colors…
calm blue, greens, browns, yellow, a lot of yellow

a specific scene…
The climb Tsung Tsai and Georgie make with their guides to the teacher’s cave stands out to me more than any other scene. The amount of commitment and determination in Tsung Tsai to fulfilling his duty amazes me. He’s old and sick, coughing up blood and can barely walk, but he’s so sure of what he needs to do that as they ascend he doesn’t notice a single pain or make a single complaint. This event alone could perfectly describe the sort of person and monk Tsung Tsai is.

when I think of Tsung Tsai…
I think of calm. Of a person who does not have a single cell of bad, or negativity, in them. I think of the embodiment of good.

when I think of George…
I think of impatience. Frustration. But also stubborn determination. He tries so hard to learn the Ch’an Buddhist ways I can almost see his face turning red. But ultimately, when I think of him, I think of growth, learning, and success.

the focus of my project…
will be the spiritual and mental growth of Georgie throughout the novel. His mind and lifestyle start out crowded. He is always thinking about a million things. This corresponds with the setting of the landscape when he and Tsung Tsai start their journey. They begin in a city, which is also crowded. However, by the end of the novel, Georgie understands Tsung Tsai’s Buddhist teachings at last, and has learn to empty his mind. This corresponds with the landscape when this happens- the emptiness of inner Mongolia.

my intended medium…
oil on canvas. with soft treatment of brush strokes. with these I will do a series of paintings with a small figure facing away from the viewer, to symbolize focus on the mind. this figure will be looking out onto a variety of landscapes that symbolize the state of Georgie’s mind… first with an urban setting, and last with an empty, dessert setting. the series will cover settings in between the two as well.

I found it fascinating that the Chinese solution to sculpting or representing nature is not to recreate it, but rather to isolate a small part of it. The scholar rocks are only a tiny piece of nature, but within them is a truer representation of nature in its entirety than any man-made object could provide. Nature echoes itself, within itself. What was even more interesting to me was that ideologically, the Chinese would never even consider portraying nature in any other way. For a model of nature, the Chinese choose to use “the object of nature as itself, rather than the image.” Once I had thought about it a little, I realized doing so made perfect sense. I can understand a scholar wanting to surround himself with little “excerpts” from nature as he works, just as I understand why I like to fill me work space with plants, and light from large windows. If my eye has nothing beautiful or organic to rest on within a space, I actually find myself feeling quite lost. The plants on my desk and in my window provide me with both inspiration and a sense of calm, in some sort of unexplainable way. It is just like the author said: a scholars’ rock “is a little piece of a wrinkle from which you can imagine the whole wrinkle.” With the few plants around me, I can imagine being outside, even when I am stuck in, and I am immediately happy.

A Trip to the Chinese Scholar Rock Collection

15 words:
tempest, twist, wave, bulbous, curve, gnarled, notch, undulating, mountain, swirl, ancient, flowing, growth, solid, cliff, chasm

Upon entering the Chinese Furniture Exhibit, I was immediately shocked by how quiet, and deserted, the galleries were on a rainy Thursday night. I had inadvertently entered through the back door, and no guard had notice my entrance. The rooms were airy, but stuff in their emptiness, at the same time. As I ambled through looking for a rock to draw, I must have triggered a sensor of some sort, because very suddenly, the eerie twangs of China began to play around me. I have to admit to being oddly creeped out. But I continued through, and centered myself in front of the rock I eventually decided to observe and draw. It was such an unusual object for me, not something I would have spent time with if not for this assignment. My usual self would have gone for the intricately beautiful carved details on the vessels in the exterior hallway. But the rocks were what we had to look for, so I looked, and I found one. Once I got to drawing, I really enjoyed the object. Although I actually saw a lot of depth in the crevices and niches it contained, my drawings came out quite planar–very much like the way my drawings of a rock, or an entire mountain, in a landscape usually come out. I found it interesting that I was subconsciously approaching this little sample of nature the very same way I would usually approach nature. My trip to the MFA was an intriguing one.

Born in 1969 in Lahore, Pakistan
Trained as a miniaturist painter at the National College of Arts in Lahore, received BFA in 1992
(Started her work early 1990s)
Relocated to New York in 1993
Got her MFA from RISD in 1995

Miniature painting:
• founded by the Mongols after their conquest of Persia in the 13th century: foreign rulers of an Islamic culture who found texts and illustrations to be an effective way to communicate
• combination of Byzantine, Chinese and Arab styles
• dealt with royal history, geography, science, poetry, fables and animal husbandry
• features a “sacred” point of view into mainly 2 dimensional space
• use of line and in outlining and rhythmic line/pattern is prominent, gouache is used to create its characteristic deep, rich colors,
• human, animal, and plant forms are abstracted to suite the “otherworldly” quality of poetry, fables and legends

She studied miniature painting not for the tradition, but to break/ experiment with the tradition

Her works brings life back to Indo-Persian miniature painting in a modern context
Uses painting, drawing, animation, installation, video to insert new dialogue into miniature painting
subjects are often subversive/controversial: themes include:
• transformation as narrative
• the exploration of disruption as a means to cultivate new associations
• issues concerning labor, scale and time
• explores stereotypes of Eastern and Pakistani women
• issues relating to the Hindu and Muslim divide in Pakistan and India
Sikander’s work references history, mythology and popular culture

Attentive to precision of line and delicacy of touch, but also grew away from the restrictive linear qualities of miniature painting to looser watercolors with pigments that stain and bleed into each other

Since 2001: has also worked with digital animation, setting her miniatures into physical motion. Images break apart and reform in new hybrid permutations, while sound adds a further dimension.

awarded MacArthur Award, from the Chicago-based Macarthur Foundation. The Award is given “to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits”. Sikander was recognised by the Macarthur Award for “merging the traditional South Asian art of miniature painting with contemporary forms and styles to create visually compelling, resonant works on multiple scales and in a dazzling array of media”.

SLIDES:
“Fleshy Weapons” 1997, reflects the hidden (vengeful) capabilities of Muslim women who are hidden away, underestimated
mixes Muslim ideas (she grew up Muslim) with Hindu: sees Hindu goddess simply as a female with many hands, and a very recognizable face- by veiling this goddess, she shows that yes, women may have their faces veiled, but they are not to be underestimated what is underneath- she could be a goddess!

“Pursuit Curve” 2004, digital animation in four sequences, accompanied by music by composer David Abir.
still image from third sequence. Starburst forms come from a dot color and freeze in the sky over pulsating mountains. As the sun sets there are rumbling bass tones.

 A pursuit curve the line from the pursuer to the pursued. In this piece, Sikander tries to avoid association of the work to any one thing- the starburst shapes could be fireworks or bombs, scientific patterns or bleeding lacerations.

“Riding the Ridden/ Writing the Written”: 2000
Traditionally, miniature painting is impersonal, but Sikander makes her work “deeply personal”: the text on the borders of this piece become horses b/c as a child, she could read Arabic but couldn’t understand it, so reading the Koran is more of a visual memory for her- she believes that approaching the characters for their beauty takes they reader/viewer to a higher level

“Chaman” 2000
Mixed Media Installation at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
Example of work is digital animation added
Process: with this type of work in particular, she starts with separate, simpler drawings on tissue paper and layers them afterwards- their translucence partially veils some things and reveals others

“Perilous Order” 1994-1997
She wanted to re-establish order after her early works, which was mostly from memory, not much like miniatures- looser, abstract, gestural. She started to break the surfaces of very precisely painted images. To throw off every little thing having it’s own little space

“The Scroll” (& detail) 1991-1992
early work (while in school,) wanted to depart from conventional miniature to deal with issues of space and landscape, and with the human figure in the space and landscape, to see how it activates the space

“Bending the Barrels” (still) 2009
digital video, color & sound, 20’
currently dealing with Pakistan’s history of struggle with military dictatorships rather than oppression of women: this demonstrates military authority v. the military “show”

I also enjoyed his comparison of the process of photography to the progression of a Shakespearean drama. Sadly, the artistic process for a photographer is not nearly as clear or orderly. The way the artist’s mind moves from one idea or vision to another is all over the place, and almost nonsensical. I was able to apply this very directly to my own artistic process. I remember being so frustrated with developing a “concentration” for my 2d drawing ap last year. The idea was to work with one concept for the year and stick with it, only let it “grow” within certain boundaries. But my ideas don’t work within boundaries. More often than not I finish something and am inspired to do something completely different. So in this way, Alec Soth’s views on the creative process, and his work, really spoke to me.

And so of course I was excited, and relieved, when I found I had an opportunity to see it, or something similar to it, done that very same week. I finally understood! Nothing is mixed in with the sand to make a more maneuverable paste, or to keep it in place. Only very simple tools are used. But that is what makes it such a meditative process! The sand Mandala is delicate, and filled with tiny, beautiful details. This requires such focus, such attention to subtlety, that of course its creation is considered meditative. When I thought about it, I easily related its creation to any time I’ve really been absorbed in a painting or drawing. For an artist, being in “the zone” is meditative. It is one of the most amazing things about creating art, and actually, probably why I enjoy art as much as I do.

I’ve always been an advocate of setting time aside to simply be quiet and reflect, a form of meditation I suppose. I often make an effort to go to yoga, or enjoy a walk by myself. But for some reason, meditating with the Venerable Tenzin Yignyen didn’t do much for me. I think I went into it with too many high expectations, and not enough sleep the night before. It was interesting listening to him talk, but it wasn’t until after the meditation, when he began to work, that I realized what I needed to do to be able to meditate- go make art, of course! And so for one of the first times since I got to school, I set time aside to make art, just for myself, for the pure enjoyment of it. That I needed to do so was the realization that visiting the sand Mandala brought me, and so, my visit was invaluable.

If I were to create of portrait of this time, on a general level, rather than on a personal one, it would probably be fairly negative. Although personally I try to transcend our society’s many current issues, there is no denying that they are present and over-powering.
In my opinion, and for our generation in particular, one of the greatest issues of our time is deterioration in our ability to communicate naturally. Many may argue that new advances in technology enable us to stay in touch with each other more easily, and efficiently. But the truth is, efficiency is not the key to successful human interaction. The world we live in has been redesigned to avoid nearly all direct contact, to depersonalize communication, and therefore to make “easier.” High school students pour their hearts out via im, texting and lately, even blogging, because somehow typing what you think is easier that voicing it. Those doing it subconsciously forget they are talking to real people, they see only the screen in front of them. Everyone has a facebook. Admittedly, even I do. But through this system, people can essentially “stalk” one another, through pictures, tracking each other’s conversations, and “statuses.” And, can you believe it? Within the past few years, people have even started using self-checkouts. At last relieved from awkward small talk with the cashier who is scanning your box of tampons, or whatever other unmentionables. Really? Have we really come to this?
So if I were to create a portrait of this time, that portrait would be gray, unappealing to the viewer’s eye, bland and detached. Because it seems to me that these days that is what our society has come to.

The Subject is Color

“The Tragedy of Lucretia”
Sandro Botticelli

a. Immediate response: Although the piece uses a variety of color, some of which are amped up more than they would be in real life, in relation to each other, the colors are very believable. The color palette is fairly “earthy,” and although it does utilize a range of colors, it in no way distracts from the narrative of the piece.
b. Objective description: Within this piece’s range of earthen reds, yellows and greens, a clear historical narrative is present. In a room on the far left a woman is attacked by a man with a dagger. In the arcade on the right, a woman—potentially the same woman as on the left, is found dead by three men, who look alarmed. The center of the painting feature a courtyard in front of an arch of triumph, in which soldiers with swords, capes and armor either make to kill or attack a woman lying on a black pedestal.
c. Formal matters: Botticelli’s painting is fairly warm overall, featuring many bright whites and yellows that contrast with the dark clothing worn by the military men, as well as the deep greens worn by the women. It utilizes a single point perspective that recedes in the back of the center of the piece, creating a balance, almost symmetrical composition. The colors are not overwhelming, but are still very rich.
d. The story it tells: As the title implies, the work tells a story of tragedy. Although I don’t know the precise historical background personally, it is clear that the subject matter involves a woman, or multiple women, who are victimized by a group of militaristic men. As mentioned before, the bright lightness of the buildings and the blue sky of a clearly lovely day do reinforce this idea because the clothing of the men is dark, and feels out of place and ominous. The woman dressed in deep green doesn’t seem to suit the scene either.

4. The online color reproduction differs from the original in that it is dulled down—the colors in the piece in person were a bit more vibrant. The online reproduction also does not have the oil paint sheen to it that the piece had in person.
5. For a painting, this piece is remarkably smooth. Once of the benefits of viewing a work in person, for me at least, is usually being able to see the texture. Online reproductions are deceiving because regardless of what the piece looks like in person, online, they are flat. This piece is physically flat in person, but the skeptical online viewer may not be able to know that for sure.
6. Viewing the piece is person was obviously much more dynamic—I could physically get up close to the painting to look at the brushwork, or I could back up and view it overall. You can zoom in and out on an image online, but the experience is not quite the same.
7. I definitely prefer viewing the work in person to online because I love being able to get up close to a painting and really look at it. I also feel like it’s much easier to get in an artist’s shoes when you have his physical painting in front of you, not an online reproduction.