievement like
a super tanker can not escape from Agni’s power.
As God, Agni
can take any shape. In this painting He has two faces, allowing His angels to
continue adore Him, even though they are in upside down position.
This painting
depicts the universal proverb that only love can overcome hate. Rangda as symbol of hate reclines on the
lap of a loving Balinese wife. The heart of even the most evil Rangda melts when experiencing her pure
affection.
The painting
shows a peaceful world threatened by progress. The peaceful situation is
portrayed by the Balinese woman, the offerings and the reclining cat. The woman
and the cat were disturbed by the progress, represented by the oncoming
bulldozer. Often wisdom, portrayed as God of wisdom Ganesa at the front of the bulldozer, is used as an argument to disturb a peaceful situation. The threat
is reinforced by the presence of nuclear reactor towers in the background.
In this
painting, Siwa turns the wheel of
misery, Samsara, for ever. Besides Siwa, Durga is also present as a youthful western ballet dancer. She also
dances in joy while turning a car tire, a modern version of the wheel. Durga symbolises the dark sides of Siwa and is often seen as His wife.
One usually
wonders why Siwa turning the wheel of
misery in joy. It is to emphasize that misery, transiency, destruction and
decay are just as indispensable as creation, happiness, preservation and
redemption. According to Hinduism-Buddhism, creation, protection and
deterioration are different stages of the same entity. In the earthly Samsara existence, as long as life is
determined by illusions, these phases will follow each other for ever, just
like the spinning wheel turned eternally by Siwa.
The destruction
is emphasized by car wrecks and by radioactive waste produced by nuclear
reactors.
The visit of the
late grandmother I
During this
painting, the image of my grandmother emerged continuously. I never knew my
grandmother, because she died short after she delivered my father.
The
supernatural ambiance is enhanced by the dragon sculptures on both sides of the
stair, which come to life by her visit.
Each event can
be placed in the continuous flows of creation, preservation and deterioration. Brahma, Wisnu and Siwa are the Trimurti Gods that represent these
flows. An unfortunate event, such as a plane crash, is just a part of this
continuous stream.
The painting
also represents the Balinese cosmos. It is carried by the Bedawangnala turtle, and kept in balance by the two Basuki and Anantaboga dragons. The upper world of Gods, where the Trimurti Gods as pilots control the
cosmos, is always displayed at the top, and the under world where the demons
feasting on the remains of crash, at the bottom.
The Trimurti Gods and the Agung mountain in the background radiate
a white glow, an expression of divinity.
The painting
shows the unexpected encounter of an oriental and a western nymph. On the left
side is the Balinese expression of a nymph, Legong.
She stands in front of a female western angel, who is also supernatural,
heavenly and divine feminine. As they operate on the same spiritual level, most
likely they meet each other. Such an encounter would be accompanied by intense
curiosity on both sides for the strange appearance of the opposite. At the same
time, affection arises as they know they are creatures of the same order.
Internal, external,
conceptual
The Hindu
concept Triloka divides the cosmos
into Bhur, Bhuvah and Svah. Bhur is the under world of demons, Bhuvah is the middle world of man and
other worldly creatures, and Svah is
the upper world of Gods.
Man himself can
be divided into these 3 worlds. His concept of the existence, usually expressed
in a belief such as a religion, scientism, atheism, rationalism, humanism,
creationism, empiricism etc. belongs to the upper world. The reality as it
comes subjectively to him daily, including his view on himself, belongs to the
middle world. What he really is, like his unconscious fears and desires,
belongs to the under world.
In the present
information technology, this division is found in the 3-schemes of information
systems. The concept or logical model of a system is the conceptual scheme
(upper world). The appearance as experienced by the user of the system, is the
external scheme (middle world). The real characteristics of the system, such as
the actual electronic impulses in the chip, belong to the internal scheme
(under world). In the painting, these schemes can be seen on the printed
circuit board.
The painting
also shows the Hinduism-Buddhism concept of dualism, which put entities in
between opposites such as good and bad, happiness and sorrow, peacefulness and
threats. Peacefulness is expressed by the baby, the baby’s toys and natural
curiosity to discover the world through items such as a computer mouse. The
threats are represented by the vultures that are eager to devour the baby, and
by nuclear reactor towers in the background.
1980s
At the
background are the mountains (from left) Batur,
Abang and Agung, as they were visible from my parent’s house in Kintamani,
1970s
The rise and
fall of women.
The society
building of the Delft Students Corps
in the town centre of
After a view
months in