ggarts.com | Gloria Garfinkel

GOOD & EVIL

At the end of 2004 and the beginning of 2005, I spent four weeks in Bali. It was a time of agonizing sorrow for the people of this Indonesian island. The year before there had been several terrorist bombings at the beach resorts. Then, the day after Christmas, there was an earthquake in the Indian Ocean at the northwest coast of Indonesia. From this earthquake came a tsunami that took the lives of more that one hundred seventy-six thousand people. *

Seeing and hearing the grief of the calm and peaceable Balinese people, I wondered at their ability to carry on with their lives; it wasn't as though they were ignoring these catastrophes, they were, I later learned, trying to understand what more they could have done and what they should do to make themselves and their communities more aware and responsible. Their questions were: Am I more evil than good? Can this be the reason we are inundated with tragedy?

Good and evil is the basic tenet and most compelling aspect of the Hindu-Buddhist religious. There, in Bali, life is lived in prayer and contemplation. As one walks around the island you see almost everywhere, thousands of solemn stone deities draped in a black and white checked sarong. Sometimes they will have also been given an umbrella and a colored sash for added protection.

Good and evil are considered gods and are treated as such, with prayers and offerings; and also special holy days at the temples.

The black and white checks represent good and evil as gods. The cloth is considered to be magic. The colors show the dichotomy and the symbiotic relationship of that contrast. Neither color is good or evil, they are just opposites that can sometimes meld into subtle shades of grey. The overall pervasive idea is: one cannot know good if one has not known evil. One cannot know evil if one has not known good. Both gods have to be placated. One must make offerings, many, many offerings and prayers. You can find these offerings everywhere: banks, hotel lobbies, at the pool or the beach, along a tiny path to a village, or on the steps of shops. Anywhere. It is believed that good and evil find their proper places in the cosmic order.

To better understand the Balinese culture, I spent some time asking questions, going to the local historical museums and to a lecture given by their famous Dr. A.A. Made Djelantik on the ethnological cultural aspect of Bali. I also had an intensive two-hour conversation with philosopher/teacher, I. Gusti Raka-Tinsa. Finally the idea of good and evil became clear and I was able to visualize the paintings.

While still in Bali I started some watercolors and gouaches using this theme. I continued to paint these very small studies when I returned home to my studio. These were later converted to full-sized paintings. "Good & Evil" seemed an apt title and the size, 32 x 32 inches was meant to keep them intimate/private.

The colors in the paintings are reflective of the marvelous array of color in the Balinese attire. The same strong colors are also seen in the fruit and vegetable offerings that one can see at any time of the day or night. If you look carefully at these paintings, you can see the checks are paired as opposites in color, just as the checked cloth on the deities always are.

The people of Bali understand and know art. Many are artists and artisans. Everything they do is steeped in an artistic aura with meticulous attention to how it affects and reflects good and evil.

The cubby box, while always a part of the painting, became more focused after I had done the first full-sized painting. I decided to paint the lids of the cubby boxes in a seemingly disparate color to add intrigue.

I had taken a number of photographs in Burma and Cambodia this year. The idea of a book with photographs printed in black and white came to me as I was reviewing them. I though a book could represent, quite graphically, good and evil. Putting it inside the painting adds an unexpected dimension.

Doing the book was a thrilling experience, one that has made me see art in very different ways. It showed me once again something I always knew...it's important to try out new ideas and keep trying forever.

Another very important thing I learned: some people have disquietingly, sanguine concepts of what is evil. Note: What better way to hide evil? Put it into a cubby and close the door.

* The final tragic count is unknown.

G. Garfinkel

2006

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The following people were invaluable for their help and information, without which I would not have been able to achieve the "GOOD & EVIL" project. For this I humbly thank you.

Dr. AA Made Djelantik, Dr. Alfred Gelhorn, Dr. Robert Schulman, Romeo Alaeff, I Gusti Raka Tisna, Karenina Fabrizzi, Liv Gussing, Metropolitan Museum of Art, NOA, Neal Noble, Paul Sharpe, Peter Rippon, Sun Han.

Also I would like to thank the children of Cambodia and Burma and the lovely people of Bali. But most especially, my travel agent, guide, listener, model, patron, helpmate and 'best boy', BG.

Many other people have given their wise comments and thoughts that helped me make difficult decisions. They know who they are. Thank you.

G. Garfinkel

October 2006

	COVER: SPEAK NO EVIL
	WEDDING CAKES
	DRUNK DRIVER
	FRETWORK, BALI
	SWASTIKA LAPEL PIN
	AT HOME
*	HOMELESS
	PICKET FENCE
	BERLIN WALL
	PLAYING FIELDS
	KILLING FIELDS
	ABC
	KKK
	POPPY FLOWER
	HEROIN
**	BEAUTY TATTOO
	NUMBER TATTOO
***	CHILDREN CHERISHED
	CHILD ABUSE
	READING ROOMS
	BOOK BURNING
	BALI DEITIES #1, 2, 3