Picturing Islam

Kenneth M. George is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an associate of its Center for Southeast Asian Studies. His ethnographic work on contemporary Indonesian art has been supported by many fellowships including awards from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. George's first book, Showing Signs of Violence , was awarded the 1998 Harry J. Benda Prize in Southeast Asian Studies by the Association for Asian Studies. He also served as the Editor of the Journal of Asian Studies from 2005 through 2008.

List of Illustrations viii Preface xi Acknowledgments xiii Note on Qur'anic Verse xvii Guide to Indonesian Spelling and Pronunciation xviii Introduction: Picturing Islam 1 1 Becoming a Muslim Citizen and Artist 15 2 Revelations and Compulsions 39 3 Diptych - Making Art Islamic and Making Islamic Art Indonesian 54 Part 1: Making Art Islamic 54 Part 2: Making Islamic Art Indonesian 66 4 Spiritual Notes in the Social World 80 5 Anguish, Betrayal, Uncertainty, and Faith 107 Conclusion: A Retrospective 132 Afterword: Choosing a Frame 143 References 148 Index 155