 The
first artist to visit Bali. Born in Amsterdam in 1876, Nieuwenkamp’s
nickname was the "Wanderer". He came not only to make his
own art but to learn Balinese traditional painting. A multi-faceted
autodidact,The first artist to visit Bali. Born in Amsterdam in 1876,
Nieuwenkamp’s nickname was the "Wanderer". He came not
only to make his own art but to learn Balinese traditional painting.
A multi-faceted autodidact, W.O.J. was more a graphic artist than a
painter. The first artist to visit Bali. Born in Amsterdam in 1876,
Nieuwenkamp’s nickname was the "Wanderer". He came not
only to make his own art but to learn Balinese traditional painting.
A multi-faceted autodidact, W.O.J. was more a graphic artist than a
painter.He returned to Bali many times over the years and authored the
most important early book on the island Bali en Lombok (1906-1910),
which includes pioneering ethnographic and archaeological studies. Working
primarily in ink, his drawings are executed in rich sepia tones. The
influence of Art Nouveau on his work is clear though he did not strictly
belong to that movement. His large body of
workon Bali and Indonesia, which includes nearly one thousand delightful
drawings and paintings,is virtually unknown. He played a critical role
in creating the myth of Bali, most importantly through his support of
the German doctor and amateur photographer, Gregor Krauser. Together
they held the first exhibition of Balinese Art in Amsterdam in 1918
with Krauser’s photos and Nieuwenkamp ’s drawings. It is Krauser’s
later book which brought many of the artists mentioned in this article
to Bali. |
