Tag Archives: Rubin Museum of Art

Contemporary Tibetan Artists Transform Tradition

Posted on by

Tradition Transformed: Tibetan Artists Respond makes a strong case for the awesomeness of the Ruben Museum and the vibrancy of Himalayan art. Nine contemporary artists from Tibet created works who handle the Tibetan art traditions passed down to them with a knowledge, use, and comment on the West. The differences between the Western world where these artists practice and their Tibetan roots is a major theme, as one can see in one of Gonkar Gyatso’s self portraits above. All the artists showed some very strong work, both in its own right and in conjunction with the rest of the Rubin museum, which provides such a great background on the tradition that these artists have inherited.

Losang Gyatso has some beautiful work up, including my favorite, above. His latest digitally manipulated prints glow with bright, unfocused colors. This image was inspired by a traditional piece in the permanent collection.

Tsherin Sherpa, Untitled, 2010

Sherpa’s work, above, reminded me strongly of the recent Takashi Murakami exhibition at Gagosian. Murakami also includes a plethora of brightly colored skulls in this large scale painting that references Japanese Bhuddist tradition (detail left). It is not uncommon to see dancing and smiling
skulls in traditional Tibetan Bhuddist art, although perhaps not in neon hues. While in Sherpa’s work, each tiny skull is painted, Gonkar Gyatsu often uses skull stickers and others materials to create images based on traditional presentations of the Bhudda.

If you haven’t made it to the Rubin Museum yet, try to check it out while Tradition Transformed is still on view–through October 18.

Remember That You Will Die: Death Across Cultures

Posted on by
Remember that you will die: Death across Cultures is probably one of the nicest exhibitions I’ve seen in a while, combing East and West, art and craft, history and culture as it does in a small but rich way. The Rubin Museum of Art is creating a top notch space for the art of the Himalayas in a way that draws connections and entices the viewer to learn more. Top skull and left skull pocket watch of European origin. Right, Lord of the Charnal Grounds mask used by dancers and below image of hellfires of Eastern origin. The different memento mori are rather more similar across cultures than one might think. All present death in terrifying aspect. The image below only solidifies the horror– o the horror!


However, as the museum notes, “Yes, you will die. But at least you can write about it.” And thus they offer a very fun essay contest that will let you take a stab at death, if only with a pen. I’m planning on entering myself. 

Mandalas and Computers

Posted on by

I was drawn to the Rubin Museum because of the special Red Book exhibition (more details of Jung’s work here), but what I enjoyed the most was the museum’s Mandala: The Perfect Circle exhibition. Mandalas from the 8th C. onward are displayed in a variety of styles and mediums and for different purposes. They often show a circle bound in a square. Within the circle, like in the Kalachakra (Wheel of Time) mandala above, the circle contains a four sided structure that radiates out from a central point.


Mandalas are created as aids to spiritual visualization, especially in diety yoga in which Tibetan buddhists imagine themselves as ideal beings in the form of a buddha. The one above is devoted to Yamantaka, symbolized by the blue thunderbolt at the center. The archectonic form within the circle is his palace. It soars upward at each level, and he is housed at the very center and the very top. The circle around is actually circles, representing different places that must be crossed before entering the palace of the god and ascending. The outermost circle is a ring of fire, followed by a ring of charnal grounds, followed by a ring of lotus blossoms. A monk would use a mandala to cross these circles and enter the palace, then to walk down the hallway, up the stairs, around the next level, etcetera all in his minds eye. The mandala is a 2 dimensional representation, like a map, to aid in the visualization of a 3 dimensional reality. It is difficult–especially for someone like me– to look at a mandala and truly understand the visualization involved.

Enter, computers! The Rubin Museum has computers displaying virtual mandalas, in which computer graphic designers turn the 2D image into a 3D environment. The point of view of one is of a person dwarfed by the gorgeous and elaborate palace he/she is ascending. I gained such a better understanding of how mandalas were used and what a monk might see. The virtual mandalas are brilliant. Seriously, the coolest thing I have seen in eons. I didn’t have time for the rest of the collection, so I hope to go back soon. Not to mention, the museum is gorgeous, not at all overcrowded, and has a lovely cafeteria with samosas and white wine.