Ida Bagus Nyoman Ceta

CENTRAL - SERIOUS ABOUT 20 LOW > MEDIUM SKILL SECOND WAVE ILLITERATE CAN SPEAK MALAY INTERVIEWED 29 PICTURES T Questionnaire: Younger brother of Ida Bagoes Teroewi In 1938 Teroewi estimated his age as 22 years, same age as Ida Bagoes Poetoe Tantra. Married no children. still living at home. Brahmana Boeda, Datah Father: Ida Bagoes Kompiang Koeroeh, still alive. Mother, kaoela from banjar Lodtoenoen (Dajan Yeh) Siblings: 1. Ida Bagoes Wajan Troewi, 2. Ida Bagoes Njoman Tjeta, 3. Ida Bagoes Poetoe Moeda. (painter, see above) married to dayu, Brahmana Boeda from Soekawati. poor, father is peregina, gamblers, perada penganggoan (making gold painted costumes), makes kajang. Tjeta makes pictures, kajang, dances in gamboeh. Can't read or write Malay, but can speak it. Can read and write Balinese a little, father taught him. MK interview: 1. has been painting about 5 years. Other work than painting: making kajang. Dances in Gambuh, is the Sengara (a kind of Prabu) teacher: Togog Did his pictures alone, but asked Ida Bagus Togog [I think this means that Togog drew certain parts of the picture for him] He did not complete the work of others. 2. Is making more pictures now than previously pupils: Ida Bagoes Tjeti, Ida Bagoes Belatjok He makes drawing for others to complete. Works at home, usually alone, daytime Gets his stories from memory or from friends or from lontar, not from his teacher. 3. Sells mostly to Tuan Bayung Earlier sold at Museum Badoeng, and Pita Maha Oeboed. Was an early member of Pita Maha Has sold to Hubolt, has sold on his own, has not sold the work of others. 4. Has been taught picture-making by a foreigner Was taught how to put on color, how to make leaves better, how to look at his picture from a distance. Has been to home of Tuan Bonnet, Spies. Has worked there, and was shown how to put color on, corrected it. Has brought complete pictures to them for correction, and was told to fix them. Has watched Bonnet use a pencil, and pastel. d. Has been told by a foreinger to make a picture according to the wishes of the foreigner: to make a picture of a cremation tower and a bull for the cremation. But was not asked to copy anything. Has tried to copy a picture in a magazine 5. First picture made was Tantri, I Rengen kapin I Bodjog di metebag-tebagan (guessing) don sikapa (Ape and Monkey telling riddles to one another), has been sold in Museum Badoeng. Thinks the first to make pictures in Batuan were Ngendon, Patra and togog. first picture seen -- Ngendon Has watched Patera draw. 6. Likes: in Wayang, Kresna. In stories, Oentjarakarna. Performances, gambuh, topeng, igel-igelan. In drawing likes to do poera-poera. Likes to do ngemangsinin. Has never seen endihan, tonja, leyak, and has never been possessed. Dares anything on list. 7. Has lived outside Batuan, went to Koeta Badoeng for a month, working on a pelangi with Ida Bagus Gosong. 8. Has been to: Hubolt, Museum, toko Ikan, Spies, Bonnet, Buleleng, Kerta Ghosa, movies, hospital visiting sick person. Has not been to: Le Mayeur, Meier, Mershon, inside Balin Hotel, Besakih, Batukau. Mentioned in other interviews: Blatjok, Djatasoera, Moeda, Rai, Tantra, Tjeti, Togog

Ceta came from an artistic family, with his father been a renowned dancer and organiser of performances, who also painted cloths for dancers' costumes and funeral shrouds. He did not go to school, but could speak Malay. Hildred Geertz records that Ceta was born circa 1915, and studied with Togog. Ceta was among the earliest of painters to come from Batuan. He often visited Bonnet and Spies, and showed them his pictures for their criticism.