March 23, 2004

• Very beautiful, thanks.
• And pretty good commentary on the life of Shakyamuni too. Concise and to the point. Can't help but think some of the art is quite Chinese, rather than India. Especially parts where the sky is depicted.
• There's a different emphasis in Tibetan religious art in respect of the attention accruing to any individual artist -- thankga painters were/are usually anonymous. And originality of expression, so prized in the West, is not desirable in thangka painting, either. Different from contemporary practice in the West, that is -- one doesn't think of individual artists doing those marvelous medival illuminations, either, of course.
• Nice. I particularly like 'Queen Maya's Dream'. I have an affinity for elephants and have a purple one tattooed on the back of my neck.
• The Origin of the Buddha Image
• Fine article, homunculus!
• Buddhist art and the trade routes
• Evolution of the Buddha Image
• Karma? Top Floor, Next to Shoes Why 12 Arms, and Other Tantricisms
• A bit more on the Rubin Museum, via mysterium.
• No more bikinis for Buddha
• More on the bikinis.
• Welcome to the Buddhist follies!
• Visions of Enlightenment: Understanding the Art of Buddhism
• The Narrative Essence of Buddhist Art
• Briefly introduces the Jataka tales - the Noble Beasts - who could resist?
• Ajanta: A Journey Into the Religio-Aesthetic Kingdom of Buddhist Art
• Something new from the Rubin Museum: ExploreArt. This is brilliant.
• Shepherd leads experts to ancient Buddha cave paintings Explorers find ancient caves and paintings in Nepal
• India's Ancient Art
• The Tibet Artisan Initiative
• Prayers at an Exhibition: Bhutan’s Art and the Monks Who Protect It