The wagerer

Early Life, Family and Training

Born in Vienna, Austria, Roland Strasser entered a world where the visual arts were a family language. He was the son of Arthur Strasser, a man who expressed his vision through both painting and sculpture. This lineage provided a foundation of craftsmanship from his earliest years, shaping the hands of a boy destined to become a painter and graphic artist. The influence of his father likely guided his initial steps toward a formal education in the arts.

His formal training began in his home city, where he studied at the Vienna Academy under the guidance of Jungwirth. This period of study provided the essential technical grounding required for a professional career. Seeking to expand his horizons and refine his technique, he eventually moved to the Munich Academy. From 1911 to 1915, he worked under the instruction of Angelo Jank, absorbing the methods and perspectives offered by one of the prominent teachers of that era.

Travels and Life in Asia

Following his service as a war painter for the k.u.k. Kriegspressequartier during the First World War, Strasser turned his gaze toward the East. His wanderings began in earnest in 1919, as he set out on study trips to Holland, Siam, Java, and New Guinea. During these early excursions, he found himself drawn to the island of Bali, where he lived for the first time in 1919. This early connection to the island would later define much of his life and perspective.

The years between 1922 and 1924 saw him pushing further into the heart of the continent, traversing China, Mongolia, and Tibet. His path through the Khovd Province was marked by great peril; after being held in custody by Russian occupation soldiers on suspicion of espionage, he was eventually released. He had to navigate his way through the vastness of the Gobi Desert to reach China once more. In Peking, misfortune struck when he was plundered by Changsolin rebel soldiers, who took all the artistic results of his travels.

Strasser eventually returned to Bali in 1934, seeking a more settled existence in the tropics. He remained on the island until 1945, enduring the hardships of the Japanese occupation. During those four years of conflict, he and his wife lived in hiding, waiting for the world to find its peace again.

Life in Europe and the United States

After his arduous travels through the landscapes of Asia, Strasser sought a more settled existence in the West. He arrived in London in the autumn of 1924, where his recent experiences found a receptive audience. That same year, he held exhibitions that met with success, establishing a presence in the city's artistic circles. This period of stability was interrupted by a return to his native Vienna in August 1927, though the pull of the international art scene eventually drew him back across the channel.

London became his primary residence for many decades. He remained active in the city, working and living there until 1952. His long tenure in England provided a steady backdrop to a life that had once been defined by the uncertainty of desert crossings and mountain passes. Eventually, the pull of the Pacific drew him away from Europe entirely. He moved to Santa Monica, California, where he spent his final years until his death in 1974.

Notable Works and Collections

The weight of his experiences during the Great War found its way onto canvas, leaving behind works that reside within the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum in Wien. Among these is Kriegsgefangene Serben, an oil on canvas from about 1914/15. His brush also captured the heavy atmosphere of conflict in Nach der Schlacht, a large oil on canvas measuring 209 × 260 cm, which also remains in the collection of the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum Wien. Another significant piece held there is Das Tonalkreuz, an oil on canvas from 1917 measuring 135 × 138 cm.

As his life moved toward the East, his subjects shifted to reflect the people and traditions he encountered. His interest in the customs of the islands is reflected in works such as Balinese Legong Dancer (Penari Legong Bali). These paintings capture the specific grace of the dancers he observed during his time in Bali.