Buying Art
If you like it, buy it. It's hard to know if you like it in an
unfamiliar environment. Spend some time with a work, and see how it
makes you feel. If it is a startlingly strong feeling, an
excitement, then the chemistry is good. Buy it. Prices are generally
not negotiable in the fine art galleries. For more "commercial" art,
in the smaller, less formal galleries, however, you may ask if the
price is open to discussion. Don't worry too much about price.
Prices in Ubud, tend to be very, very reasonable. This holds for
truly fine art, and also for the many attractive and decorative
paintings that are produced and sold throughout the area. Don't turn
up your nose a the latter category; much of the less expensive art
available in Ubud clearly falls into the category of Folk Art or
High Quality Craft. As such, most are works of lasting value, which
will be greatly appreciated at home, and will perhaps appreciate in
value as well.
Craft (As Opposed to Art)
Somewhere there is a dividing fine between "art' and "craft," and
regardless of where you place the fine, the Ubud area has plenty of
both. On the side of craft, there are scores of "art shops" lining
the main roads which connect Ubud to surrounding towns. Notably, the
road from Peliatan to Pujung, which is dotted with woodcarving
galleries and other craft shops. In Tegallalang and surrounding
villages you will find Bali's best Garuda and Singga carvers, among
the cheesy pop-art wooden souvenirs. Small woodcarvings of every
sort are widely available in Ubud, Tegallalang, Pujung, Nyuh Kuning,
Mas, Teges, and in abundance at the Sukawati art market, about
twenty minutes south of Ubud. You can get pieces in
naturally-finished woods representing animals, religious figures,
people and so forth. Some woodcarvings are art, and others are
simply craft. We'll leave it to you to decide which is which.
Throughout the Ubud area, you can pick up inexpensive small
paintings which make excellent decorative accents back home. Other
crafts in the towns surrounding Ubud include weaving (Gianyar area),
stone carving (Batubulan), basket making (Bona), bamboo and rattan
work (Sakah and Bona), jewellery (Celuk), bone and coconut carving (Tampaksiring),
batik, furniture making, bronze casting, and, decorative metalwork.
Most guidebooks have a good map showing which towns are centres for
which craft.
The entire Gianyar district is densely populated with
craftspeople in every imaginable medium. The majority of them are
delighted to create works to order, so let loose the latent designer
in you. Simply bring along a sketch, sample, or magazine clipping.
Alternatively, if you like what you see in a showroom, but have an
idea how it could be improved, explain what variation you have in
mind. Don't forget to agree on a price in advance.
One word of warning to craft-shoppers. Prices are usually very,
very flexible. Be prepared to barter. But always be polite. Some
merchants are firm about prices, and rightly so. A final word of
warning. Tour companies, drivers and guides are given large
commissions for bringing buyers to art shops, and the cost of the
commission is tacked onto the price you pay. So if you want the best
price, go on your own, or choose a driver or guide who agrees to
take you shopping without chasing commissions. |
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