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bookWORM: I Wayan Karja: Thinking in the abstract
JP/AwoAs abstract painting has always been full of complexity, Balinese artist I Wayan Karja says he likes to read widely to fully understand the subject
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JP/Awo
As abstract painting has always been full of complexity, Balinese artist I Wayan Karja says he likes to read widely to fully understand the subject.
'I read a good number of art philosophy books, especially ones that bring up abstract subjects,' Karja told The Jakarta Post, adding that he reads to explore the distinction between real and abstract.
The painter, who has held at least 14 solo exhibitions since 1992, says that he is also inspired by art history books. 'They give you more knowledge on basic definitions.'
Karja also finds that books about Zen are interesting to digest, finding its philosophy on existence interesting.
Born and raised as a realist and traditional painter in Ubud, Karja, 50, fell in love with abstract painting for the first time in early 1990s. Ever since, the artist has gone all out in exploring the art.
The Return of The Real
by Hal Foster
I read this book to learn more about real and abstract concepts. This is because of the 'many-minds interpretation' about life. At one point, we see one thing as a reality, while another sees the exact same thing in the abstract. For example, one sees batik as a real imagery, while another sees it as a pure abstract. The book helps you to get through to things when you play around with perception.
Abstract painting books
There are many titles that cover the history of abstract painting ' I cannot remember a (specific) title. However, these books help you to understand the concept of abstract painting, which is commonly known as a strange and difficult subject. These books introduce you to the many things that abstract painting can offer. Dreams, fantasy, past and future, as well as the reduction of real things are among objects that can be transformed into paintings.
Zen and abstract painting
I began to have interest in Zen teachings that have been infused into abstract paintings. Understanding abstract concepts is very fundamental, because basically the whole universe is about things that exist, and other things that do not exist. For example, if you see one thing as 'black', that's because another thing is 'white'.
' JP/Niken Prathivi
