As the protector of all Tibetan Buddhism, Mahakala is an object of meditation as well as the “protector of dharma.” Being a dharmapala which is a type of wrathful deity, his job is to quite the mind and to destroy and help one meditating reach a new level of awareness. His name translates from ‘Maha’ to ‘great’ and ‘kala’ meaning ‘black,’ which is why Mahakala is known as Great Time or Great Dark One, in Sanskrit.
On March 2nd, 2011, I traipsed to the corner of 242nd and Broadway, and hopped on the 1 train, embarking on a journey to the Rubin Museum to see the Embodying the Holy: Icons in Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Tibetan Buddhism. After about an hour train ride, I finally got off at the 18th Street station, and continued my way to the exhibit. Upon arrive to the museum at around 1:17 PM, I started walking around, and came across a very interesting looking statue.
With the exact dimensions of a height of 14 inches, a width of 8 inches, and a depth of 5 inches, this gilded copper alloy with stones stood above a platform, and took a marital, striding pose atop an elephant-headed figure that embodies the strength of the unenlightened mind. What caught my attention is that a middle aged man, who was talking to someone, that had appeared to be his son, started telling a story about how the statue was very symbolic. This artwork was called Six-Armed Mahakala, [Catalogue Number C2006.70.0 (HAR 65729)]. Upon hearing this, I used my BlackBerry to see if this statement had in fact been true, and in doing so, started learning that almost every aspect of this figure had a meaning, such as his color, three eyes, crown, and much more.
I wrote down my observations of Mahakala, and then started to write my paper in th...
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...wisdom, passing on the teachings of dharma, and loosing the ignorance, doubt, and confusion.
I chose this icon, because as previously stated, had been intrigued by a fellow bystander that had sparked interest once he talked about how symbolic this statue had been. What I had found appealing was how ornate it was. The copper, gold, and array of jewels caught the attention of many people and made it stand out, especially the way the museum had the light positioned on it.
Having been to this exhibit, I feel that I had experienced both an enlightenment and appreciation for not only artwork, but for the treasured icons in Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Buddhist icons. This appreciation has come from the observation of the details which the artists had incorporated. I had learned to understand that it is because the deities are treasured among their followers.
The difference between an archaic statue such as Kroisos (fig. 5-11) and a classical statue such as Doryphoros (fig. 5-42) may not seem very great in a single glance. In fact, you may not notice any differences in that one glance. Yet, if you were to look at them closely, you can see that these two statues actually have very little in common.
The layout of the museum makes it very easy to find works of art from different time periods. Since I have always been fascinated with ancient Greece and Rome, I knew exactly where to start my search. The Indian Triumph of Dionysus is on display directly at the top of the staircase leading up to the second floor. It is surrounded by many other artifacts from ancient Greece and Rome. As your eyes move across the room, catching a glint of gold here and pearly white marble there, it’s very easy to become overwhelmed for a moment. As I reached the top of the stairs, it was evident that the staging of this magnificent piece was carefully planned. The staff of the museum undoubtedly wants this piece seen by each and every visitor. The exhibit itself is well done. If you stand directly in front of The Indian Triumph of Dionysus, everything around you seems to fade away and tunnel vision sets in. As I stood in front of The Indian Triumph of Dionysus, diligently taking notes since photos are not allowed, I experienced an extreme spiritual connection to the past. I tried to put myself into the shoes of the author. What was his purpose? What d...
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has one of the finest Asian art collections that has enlightened and strengthened my understanding in my personal art experience. The Museum itself is an artistic architectural structure that graces the entire block on 82nd Street in Manhattan. Entering inside, I sensed myself going back into an era, into a past where people traded ideas and learned from each other. It is a past, where I still find their works of yesteryears vividly within my grasp, to be remembered and shared as if their reflections of works were cast for the modern devoted learner.
But what is the real value of a copy? Is the statue on Riverside Drive worth more than the other representations that are exhibited in the Wallach Gallery? What brings the rotational photography to the initial work of art? Is something lost with the evolution of reproductive imagery, like the emotion of the instant, the spontaneity of the artist’s hand - the 'aura' of the original (as Walter Benjamin called it)?
The Warka Vase is a uniquely large piece that was laboriously built, and carefully decorated. The images on the Warka Vase are significant and have iconographic meanings unique to the Uruk people and the cult of Inana. The images reference common practices in cuneiform and iconography of the time and place the Warka Vase was made and can be cross compared with other pieces from the time to understand the symbolism of this brilliant piece of art. To understand who is in the images, what they are doing and how they relate to one another may bring unique insight to the practices of the cult of Inana.
When I visited the museum, it had a wide variety of exhibits and artworks. It had two temporary Exhibits. The first temporary Exhibit I had the pleasure of seeing was Peter Max’s 50 Years of Cosmic Dreaming, which is on display from June 10th thru September 11th. Max was born in Berlin, but has lived in China, Israel, and finally the United States. Max was a rising star in the 1960s, with a passion for astronomy, sages and spiritual life. His work is strongly “associated with pop art, neo-fauvism, and abstract expressionism” (Peter Max). Max’s artwork contains multiple United States symbols and cultural icons. Symbols included the statue
Many might have been working on Good Friday, but many others were enjoying The Frist Museum of Visual Arts. A museum visitor visited this exhibit on April 14, 2017 early in the morning. The time that was spent at the art museum was approximately two hours and a half. The first impression that one received was that this place was a place of peace and also a place to expand the viewer’s imagination to understand what artists were expressing to the viewers. The viewer was very interested in all the art that was seen ,but there is so much one can absorb. The lighting in the museum was very low and some of the lighting was by direction LED lights. The artwork was spaciously
As I walked into the first gallery, I saw a wood sculpture that stood in the center of the room. This carving depicted “the crucified Christ, flanked by the Virgin Mary and St. John the Evangelist with Angels holding instruments of the Passion”. It was painted oak and very appealing to the eye. It stood approximately 15 feet in the air. The origin of this sculpture is unknown, but it was found in a Belgium church. This kind of sculpture usually stood at the entrance or at the center of the alter in the church facing the congregation. This image of the suffering Christ relates to the Christian ideas of suffering and Christ’s salvation of all mankind.
The trip to the metropolitan museum was a great trip to learn and to study art. What is art you may ask, well art is an expression you use to show a visual picture. It can be through painting or through sculptures. Some other example of art is music, literature and dancing. For today 's paper we will be talking about art as a sculpture. The two sculptures in this photo are King Sahure and a Nome God and Marble Statue of Dionysos leaning on archaistic female figure (Hope Dionysos). You can find these statues in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. King Sahure and a Nome God is an Egyptian art that was made in 2458-2446 BCE. The artist is unknown. It was during the 5th dynasty and it also belong to the old kingdom. The Marble statue of Dionysos Leaning in the archaistic female figure is a Greco-Roman art. Belonging to the Roman imperial period of the late first century A.D. Augustan or Julio-Claudian period 27 B.C., to 68 AD. It is classified as a stone sculpture and it is made out of marble. The height of the statues is 82 ¾ inches. There is no evidence who was the original artist.
Bodhisattva, a sculpture from the region of central Tibet, is now being displayed in the Rubin Museum in New York. It is a large-scale sculpture, standing at approximately 6 7/8 inches, that was made by craftsmen recruited in Tibet, whom were known for their artistic skills. Bodhisattvas are awakened beings who aspire to attain enlightenment and help others to achieve it by postponing nirvana and buddhahood. This sculpture is portrayed in a harmonious and compassionate state. The Bodhisattva is showcased as a mentor figure, seeking to help others achieve Enlightenment, through the presence of its physical elements.
The Navajo Sand Paintings is an example of a sacred symbolic object commonly misinterpreted as nothing more than an artistic piece of primitive art. In actuality, the beauty is being overseen because Navajo sand paintings have more significance. This so called `piece of art' serves as a major device, but in a...
The first art that interested me was the art of Indonesia which in this exhibit depicted the culture, history and art of Indonesian people. For instance, Bali a small island in the Indonesia valued most of its art based on the rich resources they occupied such as most art was composed of gold, diamond and sapphires which people of Bali believed that it will resemble their higher standards in the society. Art of Bali amazed me the most when it came to their “King’s crown” and “Queen’s crown” which was completely “fashioned in pure gold with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires” (Bali). The king’s crown was much simpler compare to queen’s crown which contained many varied of gold decorative that looked like gold flowers, and all of its designs such as rubies or sapphires were perfectly horizontally lined to each other that sort of depicted as a shiny necklace. The Bali’s art that I observed was very interesting know about the society they lived in those centuries with representation of their upscale society (Bali).
The artworks of Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, the Aegean cultures, and Ancient Greece have similarities that not only reflect objects and images, but also the media, style and representation. These countries were not always wealthy, clever, creative and powerful enough to gain supplies, but they all find a way to create art with what they had. They have all influenced on each other’s cultures and belief through their artistic values and ways, ranging from the materials and tools they use, position and representation of their monuments and their religious intent.
This is a great symbol of art because The Statue of Liberty is magnificent in every way, and serves its purpose to a superb level. Like I mentioned previously, “location, location, location .. “ the statue’s location was perfect back in the days of Ellis Island and is perfect now as a tourist site. Shortly after the immigrants on the boats first spotted the land of their new homes, they came into the Hudson river to see this grand statue, and to most people it wasn’t just some lady who was standing in the middle of a river, it was the lady who was going to free them or help them from their inadequate lives.
Art through the ages has been a powerful voice for both secular and religious ideas, and the treasury of Christian art should not be relegated to museum viewing. The art should be displayed in the church were it is meant to be. Its richness can be brought to people in schools and adult study groups. This, in turn, can help to bring art up to the level, that the faith deserves. Churches should fill the walls with art to show what happened throughout the bible. Art creates connections and associations between what we see and what we sense happened. Both ritual and art challenge us to take us beyond the immediate, if they are to bring about true insight and transformation in our lives.