An Aesthetic Studies of Classical Balinese Prasi Art

Abstract

Prasi as a traditional artwork has unique characteristics by displaying the identity of Balinese art and culture. Prasi is a manuscript on palm leaves with illustrations of wayang, sometimes accompanied by short text using Balinese characters. Prasi has aesthetic and classical value because the materials and equipment used, manufacturing techniques, and wayang form are still traditional. As an artwork, Prasi has a symbolic meaning conveyed by the artist through the story shown. This paper describes: (1) a critical review of the aesthetic value and natural character of the raw materials of Prasi; (2) a critical review of the visual aspects of the image and its configuration on palm leaf blades to produce Prasi artwork of good artistic value. Data were collected by purposive sampling by looking for prominent artists and community leaders who know about Prasi. Collecting data is done through observation, interviews, and documentation. The data obtained are grouped based on the type of data then analyzed by qualitative descriptive. The results showed: (1) the aesthetic value of Prasi raw materials from palm leaves is processed to produce a smooth and durable surface, so it is easy to cut using pengrupak to display wayang images assembled from several palm leaves; (2) the visual aspect of Prasi art is artistically composed of elements of line, plane, color, texture, and space through the form of classical wayang images and other supporting decorative motifs in a series of stories taken from the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and traditional Balinese stories that have aesthetic value.