The unique and stunning masks used in Balinese rituals are explored in great detail in Balinese Masks.Masked performances are an ancient and integral part of Balinese rituals and are much more than mere spectacles for audiences. The masks serve both as visual aids in the portrayal of Balis courtly legends and as harnessers of invisible forces. As "members of their own village communities;" the masks are given a chance to "speak" and "move around" and be entertained by their human servants in parades and temple ceremonies. The great variety of Balis masks; many of them sacred and rarely displayed; and the dance performances within which they appear; are well represented in this book.The spectacular detail and craftsmanship of the masks; revealed in Paul Schraubs stunning photographs; together with an informed text by Judy Slattum on their artistry; symbolism; religious significance; and manufacture; will take readers on a fascinating visual; spiritual; and dramatic journey into the sacred rituals of Bali. A foreword by Hildred Geertz further explains the significance of the masks and their role in Balinese village life.
#1727062 in eBooks 2012-05-15 2012-05-15File Name: B008AJ2AO2
Review
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful. Breaking barriers to change a lifeBy Marcia C. SpiegelHelene Aylons art is never easy. She makes you look at the world. rethink your perceptions and values and challenges you to change. So it is exciting to be invited into her life through this autobiography. to understand the genesis of her work and its development.She grew up in a Modern Orthodox home in Borough Park. NY where she attended the Shulamith School for Girls. shared her bedroom with her Yiddish speaking grandmother. and was very close to her mother. She was possessed of a bright and courageous mind that questioned everything around her. but her life was limited by her environment. She had a growing awareness of the absence of women in Jewish texts and worship and bristled at the void. She struggled with the limitations of womens lives. hopes and expectations. At 18 she married a rabbi. and at 30 she was a widow.Her second life began with her enrollment at Brooklyn College to study art. where she was mentored by the Abstract Expressionist. Ad Reinhardt. As a symbol of her new life she changed her name from Greenfield to Aylon. the Hebrew equivalent of Helene. She became Helene Helene. creator of herself. Her art became an exploration of the voids that she was always trying to understand and reshape. In the 1970s it was the body; in the 80s it was the earth and the environment; in the 90s it was God. A major part of that work is The Liberation of God. Installations of her art have been shown in major museums across America. Each one makes the viewer stop and ask the same questions that she asked as she grew up. Each one forces you to find your own understanding and response. The book deepens your experience of her art. how it was conceived and evolved. and how the artist herself understands it.It is encouraging to all women who are labeled "elderly" by the press and government to know that a woman in her 80s is still creating new works of art; still struggling with questions that she first confronted as a child; still seeking answers to share with her audience; still asking us to participate in change.7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. The Fascinating Story of a Remarkable ArtistBy Andrew H.Helegrave;ne Aylons autobiography records the fascinating story of her personal and professional transformation from the daughter of Orthodox Jewish parents to an independent and formidable feminist artist. Her account begins with her upbringing. which was entrenched in Jewish tradition. For the uninitiated. Aylon parenthetically translates Yiddish and Hebrew expressions used in her household and explains the cultural significance of holy days and rituals observed by her family. While the overarching structure is chronological. Aylon easily and compellingly interjects related experiences that. in some instances. occurred at different times in her life. In this respect. her book has an organic conversational quality that further enhances her engrossing story.While the book recounts Aylons gradual emancipation from the strictures of her Orthodox background. her personal journey did not lead to the outright rejection of her Jewish heritage. Instead. her cultural experiences informed her art in varied. nuanced. and sometimes unexpected ways. The book is punctuated by photographs of Aylons work in double-page spreads. Instead of interrupting the text. they revisit and expand many of the themes that run through the surrounding narrative.In this remarkable autobiography. the authors mother is a persistently important presence. even when Aylons art challenged established notions about women. the environment. and the Torah. Although tensions sometimes arose as Aylons progressive mindset contravened her mothers traditional worldview. the two remained close. In fact. the book begins and ends with Aylons mother. Ultimately. this is more than an autobiography. It is a testament to the authors mother and. more broadly. to her foremothers. without whom she could not have arrived in this time and place. In her pioneering feminism. bold challenges to tradition. and inspired memoir. Helegrave;ne Aylon has honored those foremothers. She has also given us something extraordinary.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Story of a brave Jewish feminist.By Sandra tsantilisThis is a great book for any woman who has struggled with the ancient laws of orthodox Judaism. It the autobiography of one woman who stayed true to her beliefs and rose above the savage treatment of women.
