- Title: INDONESIA: Artist puts art into used artillery shell casings
- Date: 8th June 2008
- Summary: (L!1) KAMASAN VILLAGE, KLUNGKUNG, BALI, INDONESIA (RECENT) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF TUNAS WORKSHOP CRAFTSMEN WORKING ON ARTILLERY SHELL CASINGS CASING BEING BURNT TO SOFTEN IT CASING ON THE HOT COALS WAYAN SUDIARSA LOOKING AT THE CASING IN THE FIRE SMALL SHELL CASING BEING BURNT SHELL CASING SMOULDERING CRAFTSMAN WORKING WITH CASING A WORKER ENGRAVING SCENES FROM A HINDU STORY ON SHELL WORKER BUSY ENGRAVING IN WORKSHOP ARTWORK FROM ARTILLERY SHELLS WITH BUSY WORKER IN THE BACKGROUND SHELL ARTWORK DISPLAYED (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) INDONESIAN ARTIST SUDIARSA SAYING: "When the marines came to us and asked us to turn this thing into an art, we had doubts. I was scared, the shell casing was black and there was still some gunpowder inside. But my father and I had a feeling that we could make it into art." SHELL TURNED INTO THE INDONESIAN COAT OF ARMS VASE (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Indonesia) SUDIARSA SAYING: "Supply is unpredictable these days. If there is a live-fire exercise I can expect to get some." SUDIARSA TAKING PIECES BACK TO THE GALLERY
- Embargoed: 23rd June 2008 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Indonesia
- Country: Indonesia
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA6HQQ21WFBLR6P9AZRBT77GYO
- Story Text: Indonesian artist Wayan Sudiarsa began creating works of art out of artillery shell casings in 1994 when several soldiers turned up at his silver workshop in Bali and asked him and his father to create something out of an spent artillery shell casing.
Sudiarsa and his late father -- who then owned the workshop -- were worried the 105mm artillery shell might explode, but until this day, there have been no accidents.
"When the marines came to us and asked us to turn this thing into an art, we had doubts. I was scared, the shell casing was black and there was still some gunpowder inside. But my father and I had a feeling that we could make it into art," said Sudiarsa, who inherited the workshop from his father. .
The brass artillery shell-art is now one of the workshop's most popular items.
Over the years, the silversmith discovered tricks on how to work with the 70mm, 76mm shell casings as well.
One such method is to burn the casing with the base facing the wall to ensure any remnant gunpowder would erupt harmlessly while the casing sits tight against the wall.
Sudiarsa, 38, who made his first work of art at the age of 12, now has 10 craftsmen working with him, all using traditional engraving techniques.
Most of the craftsmen have worked in silver all their working lives.
But the brass artillery shell casings, bought at 50,000 rupiah (5.36 USD) a kilogram is cheaper than silver and is now in short supply.
"Supply is unpredictable these days. If there is a live-fire exercise I can expect to get some," Sudiarsa said, without any hint of irony that war and war games or a lack of, has a very big effect on his business.
A vase with Hindu mythological-figure carvings can take four to six weeks to make, while the Indonesian coat of arms, Garuda Pancasila, can be carved in two months.
Sudiarsa markets his artworks by sending them to galleries in Bali although there are tourists who visit his workshop. He says it is easier to deal with foreign buyers than locals who are price-conscious.
The artillery shell art pieces are sold between 500,000 (53 USD) and 1,200,000 indonesian rupiah, depending on the craftsmanship. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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