PITAMAHA: MIMICRY IN ARTS AND DESIGN DURING THE COLONIAL ERA
ABSTRACT: During the
pre-colonial era the Balinese arts and design were dominated by the themes of
puppetry which contained the Hindu religious teachings. When the Dutch colonial
government controlled Bali, the Balinese arts and design changed. This present
study is intended to explore the existence of the Pitamaha association and the
attitude of the Pitamaha painters towards the domination of the modern arts and
design taught by Spies and Bonnet. The qualitative method and the postcolonial
theory combined with various other critical supporting theories were used in
the present study.
The result of the study shows that Pitamaha is the first modern
association of arts in Bali. However, Pitamaha still integrated the pattern of
the Balinese traditional association. In this association, the royal elites
were involved as the mediators between Spies and Bonnet and the Balinese
painters. Spies and Bonnet taught the modern arts which were different from and
even contrasted with the Balinese arts and design. However, the Pitamaha
painters welcome it. This could not be separated from the practice of teaching
through hegemony and domination which contrasted with what had been desired by
the Balinese painters who intended to maintain the Balinese arts and design. In
such an ambivalent condition, they mimed the modern arts and design. The
mimicry made was not intended to mime the modern arts and design; instead, the
mimicry made was intended to interpret with reference to the norms of the
Balinese arts and design.
Author: I Ketut Supir
Kode Jurnal: jpantropologigg160003
