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(http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=47124)
NEW YORK, NY.- Madison Square Park Conservancy’s Mad. Sq. Art presents the New York public art premiere of internationally acclaimed artist Jaume Plensa, featuring a new monumental, site-specific sculpture for Madison Square Park. Plensa’s Echo marks the single largest monolithic work of art presented in the 7-year history of Mad. Sq. Art, on view May 5 through mid- August 2011.
Echo, Plensaʼs new site-specific installation serves as a monument to everyday people, both within and without Madison Square Park. Creatively inspired by the presence of the 9-year old daughter of a restaurant proprietor near Plensaʼs home in Barcelona, the 44-feet tall sculpture comprised of white fiberglass resin depicts the face of this inspiring young girl in a dream state from the neck, up. Plensaʼs sculpture, made from marble gel-coated fiberglass-reinforced plastic, can be sited on the central Oval Lawn of Madison Square Park. Its monumental size and vertical orientation reflect the parkʼs surrounding architecture, while the visage of the sculptorʼs subject exudes a welcoming tranquility perfectly suited to this cherished urban oasis.
Drawing inspiration from the presence of a real person in real time, Plensaʼs monumental sculpture also references the myth of the Greek nymph Echo. According to Greek mythology, Echo was a nymph, who loved her own voice until it was later taken. From that point forward the legend tells of Echo being able to utter the thoughts of others but not her own. Jaume Plensaʼs Echo plays on the tale of this Greek myth, creating a sculpture of massive scale drawing parallels to the Greek Echoʼs origins as a mountain nymph. The reference is carried further by the artistʼs decision to depict the young 9-year old girlʼs face in a dream state, translating this massive sculptural portrait into a physical monument of all the voices and thoughts of others internalized by Madison Square Park as by the nymph in the myth of Echo.
Artist Jaume Plensa comments: Echo is the representation of the head of a young girl in a dream state. If in the myth of the nymph Echo, she was forced by the goddess to repeat the words uttered by others, in my project, the head becomes a mirror in where people can see themselves. With this work I aim to introduce quietness and serenity in Madison Square Park, to transform the Park further into a place to rest and dream. With Echo, I aim to create a new intimate place in the heart of NY, in where we can finally repeat the real words of our souls.”
“The Madison Square Park Conservancy is thrilled to present the New York City public art debut of Jaume Plensa, an artist who has contributed so much to the field of contemporary art in cities all around the world,” said Debbie Landau, President of the Madison Square Park Conservancy. “Jaume is an extraordinary artist and an incredibly compassionate person, qualities which are reflected in works of art that poetically bridge the boundaries between many different nationalities and cultures. Madison Square Park is a cherished public space at the heart of a culturally diverse city, making it the ideal home for the monumental and celebratory Echo, which itself is a perfect reflection of the vibrancy, vitality and optimism of New York City.”
Jaume Plensa, born and based in Barcelona, is one of the worldʼs leading contemporary sculptors. Working in a wide variety of materials, Plensa has invigorated the practice of figurative sculpture with works that examine the intersection of the human form, language and communication, and global citizenship. He was made a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 1993, among many other honors. His public art installations are particularly renowned, and include the legendary Crown Fountain in Chicagoʼs Millennium Park. Plensaʼs 2011 commission for Madison Square Park constitutes his long-awaited New York City public art debut.
Plensa is represented in New York by Galerie Lelong and in Chicago by Richard Gray Gallery.
Perfect Masonic Ashlar.
phoenixmasonry.org/esoteric_consideration_of_the_perfect_...
Esoteric Consideration of the Perfect Ashlar
David D. Mavity, MM
In our Entered Apprentice lecture, we are presented with, and likened to, two of our Moveable Jewels, the Rough Ashlar and the Perfect Ashlar. The Rough Ashlar is described as “a stone as taken from the quarry in its rude and natural state.” It symbolizes every one of us, as natural, imperfect men.
The Perfect Ashlar, by contrast, is explained as “a stone made by the hands of the workman to be adjusted by the Working Tools of the Fellow Craft.” It symbolizes a state of perfection theoretically achieved by the Master Mason, realistically achieved by few men.
After our Initiation, we are placed, as a building stone in the traditional position for cornerstone placement by Operative Masons- the North- East corner. This is symbolic of our Masonic “birth,” and has a further allusion as to our relative exposure to Masonic Light: partly in the Light of the East, and partly in the darkness of the North, but at this stage, still mostly in the dark.
Typical of Masonic symbolism, this is a relatively clear, almost self- explanatory, almost obvious allegory; even more typical, however,is that there is more meaning, if we wish to explore this symbol further.
What is the actual meaning of this perfection, which we symbolize by, essentially, a polished rock? How does it manifest? Where can it be found?
At this point, a brief explanation of the Hebrew alphabet as used in mysticism may be necessary for those not familiar with some of its more curious characteristics:
First, the aleph-bet is descended from a hieroglyphic alphabet. Each letter name is a word, and each has its obvious word meaning. Kabalistically, each letter also has a hidden meaning.
According to the “Sefer Yetsirah,” (the Book of Formation, one of the oldest Kabalistic texts) unlike modern languages, which use their characters only to form words for written and oral communication, the Hebrew alphabet is considered to be alive. Not alive in the sense of a living or dead language, but alive in the sense that each character represents a living component “spark” of Spirit/matter, and any combination in the form of a word, or phrase to be a representation of an actual creation composed of that Spirit/matter. 1.
Think of this alphabet as an ancient, Hebrew, spiritual Periodic Table of the Elements, and Hebrew words as a sort of spiritual molecular chain.
Stone, and finished stone in particular, is an ancient symbol of perfection, common to many Mystery systems. Two of the systems worth discussing that rely on this symbol heavily are Kabala and Alchemy , both of which, arguably, have contributed to our own Masonic Tradition.
Kabala has several variants, including the traditional Hebrew system, and the so-called Hermetic system, which combines large portions of the traditional system with other disciplines such as Astrology, Alchemy, Tarot, etc..
Esoteric Alchemy is a tradition that uses chemical allegory to “transmute base metals into Gold,” in the same way we, as Masons, use stone- working allegory to “build the Temple.”
In Hebrew, the word for stone is “e-ven”, spelled Aleph-Beth-Nun in Hebrew characters, the equivalent of ABN in English. This particular word for stone implies building stone in a finished state, or, a Perfect Ashlar.
The word ‘bn has some peculiar attributes when submitted to the process of esoteric analysis:
-The first two letters, Aleph and Beth, taken together spell ‘av- “Father.”
-The last two letters, Beth and Nun, spell ben- “Son.”
The implication of this word, when taken in this sense as a symbol of perfection, is the unification of the father, ‘av, and the son, ben. In many Christian mystical systems, this is how Christ’s words, ”The Father and I are one,” are interpreted. It implies unobstructed conscious union of the human spirit with G-d and the realization of their Identity as a unified whole.
Most importantly, understand that this state of union with Divinity is not something we work to achieve; it is already established, we work to discover it through education, expansion of intellect, and subduing of passions.
Further analysis may be made of this word by an analytical technique known as Notarikon. Notarikon is the art of reading a Hebrew word, not as a communicative sound or symbol, but as graphic statements of interacting principles. Letters are read as words and /or phrases, combining the traditional hidden meanings of the Hebrew letters, which are strung together in order in the form of an equation. The meanings, both exoteric and esoteric, of the letters for ABN are as follows:
Aleph:
Exoteric: “ox” or “bull.”
Esoteric: pure power and force, mastery, the Ain Soph Aur of the Kabbalists, the Limitless Light or L.V.X. of the Hermetists, or G-d as Pure Pressure and Force.
Beth:
Exoteric:“house”
Esoteric: manifestation, establishment, internalization, form, body, to embrace or to pair.
Nun:
Exoteric: as a verb, “to propagate” or “to reproduce.”
Esoteric: potentiality, display, and implementation.
When the hidden meanings of these letters are combined into the word for stone, this particular type of analysis gives us several similar conclusions:
-The life Force paired with its display
-A compacted formulation of potentiality
-Principle interiorized for purpose
All these give the same basic message as the first analysis- the realization of the Divine captured within man and man as individualized, unified, physical emanations of Deity.
Again, not the establishment of this state, but a realization of its necessary pre-existence.
Gematria is another analytical technique which is a helpful tool, although it is greatly misunderstood and often erroneously thrown in to the category of “numerology.”
In Hebrew, and in ancient Greek, each letter of the alphabet is also a number. By taking the combined numerical value of a word, comparisons may be made and contemplated between different words and concepts.
The numerical value of this word for stone, e-ven, is 53. Knowing that, we have made a mental connection between this word, and any other word that adds to the same number. A few words that also add to 53, as given in the first five books of the Old Testament:
-Genesis: “stone,” “garden,”” I do bring,” “and he became great.”
-Exodus: “and was content,” “I will utterly.”
-Leviticus: “her produce.”
-Numbers: “the host.”
-Deuteronomy: “ we shall come,” “the great,” “wealth.”
Keep in mind that the conceptual relationships made by any given individual tend to be personal, and derived through contemplation and meditation, so deeper spiritual connections between these words must be made by individually. No two people will interpret these exactly the same way.
In Alchemical texts, and in some European Masonic Tradition, there appears another peculiar word: V.I.T.R.I.O.L.. Exoterically, when written as a word in lower case, vitriol is chemical slang for sulphuric acid, or sulpher salts, which, curiously enough, are used in Operative Masonry for preparing a stone surface for a smooth application of aggregate or stucco.
Written in capitals, each letter punctuated by periods, this word takes on a much deeper significance.. It is an acronym for the Latin phrase: “Visita Interiora Terrae Refectificando Invenies Ocultam Lapidem.” Translation: Visit the Interior of the Earth, and Rectifying (i.e. purifying) you will find the Hidden Stone.
The meaning of “Earth” here is of particular Masonic interest. It requires us to make use of the Hermetic axiom, “ That which is Above is as that which is Below, and that which is Below is as that which is Above.” Simply put, the Universe is arranged in such a way that there is always a correspondence between the laws and phenomena of the various planes of Being and Life. It is the basic theory of life existing in Macrocosm and Microcosm, and is an endless two way process, with every “Macro” a relative “Micro” to that above it, and every “Micro” the “Macro” of that below.
In this case, the Lodge Room, or Temple, represents the planet Earth, macrocosmically. A quick look at the Old Testament account of the Temple “furniture” will affirm this to the more contemplative- minded, and a thoughtful look at a modern Lodge Room and Ritual will yield some of the same results.
Microcosmically, the Lodge Room represents us, individually: in proportion, in symbolism, as a microcosm of the Earth. This is the Earth we are encouraged to “visit,” our interior center. This interior center is the human heart, or the Point within the Circle, and at this center, we find and purify the “hidden Stone”; the ABN of the Kabbalists, the Philosopher’s Stone of the Alchemists, and the Perfect Ashlar of Freemasonry.
Additionally, Alchemy gives a technique, veiled in allegory, for this discovery and purification of the stone. While the language of this discipline is incredibly rich in symbolism, it can be very hard to follow, and is made even more confusing by its mixture of chemical and astronomical terms. In Alchemical texts, we can variously read, “Integrate Gold and Silver, by the use of Mercury,” “The Sun and the Moon, with the aid of Mercury,” and “Salt and Sulpher, dissolved with the Universal Solvent.” All refer to the conscious act of perfection by internally reconciling Duality- balancing Dark with Light, Female with Male, Negative with Positive, Inertia with Fury. Regardless of terminology, all result in the discovery of the “hidden stone.” One of the beauties of our esoteric Masonic system is that all these allegories and symbols, from Kabalistic, Hermetic, and Alchemical systems, can be found in all three of our Degrees, by “those who have ears to hear.”
***
At the lintel of the entrance to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi were inscribed the words, “Gnothi Seauton”- Know Thyself. This working and polishing of the Rough Ashlar to achieve the state of the Perfect Ashlar is an internal process of self- discovery and knowledge.
By discovering the True Self, we come to an understanding of our Creator, where He dwells, and what He desires. We learn of our true relationship with Deity- one of Unity, as co- creators within the plan on His Trestle- Board; and of Unity with our fellow man, and through this discovery, we learn to act accordingly towards G-d, each other, and ourselves.
1.Sefer Yetsirah, chapter 2:
“Twenty- two foundation letters. He ordained them, He hewed them, He combined them, He weighed them, He interchanged them. And he created with them the whole Creation and everything to be created in the future.”
“He formed substance out of chaos and made nonexistence into existence. Carved great pillars out of air that cannot be grasped. This is the sign: one forsees, transposes, and makes all creation and all words with one Name. And a sign of this: twenty- two objects in a single body.
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
From the Staatliches Museum Ägyptischer Kunst website:
Es ist schwierig geworden mit Neuerwerbungen - was man möchte, bekommt man nicht, und was man bekommt, möchte man nicht. Der Markt ist leer gekauft. Die von den Museen respektierten UNESCO - und Unidroit-Empfehlungen werden zunehmend auch vom Kunsthandel anerkannt, und so heißt es abwarten, bis ein Objekt von musealer Qualität und mit guter Provenienz angeboten wird.
Es gibt sie noch, diese Glücksfülle - so geschehen im Frühjahr, als der englische Kunsthandel den Porträtkopf eines jungen Mannes aus der Amarna-Zeit anbot. Nun ist Privatplastik aus dieser Epoche etwas höchst Außergewöhnliches, viel mehr als die Stele des Bak und die Würfelstatue des Imenemipet (beide Berlin) ist nicht bekannt, sieht man von den Stuckmasken von nichtköniglichen Personen als Sondergruppe ab. Doch die Gesichtszüge des halb lebensgroßen Kopfes, im Ansatz der Schultern abgebrochen, lassen keine andere Datierung zu: Charakteristisch und den Ausdruck des Gesichtes bestimmend sind die sogenannten 'Sfumato'- Augen, deren verschleierter Blick Verinnerlichung und Konzentration erzeugt. Ebenso typisch sind die üppigen, fast aufgeworfenen Lippen, die, von einem klaren Grat begrenzt, sich leicht zu öffnen scheinen. Augen und Lippen haben ihre engsten Parallelen in den Quarzitbildnissen der Königinnen und Prinzessinnen in Amarna.
Der neue Münchner Porträtkopf jedoch zeigt einen jungen Mann, wie aus dem Ansatz des heute weggebrochenen Bartes unterhalb des Kinns zu erkennen ist. Die Form der Haartracht ist die seit der Amenophis-III-Zeit belegte Strähnenperücke, bei der die einzelnen Strähnen durch vertikal geführte Linien eingraviert sind, während die horizontale Wellung des Haares plastisch ausgeführt wird. Der daraus entstehenden Unruhe sind die großen, flüchigen Formen des Gesichtes entgegengesetzt - aus diesem Gegensatz von Nervosität und Konzentration ergibt sich die Spannung des Porträts.
Sie wird wenig später auch ein Charakteristikum der Kunst der Nachamarna-Zeit sein und sich in den Reliefs der Privatgräber in Memphis finden. Dort könnte der Porträtkopf des jungen Mannes ursprünglich auch entstanden sein: Sein Material, Basalt, ist bislang in der Plastik aus Amarna selbst nicht belegt; dort verwendete man den 'Sonnenstein' Quarzit, Kalkstein und vereinzelt Granit. Aus Memphis bzw. Unterägypten kommen auch herausragende Beispiele der ausdrucksstarken Privatplastik der Nachamarna-Zeit, die Schreiberstatue des Haremhab (New York) und der Schwarze Kopf in München. Daraus ergibt sich für die Datierung des neuerworbenen Kopfes ein Ansatz in die letzten Regierungsjahre des Echnaton, um 1340 v. Chr.
Dieser Porträtkopf könnte geradezu als 'missing link' zwischen der Königsplastik von Amarna und der Privatplastik der Folgezeit angesprochen werden. Die Entwicklung der Königsplastik geht einen anderen, konventionelleren Weg. Der Porträtkopf konnte aus Mitteln des Freundeskreises und dank großzügiger Spenden erworben werden. Er wurde bereits bei der Mitgliederversammlung vorgestellt und wird demnächst seinen Platz im Museum finden - im Blickkontakt zu Echnaton.
***
It has become difficult with new acquisitions - what you want, you do not get, and what you get, you may not want. The market for purchases is empty. The respected by the Museums UNESCO - and Unidroit recommendations are increasingly being recognized by the art trade, and so it is to wait until an object of museum quality and with good provenance will be offered.
They still exist, this wealth luck - as happened in the spring [2011], when the English art market offered the portrait head of a young man from the Amarna period. Now private sculpture from this period is something very extraordinary, much more than the stele of Bak and the cube statue of Imenemipet (both Berlin) his identity is not known, one can see from the stucco masks of non-royal persons from a special group. But the features of the half life-size head, the shoulders rule out any other dating: Characteristic and the expression of the face determines the so-called 'eye-Sfumato' whose veiled glance produces internalization and concentration. Also typical are the lush, almost pouting lips, the limited, of a clear ridge to open to seem easy. Eyes and lips have their closest parallels in the quartzite portraits of queens and princesses in Amarna.
The new Munich portrait head but shows a young man, as can be seen from the approach of today's broken-beard under the chin. The shape of the hairstyle is the occupied since the time of Amenhotep III wig, in which the individual strands are engraved by vertical arrangement of lines, while the horizontal curl of hair is performed plastic. The resulting unrest are opposite the large, volatile forms of face - of this opposition of nervousness and concentration results in the energy of the portrait.
It will later also be a regular feature of the art of Post-Amarna-time and can be found in the reliefs of the private tombs in Memphis. This could be where the portrait head of the young man originated also: His material is basalt, not yet been established in the sculpture itself from Amarna, where they used 'Sunstone' quartzite, limestone and occasionally granite. From Memphis and Lower Egypt are also excellent examples of expressive sculpture of private Post-Amarna-time scribe statue of Horemheb (New York) and the black head in Munich. The result for the dating of the newly acquired head an approach in the last years of the reign of Akhenaten, around 1340 BC.
This portrait head could almost be addressed as a 'missing link' between the Royal sculpture of Amarna and the private sculpture subsequently. The development of Royal sculpture takes a different, more conventional way. Head statue was purchased with funds from the Circle of Friends, and thanks to generous donations. He has already been presented at the General Assembly and will soon find its place in the museum - in eye contact with Akhenaten.
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
Gary Clark Jr.
Magazzini Generali - Milano
23 Maggio 2014
ph © Mairo Cinquetti
o sum up Gary Clark Jr. is more challenging every day. He’s a musical universe unto himself, expanding at a nearly immeasurable rate, ever more hard to define — as a mind-blowing guitarist, a dazzling songwriter and engagingly soulful singer.
With his debut album Blak And Blu he has just become the first artist ever recognized by the Recording Academy with Grammy Award nominations in both the rock and R&B categories for the same album in the same year, winning the latter: Best Traditional R&B Performance” - “Please Come Home” (from the album Blak And Blu). And the day after claiming those honors he provided one of the highlights of the highlights-filled “The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles,” with sparks flying as he dueled with Joe Walsh on an incendiary “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” Dave Grohl behind them pounding the drums.
But that barely scratches the surface. The album’s a rocket ride from the Mississippi Delta of a century ago to multiple points still out beyond the horizon. Rock and R&B sure, but blues, soul, pop, psychedelia, punk and hip-hop are also in Clark’s expansive musical embrace and insatiable hunger for inspiration, which he’s internalized into music all his own. And his two acoustic blues performances on the soundtrack album for the acclaimed movie 12 Years a Slave show the distinct talent and personality he brings to his music.
That, in turn, has been inspirational to others — including some who inspired him. Just ask Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Jay-Z, Jimmy Page, Alicia Keys, the Roots, Buddy guy, Dave Matthews, Roger Waters, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, Jeff Beck, among the many who hailed his arrival as a major talent and cherished chances to perform with him. It’s no accident that he was invited to make more “special guest” appearances on the Stones’ recent 50th anniversary tour than any other artist, including the concluding Hyde Park blowout in which he and band also were the opening act.
Or ask President Barak Obama himself, who seeing Clark command the stage of the PBS White House concert honoring the blues — with Jagger, Beck, B.B. King and Buddy Guy among the veterans performing — declared of the young man, “He’s the future.”
Rolling Stone dubbed Clark “The King of the Summer Festivals” as he captivated audiences from Coachella to Glastonbury, Lollapalooza to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, from Metallica’s Orion Festival to Jay-Z’s Made in America, and of course his hometown Austin City Limits Festival, where he his band set a daytime attendance record. He’s dominated late night and daytime TV with multiple appearances on Leno, Letterman, Kimmel, Conan, Fallon, Arsenio Hall, Queen Latifah, Today, CBS This Morning and so on. Guitar Player magazine made him the first emerging artist to grace its cover in more than 15 years. Rolling Stone proclaimed him no less than “The Chosen One.”
It’s a lot to live up to, but through it all his musical ambition and reach continue to grow. New songs he’s previewed to delighted audiences show him exploring ever further combinations of sounds and styles, all with his distinct stamp.
A man of few words, he’s quietly grateful that the music he makes his way has connected with so many. “To think a weird idea I noodled on at the house has gone to something 40,000 people might hear at a festival is an indescribable feeling,” he told Esquire recently. “As cool as I might try to be, I think, ‘Oh my God, this is real!’”
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
A thangka, also known as tangka, thanka or tanka (Nepali pronunciation: [ˈt̪ʰaŋka]; Tibetan: ཐང་ཀ་; Nepal Bhasa: पौभा) is a painting on cotton, or silk appliqué, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala of some sort. The thangka is not a flat creation like an oil painting or acrylic painting but consists of a picture panel which is painted or embroidered over which a textile is mounted and then over which is laid a cover, usually silk. Generally, thangkas last a very long time and retain much of their lustre, but because of their delicate nature, they have to be kept in dry places where moisture won't affect the quality of the silk. It is sometimes called a scroll-painting.
These thangka served as important teaching tools depicting the life of the Buddha, various influential lamas and other deities and bodhisattvas. One subject is The Wheel of Life, which is a visual representation of the Abhidharma teachings (Art of Enlightenment).
Thangka, when created properly, perform several different functions. Images of deities can be used as teaching tools when depicting the life (or lives) of the Buddha, describing historical events concerning important Lamas, or retelling myths associated with other deities. Devotional images act as the centerpiece during a ritual or ceremony and are often used as mediums through which one can offer prayers or make requests. Overall, and perhaps most importantly, religious art is used as a meditation tool to help bring one further down the path to enlightenment. The Buddhist Vajrayana practitioner uses a thanga image of their yidam, or meditation deity, as a guide, by visualizing “themselves as being that deity, thereby internalizing the Buddha qualities (Lipton, Ragnubs).”
Historians note that Chinese painting had a profound influence on Tibetan painting in general. Starting from the 14th and 15th century, Tibetan painting had incorporated many elements from the Chinese, and during the 18th century, Chinese painting had a deep and far-stretched impact on Tibetan visual art. According to Giuseppe Tucci, by the time of the Qing Dynasty, "a new Tibetan art was then developed, which in a certain sense was a provincial echo of the Chinese 18th century's smooth ornate preciosity."
HISTORY
Thangka is a Nepalese art form exported to Tibet after Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal, daughter of King Lichchavi, married Songtsän Gampo, the ruler of Tibet imported the images of Aryawalokirteshwar and other Nepalese deities to Tibet. History of thangka Paintings in Nepal began in the 11th century A.D. when Buddhists and Hindus began to make illustration of the deities and natural scenes. Historically, Tibetan and Chinese influence in Nepalese paintings is quite evident in Paubhas (Thangkas). Paubhas are of two types, the Palas which are illustrative paintings of the deities and the Mandala, which are mystic diagrams paintings of complex test prescribed patterns of circles an square each having specific significance. It was through Nepal that Mahayana Buddhism was introduced into Tibet during reign of Angshuvarma in the seventh century A.D. There was therefore a great demand for religious icons and Buddhist manuscripts for newly built monasteries throughout Tibet. A number of Buddhist manuscripts, including Prajnaparamita, were copied in Kathmandu Valley for these monasteries. Astasahas rika Prajnaparamita for example, was copied in Patan in the year 999 A.D., during the reign of Narendra Dev and Udaya Deva, for the Sa-Shakya monastery in Tibet. For the Nor monastery in Tibet, two copies were made in Nepal-one of Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita in 1069 A.D. and the other of Kavyadarsha in 1111 A.D. The influence of Nepalese art extended till Tibet and even beyond in China in regular order during the thirteenth century. Nepalese artisans were dispatched to the courts of Chinese emperors at their request to perform their workmanship and impart expert knowledge. The exemplary contribution made by the artisans of Nepal, specially by the Nepalese innovator and architect Balbahu, known by his popular name Araniko bear testimony to this fact even today. After the introduction of paper, palm leaf became less popular, however, it continued to be used until the eighteenth century. Paper manuscripts imitated the oblong shape but were wider than the palm leaves.
From the fifteenth century onwards, brighter colours gradually began to appear in Nepalese.Thanka / Thangka. Because of the growing importance of the Tantric cult, various aspects of Shiva and Shakti were painted in conventional poses. Mahakala, Manjushri, Lokeshwara and other deities were equally popular and so were also frequently represented in Thanka / Thangka paintings of later dates. As Tantrism embodies the ideas of esoteric power, magic forces, and a great variety of symbols, strong emphasis is laid on the female element and sexuality in the paintings of that period.
Religious paintings worshipped as icons are known as Paubha in Newari and Thanka / Thangka in Tibetan. The origin of Paubha or Thanka / Thangka paintings may be attributed to the Nepalese artists responsible for creating a number of special metal works and wall- paintings as well as illuminated manuscripts in Tibet. Realizing the great demand for religious icons in Tibet, these artists, along with monks and traders, took with them from Nepal not only metal sculptures but also a number of Buddhist manuscripts. To better fulfil the ever - increasing demand Nepalese artists initiated a new type of religious painting on cloth that could be easily rolled up and carried along with them. This type of painting became very popular both in Nepal and Tibet and so a new school of Thanka / Thangka painting evolved as early as the ninth or tenth century and has remained popular to this day. One of the earliest specimens of Nepalese Thanka / Thangka painting dates from the thirteenth /fourteenth century and shows Amitabha surrounded by Bodhisattva. Another Nepalese Thanka / Thangka with three dates in the inscription (the last one corresponding to 1369 A.D.), is one of the earliest known Thanka / Thangka with inscriptions. The "Mandalaof Vishnu " dated 1420 A.D., is another fine example of the painting of this period. Early Nepalese Thangkas are simple in design and composition. The main deity, a large figure, occupies the central position while surrounded by smaller figures of lesser divinities.
Thanka / Thangka painting is one of the major science out the five major and five minor fields of knowledge. Its origin can be traced all the way back to the time of Lord Buddha. The main themes of Thanka / Thangka paintings are religious. During the reign of Tibetan Dharma King Trisong Duetsen the Tibetan masters refined their already well-developed arts through research and studies of different country's tradition. Thanka painting's lining and measurement, costumes, implementations and ornaments are mostly based on Indian styles. The drawing of figures is based on Nepalese style and the background sceneries are based on Chinese style. Thus, the Thanka / Thangka paintings became a unique and distinctive art. Although the practice of thanka painting was originally done as a way of gaining merit it has nowadays only evolved into a money making business and the noble intentions it once carried has been diluted. Tibetans do not sell Thangkas on a large scale as the selling of religious artifacts such as thangkas and idols is frowned upon in the Tibetan community and thus non Tibetan groups have been able to monopolize on its (thangka's) popularity among Buddhist and art enthusiasts from the west.
Thanka / Thangka have developed in the northern Himalayan regions among the Lamas. Besides Lamas, Gurung and Tamang communities are also producing Tankas, which provide substantial employment opportunities for many people in the hills. Newari Thankas (Also known as Paubha) has been the hidden art work in Kathmandu valley from the 13th century. We have preserved this art and are exclusively creating this with some particular painter family who have inherited their art from their forefathers. Some of the artistic religious and historical paintings are also done by the Newars of Kathmandu Valley.
TYPES
Based on technique and material, thangkas can be grouped by types. Generally, they are divided into two broad categories: those that are painted (Tib.) bris-tan—and those made of silk, either by appliqué or embroidery.
Thangkas are further divided into these more specific categories:
- Painted in colors (Tib.) tson-tang - the most common type
- Appliqué (Tib.) go-tang
- Black Background - meaning gold line on a black background (Tib.) nagtang
- Blockprints - paper or cloth outlined renderings, by woodcut/woodblock printing
- Embroidery (Tib.) tsem-thang
- Gold Background - an auspicious treatment, used judiciously for peaceful, long-life deities and fully enlightened buddhas
- Red Background - literally gold line, but referring to gold line on a vermillion (Tib.) mar-tang
Whereas typical thangkas are fairly small, between about 18 and 30 inches tall or wide, there are also giant festival thangkas, usually Appliqué, and designed to be unrolled against a wall in a monastery for particular religious occasions. These are likely to be wider than they are tall, and may be sixty or more feet across and perhaps twenty or more high.
Somewhat related are Tibetan tsakli, which look like miniature thangkas, but are usually used as initiation cards or offerings.
Because Thangkas can be quite expensive, people nowadays use posters of Thangkas as an alternative to the real thangkas for religious purposes.
PROCESS
Thangkas are painted on cotton or silk. The most common is a loosely woven cotton produced in widths from 40 to 58 centimeters. While some variations do exist, thangkas wider than 45 centimeters frequently have seams in the support. The paint consists of pigments in a water soluble medium. Both mineral and organic pigments are used, tempered with a herb and glue solution. In Western terminology, this is a distemper technique.
The composition of a thangka, as with the majority of Buddhist art, is highly geometric. Arms, legs, eyes, nostrils, ears, and various ritual implements are all laid out on a systematic grid of angles and intersecting lines. A skilled thangka artist will generally select from a variety of predesigned items to include in the composition, ranging from alms bowls and animals, to the shape, size, and angle of a figure's eyes, nose, and lips. The process seems very methodical, but often requires deep understanding of the symbolism involved to capture the spirit of it.
Thangka often overflow with symbolism and allusion. Because the art is explicitly religious, all symbols and allusions must be in accordance with strict guidelines laid out in Buddhist scripture. The artist must be properly trained and have sufficient religious understanding, knowledge, and background to create an accurate and appropriate thangka. Lipton and Ragnubs clarify this in Treasures of Tibetan Art:
“Tibetan art exemplifies the nirmanakaya, the physical body of Buddha, and also the qualities of the Buddha, perhaps in the form of a deity. Art objects, therefore, must follow rules specified in the Buddhist scriptures regarding proportions, shape, color, stance, hand positions, and attributes in order to personify correctly the Buddha or Deities.”
WIKIPEDIA
Chitra, also spelled as Citra, is an Indian genre of art that includes painting, sketch and any art form of delineation. The earliest mention of the term Chitra in the context of painting or picture is found in some of the ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism and Pali texts of Buddhism
NOMENCLATURE
Chitra (IAST: Citra, चित्र) is a Sanskrit word that appears in the Vedic texts such as hymns 1.71.1 and 6.65.2 of the Rigveda. There, and other texts such as Vajasaneyi Samhita, Taittiriya Samhita, Satapatha Brahmana and Tandya Brahmana, Chitra means "excellent, clear, bright, colored, anything brightly colored that strikes the eye, brilliantly ornamented, extraordinary that evokes wonder". In the Mahabharata and the Harivamsa, it means "picture, sktech, dilineation", and is presented as a genre of kala (arts). Many texts generally dated to the post-4th-century BCE period, use the term Chitra in the sense of painting, and Chitrakara as a painter. For example, the Sanskrit grammarian Panini in verse 3.2.21 of his Astadhyayi highlights the word chitrakara in this sense. Halls and public spaces to display paintings are called chitrasalas, and the earliest known mention of these are found in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
A few Indian regional texts such as Kasyapa silpa refer to painting by others words. For example, abhasa – which literally means "semblance, shining forth", is used in Kasyapa-shilpa to mean as a broader category of painting, of which chitra is one of three types. The verses in section 4.4 of the Kasyapa-silpa state that there are three types of images – those which are immovable (walls, floor, terracota, stucco), movable, and those which are both movable-immovable (stone, wood, gems).[5] In each of these three, states Kasyapa-shipa, are three classes of expression – ardhacitra, citra, and citra-abhasa. Ardhacitra is an art form where a high relief is combined with painting and parts of the body is not seen (it appears to be emerging out of the canvas). The Citra is the form of picture artwork where the whole is represented with or without integrating a relief. Citrabhasha is the form where an image is represented on a canvas or wall with colors (painting). However, states Commaraswamy, the word Abhasa has other meanings depending on the context. For example, in Hindu texts on philosophy, it implies the "field of objective experience" in the sense of the intellectual image internalized by a person during a reading of a subject (such as an epic, tale or fiction), or one during a meditative spiritual experience.
In some Buddhist and Hindu texts on methods to prepare a manuscript (palm leaf) or a composition on a cloth, the terms lekhya and alekhya are also used in the context of a chitra. More specifically, alekhya is the space left while writing a manuscript leaf or cloth, where the artist aims to add a picture or painting to illustrate the text.
HISTORY
The earliest explicit reference to painting in an Indian text is found in verse 4.2 of the Maitri Upanishad where it uses the phrase citrabhittir or "like a painted wall". The Indian art of painting is also mention in a number of Buddhist Pali suttas, but with the modified spelling of Citta. This term is found in the context of either a painting, or painter, or painted-hall (citta-gara) in Majjhima Nikaya 1.127, Samyutta Nikaya 2.101 and 3.152, Vinaya 4.289 and others. Among the Jain texts, it is mentioned in Book 2 of the Acaranga Sutra as it explains that Jaina monk should not indulge in the pleasures of watching a painting.
The Kamasutra, broadly accepted to have been complete by about the 4th-century CE, recommends that the young man should surprise the girl he courts with gifts of color boxes and painted scrolls. The Viddhasalabhanjika – another Hindu kama- and kavya–text uses chitra-simile in verse 1.16, as "pictures painted by the god of love, with the brush of the mind and the canvas of the heart".
The nature of a chitra (painting), how the viewer's mind projects a two dimensional artwork into a three dimensional representation, is used by Asanga in Mahayana Sutralamkara – a 3rd to 5th-century Sanskrit text of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, to explain "non-existent imagination" as follows:
Just as in a picture painted according to rules, there are neither projections nor depressions and yet we see it in three dimensions, so in the non-existent imagination there is no phenomenal differentiation, and yet we behold it.
— Mahayana Sutralamkara 13.7, Translated in French by Sylvain Levi
According to Yoko Taniguchi and Michiyo Mori, the art of painting the caves at the c. 6th-century Buddhas of Bamiyan site in Afghanistan, destroyed by the Taliban Muslims in the late 1990s, were likely introduced to this region from India along with the literature on early Buddhism.
TEXTS
There are many important dedicated Indian treatises on chitra. Some of these are chapters within a larger encyclopedia-like text. These include:
Chitrasutras, chapters 35–43 within the Hindu text Vishnudharmottara Purana (the standard, and oft referred to text in the Indian tradition)
Chitralaksana of Nagnajit (a classic on classical painting, 5th-century CE or earlier making it the oldest known text on Indian painting; but the Sanskrit version has been lost, only version available is in Tibet and it states that it is a translation of a Sanskrit text)
Samarangana Sutradhara (mostly architecture treatise, contains a large section on paintings)
Aparajitaprccha (mostly architecture treatise, contains a large section on paintings)
Manasollasa (an encyclopedia, contains chapters on paintings)
Abhilashitartha chinatamani
Sivatatva ratnakara
Chitra Kaladruma
Silpa ratna
Narada silpa
Sarasvati silpa
Prajapati silpa
Kasyapa silpa
These and other texts on chitra not only discuss the theory and practice of painting, some of them include discussions on how to become a painter, the diversity and the impact of a chitra on viewers, of aesthetics, how the art of painting relates to other arts (kala), methods of preparing the canvas or wall, methods and recipes to make color pigments. For example, the 10th-century Chitra Kaladruma presents recipe for making red color paint from the resin of lac insects. Other colors for the historic frescoes found in India, such as those in the Ajanta Caves, were obtained from nature. They mention earthy and mineral (inorganic) colorants such as yellow and red ochre, orpigment, green celadonite and ultramarine blue (lapis lazuli). The use of organic colorants prepared per a recipe in these texts have been confirmed through residue analysis and modern chromatographic techniques.
THEORY
The Indian concepts of painting are described in a range of texts called the shilpa shastras. These typically begin by attributing this art to divine sources such as Vishvakarma and ancient rishis (sages) such as Narayana and Nagnajit, weaving some mythology, highlighting chitra as a means to express ideas and beauty along with other universal aspects, then proceed to discuss the theory and practice of painting, sketching and other related arts. Manuscripts of many these texts are found in India, while some are known to be lost but are found outside India such as in Tibet and Nepal. Among these are the Citrasutras in the 6th-century Visnudharmottara Purana manuscripts discovered in India, and the Citralaksana manuscript discovered in Tibet (lost in India). This theory include early Indian ideas on how to prepare a canvas or substrate, measurement, proportion, stance, color, shade, projection, the painting's interaction with light, the viewer, how to captivate the mind, and other ideas.
According to the historic Indian tradition, a successful and impactful painting and painter requires a knowledge of the subject – either mythology or real life, as well as a keen sense of observation and knowledge of nature, human behavior, dance, music, song and other arts. For example, section 3.2 of Visnudharmottara Purana discusses these requirements and the contextual knowledge needed in chitra and the artist who produces it. The Chitrasutras in the Vishnudharmottara Purana state that the sculpture and painting arts are related, with the phrase "as in Natya, so in Citra". This relationship links them in rasa (aesthetics) and as forms of expression.
THE PAINTING
A chitra is a form of expression and communication. According to Aparajitaprccha – a 12th-century text on arts and architecture, just like the water reflects the moon, a chitra reflects the world. It is a rupa (form) of how the painter sees or what the painter wants the viewer to observe or feel or experience.
A good painting is one that is alive, breathing, draws in and affects the viewer. It captivates the minds of viewers, despite their diversity. Installed in a sala (hall or room), it enlivens the space.
The ornaments of a painting are its lines, shading, decoration and colors, states the 6th-century Visnudharmottara Purana. It states that there are eight gunas (merits, features) of a chitra that the artist must focus on: posture; proportion; the use of the plumb line; charm; detail (how much and where); verisimilitude; kshaya (loss, foreshortening) and; vrddhi (gain). Among the dosas (demerits, faults) of a painting and related arts, states Chitrasutra, are lines that are weak or thick, absence of variety, errors in scale (oversized eyes, lips, cheeks), inconsistency across the canvas, deviations from the rules of proportion, improper posture or sentiment, and non-merging of colors.
LIMBS OF THE PAINTING
Two historical sets called "chitra anga", or "limbs of painting" are found in Indian texts. According to the Samarangana Sutradhara – an 11th-century Sanskrit text on Hindu architecture and arts, a painting has eight limbs:
Vartika – manufacture of brushes
Bhumibandhana – preparation of base, plaster, canvas
Rekhakarma – sketching
Varnakarma – coloring
Vartanakarma – shading
lekhakarana – outlining
Dvikakarma – second and final lining
Lepyakarma – final coating
According to Yashodhara's Jayamangala, a Sanskrit commentary on Kamasutra, there are sadanga (six limbs)[note 5] in the art of alekhyam and chitra (drawing and painting):
Rupa-bhedah, or form distinction; this requires a knowledge of characteristic marks, diversity, manifested forms that distinguish states of something in the same genus/class
Pramanani, or measure; requires knowledge of measurement and proportion rules (talamana)
Bhava yojanam, or emotion and its joining with other parts of the painting; requires understanding and representing the mood of the subject
Lavanya yojanam, or rasa, charm; requires understanding and representing the inner qualities of the subject
Sadrsyam, or resemblance; requires knowledge of visual correspondence across the canvas
Varnika-bhanga or color-pigment-analysis; requires knowledge how colors distribute on the canvas and how they visually impact the viewer.
These six limbs are arranged stylistically in two ways. First as a set of compound (Rupa-bhedah and Varnika-bhanda), a set of joining (middle two yojnam), and a set of single words (Pramanani and Sadrsyam). Second, states Victor Mair, the six limbs in this Hindu text are paired in a set of differentiation skills (first two), then a pair of aesthetic skills, and finally a pair of technical skills. These limbs parallel the 12th-century Six principles of Chinese painting of Xie He. {refn|group=note|The Hua Chi of Teng Ch'un, a 12th-century Chinese text, mentions the Buddhist temple of Nalanda with frescoes about the Buddha painted inside. It states that the Indian Buddhas look different from those painted by Chinese, as the Indian paintings have Buddha with larger eyes, their ears are curiously stretched and the Buddhas have their right shoulder bare. It then states that the artists first make a drawing of the picture, then paint a vermilion or gold colored base. It also mentions the use of ox-glue and a gum produced from peach trees and willow juice, with the artists preferring the latter. According to Coomaraswamy, the ox-glue in the Indian context mentioned in the Chinese text is probably the same as the recipe found in the Sanskrit text Silparatna, one where the base medium is produced from boiling buffalo skin in milk, followed by drying and blending process.
The six limbs in Jayamangala likely reflect the earliest and more established Hindu tradition for chitra. This is supported by the Chitrasutras found in the Vishnudharmottara Purana. They explicitly mention pramanani and lavanya as key elements of a painting, as well as discuss the other four of the six limbs in other sutras. The Chitrasutra chapters are likely from about the 4th or 5th-century. Numerous other Indian texts touch upon the elements or aspects of a chitra. For example, the Aparajitaprccha states that the essential elements of a painting are: citrabhumi (background), the rekha (lines, sketch), the varna (color), the vartana (shading), the bhusana (decoration) and the rasa (aesthetic experience).
THE PAINTER
The painter (chitrakara, rupakara) must master the fundamentals of measurement and proportions, state the historic chitra texts of India. According to these historic texts, the expert painter masters the skills in measurement, characteristics of subjects, attributes, form, relative proportion, ornament and beauty, states Isabella Nardi – a scholar known for her studies on chitra text and traditions of India. According to the Chitrasutras, a skilled painter needs practice, and is one who is able to paint neck, hands, feet, ears of living beings without ornamentation, as well as paint water waves, flames, smoke, and garments as they get affected by the speed of wind. He paints all types of scenes, ranging from dharma, artha and kama. A painter observes, then remembers, repeating this process till his memory has all the details he needs to paint, states Silparatna. According to Sivatattva Ratnakara, he is well versed in sketching, astute with measurements, skilled in outlining (hastalekha), competent with colors, and ready to diligently mix and combine colors to create his chitra. The painter is a creative person, with an inner sense of rasa (aesthetics).
THE VIEWER
The painter should consider the diversity of viewers, states the Indian tradition of chitra. The experts and critics with much experience with paintings study the lines, shading and aesthetics, the uninitiated visitors and children enjoy the vibrancy of colors, while women tend to be attracted to the ornamentation of form and the emotions. A successful painter tends to captivate a variety of minds. A painter should remember that the visual and aesthetic impact of a painting triggers different responses in different audiences.
The Silparatna – a Sanskrit text on the arts, states that the painting should reflect its intended place and purpose. A theme suitable for a palace or gateway is different from that in a temple or the walls of a home. Scenes of wars, misery, death and suffering are not suitable paintings within homes, but these can be important in a chitrasala (museum with paintings). Auspicious paintings with beautiful colors such as those that cheer and enliven a room are better for homes, states Silparatna.
PRACITICE
According to the art historian Percy Brown, the painting tradition in India is ancient and the persuasive evidence are the oldest known murals at the Jogimara caves. The mention of chitra and related terms in the pre-Buddhist Vedic era texts, the chitra tradition is much older. It is very likely, states Brown, the pre-Buddhist structures had paintings in them. However, the primary building material in ancient India was wood, the colors were organic materials and natural pigments, which when combined with the tropical weather in India would naturally cause the painting to fade, damage and degrade over the centuries. It is not surprising, therefore, that sample paintings and historic evidence for chitra practice are unusual. The few notable surviving examples of chitra are found hidden in caves, where they would be naturally preserved a bit better, longer and would be somewhat protected from the destructive effects of wind, dust, water and biological processes.
Some notable, major surviving examples of historic paintings include:
Murals at Jogimara cave (eight panels of murals, with a Brahmi inscription, 2nd or 1st century BCE, Hindu), oldest known ceiling paintings in India in remote Ramgarh hills of northern Chhattisgarh, below on wall of this cave is a Brahmi inscription in Magadhi language about a girl named Devadasi and a boy named Devadina (either they were lovers and wrote a love-graffiti per one translation, or they were partners who together converted natural caves here into a theatre with painted walls per another translation)
Mural at Sitabhinji Group of Rock Shelters (c. 400 CE Ravanachhaya mural with an inscription, near a Shiva temple in remote Odisha, a non-religious painting), the oldest surviving example of a tempera painting in eastern states of India
Murals at Ajanta caves (Jataka tales, Buddhist), 5th-century CE, Maharashtra
Murals at Badami Cave Temples (Hindu), 6th-century CE, Karnataka (secular paintings along with one of the earliest known painting of a Hindu legend about Shiva and Parvati inside a Vaishnava cave)
Murals at Bagh caves (Hallisalasya dance, Buddhist or Hindu), Madhya Pradesh
Murals at Ellora caves (Flying vidyadharas, Jain), Maharashtra
Frescoes at Sittanavasal cave (Nature scenes likely representing places of Tirthankara sermons, Jain), Tamil Nadu
Frescoes at Thirunadhikkara cave temple (Flowers and a woman, likely a scene of puja offering to Ganesha, another of Vishnu, Hindu), Travancore region, Kerala-Tamil Nadu
Paintings at the Brihadisvara temple (Dancer, Hindu), Tamil Nadu
Manuscript paintings (numerous states such as Gujarat, Kashmir, Kerala, Odisha, Assam; also Nepal, Tibet; Buddhist, Jain, Hindu
Vijayanagara temples (Hindu), Karnataka
Chidambaram temple (Hindu), Tamil Nadu
Chitrachavadi (Hindu, a choultry–mandapa near Madurai with Ramayana frescoes)
Pahari paintings (Hindu), Himachal Pradesh and nearby regions
Rajput paintings (Hindu), Rajasthan
Deccan paintings (Hindu, Jain)
Kerala paintings (Hindu)
Telangana paintings (Hindu)
Mughal paintings (Indo-Islamic)
CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
Kalamkari (Hindu)
Pattas (Jain, Hindu)
WIKIPEDIA
Chitra, also spelled as Citra, is an Indian genre of art that includes painting, sketch and any art form of delineation. The earliest mention of the term Chitra in the context of painting or picture is found in some of the ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism and Pali texts of Buddhism
NOMENCLATURE
Chitra (IAST: Citra, चित्र) is a Sanskrit word that appears in the Vedic texts such as hymns 1.71.1 and 6.65.2 of the Rigveda. There, and other texts such as Vajasaneyi Samhita, Taittiriya Samhita, Satapatha Brahmana and Tandya Brahmana, Chitra means "excellent, clear, bright, colored, anything brightly colored that strikes the eye, brilliantly ornamented, extraordinary that evokes wonder". In the Mahabharata and the Harivamsa, it means "picture, sktech, dilineation", and is presented as a genre of kala (arts). Many texts generally dated to the post-4th-century BCE period, use the term Chitra in the sense of painting, and Chitrakara as a painter. For example, the Sanskrit grammarian Panini in verse 3.2.21 of his Astadhyayi highlights the word chitrakara in this sense. Halls and public spaces to display paintings are called chitrasalas, and the earliest known mention of these are found in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
A few Indian regional texts such as Kasyapa silpa refer to painting by others words. For example, abhasa – which literally means "semblance, shining forth", is used in Kasyapa-shilpa to mean as a broader category of painting, of which chitra is one of three types. The verses in section 4.4 of the Kasyapa-silpa state that there are three types of images – those which are immovable (walls, floor, terracota, stucco), movable, and those which are both movable-immovable (stone, wood, gems).[5] In each of these three, states Kasyapa-shipa, are three classes of expression – ardhacitra, citra, and citra-abhasa. Ardhacitra is an art form where a high relief is combined with painting and parts of the body is not seen (it appears to be emerging out of the canvas). The Citra is the form of picture artwork where the whole is represented with or without integrating a relief. Citrabhasha is the form where an image is represented on a canvas or wall with colors (painting). However, states Commaraswamy, the word Abhasa has other meanings depending on the context. For example, in Hindu texts on philosophy, it implies the "field of objective experience" in the sense of the intellectual image internalized by a person during a reading of a subject (such as an epic, tale or fiction), or one during a meditative spiritual experience.
In some Buddhist and Hindu texts on methods to prepare a manuscript (palm leaf) or a composition on a cloth, the terms lekhya and alekhya are also used in the context of a chitra. More specifically, alekhya is the space left while writing a manuscript leaf or cloth, where the artist aims to add a picture or painting to illustrate the text.
HISTORY
The earliest explicit reference to painting in an Indian text is found in verse 4.2 of the Maitri Upanishad where it uses the phrase citrabhittir or "like a painted wall". The Indian art of painting is also mention in a number of Buddhist Pali suttas, but with the modified spelling of Citta. This term is found in the context of either a painting, or painter, or painted-hall (citta-gara) in Majjhima Nikaya 1.127, Samyutta Nikaya 2.101 and 3.152, Vinaya 4.289 and others. Among the Jain texts, it is mentioned in Book 2 of the Acaranga Sutra as it explains that Jaina monk should not indulge in the pleasures of watching a painting.
The Kamasutra, broadly accepted to have been complete by about the 4th-century CE, recommends that the young man should surprise the girl he courts with gifts of color boxes and painted scrolls. The Viddhasalabhanjika – another Hindu kama- and kavya–text uses chitra-simile in verse 1.16, as "pictures painted by the god of love, with the brush of the mind and the canvas of the heart".
The nature of a chitra (painting), how the viewer's mind projects a two dimensional artwork into a three dimensional representation, is used by Asanga in Mahayana Sutralamkara – a 3rd to 5th-century Sanskrit text of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, to explain "non-existent imagination" as follows:
Just as in a picture painted according to rules, there are neither projections nor depressions and yet we see it in three dimensions, so in the non-existent imagination there is no phenomenal differentiation, and yet we behold it.
— Mahayana Sutralamkara 13.7, Translated in French by Sylvain Levi
According to Yoko Taniguchi and Michiyo Mori, the art of painting the caves at the c. 6th-century Buddhas of Bamiyan site in Afghanistan, destroyed by the Taliban Muslims in the late 1990s, were likely introduced to this region from India along with the literature on early Buddhism.
TEXTS
There are many important dedicated Indian treatises on chitra. Some of these are chapters within a larger encyclopedia-like text. These include:
Chitrasutras, chapters 35–43 within the Hindu text Vishnudharmottara Purana (the standard, and oft referred to text in the Indian tradition)
Chitralaksana of Nagnajit (a classic on classical painting, 5th-century CE or earlier making it the oldest known text on Indian painting; but the Sanskrit version has been lost, only version available is in Tibet and it states that it is a translation of a Sanskrit text)
Samarangana Sutradhara (mostly architecture treatise, contains a large section on paintings)
Aparajitaprccha (mostly architecture treatise, contains a large section on paintings)
Manasollasa (an encyclopedia, contains chapters on paintings)
Abhilashitartha chinatamani
Sivatatva ratnakara
Chitra Kaladruma
Silpa ratna
Narada silpa
Sarasvati silpa
Prajapati silpa
Kasyapa silpa
These and other texts on chitra not only discuss the theory and practice of painting, some of them include discussions on how to become a painter, the diversity and the impact of a chitra on viewers, of aesthetics, how the art of painting relates to other arts (kala), methods of preparing the canvas or wall, methods and recipes to make color pigments. For example, the 10th-century Chitra Kaladruma presents recipe for making red color paint from the resin of lac insects. Other colors for the historic frescoes found in India, such as those in the Ajanta Caves, were obtained from nature. They mention earthy and mineral (inorganic) colorants such as yellow and red ochre, orpigment, green celadonite and ultramarine blue (lapis lazuli). The use of organic colorants prepared per a recipe in these texts have been confirmed through residue analysis and modern chromatographic techniques.
THEORY
The Indian concepts of painting are described in a range of texts called the shilpa shastras. These typically begin by attributing this art to divine sources such as Vishvakarma and ancient rishis (sages) such as Narayana and Nagnajit, weaving some mythology, highlighting chitra as a means to express ideas and beauty along with other universal aspects, then proceed to discuss the theory and practice of painting, sketching and other related arts. Manuscripts of many these texts are found in India, while some are known to be lost but are found outside India such as in Tibet and Nepal. Among these are the Citrasutras in the 6th-century Visnudharmottara Purana manuscripts discovered in India, and the Citralaksana manuscript discovered in Tibet (lost in India). This theory include early Indian ideas on how to prepare a canvas or substrate, measurement, proportion, stance, color, shade, projection, the painting's interaction with light, the viewer, how to captivate the mind, and other ideas.
According to the historic Indian tradition, a successful and impactful painting and painter requires a knowledge of the subject – either mythology or real life, as well as a keen sense of observation and knowledge of nature, human behavior, dance, music, song and other arts. For example, section 3.2 of Visnudharmottara Purana discusses these requirements and the contextual knowledge needed in chitra and the artist who produces it. The Chitrasutras in the Vishnudharmottara Purana state that the sculpture and painting arts are related, with the phrase "as in Natya, so in Citra". This relationship links them in rasa (aesthetics) and as forms of expression.
THE PAINTING
A chitra is a form of expression and communication. According to Aparajitaprccha – a 12th-century text on arts and architecture, just like the water reflects the moon, a chitra reflects the world. It is a rupa (form) of how the painter sees or what the painter wants the viewer to observe or feel or experience.
A good painting is one that is alive, breathing, draws in and affects the viewer. It captivates the minds of viewers, despite their diversity. Installed in a sala (hall or room), it enlivens the space.
The ornaments of a painting are its lines, shading, decoration and colors, states the 6th-century Visnudharmottara Purana. It states that there are eight gunas (merits, features) of a chitra that the artist must focus on: posture; proportion; the use of the plumb line; charm; detail (how much and where); verisimilitude; kshaya (loss, foreshortening) and; vrddhi (gain). Among the dosas (demerits, faults) of a painting and related arts, states Chitrasutra, are lines that are weak or thick, absence of variety, errors in scale (oversized eyes, lips, cheeks), inconsistency across the canvas, deviations from the rules of proportion, improper posture or sentiment, and non-merging of colors.
LIMBS OF THE PAINTING
Two historical sets called "chitra anga", or "limbs of painting" are found in Indian texts. According to the Samarangana Sutradhara – an 11th-century Sanskrit text on Hindu architecture and arts, a painting has eight limbs:
Vartika – manufacture of brushes
Bhumibandhana – preparation of base, plaster, canvas
Rekhakarma – sketching
Varnakarma – coloring
Vartanakarma – shading
lekhakarana – outlining
Dvikakarma – second and final lining
Lepyakarma – final coating
According to Yashodhara's Jayamangala, a Sanskrit commentary on Kamasutra, there are sadanga (six limbs)[note 5] in the art of alekhyam and chitra (drawing and painting):
Rupa-bhedah, or form distinction; this requires a knowledge of characteristic marks, diversity, manifested forms that distinguish states of something in the same genus/class
Pramanani, or measure; requires knowledge of measurement and proportion rules (talamana)
Bhava yojanam, or emotion and its joining with other parts of the painting; requires understanding and representing the mood of the subject
Lavanya yojanam, or rasa, charm; requires understanding and representing the inner qualities of the subject
Sadrsyam, or resemblance; requires knowledge of visual correspondence across the canvas
Varnika-bhanga or color-pigment-analysis; requires knowledge how colors distribute on the canvas and how they visually impact the viewer.
These six limbs are arranged stylistically in two ways. First as a set of compound (Rupa-bhedah and Varnika-bhanda), a set of joining (middle two yojnam), and a set of single words (Pramanani and Sadrsyam). Second, states Victor Mair, the six limbs in this Hindu text are paired in a set of differentiation skills (first two), then a pair of aesthetic skills, and finally a pair of technical skills. These limbs parallel the 12th-century Six principles of Chinese painting of Xie He. {refn|group=note|The Hua Chi of Teng Ch'un, a 12th-century Chinese text, mentions the Buddhist temple of Nalanda with frescoes about the Buddha painted inside. It states that the Indian Buddhas look different from those painted by Chinese, as the Indian paintings have Buddha with larger eyes, their ears are curiously stretched and the Buddhas have their right shoulder bare. It then states that the artists first make a drawing of the picture, then paint a vermilion or gold colored base. It also mentions the use of ox-glue and a gum produced from peach trees and willow juice, with the artists preferring the latter. According to Coomaraswamy, the ox-glue in the Indian context mentioned in the Chinese text is probably the same as the recipe found in the Sanskrit text Silparatna, one where the base medium is produced from boiling buffalo skin in milk, followed by drying and blending process.
The six limbs in Jayamangala likely reflect the earliest and more established Hindu tradition for chitra. This is supported by the Chitrasutras found in the Vishnudharmottara Purana. They explicitly mention pramanani and lavanya as key elements of a painting, as well as discuss the other four of the six limbs in other sutras. The Chitrasutra chapters are likely from about the 4th or 5th-century. Numerous other Indian texts touch upon the elements or aspects of a chitra. For example, the Aparajitaprccha states that the essential elements of a painting are: citrabhumi (background), the rekha (lines, sketch), the varna (color), the vartana (shading), the bhusana (decoration) and the rasa (aesthetic experience).
THE PAINTER
The painter (chitrakara, rupakara) must master the fundamentals of measurement and proportions, state the historic chitra texts of India. According to these historic texts, the expert painter masters the skills in measurement, characteristics of subjects, attributes, form, relative proportion, ornament and beauty, states Isabella Nardi – a scholar known for her studies on chitra text and traditions of India. According to the Chitrasutras, a skilled painter needs practice, and is one who is able to paint neck, hands, feet, ears of living beings without ornamentation, as well as paint water waves, flames, smoke, and garments as they get affected by the speed of wind. He paints all types of scenes, ranging from dharma, artha and kama. A painter observes, then remembers, repeating this process till his memory has all the details he needs to paint, states Silparatna. According to Sivatattva Ratnakara, he is well versed in sketching, astute with measurements, skilled in outlining (hastalekha), competent with colors, and ready to diligently mix and combine colors to create his chitra. The painter is a creative person, with an inner sense of rasa (aesthetics).
THE VIEWER
The painter should consider the diversity of viewers, states the Indian tradition of chitra. The experts and critics with much experience with paintings study the lines, shading and aesthetics, the uninitiated visitors and children enjoy the vibrancy of colors, while women tend to be attracted to the ornamentation of form and the emotions. A successful painter tends to captivate a variety of minds. A painter should remember that the visual and aesthetic impact of a painting triggers different responses in different audiences.
The Silparatna – a Sanskrit text on the arts, states that the painting should reflect its intended place and purpose. A theme suitable for a palace or gateway is different from that in a temple or the walls of a home. Scenes of wars, misery, death and suffering are not suitable paintings within homes, but these can be important in a chitrasala (museum with paintings). Auspicious paintings with beautiful colors such as those that cheer and enliven a room are better for homes, states Silparatna.
PRACITICE
According to the art historian Percy Brown, the painting tradition in India is ancient and the persuasive evidence are the oldest known murals at the Jogimara caves. The mention of chitra and related terms in the pre-Buddhist Vedic era texts, the chitra tradition is much older. It is very likely, states Brown, the pre-Buddhist structures had paintings in them. However, the primary building material in ancient India was wood, the colors were organic materials and natural pigments, which when combined with the tropical weather in India would naturally cause the painting to fade, damage and degrade over the centuries. It is not surprising, therefore, that sample paintings and historic evidence for chitra practice are unusual. The few notable surviving examples of chitra are found hidden in caves, where they would be naturally preserved a bit better, longer and would be somewhat protected from the destructive effects of wind, dust, water and biological processes.
Some notable, major surviving examples of historic paintings include:
Murals at Jogimara cave (eight panels of murals, with a Brahmi inscription, 2nd or 1st century BCE, Hindu), oldest known ceiling paintings in India in remote Ramgarh hills of northern Chhattisgarh, below on wall of this cave is a Brahmi inscription in Magadhi language about a girl named Devadasi and a boy named Devadina (either they were lovers and wrote a love-graffiti per one translation, or they were partners who together converted natural caves here into a theatre with painted walls per another translation)
Mural at Sitabhinji Group of Rock Shelters (c. 400 CE Ravanachhaya mural with an inscription, near a Shiva temple in remote Odisha, a non-religious painting), the oldest surviving example of a tempera painting in eastern states of India
Murals at Ajanta caves (Jataka tales, Buddhist), 5th-century CE, Maharashtra
Murals at Badami Cave Temples (Hindu), 6th-century CE, Karnataka (secular paintings along with one of the earliest known painting of a Hindu legend about Shiva and Parvati inside a Vaishnava cave)
Murals at Bagh caves (Hallisalasya dance, Buddhist or Hindu), Madhya Pradesh
Murals at Ellora caves (Flying vidyadharas, Jain), Maharashtra
Frescoes at Sittanavasal cave (Nature scenes likely representing places of Tirthankara sermons, Jain), Tamil Nadu
Frescoes at Thirunadhikkara cave temple (Flowers and a woman, likely a scene of puja offering to Ganesha, another of Vishnu, Hindu), Travancore region, Kerala-Tamil Nadu
Paintings at the Brihadisvara temple (Dancer, Hindu), Tamil Nadu
Manuscript paintings (numerous states such as Gujarat, Kashmir, Kerala, Odisha, Assam; also Nepal, Tibet; Buddhist, Jain, Hindu
Vijayanagara temples (Hindu), Karnataka
Chidambaram temple (Hindu), Tamil Nadu
Chitrachavadi (Hindu, a choultry–mandapa near Madurai with Ramayana frescoes)
Pahari paintings (Hindu), Himachal Pradesh and nearby regions
Rajput paintings (Hindu), Rajasthan
Deccan paintings (Hindu, Jain)
Kerala paintings (Hindu)
Telangana paintings (Hindu)
Mughal paintings (Indo-Islamic)
CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
Kalamkari (Hindu)
Pattas (Jain, Hindu)
WIKIPEDIA
Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y.
Major: Asian and Middle Eastern Studies modified with Economics
Despite not receiving her first passport until her senior year of high school, Colleen O’Connor has gone abroad seven times for extended periods of research, work, and study since coming to Dartmouth. As a Stamps Scholar, O’Connor has spent the past two years working to use entrepreneurship as a vehicle for female empowerment within indigenous communities in South America and East Asia, for which she was named the 2018 Undergraduate Catalyst for Change by the American Association for University Women. On campus, O’Connor is president of Women in Business, the undergraduate adviser for the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network, and a Senior Admissions Fellow. She has truly embraced the “One Dartmouth” spirit by pursuing a minor in human centered design at Thayer School of Engineering and working as a Paganucci Fellow and Onsite Global Consultant with the Tuck School of Business. O’Connor also graduates as a salutatorian of the Class of 2019.
Favorite Place: Baker Tower
“Sitting on the Green my first night on campus and looking up at the glow of Baker Tower was a visceral experience and the first time I really internalized the fact that this beautiful campus that I’d seen in admissions brochures was now a place I could call home. These past four years, climbing the tower during big weekends to enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding area or simply passing Baker on my way to class always reminded me of just how lucky I am to be part of the Dartmouth community.”
The Death of Cleopatra (1876) by Edmonia Lewis, leading black female artist of the nineteenth-century, inspires discussion of race and sex in America. The Death of Cleopatra by Edmonia Lewis is a neoclassical sculpture that portrays the moment following the Egyptian queen’s suicide. It was the only major work of art displayed by an African American at the 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia and therefore subject of much critical attention. Sadly, within a few years after its first public appearance in Philadelphia, the statue was thought lost until its acquisition and restoration by the National Museum of American History in the 1990s.
Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876
The Death of Cleopatra was first exhibited at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876 in Memorial Hall, an opulent glass and iron structure that boasted 75,000 square feet of space for paintings and 20,000 square feet for sculptures. Of the 673 sculptors exhibiting at the Exposition, Lewis was the only African American.
Edmonia Lewis’s unique status as the only internationally recognized African American woman artist of the nineteenth-century attracted both positive attention and scrutiny. In its review of the sculpture, the African American weekly publication, The People’s Advocate , commented that Cleopatra “excites more admiration and gathers larger crowds around it than any other work of art in the vast collection of Memorial Hall” (Woods, 67). The Depiction of Race and Sex in Cleopatra
Much of the attention and controversy over Lewis’s sculpture centered upon nineteenth-century attitudes regarding race and sexuality. Cleopatra’s race was subject of debate in art, literature, and scholarship. Artistic presentations and discussions of a black Cleopatra in the United States evoked popular images of women of mixed racial ancestry as defined by an abusively racist culture. The black Cleopatra could therefore signify internal conflict, exotic beauty, and sexual availability. On the other hand, abolitionists promoted the idea of a black Cleopatra as symbolic of the nobility of African civilization and the worth of its people.
Lewis’ portrayal of Cleopatra is often compared to that of William Wetmore Story, another American sculptor in Rome with strong abolitionist ties. Edmonia Lewis was undoubtedly aware of Story’s portrayal of Cleopatra as black and of the abolitionist celebration of this image, but she chose to model her Cleopatra after classical images portraying the iconic queen with classically Greek features. Critics have debated whether this was indicative of Lewis’s internalized racism or simply an example of her loyalty to the formalism of the neoclassical sculptural tradition. Critics also note that in contrast to Story’s sculpture of a queen contemplating her suicide, Lewis shows Cleopatra after the act is accomplished. The popular Victorian conception of Cleopatra was far more sexualized goddess than historical figure. Lewis’s decision to portray Cleopatra in death challenges masculine consumption of her as a sex object and may be read as representative of those women who literally chose death over the risk or continuation of slavery and sexual violence. As such, Lewis’s Cleopatra offers commentary on the African monarch’s agency, if only in death, and serves as a rebuke against the sexual exploitation of women under systems of American slavery and European imperialism.
Loss and Restoration of Cleopatra
Lewis displayed The Death of Cleopatra at the Chicago Interstate Industrial Exposition of 1878. The sculpture found an unlikely buyer in “Blind John” Condon, a racetrack owner desiring a memorial for his favorite horse, Cleopatra. The statue served this purpose for many years until the racetrack was closed and the statue was moved to a salvage yard near Forest Park, Illinois. During this time, the art world thought the statue lost. In the mid-1970s a fire inspector found the statue and gave it to the Forest Park Historical Society which in turn donated it to the National Museum of American Art. After significant restoration, the National Museum of American Art put The Death of Cleopatra on display to the public in 1996.
Washington Area Spark contributor and photographer Sue Reading poses in front of the Regional Addiction Prevention (RAP) treatment facility at 1904 T Street NW sometime in 1973.
Ronald C. Clark, a co-founder of the RAP “pioneered a therapeutic approach to addiction aimed not just at detoxing the body but also the mind,” according to the Washington Post,
Clark was a bass player in the Charles Mingus band when addiction derailed his music career. After going through the Synanon treatment facility, he came to Washington, D.C. and never left.
The Post wrote upon his death in May 2019, “Many of his clients were African Americans, and he wanted to help them rid themselves of the poisonous effects of racism —the inferiority complexes, the low self-esteem, internalized oppression and self-hatred.”
“In a residential treatment setting that could last more than a year, patients studied African and African American history. Jazz musicians, black poets and artists performed and participated in group therapy sessions. Recovering addicts received nutrition counseling, reading lessons and job-skills training.”
The vintage Montgomery Spark wrote in 1971:
“The center’s approach is radically different from other ‘addict rehabilitation centers’ in the area. RAP operates as a collective, with staff and residents making decisions together.”
“RAP’s left-wing analysis of the heroin plague has led to attacks on the organization from reactionary elements who seek to capitalize on an addict’s plight through methadone maintenance or other exploitive methods.”
“RAP’s ‘success rate,’ as government authorities call it, has been remarkably higher than other types of treatment. This is probably because RAP’s residents learn that the root of the heroin problem lies in society’s illnesses, and by knowing this, the individual can better realize how to cope with their problems.”
Early counselors included radicals like Montgomery County’s John Dillingham that were supporters of the Black Panther Party.
RAP initially offered outpatient services before opening a residential facility at 1904 T Street NW in July 1970 and moved into the Willard Street property in 1973 when they were offered the facility for $1 in rent. They later opened other facilities in the District and Maryland.
Part of the program for the live-in treatment facility was community service. RAP organized to give out free vegetables and clothes, information on legal aid, welfare rights and where to find medical attention.
They worked to clean up the neighborhood around their facilities and ran workshops for the community called “survival teaching.”
RAP vigorously opposed the methadone as a drug that produced “Zombies” instead of instilling self-reliance.
Connie Clark, a co-director of RAP, said in a 1972 Washington Post interview, “Authorities like it because it cuts down on crime and makes people docile—easy to control. But all the same it addictive and babies born to methadone-taking mothers are addicts and persons on the drug are never free to think for themselves.”
RAP struggled financially in its first years of existence, holding benefits throughout the city to keep the facility functioning. Later grants from the city and private-pay residents would help to sustain it.
RAP adapted its treatment through the years as one drug epidemic after another swept through the city—heroin, crack, PCP, fentanyl—and everything in between, including alcoholism.
Nearly 50 years after opening, RAP describes itself, “RAP's overarching mission is to promote and enhance human health - physically, spiritually, emotionally and socially. Individualized intensive and comprehensive assessment and case management guarantee an all-inclusive care plan.”
“RAP, Inc. has served the Washington metropolitan area since 1970. We base our treatment approach on cultural values, respecting and supporting all individuals and their communities and recognizing that a client’s culture is an inseparable part of his or her self-image.”
“Teaching from the work of giants such as Malcom X, Frederick Douglass, and Maya Angelou who are models of recovery and overcoming abuse, we motivate clients to embrace the possibilities for their own sobriety.”
For more information and related images, see flic.kr/s/aHsmJB3Fvr
Photo by Reading/Simpson
(http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=47124)
NEW YORK, NY.- Madison Square Park Conservancy’s Mad. Sq. Art presents the New York public art premiere of internationally acclaimed artist Jaume Plensa, featuring a new monumental, site-specific sculpture for Madison Square Park. Plensa’s Echo marks the single largest monolithic work of art presented in the 7-year history of Mad. Sq. Art, on view May 5 through mid- August 2011.
Echo, Plensaʼs new site-specific installation serves as a monument to everyday people, both within and without Madison Square Park. Creatively inspired by the presence of the 9-year old daughter of a restaurant proprietor near Plensaʼs home in Barcelona, the 44-feet tall sculpture comprised of white fiberglass resin depicts the face of this inspiring young girl in a dream state from the neck, up. Plensaʼs sculpture, made from marble gel-coated fiberglass-reinforced plastic, can be sited on the central Oval Lawn of Madison Square Park. Its monumental size and vertical orientation reflect the parkʼs surrounding architecture, while the visage of the sculptorʼs subject exudes a welcoming tranquility perfectly suited to this cherished urban oasis.
Drawing inspiration from the presence of a real person in real time, Plensaʼs monumental sculpture also references the myth of the Greek nymph Echo. According to Greek mythology, Echo was a nymph, who loved her own voice until it was later taken. From that point forward the legend tells of Echo being able to utter the thoughts of others but not her own. Jaume Plensaʼs Echo plays on the tale of this Greek myth, creating a sculpture of massive scale drawing parallels to the Greek Echoʼs origins as a mountain nymph. The reference is carried further by the artistʼs decision to depict the young 9-year old girlʼs face in a dream state, translating this massive sculptural portrait into a physical monument of all the voices and thoughts of others internalized by Madison Square Park as by the nymph in the myth of Echo.
Artist Jaume Plensa comments: Echo is the representation of the head of a young girl in a dream state. If in the myth of the nymph Echo, she was forced by the goddess to repeat the words uttered by others, in my project, the head becomes a mirror in where people can see themselves. With this work I aim to introduce quietness and serenity in Madison Square Park, to transform the Park further into a place to rest and dream. With Echo, I aim to create a new intimate place in the heart of NY, in where we can finally repeat the real words of our souls.”
“The Madison Square Park Conservancy is thrilled to present the New York City public art debut of Jaume Plensa, an artist who has contributed so much to the field of contemporary art in cities all around the world,” said Debbie Landau, President of the Madison Square Park Conservancy. “Jaume is an extraordinary artist and an incredibly compassionate person, qualities which are reflected in works of art that poetically bridge the boundaries between many different nationalities and cultures. Madison Square Park is a cherished public space at the heart of a culturally diverse city, making it the ideal home for the monumental and celebratory Echo, which itself is a perfect reflection of the vibrancy, vitality and optimism of New York City.”
Jaume Plensa, born and based in Barcelona, is one of the worldʼs leading contemporary sculptors. Working in a wide variety of materials, Plensa has invigorated the practice of figurative sculpture with works that examine the intersection of the human form, language and communication, and global citizenship. He was made a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 1993, among many other honors. His public art installations are particularly renowned, and include the legendary Crown Fountain in Chicagoʼs Millennium Park. Plensaʼs 2011 commission for Madison Square Park constitutes his long-awaited New York City public art debut.
Plensa is represented in New York by Galerie Lelong and in Chicago by Richard Gray Gallery.
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
Chitra, also spelled as Citra, is an Indian genre of art that includes painting, sketch and any art form of delineation. The earliest mention of the term Chitra in the context of painting or picture is found in some of the ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism and Pali texts of Buddhism
NOMENCLATURE
Chitra (IAST: Citra, चित्र) is a Sanskrit word that appears in the Vedic texts such as hymns 1.71.1 and 6.65.2 of the Rigveda. There, and other texts such as Vajasaneyi Samhita, Taittiriya Samhita, Satapatha Brahmana and Tandya Brahmana, Chitra means "excellent, clear, bright, colored, anything brightly colored that strikes the eye, brilliantly ornamented, extraordinary that evokes wonder". In the Mahabharata and the Harivamsa, it means "picture, sktech, dilineation", and is presented as a genre of kala (arts). Many texts generally dated to the post-4th-century BCE period, use the term Chitra in the sense of painting, and Chitrakara as a painter. For example, the Sanskrit grammarian Panini in verse 3.2.21 of his Astadhyayi highlights the word chitrakara in this sense. Halls and public spaces to display paintings are called chitrasalas, and the earliest known mention of these are found in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
A few Indian regional texts such as Kasyapa silpa refer to painting by others words. For example, abhasa – which literally means "semblance, shining forth", is used in Kasyapa-shilpa to mean as a broader category of painting, of which chitra is one of three types. The verses in section 4.4 of the Kasyapa-silpa state that there are three types of images – those which are immovable (walls, floor, terracota, stucco), movable, and those which are both movable-immovable (stone, wood, gems).[5] In each of these three, states Kasyapa-shipa, are three classes of expression – ardhacitra, citra, and citra-abhasa. Ardhacitra is an art form where a high relief is combined with painting and parts of the body is not seen (it appears to be emerging out of the canvas). The Citra is the form of picture artwork where the whole is represented with or without integrating a relief. Citrabhasha is the form where an image is represented on a canvas or wall with colors (painting). However, states Commaraswamy, the word Abhasa has other meanings depending on the context. For example, in Hindu texts on philosophy, it implies the "field of objective experience" in the sense of the intellectual image internalized by a person during a reading of a subject (such as an epic, tale or fiction), or one during a meditative spiritual experience.
In some Buddhist and Hindu texts on methods to prepare a manuscript (palm leaf) or a composition on a cloth, the terms lekhya and alekhya are also used in the context of a chitra. More specifically, alekhya is the space left while writing a manuscript leaf or cloth, where the artist aims to add a picture or painting to illustrate the text.
HISTORY
The earliest explicit reference to painting in an Indian text is found in verse 4.2 of the Maitri Upanishad where it uses the phrase citrabhittir or "like a painted wall". The Indian art of painting is also mention in a number of Buddhist Pali suttas, but with the modified spelling of Citta. This term is found in the context of either a painting, or painter, or painted-hall (citta-gara) in Majjhima Nikaya 1.127, Samyutta Nikaya 2.101 and 3.152, Vinaya 4.289 and others. Among the Jain texts, it is mentioned in Book 2 of the Acaranga Sutra as it explains that Jaina monk should not indulge in the pleasures of watching a painting.
The Kamasutra, broadly accepted to have been complete by about the 4th-century CE, recommends that the young man should surprise the girl he courts with gifts of color boxes and painted scrolls. The Viddhasalabhanjika – another Hindu kama- and kavya–text uses chitra-simile in verse 1.16, as "pictures painted by the god of love, with the brush of the mind and the canvas of the heart".
The nature of a chitra (painting), how the viewer's mind projects a two dimensional artwork into a three dimensional representation, is used by Asanga in Mahayana Sutralamkara – a 3rd to 5th-century Sanskrit text of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, to explain "non-existent imagination" as follows:
Just as in a picture painted according to rules, there are neither projections nor depressions and yet we see it in three dimensions, so in the non-existent imagination there is no phenomenal differentiation, and yet we behold it.
— Mahayana Sutralamkara 13.7, Translated in French by Sylvain Levi
According to Yoko Taniguchi and Michiyo Mori, the art of painting the caves at the c. 6th-century Buddhas of Bamiyan site in Afghanistan, destroyed by the Taliban Muslims in the late 1990s, were likely introduced to this region from India along with the literature on early Buddhism.
TEXTS
There are many important dedicated Indian treatises on chitra. Some of these are chapters within a larger encyclopedia-like text. These include:
Chitrasutras, chapters 35–43 within the Hindu text Vishnudharmottara Purana (the standard, and oft referred to text in the Indian tradition)
Chitralaksana of Nagnajit (a classic on classical painting, 5th-century CE or earlier making it the oldest known text on Indian painting; but the Sanskrit version has been lost, only version available is in Tibet and it states that it is a translation of a Sanskrit text)
Samarangana Sutradhara (mostly architecture treatise, contains a large section on paintings)
Aparajitaprccha (mostly architecture treatise, contains a large section on paintings)
Manasollasa (an encyclopedia, contains chapters on paintings)
Abhilashitartha chinatamani
Sivatatva ratnakara
Chitra Kaladruma
Silpa ratna
Narada silpa
Sarasvati silpa
Prajapati silpa
Kasyapa silpa
These and other texts on chitra not only discuss the theory and practice of painting, some of them include discussions on how to become a painter, the diversity and the impact of a chitra on viewers, of aesthetics, how the art of painting relates to other arts (kala), methods of preparing the canvas or wall, methods and recipes to make color pigments. For example, the 10th-century Chitra Kaladruma presents recipe for making red color paint from the resin of lac insects. Other colors for the historic frescoes found in India, such as those in the Ajanta Caves, were obtained from nature. They mention earthy and mineral (inorganic) colorants such as yellow and red ochre, orpigment, green celadonite and ultramarine blue (lapis lazuli). The use of organic colorants prepared per a recipe in these texts have been confirmed through residue analysis and modern chromatographic techniques.
THEORY
The Indian concepts of painting are described in a range of texts called the shilpa shastras. These typically begin by attributing this art to divine sources such as Vishvakarma and ancient rishis (sages) such as Narayana and Nagnajit, weaving some mythology, highlighting chitra as a means to express ideas and beauty along with other universal aspects, then proceed to discuss the theory and practice of painting, sketching and other related arts. Manuscripts of many these texts are found in India, while some are known to be lost but are found outside India such as in Tibet and Nepal. Among these are the Citrasutras in the 6th-century Visnudharmottara Purana manuscripts discovered in India, and the Citralaksana manuscript discovered in Tibet (lost in India). This theory include early Indian ideas on how to prepare a canvas or substrate, measurement, proportion, stance, color, shade, projection, the painting's interaction with light, the viewer, how to captivate the mind, and other ideas.
According to the historic Indian tradition, a successful and impactful painting and painter requires a knowledge of the subject – either mythology or real life, as well as a keen sense of observation and knowledge of nature, human behavior, dance, music, song and other arts. For example, section 3.2 of Visnudharmottara Purana discusses these requirements and the contextual knowledge needed in chitra and the artist who produces it. The Chitrasutras in the Vishnudharmottara Purana state that the sculpture and painting arts are related, with the phrase "as in Natya, so in Citra". This relationship links them in rasa (aesthetics) and as forms of expression.
THE PAINTING
A chitra is a form of expression and communication. According to Aparajitaprccha – a 12th-century text on arts and architecture, just like the water reflects the moon, a chitra reflects the world. It is a rupa (form) of how the painter sees or what the painter wants the viewer to observe or feel or experience.
A good painting is one that is alive, breathing, draws in and affects the viewer. It captivates the minds of viewers, despite their diversity. Installed in a sala (hall or room), it enlivens the space.
The ornaments of a painting are its lines, shading, decoration and colors, states the 6th-century Visnudharmottara Purana. It states that there are eight gunas (merits, features) of a chitra that the artist must focus on: posture; proportion; the use of the plumb line; charm; detail (how much and where); verisimilitude; kshaya (loss, foreshortening) and; vrddhi (gain). Among the dosas (demerits, faults) of a painting and related arts, states Chitrasutra, are lines that are weak or thick, absence of variety, errors in scale (oversized eyes, lips, cheeks), inconsistency across the canvas, deviations from the rules of proportion, improper posture or sentiment, and non-merging of colors.
LIMBS OF THE PAINTING
Two historical sets called "chitra anga", or "limbs of painting" are found in Indian texts. According to the Samarangana Sutradhara – an 11th-century Sanskrit text on Hindu architecture and arts, a painting has eight limbs:
Vartika – manufacture of brushes
Bhumibandhana – preparation of base, plaster, canvas
Rekhakarma – sketching
Varnakarma – coloring
Vartanakarma – shading
lekhakarana – outlining
Dvikakarma – second and final lining
Lepyakarma – final coating
According to Yashodhara's Jayamangala, a Sanskrit commentary on Kamasutra, there are sadanga (six limbs)[note 5] in the art of alekhyam and chitra (drawing and painting):
Rupa-bhedah, or form distinction; this requires a knowledge of characteristic marks, diversity, manifested forms that distinguish states of something in the same genus/class
Pramanani, or measure; requires knowledge of measurement and proportion rules (talamana)
Bhava yojanam, or emotion and its joining with other parts of the painting; requires understanding and representing the mood of the subject
Lavanya yojanam, or rasa, charm; requires understanding and representing the inner qualities of the subject
Sadrsyam, or resemblance; requires knowledge of visual correspondence across the canvas
Varnika-bhanga or color-pigment-analysis; requires knowledge how colors distribute on the canvas and how they visually impact the viewer.
These six limbs are arranged stylistically in two ways. First as a set of compound (Rupa-bhedah and Varnika-bhanda), a set of joining (middle two yojnam), and a set of single words (Pramanani and Sadrsyam). Second, states Victor Mair, the six limbs in this Hindu text are paired in a set of differentiation skills (first two), then a pair of aesthetic skills, and finally a pair of technical skills. These limbs parallel the 12th-century Six principles of Chinese painting of Xie He. {refn|group=note|The Hua Chi of Teng Ch'un, a 12th-century Chinese text, mentions the Buddhist temple of Nalanda with frescoes about the Buddha painted inside. It states that the Indian Buddhas look different from those painted by Chinese, as the Indian paintings have Buddha with larger eyes, their ears are curiously stretched and the Buddhas have their right shoulder bare. It then states that the artists first make a drawing of the picture, then paint a vermilion or gold colored base. It also mentions the use of ox-glue and a gum produced from peach trees and willow juice, with the artists preferring the latter. According to Coomaraswamy, the ox-glue in the Indian context mentioned in the Chinese text is probably the same as the recipe found in the Sanskrit text Silparatna, one where the base medium is produced from boiling buffalo skin in milk, followed by drying and blending process.
The six limbs in Jayamangala likely reflect the earliest and more established Hindu tradition for chitra. This is supported by the Chitrasutras found in the Vishnudharmottara Purana. They explicitly mention pramanani and lavanya as key elements of a painting, as well as discuss the other four of the six limbs in other sutras. The Chitrasutra chapters are likely from about the 4th or 5th-century. Numerous other Indian texts touch upon the elements or aspects of a chitra. For example, the Aparajitaprccha states that the essential elements of a painting are: citrabhumi (background), the rekha (lines, sketch), the varna (color), the vartana (shading), the bhusana (decoration) and the rasa (aesthetic experience).
THE PAINTER
The painter (chitrakara, rupakara) must master the fundamentals of measurement and proportions, state the historic chitra texts of India. According to these historic texts, the expert painter masters the skills in measurement, characteristics of subjects, attributes, form, relative proportion, ornament and beauty, states Isabella Nardi – a scholar known for her studies on chitra text and traditions of India. According to the Chitrasutras, a skilled painter needs practice, and is one who is able to paint neck, hands, feet, ears of living beings without ornamentation, as well as paint water waves, flames, smoke, and garments as they get affected by the speed of wind. He paints all types of scenes, ranging from dharma, artha and kama. A painter observes, then remembers, repeating this process till his memory has all the details he needs to paint, states Silparatna. According to Sivatattva Ratnakara, he is well versed in sketching, astute with measurements, skilled in outlining (hastalekha), competent with colors, and ready to diligently mix and combine colors to create his chitra. The painter is a creative person, with an inner sense of rasa (aesthetics).
THE VIEWER
The painter should consider the diversity of viewers, states the Indian tradition of chitra. The experts and critics with much experience with paintings study the lines, shading and aesthetics, the uninitiated visitors and children enjoy the vibrancy of colors, while women tend to be attracted to the ornamentation of form and the emotions. A successful painter tends to captivate a variety of minds. A painter should remember that the visual and aesthetic impact of a painting triggers different responses in different audiences.
The Silparatna – a Sanskrit text on the arts, states that the painting should reflect its intended place and purpose. A theme suitable for a palace or gateway is different from that in a temple or the walls of a home. Scenes of wars, misery, death and suffering are not suitable paintings within homes, but these can be important in a chitrasala (museum with paintings). Auspicious paintings with beautiful colors such as those that cheer and enliven a room are better for homes, states Silparatna.
PRACITICE
According to the art historian Percy Brown, the painting tradition in India is ancient and the persuasive evidence are the oldest known murals at the Jogimara caves. The mention of chitra and related terms in the pre-Buddhist Vedic era texts, the chitra tradition is much older. It is very likely, states Brown, the pre-Buddhist structures had paintings in them. However, the primary building material in ancient India was wood, the colors were organic materials and natural pigments, which when combined with the tropical weather in India would naturally cause the painting to fade, damage and degrade over the centuries. It is not surprising, therefore, that sample paintings and historic evidence for chitra practice are unusual. The few notable surviving examples of chitra are found hidden in caves, where they would be naturally preserved a bit better, longer and would be somewhat protected from the destructive effects of wind, dust, water and biological processes.
Some notable, major surviving examples of historic paintings include:
Murals at Jogimara cave (eight panels of murals, with a Brahmi inscription, 2nd or 1st century BCE, Hindu), oldest known ceiling paintings in India in remote Ramgarh hills of northern Chhattisgarh, below on wall of this cave is a Brahmi inscription in Magadhi language about a girl named Devadasi and a boy named Devadina (either they were lovers and wrote a love-graffiti per one translation, or they were partners who together converted natural caves here into a theatre with painted walls per another translation)
Mural at Sitabhinji Group of Rock Shelters (c. 400 CE Ravanachhaya mural with an inscription, near a Shiva temple in remote Odisha, a non-religious painting), the oldest surviving example of a tempera painting in eastern states of India
Murals at Ajanta caves (Jataka tales, Buddhist), 5th-century CE, Maharashtra
Murals at Badami Cave Temples (Hindu), 6th-century CE, Karnataka (secular paintings along with one of the earliest known painting of a Hindu legend about Shiva and Parvati inside a Vaishnava cave)
Murals at Bagh caves (Hallisalasya dance, Buddhist or Hindu), Madhya Pradesh
Murals at Ellora caves (Flying vidyadharas, Jain), Maharashtra
Frescoes at Sittanavasal cave (Nature scenes likely representing places of Tirthankara sermons, Jain), Tamil Nadu
Frescoes at Thirunadhikkara cave temple (Flowers and a woman, likely a scene of puja offering to Ganesha, another of Vishnu, Hindu), Travancore region, Kerala-Tamil Nadu
Paintings at the Brihadisvara temple (Dancer, Hindu), Tamil Nadu
Manuscript paintings (numerous states such as Gujarat, Kashmir, Kerala, Odisha, Assam; also Nepal, Tibet; Buddhist, Jain, Hindu
Vijayanagara temples (Hindu), Karnataka
Chidambaram temple (Hindu), Tamil Nadu
Chitrachavadi (Hindu, a choultry–mandapa near Madurai with Ramayana frescoes)
Pahari paintings (Hindu), Himachal Pradesh and nearby regions
Rajput paintings (Hindu), Rajasthan
Deccan paintings (Hindu, Jain)
Kerala paintings (Hindu)
Telangana paintings (Hindu)
Mughal paintings (Indo-Islamic)
CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
Kalamkari (Hindu)
Pattas (Jain, Hindu)
WIKIPEDIA
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
....Right across from Leo's stall was a designer new to me. I asked the doll to say Cheese and......this is what I got.
Note: Muchas Gracias, Mr Designer . You made me laugh. I was still in internalized panic mode from all the sensory overload, euphoria, and adrenaline from my 1st BlytheCon.
Gary Clark Jr.
Magazzini Generali - Milano
23 Maggio 2014
ph © Mairo Cinquetti
o sum up Gary Clark Jr. is more challenging every day. He’s a musical universe unto himself, expanding at a nearly immeasurable rate, ever more hard to define — as a mind-blowing guitarist, a dazzling songwriter and engagingly soulful singer.
With his debut album Blak And Blu he has just become the first artist ever recognized by the Recording Academy with Grammy Award nominations in both the rock and R&B categories for the same album in the same year, winning the latter: Best Traditional R&B Performance” - “Please Come Home” (from the album Blak And Blu). And the day after claiming those honors he provided one of the highlights of the highlights-filled “The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles,” with sparks flying as he dueled with Joe Walsh on an incendiary “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” Dave Grohl behind them pounding the drums.
But that barely scratches the surface. The album’s a rocket ride from the Mississippi Delta of a century ago to multiple points still out beyond the horizon. Rock and R&B sure, but blues, soul, pop, psychedelia, punk and hip-hop are also in Clark’s expansive musical embrace and insatiable hunger for inspiration, which he’s internalized into music all his own. And his two acoustic blues performances on the soundtrack album for the acclaimed movie 12 Years a Slave show the distinct talent and personality he brings to his music.
That, in turn, has been inspirational to others — including some who inspired him. Just ask Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Jay-Z, Jimmy Page, Alicia Keys, the Roots, Buddy guy, Dave Matthews, Roger Waters, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, Jeff Beck, among the many who hailed his arrival as a major talent and cherished chances to perform with him. It’s no accident that he was invited to make more “special guest” appearances on the Stones’ recent 50th anniversary tour than any other artist, including the concluding Hyde Park blowout in which he and band also were the opening act.
Or ask President Barak Obama himself, who seeing Clark command the stage of the PBS White House concert honoring the blues — with Jagger, Beck, B.B. King and Buddy Guy among the veterans performing — declared of the young man, “He’s the future.”
Rolling Stone dubbed Clark “The King of the Summer Festivals” as he captivated audiences from Coachella to Glastonbury, Lollapalooza to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, from Metallica’s Orion Festival to Jay-Z’s Made in America, and of course his hometown Austin City Limits Festival, where he his band set a daytime attendance record. He’s dominated late night and daytime TV with multiple appearances on Leno, Letterman, Kimmel, Conan, Fallon, Arsenio Hall, Queen Latifah, Today, CBS This Morning and so on. Guitar Player magazine made him the first emerging artist to grace its cover in more than 15 years. Rolling Stone proclaimed him no less than “The Chosen One.”
It’s a lot to live up to, but through it all his musical ambition and reach continue to grow. New songs he’s previewed to delighted audiences show him exploring ever further combinations of sounds and styles, all with his distinct stamp.
A man of few words, he’s quietly grateful that the music he makes his way has connected with so many. “To think a weird idea I noodled on at the house has gone to something 40,000 people might hear at a festival is an indescribable feeling,” he told Esquire recently. “As cool as I might try to be, I think, ‘Oh my God, this is real!’”
Gary Clark Jr.
Magazzini Generali - Milano
23 Maggio 2014
ph © Mairo Cinquetti
o sum up Gary Clark Jr. is more challenging every day. He’s a musical universe unto himself, expanding at a nearly immeasurable rate, ever more hard to define — as a mind-blowing guitarist, a dazzling songwriter and engagingly soulful singer.
With his debut album Blak And Blu he has just become the first artist ever recognized by the Recording Academy with Grammy Award nominations in both the rock and R&B categories for the same album in the same year, winning the latter: Best Traditional R&B Performance” - “Please Come Home” (from the album Blak And Blu). And the day after claiming those honors he provided one of the highlights of the highlights-filled “The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles,” with sparks flying as he dueled with Joe Walsh on an incendiary “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” Dave Grohl behind them pounding the drums.
But that barely scratches the surface. The album’s a rocket ride from the Mississippi Delta of a century ago to multiple points still out beyond the horizon. Rock and R&B sure, but blues, soul, pop, psychedelia, punk and hip-hop are also in Clark’s expansive musical embrace and insatiable hunger for inspiration, which he’s internalized into music all his own. And his two acoustic blues performances on the soundtrack album for the acclaimed movie 12 Years a Slave show the distinct talent and personality he brings to his music.
That, in turn, has been inspirational to others — including some who inspired him. Just ask Eric Clapton, the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Jay-Z, Jimmy Page, Alicia Keys, the Roots, Buddy guy, Dave Matthews, Roger Waters, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, Jeff Beck, among the many who hailed his arrival as a major talent and cherished chances to perform with him. It’s no accident that he was invited to make more “special guest” appearances on the Stones’ recent 50th anniversary tour than any other artist, including the concluding Hyde Park blowout in which he and band also were the opening act.
Or ask President Barak Obama himself, who seeing Clark command the stage of the PBS White House concert honoring the blues — with Jagger, Beck, B.B. King and Buddy Guy among the veterans performing — declared of the young man, “He’s the future.”
Rolling Stone dubbed Clark “The King of the Summer Festivals” as he captivated audiences from Coachella to Glastonbury, Lollapalooza to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, from Metallica’s Orion Festival to Jay-Z’s Made in America, and of course his hometown Austin City Limits Festival, where he his band set a daytime attendance record. He’s dominated late night and daytime TV with multiple appearances on Leno, Letterman, Kimmel, Conan, Fallon, Arsenio Hall, Queen Latifah, Today, CBS This Morning and so on. Guitar Player magazine made him the first emerging artist to grace its cover in more than 15 years. Rolling Stone proclaimed him no less than “The Chosen One.”
It’s a lot to live up to, but through it all his musical ambition and reach continue to grow. New songs he’s previewed to delighted audiences show him exploring ever further combinations of sounds and styles, all with his distinct stamp.
A man of few words, he’s quietly grateful that the music he makes his way has connected with so many. “To think a weird idea I noodled on at the house has gone to something 40,000 people might hear at a festival is an indescribable feeling,” he told Esquire recently. “As cool as I might try to be, I think, ‘Oh my God, this is real!’”
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
A thangka, also known as tangka, thanka or tanka (Nepali pronunciation: [ˈt̪ʰaŋka]; Tibetan: ཐང་ཀ་; Nepal Bhasa: पौभा) is a painting on cotton, or silk appliqué, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala of some sort. The thangka is not a flat creation like an oil painting or acrylic painting but consists of a picture panel which is painted or embroidered over which a textile is mounted and then over which is laid a cover, usually silk. Generally, thangkas last a very long time and retain much of their lustre, but because of their delicate nature, they have to be kept in dry places where moisture won't affect the quality of the silk. It is sometimes called a scroll-painting.
These thangka served as important teaching tools depicting the life of the Buddha, various influential lamas and other deities and bodhisattvas. One subject is The Wheel of Life, which is a visual representation of the Abhidharma teachings (Art of Enlightenment).
Thangka, when created properly, perform several different functions. Images of deities can be used as teaching tools when depicting the life (or lives) of the Buddha, describing historical events concerning important Lamas, or retelling myths associated with other deities. Devotional images act as the centerpiece during a ritual or ceremony and are often used as mediums through which one can offer prayers or make requests. Overall, and perhaps most importantly, religious art is used as a meditation tool to help bring one further down the path to enlightenment. The Buddhist Vajrayana practitioner uses a thanga image of their yidam, or meditation deity, as a guide, by visualizing “themselves as being that deity, thereby internalizing the Buddha qualities (Lipton, Ragnubs).”
Historians note that Chinese painting had a profound influence on Tibetan painting in general. Starting from the 14th and 15th century, Tibetan painting had incorporated many elements from the Chinese, and during the 18th century, Chinese painting had a deep and far-stretched impact on Tibetan visual art. According to Giuseppe Tucci, by the time of the Qing Dynasty, "a new Tibetan art was then developed, which in a certain sense was a provincial echo of the Chinese 18th century's smooth ornate preciosity."
HISTORY
Thangka is a Nepalese art form exported to Tibet after Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal, daughter of King Lichchavi, married Songtsän Gampo, the ruler of Tibet imported the images of Aryawalokirteshwar and other Nepalese deities to Tibet. History of thangka Paintings in Nepal began in the 11th century A.D. when Buddhists and Hindus began to make illustration of the deities and natural scenes. Historically, Tibetan and Chinese influence in Nepalese paintings is quite evident in Paubhas (Thangkas). Paubhas are of two types, the Palas which are illustrative paintings of the deities and the Mandala, which are mystic diagrams paintings of complex test prescribed patterns of circles an square each having specific significance. It was through Nepal that Mahayana Buddhism was introduced into Tibet during reign of Angshuvarma in the seventh century A.D. There was therefore a great demand for religious icons and Buddhist manuscripts for newly built monasteries throughout Tibet. A number of Buddhist manuscripts, including Prajnaparamita, were copied in Kathmandu Valley for these monasteries. Astasahas rika Prajnaparamita for example, was copied in Patan in the year 999 A.D., during the reign of Narendra Dev and Udaya Deva, for the Sa-Shakya monastery in Tibet. For the Nor monastery in Tibet, two copies were made in Nepal-one of Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita in 1069 A.D. and the other of Kavyadarsha in 1111 A.D. The influence of Nepalese art extended till Tibet and even beyond in China in regular order during the thirteenth century. Nepalese artisans were dispatched to the courts of Chinese emperors at their request to perform their workmanship and impart expert knowledge. The exemplary contribution made by the artisans of Nepal, specially by the Nepalese innovator and architect Balbahu, known by his popular name Araniko bear testimony to this fact even today. After the introduction of paper, palm leaf became less popular, however, it continued to be used until the eighteenth century. Paper manuscripts imitated the oblong shape but were wider than the palm leaves.
From the fifteenth century onwards, brighter colours gradually began to appear in Nepalese.Thanka / Thangka. Because of the growing importance of the Tantric cult, various aspects of Shiva and Shakti were painted in conventional poses. Mahakala, Manjushri, Lokeshwara and other deities were equally popular and so were also frequently represented in Thanka / Thangka paintings of later dates. As Tantrism embodies the ideas of esoteric power, magic forces, and a great variety of symbols, strong emphasis is laid on the female element and sexuality in the paintings of that period.
Religious paintings worshipped as icons are known as Paubha in Newari and Thanka / Thangka in Tibetan. The origin of Paubha or Thanka / Thangka paintings may be attributed to the Nepalese artists responsible for creating a number of special metal works and wall- paintings as well as illuminated manuscripts in Tibet. Realizing the great demand for religious icons in Tibet, these artists, along with monks and traders, took with them from Nepal not only metal sculptures but also a number of Buddhist manuscripts. To better fulfil the ever - increasing demand Nepalese artists initiated a new type of religious painting on cloth that could be easily rolled up and carried along with them. This type of painting became very popular both in Nepal and Tibet and so a new school of Thanka / Thangka painting evolved as early as the ninth or tenth century and has remained popular to this day. One of the earliest specimens of Nepalese Thanka / Thangka painting dates from the thirteenth /fourteenth century and shows Amitabha surrounded by Bodhisattva. Another Nepalese Thanka / Thangka with three dates in the inscription (the last one corresponding to 1369 A.D.), is one of the earliest known Thanka / Thangka with inscriptions. The "Mandalaof Vishnu " dated 1420 A.D., is another fine example of the painting of this period. Early Nepalese Thangkas are simple in design and composition. The main deity, a large figure, occupies the central position while surrounded by smaller figures of lesser divinities.
Thanka / Thangka painting is one of the major science out the five major and five minor fields of knowledge. Its origin can be traced all the way back to the time of Lord Buddha. The main themes of Thanka / Thangka paintings are religious. During the reign of Tibetan Dharma King Trisong Duetsen the Tibetan masters refined their already well-developed arts through research and studies of different country's tradition. Thanka painting's lining and measurement, costumes, implementations and ornaments are mostly based on Indian styles. The drawing of figures is based on Nepalese style and the background sceneries are based on Chinese style. Thus, the Thanka / Thangka paintings became a unique and distinctive art. Although the practice of thanka painting was originally done as a way of gaining merit it has nowadays only evolved into a money making business and the noble intentions it once carried has been diluted. Tibetans do not sell Thangkas on a large scale as the selling of religious artifacts such as thangkas and idols is frowned upon in the Tibetan community and thus non Tibetan groups have been able to monopolize on its (thangka's) popularity among Buddhist and art enthusiasts from the west.
Thanka / Thangka have developed in the northern Himalayan regions among the Lamas. Besides Lamas, Gurung and Tamang communities are also producing Tankas, which provide substantial employment opportunities for many people in the hills. Newari Thankas (Also known as Paubha) has been the hidden art work in Kathmandu valley from the 13th century. We have preserved this art and are exclusively creating this with some particular painter family who have inherited their art from their forefathers. Some of the artistic religious and historical paintings are also done by the Newars of Kathmandu Valley.
TYPES
Based on technique and material, thangkas can be grouped by types. Generally, they are divided into two broad categories: those that are painted (Tib.) bris-tan—and those made of silk, either by appliqué or embroidery.
Thangkas are further divided into these more specific categories:
- Painted in colors (Tib.) tson-tang - the most common type
- Appliqué (Tib.) go-tang
- Black Background - meaning gold line on a black background (Tib.) nagtang
- Blockprints - paper or cloth outlined renderings, by woodcut/woodblock printing
- Embroidery (Tib.) tsem-thang
- Gold Background - an auspicious treatment, used judiciously for peaceful, long-life deities and fully enlightened buddhas
- Red Background - literally gold line, but referring to gold line on a vermillion (Tib.) mar-tang
Whereas typical thangkas are fairly small, between about 18 and 30 inches tall or wide, there are also giant festival thangkas, usually Appliqué, and designed to be unrolled against a wall in a monastery for particular religious occasions. These are likely to be wider than they are tall, and may be sixty or more feet across and perhaps twenty or more high.
Somewhat related are Tibetan tsakli, which look like miniature thangkas, but are usually used as initiation cards or offerings.
Because Thangkas can be quite expensive, people nowadays use posters of Thangkas as an alternative to the real thangkas for religious purposes.
PROCESS
Thangkas are painted on cotton or silk. The most common is a loosely woven cotton produced in widths from 40 to 58 centimeters. While some variations do exist, thangkas wider than 45 centimeters frequently have seams in the support. The paint consists of pigments in a water soluble medium. Both mineral and organic pigments are used, tempered with a herb and glue solution. In Western terminology, this is a distemper technique.
The composition of a thangka, as with the majority of Buddhist art, is highly geometric. Arms, legs, eyes, nostrils, ears, and various ritual implements are all laid out on a systematic grid of angles and intersecting lines. A skilled thangka artist will generally select from a variety of predesigned items to include in the composition, ranging from alms bowls and animals, to the shape, size, and angle of a figure's eyes, nose, and lips. The process seems very methodical, but often requires deep understanding of the symbolism involved to capture the spirit of it.
Thangka often overflow with symbolism and allusion. Because the art is explicitly religious, all symbols and allusions must be in accordance with strict guidelines laid out in Buddhist scripture. The artist must be properly trained and have sufficient religious understanding, knowledge, and background to create an accurate and appropriate thangka. Lipton and Ragnubs clarify this in Treasures of Tibetan Art:
“Tibetan art exemplifies the nirmanakaya, the physical body of Buddha, and also the qualities of the Buddha, perhaps in the form of a deity. Art objects, therefore, must follow rules specified in the Buddhist scriptures regarding proportions, shape, color, stance, hand positions, and attributes in order to personify correctly the Buddha or Deities.”
WIKIPEDIA
Chitra, also spelled as Citra, is an Indian genre of art that includes painting, sketch and any art form of delineation. The earliest mention of the term Chitra in the context of painting or picture is found in some of the ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism and Pali texts of Buddhism
NOMENCLATURE
Chitra (IAST: Citra, चित्र) is a Sanskrit word that appears in the Vedic texts such as hymns 1.71.1 and 6.65.2 of the Rigveda. There, and other texts such as Vajasaneyi Samhita, Taittiriya Samhita, Satapatha Brahmana and Tandya Brahmana, Chitra means "excellent, clear, bright, colored, anything brightly colored that strikes the eye, brilliantly ornamented, extraordinary that evokes wonder". In the Mahabharata and the Harivamsa, it means "picture, sktech, dilineation", and is presented as a genre of kala (arts). Many texts generally dated to the post-4th-century BCE period, use the term Chitra in the sense of painting, and Chitrakara as a painter. For example, the Sanskrit grammarian Panini in verse 3.2.21 of his Astadhyayi highlights the word chitrakara in this sense. Halls and public spaces to display paintings are called chitrasalas, and the earliest known mention of these are found in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
A few Indian regional texts such as Kasyapa silpa refer to painting by others words. For example, abhasa – which literally means "semblance, shining forth", is used in Kasyapa-shilpa to mean as a broader category of painting, of which chitra is one of three types. The verses in section 4.4 of the Kasyapa-silpa state that there are three types of images – those which are immovable (walls, floor, terracota, stucco), movable, and those which are both movable-immovable (stone, wood, gems).[5] In each of these three, states Kasyapa-shipa, are three classes of expression – ardhacitra, citra, and citra-abhasa. Ardhacitra is an art form where a high relief is combined with painting and parts of the body is not seen (it appears to be emerging out of the canvas). The Citra is the form of picture artwork where the whole is represented with or without integrating a relief. Citrabhasha is the form where an image is represented on a canvas or wall with colors (painting). However, states Commaraswamy, the word Abhasa has other meanings depending on the context. For example, in Hindu texts on philosophy, it implies the "field of objective experience" in the sense of the intellectual image internalized by a person during a reading of a subject (such as an epic, tale or fiction), or one during a meditative spiritual experience.
In some Buddhist and Hindu texts on methods to prepare a manuscript (palm leaf) or a composition on a cloth, the terms lekhya and alekhya are also used in the context of a chitra. More specifically, alekhya is the space left while writing a manuscript leaf or cloth, where the artist aims to add a picture or painting to illustrate the text.
HISTORY
The earliest explicit reference to painting in an Indian text is found in verse 4.2 of the Maitri Upanishad where it uses the phrase citrabhittir or "like a painted wall". The Indian art of painting is also mention in a number of Buddhist Pali suttas, but with the modified spelling of Citta. This term is found in the context of either a painting, or painter, or painted-hall (citta-gara) in Majjhima Nikaya 1.127, Samyutta Nikaya 2.101 and 3.152, Vinaya 4.289 and others. Among the Jain texts, it is mentioned in Book 2 of the Acaranga Sutra as it explains that Jaina monk should not indulge in the pleasures of watching a painting.
The Kamasutra, broadly accepted to have been complete by about the 4th-century CE, recommends that the young man should surprise the girl he courts with gifts of color boxes and painted scrolls. The Viddhasalabhanjika – another Hindu kama- and kavya–text uses chitra-simile in verse 1.16, as "pictures painted by the god of love, with the brush of the mind and the canvas of the heart".
The nature of a chitra (painting), how the viewer's mind projects a two dimensional artwork into a three dimensional representation, is used by Asanga in Mahayana Sutralamkara – a 3rd to 5th-century Sanskrit text of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, to explain "non-existent imagination" as follows:
Just as in a picture painted according to rules, there are neither projections nor depressions and yet we see it in three dimensions, so in the non-existent imagination there is no phenomenal differentiation, and yet we behold it.
— Mahayana Sutralamkara 13.7, Translated in French by Sylvain Levi
According to Yoko Taniguchi and Michiyo Mori, the art of painting the caves at the c. 6th-century Buddhas of Bamiyan site in Afghanistan, destroyed by the Taliban Muslims in the late 1990s, were likely introduced to this region from India along with the literature on early Buddhism.
TEXTS
There are many important dedicated Indian treatises on chitra. Some of these are chapters within a larger encyclopedia-like text. These include:
Chitrasutras, chapters 35–43 within the Hindu text Vishnudharmottara Purana (the standard, and oft referred to text in the Indian tradition)
Chitralaksana of Nagnajit (a classic on classical painting, 5th-century CE or earlier making it the oldest known text on Indian painting; but the Sanskrit version has been lost, only version available is in Tibet and it states that it is a translation of a Sanskrit text)
Samarangana Sutradhara (mostly architecture treatise, contains a large section on paintings)
Aparajitaprccha (mostly architecture treatise, contains a large section on paintings)
Manasollasa (an encyclopedia, contains chapters on paintings)
Abhilashitartha chinatamani
Sivatatva ratnakara
Chitra Kaladruma
Silpa ratna
Narada silpa
Sarasvati silpa
Prajapati silpa
Kasyapa silpa
These and other texts on chitra not only discuss the theory and practice of painting, some of them include discussions on how to become a painter, the diversity and the impact of a chitra on viewers, of aesthetics, how the art of painting relates to other arts (kala), methods of preparing the canvas or wall, methods and recipes to make color pigments. For example, the 10th-century Chitra Kaladruma presents recipe for making red color paint from the resin of lac insects. Other colors for the historic frescoes found in India, such as those in the Ajanta Caves, were obtained from nature. They mention earthy and mineral (inorganic) colorants such as yellow and red ochre, orpigment, green celadonite and ultramarine blue (lapis lazuli). The use of organic colorants prepared per a recipe in these texts have been confirmed through residue analysis and modern chromatographic techniques.
THEORY
The Indian concepts of painting are described in a range of texts called the shilpa shastras. These typically begin by attributing this art to divine sources such as Vishvakarma and ancient rishis (sages) such as Narayana and Nagnajit, weaving some mythology, highlighting chitra as a means to express ideas and beauty along with other universal aspects, then proceed to discuss the theory and practice of painting, sketching and other related arts. Manuscripts of many these texts are found in India, while some are known to be lost but are found outside India such as in Tibet and Nepal. Among these are the Citrasutras in the 6th-century Visnudharmottara Purana manuscripts discovered in India, and the Citralaksana manuscript discovered in Tibet (lost in India). This theory include early Indian ideas on how to prepare a canvas or substrate, measurement, proportion, stance, color, shade, projection, the painting's interaction with light, the viewer, how to captivate the mind, and other ideas.
According to the historic Indian tradition, a successful and impactful painting and painter requires a knowledge of the subject – either mythology or real life, as well as a keen sense of observation and knowledge of nature, human behavior, dance, music, song and other arts. For example, section 3.2 of Visnudharmottara Purana discusses these requirements and the contextual knowledge needed in chitra and the artist who produces it. The Chitrasutras in the Vishnudharmottara Purana state that the sculpture and painting arts are related, with the phrase "as in Natya, so in Citra". This relationship links them in rasa (aesthetics) and as forms of expression.
THE PAINTING
A chitra is a form of expression and communication. According to Aparajitaprccha – a 12th-century text on arts and architecture, just like the water reflects the moon, a chitra reflects the world. It is a rupa (form) of how the painter sees or what the painter wants the viewer to observe or feel or experience.
A good painting is one that is alive, breathing, draws in and affects the viewer. It captivates the minds of viewers, despite their diversity. Installed in a sala (hall or room), it enlivens the space.
The ornaments of a painting are its lines, shading, decoration and colors, states the 6th-century Visnudharmottara Purana. It states that there are eight gunas (merits, features) of a chitra that the artist must focus on: posture; proportion; the use of the plumb line; charm; detail (how much and where); verisimilitude; kshaya (loss, foreshortening) and; vrddhi (gain). Among the dosas (demerits, faults) of a painting and related arts, states Chitrasutra, are lines that are weak or thick, absence of variety, errors in scale (oversized eyes, lips, cheeks), inconsistency across the canvas, deviations from the rules of proportion, improper posture or sentiment, and non-merging of colors.
LIMBS OF THE PAINTING
Two historical sets called "chitra anga", or "limbs of painting" are found in Indian texts. According to the Samarangana Sutradhara – an 11th-century Sanskrit text on Hindu architecture and arts, a painting has eight limbs:
Vartika – manufacture of brushes
Bhumibandhana – preparation of base, plaster, canvas
Rekhakarma – sketching
Varnakarma – coloring
Vartanakarma – shading
lekhakarana – outlining
Dvikakarma – second and final lining
Lepyakarma – final coating
According to Yashodhara's Jayamangala, a Sanskrit commentary on Kamasutra, there are sadanga (six limbs)[note 5] in the art of alekhyam and chitra (drawing and painting):
Rupa-bhedah, or form distinction; this requires a knowledge of characteristic marks, diversity, manifested forms that distinguish states of something in the same genus/class
Pramanani, or measure; requires knowledge of measurement and proportion rules (talamana)
Bhava yojanam, or emotion and its joining with other parts of the painting; requires understanding and representing the mood of the subject
Lavanya yojanam, or rasa, charm; requires understanding and representing the inner qualities of the subject
Sadrsyam, or resemblance; requires knowledge of visual correspondence across the canvas
Varnika-bhanga or color-pigment-analysis; requires knowledge how colors distribute on the canvas and how they visually impact the viewer.
These six limbs are arranged stylistically in two ways. First as a set of compound (Rupa-bhedah and Varnika-bhanda), a set of joining (middle two yojnam), and a set of single words (Pramanani and Sadrsyam). Second, states Victor Mair, the six limbs in this Hindu text are paired in a set of differentiation skills (first two), then a pair of aesthetic skills, and finally a pair of technical skills. These limbs parallel the 12th-century Six principles of Chinese painting of Xie He. {refn|group=note|The Hua Chi of Teng Ch'un, a 12th-century Chinese text, mentions the Buddhist temple of Nalanda with frescoes about the Buddha painted inside. It states that the Indian Buddhas look different from those painted by Chinese, as the Indian paintings have Buddha with larger eyes, their ears are curiously stretched and the Buddhas have their right shoulder bare. It then states that the artists first make a drawing of the picture, then paint a vermilion or gold colored base. It also mentions the use of ox-glue and a gum produced from peach trees and willow juice, with the artists preferring the latter. According to Coomaraswamy, the ox-glue in the Indian context mentioned in the Chinese text is probably the same as the recipe found in the Sanskrit text Silparatna, one where the base medium is produced from boiling buffalo skin in milk, followed by drying and blending process.
The six limbs in Jayamangala likely reflect the earliest and more established Hindu tradition for chitra. This is supported by the Chitrasutras found in the Vishnudharmottara Purana. They explicitly mention pramanani and lavanya as key elements of a painting, as well as discuss the other four of the six limbs in other sutras. The Chitrasutra chapters are likely from about the 4th or 5th-century. Numerous other Indian texts touch upon the elements or aspects of a chitra. For example, the Aparajitaprccha states that the essential elements of a painting are: citrabhumi (background), the rekha (lines, sketch), the varna (color), the vartana (shading), the bhusana (decoration) and the rasa (aesthetic experience).
THE PAINTER
The painter (chitrakara, rupakara) must master the fundamentals of measurement and proportions, state the historic chitra texts of India. According to these historic texts, the expert painter masters the skills in measurement, characteristics of subjects, attributes, form, relative proportion, ornament and beauty, states Isabella Nardi – a scholar known for her studies on chitra text and traditions of India. According to the Chitrasutras, a skilled painter needs practice, and is one who is able to paint neck, hands, feet, ears of living beings without ornamentation, as well as paint water waves, flames, smoke, and garments as they get affected by the speed of wind. He paints all types of scenes, ranging from dharma, artha and kama. A painter observes, then remembers, repeating this process till his memory has all the details he needs to paint, states Silparatna. According to Sivatattva Ratnakara, he is well versed in sketching, astute with measurements, skilled in outlining (hastalekha), competent with colors, and ready to diligently mix and combine colors to create his chitra. The painter is a creative person, with an inner sense of rasa (aesthetics).
THE VIEWER
The painter should consider the diversity of viewers, states the Indian tradition of chitra. The experts and critics with much experience with paintings study the lines, shading and aesthetics, the uninitiated visitors and children enjoy the vibrancy of colors, while women tend to be attracted to the ornamentation of form and the emotions. A successful painter tends to captivate a variety of minds. A painter should remember that the visual and aesthetic impact of a painting triggers different responses in different audiences.
The Silparatna – a Sanskrit text on the arts, states that the painting should reflect its intended place and purpose. A theme suitable for a palace or gateway is different from that in a temple or the walls of a home. Scenes of wars, misery, death and suffering are not suitable paintings within homes, but these can be important in a chitrasala (museum with paintings). Auspicious paintings with beautiful colors such as those that cheer and enliven a room are better for homes, states Silparatna.
PRACITICE
According to the art historian Percy Brown, the painting tradition in India is ancient and the persuasive evidence are the oldest known murals at the Jogimara caves. The mention of chitra and related terms in the pre-Buddhist Vedic era texts, the chitra tradition is much older. It is very likely, states Brown, the pre-Buddhist structures had paintings in them. However, the primary building material in ancient India was wood, the colors were organic materials and natural pigments, which when combined with the tropical weather in India would naturally cause the painting to fade, damage and degrade over the centuries. It is not surprising, therefore, that sample paintings and historic evidence for chitra practice are unusual. The few notable surviving examples of chitra are found hidden in caves, where they would be naturally preserved a bit better, longer and would be somewhat protected from the destructive effects of wind, dust, water and biological processes.
Some notable, major surviving examples of historic paintings include:
Murals at Jogimara cave (eight panels of murals, with a Brahmi inscription, 2nd or 1st century BCE, Hindu), oldest known ceiling paintings in India in remote Ramgarh hills of northern Chhattisgarh, below on wall of this cave is a Brahmi inscription in Magadhi language about a girl named Devadasi and a boy named Devadina (either they were lovers and wrote a love-graffiti per one translation, or they were partners who together converted natural caves here into a theatre with painted walls per another translation)
Mural at Sitabhinji Group of Rock Shelters (c. 400 CE Ravanachhaya mural with an inscription, near a Shiva temple in remote Odisha, a non-religious painting), the oldest surviving example of a tempera painting in eastern states of India
Murals at Ajanta caves (Jataka tales, Buddhist), 5th-century CE, Maharashtra
Murals at Badami Cave Temples (Hindu), 6th-century CE, Karnataka (secular paintings along with one of the earliest known painting of a Hindu legend about Shiva and Parvati inside a Vaishnava cave)
Murals at Bagh caves (Hallisalasya dance, Buddhist or Hindu), Madhya Pradesh
Murals at Ellora caves (Flying vidyadharas, Jain), Maharashtra
Frescoes at Sittanavasal cave (Nature scenes likely representing places of Tirthankara sermons, Jain), Tamil Nadu
Frescoes at Thirunadhikkara cave temple (Flowers and a woman, likely a scene of puja offering to Ganesha, another of Vishnu, Hindu), Travancore region, Kerala-Tamil Nadu
Paintings at the Brihadisvara temple (Dancer, Hindu), Tamil Nadu
Manuscript paintings (numerous states such as Gujarat, Kashmir, Kerala, Odisha, Assam; also Nepal, Tibet; Buddhist, Jain, Hindu
Vijayanagara temples (Hindu), Karnataka
Chidambaram temple (Hindu), Tamil Nadu
Chitrachavadi (Hindu, a choultry–mandapa near Madurai with Ramayana frescoes)
Pahari paintings (Hindu), Himachal Pradesh and nearby regions
Rajput paintings (Hindu), Rajasthan
Deccan paintings (Hindu, Jain)
Kerala paintings (Hindu)
Telangana paintings (Hindu)
Mughal paintings (Indo-Islamic)
CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
Kalamkari (Hindu)
Pattas (Jain, Hindu)
WIKIPEDIA
The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
(http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=47124)
NEW YORK, NY.- Madison Square Park Conservancy’s Mad. Sq. Art presents the New York public art premiere of internationally acclaimed artist Jaume Plensa, featuring a new monumental, site-specific sculpture for Madison Square Park. Plensa’s Echo marks the single largest monolithic work of art presented in the 7-year history of Mad. Sq. Art, on view May 5 through mid- August 2011.
Echo, Plensaʼs new site-specific installation serves as a monument to everyday people, both within and without Madison Square Park. Creatively inspired by the presence of the 9-year old daughter of a restaurant proprietor near Plensaʼs home in Barcelona, the 44-feet tall sculpture comprised of white fiberglass resin depicts the face of this inspiring young girl in a dream state from the neck, up. Plensaʼs sculpture, made from marble gel-coated fiberglass-reinforced plastic, can be sited on the central Oval Lawn of Madison Square Park. Its monumental size and vertical orientation reflect the parkʼs surrounding architecture, while the visage of the sculptorʼs subject exudes a welcoming tranquility perfectly suited to this cherished urban oasis.
Drawing inspiration from the presence of a real person in real time, Plensaʼs monumental sculpture also references the myth of the Greek nymph Echo. According to Greek mythology, Echo was a nymph, who loved her own voice until it was later taken. From that point forward the legend tells of Echo being able to utter the thoughts of others but not her own. Jaume Plensaʼs Echo plays on the tale of this Greek myth, creating a sculpture of massive scale drawing parallels to the Greek Echoʼs origins as a mountain nymph. The reference is carried further by the artistʼs decision to depict the young 9-year old girlʼs face in a dream state, translating this massive sculptural portrait into a physical monument of all the voices and thoughts of others internalized by Madison Square Park as by the nymph in the myth of Echo.
Artist Jaume Plensa comments: Echo is the representation of the head of a young girl in a dream state. If in the myth of the nymph Echo, she was forced by the goddess to repeat the words uttered by others, in my project, the head becomes a mirror in where people can see themselves. With this work I aim to introduce quietness and serenity in Madison Square Park, to transform the Park further into a place to rest and dream. With Echo, I aim to create a new intimate place in the heart of NY, in where we can finally repeat the real words of our souls.”
“The Madison Square Park Conservancy is thrilled to present the New York City public art debut of Jaume Plensa, an artist who has contributed so much to the field of contemporary art in cities all around the world,” said Debbie Landau, President of the Madison Square Park Conservancy. “Jaume is an extraordinary artist and an incredibly compassionate person, qualities which are reflected in works of art that poetically bridge the boundaries between many different nationalities and cultures. Madison Square Park is a cherished public space at the heart of a culturally diverse city, making it the ideal home for the monumental and celebratory Echo, which itself is a perfect reflection of the vibrancy, vitality and optimism of New York City.”
Jaume Plensa, born and based in Barcelona, is one of the worldʼs leading contemporary sculptors. Working in a wide variety of materials, Plensa has invigorated the practice of figurative sculpture with works that examine the intersection of the human form, language and communication, and global citizenship. He was made a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 1993, among many other honors. His public art installations are particularly renowned, and include the legendary Crown Fountain in Chicagoʼs Millennium Park. Plensaʼs 2011 commission for Madison Square Park constitutes his long-awaited New York City public art debut.
Plensa is represented in New York by Galerie Lelong and in Chicago by Richard Gray Gallery.
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
LOS ENTIERROS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/1/zu3sPt8zEpw
DE TODAS MANERAS ROSAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/2/n1xG6hncg4U
LAS CARAS LINDAS www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/3/BZ3w684Sfmg
PLANTACION ADENTRO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/4/b-Ap266F7g8
MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
LA CURA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/7/iHnsIDlHECg
EVELIO Y LA RUMBA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/8/NWJCq_S7NQ0
IBABAILA www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/9/Bn48g_0mK5Q
GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
Chitra, also spelled as Citra, is an Indian genre of art that includes painting, sketch and any art form of delineation. The earliest mention of the term Chitra in the context of painting or picture is found in some of the ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism and Pali texts of Buddhism
NOMENCLATURE
Chitra (IAST: Citra, चित्र) is a Sanskrit word that appears in the Vedic texts such as hymns 1.71.1 and 6.65.2 of the Rigveda. There, and other texts such as Vajasaneyi Samhita, Taittiriya Samhita, Satapatha Brahmana and Tandya Brahmana, Chitra means "excellent, clear, bright, colored, anything brightly colored that strikes the eye, brilliantly ornamented, extraordinary that evokes wonder". In the Mahabharata and the Harivamsa, it means "picture, sktech, dilineation", and is presented as a genre of kala (arts). Many texts generally dated to the post-4th-century BCE period, use the term Chitra in the sense of painting, and Chitrakara as a painter. For example, the Sanskrit grammarian Panini in verse 3.2.21 of his Astadhyayi highlights the word chitrakara in this sense. Halls and public spaces to display paintings are called chitrasalas, and the earliest known mention of these are found in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
A few Indian regional texts such as Kasyapa silpa refer to painting by others words. For example, abhasa – which literally means "semblance, shining forth", is used in Kasyapa-shilpa to mean as a broader category of painting, of which chitra is one of three types. The verses in section 4.4 of the Kasyapa-silpa state that there are three types of images – those which are immovable (walls, floor, terracota, stucco), movable, and those which are both movable-immovable (stone, wood, gems).[5] In each of these three, states Kasyapa-shipa, are three classes of expression – ardhacitra, citra, and citra-abhasa. Ardhacitra is an art form where a high relief is combined with painting and parts of the body is not seen (it appears to be emerging out of the canvas). The Citra is the form of picture artwork where the whole is represented with or without integrating a relief. Citrabhasha is the form where an image is represented on a canvas or wall with colors (painting). However, states Commaraswamy, the word Abhasa has other meanings depending on the context. For example, in Hindu texts on philosophy, it implies the "field of objective experience" in the sense of the intellectual image internalized by a person during a reading of a subject (such as an epic, tale or fiction), or one during a meditative spiritual experience.
In some Buddhist and Hindu texts on methods to prepare a manuscript (palm leaf) or a composition on a cloth, the terms lekhya and alekhya are also used in the context of a chitra. More specifically, alekhya is the space left while writing a manuscript leaf or cloth, where the artist aims to add a picture or painting to illustrate the text.
HISTORY
The earliest explicit reference to painting in an Indian text is found in verse 4.2 of the Maitri Upanishad where it uses the phrase citrabhittir or "like a painted wall". The Indian art of painting is also mention in a number of Buddhist Pali suttas, but with the modified spelling of Citta. This term is found in the context of either a painting, or painter, or painted-hall (citta-gara) in Majjhima Nikaya 1.127, Samyutta Nikaya 2.101 and 3.152, Vinaya 4.289 and others. Among the Jain texts, it is mentioned in Book 2 of the Acaranga Sutra as it explains that Jaina monk should not indulge in the pleasures of watching a painting.
The Kamasutra, broadly accepted to have been complete by about the 4th-century CE, recommends that the young man should surprise the girl he courts with gifts of color boxes and painted scrolls. The Viddhasalabhanjika – another Hindu kama- and kavya–text uses chitra-simile in verse 1.16, as "pictures painted by the god of love, with the brush of the mind and the canvas of the heart".
The nature of a chitra (painting), how the viewer's mind projects a two dimensional artwork into a three dimensional representation, is used by Asanga in Mahayana Sutralamkara – a 3rd to 5th-century Sanskrit text of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, to explain "non-existent imagination" as follows:
Just as in a picture painted according to rules, there are neither projections nor depressions and yet we see it in three dimensions, so in the non-existent imagination there is no phenomenal differentiation, and yet we behold it.
— Mahayana Sutralamkara 13.7, Translated in French by Sylvain Levi
According to Yoko Taniguchi and Michiyo Mori, the art of painting the caves at the c. 6th-century Buddhas of Bamiyan site in Afghanistan, destroyed by the Taliban Muslims in the late 1990s, were likely introduced to this region from India along with the literature on early Buddhism.
TEXTS
There are many important dedicated Indian treatises on chitra. Some of these are chapters within a larger encyclopedia-like text. These include:
Chitrasutras, chapters 35–43 within the Hindu text Vishnudharmottara Purana (the standard, and oft referred to text in the Indian tradition)
Chitralaksana of Nagnajit (a classic on classical painting, 5th-century CE or earlier making it the oldest known text on Indian painting; but the Sanskrit version has been lost, only version available is in Tibet and it states that it is a translation of a Sanskrit text)
Samarangana Sutradhara (mostly architecture treatise, contains a large section on paintings)
Aparajitaprccha (mostly architecture treatise, contains a large section on paintings)
Manasollasa (an encyclopedia, contains chapters on paintings)
Abhilashitartha chinatamani
Sivatatva ratnakara
Chitra Kaladruma
Silpa ratna
Narada silpa
Sarasvati silpa
Prajapati silpa
Kasyapa silpa
These and other texts on chitra not only discuss the theory and practice of painting, some of them include discussions on how to become a painter, the diversity and the impact of a chitra on viewers, of aesthetics, how the art of painting relates to other arts (kala), methods of preparing the canvas or wall, methods and recipes to make color pigments. For example, the 10th-century Chitra Kaladruma presents recipe for making red color paint from the resin of lac insects. Other colors for the historic frescoes found in India, such as those in the Ajanta Caves, were obtained from nature. They mention earthy and mineral (inorganic) colorants such as yellow and red ochre, orpigment, green celadonite and ultramarine blue (lapis lazuli). The use of organic colorants prepared per a recipe in these texts have been confirmed through residue analysis and modern chromatographic techniques.
THEORY
The Indian concepts of painting are described in a range of texts called the shilpa shastras. These typically begin by attributing this art to divine sources such as Vishvakarma and ancient rishis (sages) such as Narayana and Nagnajit, weaving some mythology, highlighting chitra as a means to express ideas and beauty along with other universal aspects, then proceed to discuss the theory and practice of painting, sketching and other related arts. Manuscripts of many these texts are found in India, while some are known to be lost but are found outside India such as in Tibet and Nepal. Among these are the Citrasutras in the 6th-century Visnudharmottara Purana manuscripts discovered in India, and the Citralaksana manuscript discovered in Tibet (lost in India). This theory include early Indian ideas on how to prepare a canvas or substrate, measurement, proportion, stance, color, shade, projection, the painting's interaction with light, the viewer, how to captivate the mind, and other ideas.
According to the historic Indian tradition, a successful and impactful painting and painter requires a knowledge of the subject – either mythology or real life, as well as a keen sense of observation and knowledge of nature, human behavior, dance, music, song and other arts. For example, section 3.2 of Visnudharmottara Purana discusses these requirements and the contextual knowledge needed in chitra and the artist who produces it. The Chitrasutras in the Vishnudharmottara Purana state that the sculpture and painting arts are related, with the phrase "as in Natya, so in Citra". This relationship links them in rasa (aesthetics) and as forms of expression.
THE PAINTING
A chitra is a form of expression and communication. According to Aparajitaprccha – a 12th-century text on arts and architecture, just like the water reflects the moon, a chitra reflects the world. It is a rupa (form) of how the painter sees or what the painter wants the viewer to observe or feel or experience.
A good painting is one that is alive, breathing, draws in and affects the viewer. It captivates the minds of viewers, despite their diversity. Installed in a sala (hall or room), it enlivens the space.
The ornaments of a painting are its lines, shading, decoration and colors, states the 6th-century Visnudharmottara Purana. It states that there are eight gunas (merits, features) of a chitra that the artist must focus on: posture; proportion; the use of the plumb line; charm; detail (how much and where); verisimilitude; kshaya (loss, foreshortening) and; vrddhi (gain). Among the dosas (demerits, faults) of a painting and related arts, states Chitrasutra, are lines that are weak or thick, absence of variety, errors in scale (oversized eyes, lips, cheeks), inconsistency across the canvas, deviations from the rules of proportion, improper posture or sentiment, and non-merging of colors.
LIMBS OF THE PAINTING
Two historical sets called "chitra anga", or "limbs of painting" are found in Indian texts. According to the Samarangana Sutradhara – an 11th-century Sanskrit text on Hindu architecture and arts, a painting has eight limbs:
Vartika – manufacture of brushes
Bhumibandhana – preparation of base, plaster, canvas
Rekhakarma – sketching
Varnakarma – coloring
Vartanakarma – shading
lekhakarana – outlining
Dvikakarma – second and final lining
Lepyakarma – final coating
According to Yashodhara's Jayamangala, a Sanskrit commentary on Kamasutra, there are sadanga (six limbs)[note 5] in the art of alekhyam and chitra (drawing and painting):
Rupa-bhedah, or form distinction; this requires a knowledge of characteristic marks, diversity, manifested forms that distinguish states of something in the same genus/class
Pramanani, or measure; requires knowledge of measurement and proportion rules (talamana)
Bhava yojanam, or emotion and its joining with other parts of the painting; requires understanding and representing the mood of the subject
Lavanya yojanam, or rasa, charm; requires understanding and representing the inner qualities of the subject
Sadrsyam, or resemblance; requires knowledge of visual correspondence across the canvas
Varnika-bhanga or color-pigment-analysis; requires knowledge how colors distribute on the canvas and how they visually impact the viewer.
These six limbs are arranged stylistically in two ways. First as a set of compound (Rupa-bhedah and Varnika-bhanda), a set of joining (middle two yojnam), and a set of single words (Pramanani and Sadrsyam). Second, states Victor Mair, the six limbs in this Hindu text are paired in a set of differentiation skills (first two), then a pair of aesthetic skills, and finally a pair of technical skills. These limbs parallel the 12th-century Six principles of Chinese painting of Xie He. {refn|group=note|The Hua Chi of Teng Ch'un, a 12th-century Chinese text, mentions the Buddhist temple of Nalanda with frescoes about the Buddha painted inside. It states that the Indian Buddhas look different from those painted by Chinese, as the Indian paintings have Buddha with larger eyes, their ears are curiously stretched and the Buddhas have their right shoulder bare. It then states that the artists first make a drawing of the picture, then paint a vermilion or gold colored base. It also mentions the use of ox-glue and a gum produced from peach trees and willow juice, with the artists preferring the latter. According to Coomaraswamy, the ox-glue in the Indian context mentioned in the Chinese text is probably the same as the recipe found in the Sanskrit text Silparatna, one where the base medium is produced from boiling buffalo skin in milk, followed by drying and blending process.
The six limbs in Jayamangala likely reflect the earliest and more established Hindu tradition for chitra. This is supported by the Chitrasutras found in the Vishnudharmottara Purana. They explicitly mention pramanani and lavanya as key elements of a painting, as well as discuss the other four of the six limbs in other sutras. The Chitrasutra chapters are likely from about the 4th or 5th-century. Numerous other Indian texts touch upon the elements or aspects of a chitra. For example, the Aparajitaprccha states that the essential elements of a painting are: citrabhumi (background), the rekha (lines, sketch), the varna (color), the vartana (shading), the bhusana (decoration) and the rasa (aesthetic experience).
THE PAINTER
The painter (chitrakara, rupakara) must master the fundamentals of measurement and proportions, state the historic chitra texts of India. According to these historic texts, the expert painter masters the skills in measurement, characteristics of subjects, attributes, form, relative proportion, ornament and beauty, states Isabella Nardi – a scholar known for her studies on chitra text and traditions of India. According to the Chitrasutras, a skilled painter needs practice, and is one who is able to paint neck, hands, feet, ears of living beings without ornamentation, as well as paint water waves, flames, smoke, and garments as they get affected by the speed of wind. He paints all types of scenes, ranging from dharma, artha and kama. A painter observes, then remembers, repeating this process till his memory has all the details he needs to paint, states Silparatna. According to Sivatattva Ratnakara, he is well versed in sketching, astute with measurements, skilled in outlining (hastalekha), competent with colors, and ready to diligently mix and combine colors to create his chitra. The painter is a creative person, with an inner sense of rasa (aesthetics).
THE VIEWER
The painter should consider the diversity of viewers, states the Indian tradition of chitra. The experts and critics with much experience with paintings study the lines, shading and aesthetics, the uninitiated visitors and children enjoy the vibrancy of colors, while women tend to be attracted to the ornamentation of form and the emotions. A successful painter tends to captivate a variety of minds. A painter should remember that the visual and aesthetic impact of a painting triggers different responses in different audiences.
The Silparatna – a Sanskrit text on the arts, states that the painting should reflect its intended place and purpose. A theme suitable for a palace or gateway is different from that in a temple or the walls of a home. Scenes of wars, misery, death and suffering are not suitable paintings within homes, but these can be important in a chitrasala (museum with paintings). Auspicious paintings with beautiful colors such as those that cheer and enliven a room are better for homes, states Silparatna.
PRACITICE
According to the art historian Percy Brown, the painting tradition in India is ancient and the persuasive evidence are the oldest known murals at the Jogimara caves. The mention of chitra and related terms in the pre-Buddhist Vedic era texts, the chitra tradition is much older. It is very likely, states Brown, the pre-Buddhist structures had paintings in them. However, the primary building material in ancient India was wood, the colors were organic materials and natural pigments, which when combined with the tropical weather in India would naturally cause the painting to fade, damage and degrade over the centuries. It is not surprising, therefore, that sample paintings and historic evidence for chitra practice are unusual. The few notable surviving examples of chitra are found hidden in caves, where they would be naturally preserved a bit better, longer and would be somewhat protected from the destructive effects of wind, dust, water and biological processes.
Some notable, major surviving examples of historic paintings include:
Murals at Jogimara cave (eight panels of murals, with a Brahmi inscription, 2nd or 1st century BCE, Hindu), oldest known ceiling paintings in India in remote Ramgarh hills of northern Chhattisgarh, below on wall of this cave is a Brahmi inscription in Magadhi language about a girl named Devadasi and a boy named Devadina (either they were lovers and wrote a love-graffiti per one translation, or they were partners who together converted natural caves here into a theatre with painted walls per another translation)
Mural at Sitabhinji Group of Rock Shelters (c. 400 CE Ravanachhaya mural with an inscription, near a Shiva temple in remote Odisha, a non-religious painting), the oldest surviving example of a tempera painting in eastern states of India
Murals at Ajanta caves (Jataka tales, Buddhist), 5th-century CE, Maharashtra
Murals at Badami Cave Temples (Hindu), 6th-century CE, Karnataka (secular paintings along with one of the earliest known painting of a Hindu legend about Shiva and Parvati inside a Vaishnava cave)
Murals at Bagh caves (Hallisalasya dance, Buddhist or Hindu), Madhya Pradesh
Murals at Ellora caves (Flying vidyadharas, Jain), Maharashtra
Frescoes at Sittanavasal cave (Nature scenes likely representing places of Tirthankara sermons, Jain), Tamil Nadu
Frescoes at Thirunadhikkara cave temple (Flowers and a woman, likely a scene of puja offering to Ganesha, another of Vishnu, Hindu), Travancore region, Kerala-Tamil Nadu
Paintings at the Brihadisvara temple (Dancer, Hindu), Tamil Nadu
Manuscript paintings (numerous states such as Gujarat, Kashmir, Kerala, Odisha, Assam; also Nepal, Tibet; Buddhist, Jain, Hindu
Vijayanagara temples (Hindu), Karnataka
Chidambaram temple (Hindu), Tamil Nadu
Chitrachavadi (Hindu, a choultry–mandapa near Madurai with Ramayana frescoes)
Pahari paintings (Hindu), Himachal Pradesh and nearby regions
Rajput paintings (Hindu), Rajasthan
Deccan paintings (Hindu, Jain)
Kerala paintings (Hindu)
Telangana paintings (Hindu)
Mughal paintings (Indo-Islamic)
CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
Kalamkari (Hindu)
Pattas (Jain, Hindu)
WIKIPEDIA
Shostakvich School of Music Art & Dance
297 Avenue X
Brooklyn, NY 11223
(718) 376-8056
Kaplun21@aol.com
Since it's inception in 1981, the Shostakovich School of Music, Art and Dance, at 297 Avenue X, Brooklyn, NY 11223, has grown from a dream envisioned by a small group of Russian immigrants, to a vibrant multifaceted music and art institution with three centers in the metropolitan New York area. The Shostakovich Music, Art and Sport School is a non-profit, non-sectarian institution dedicated to high quality instruction in art, music, theater and sport for individuals ages three to adult. The School serves over 500 students in a diversified multi-arts program. The Shostakovich School of Music, Art and Sport is licensed by the New York State Department of Education. The school does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, religion, national origin, or marital status in its admission, employment, financial aid, placement or recruitment practices and policies. The Shostakovich School of Music, Art and Sport is an equal opportunity-affirmative action institution.
The Shostakovich School of Music, Art and Sport is named after one of the most important Russian composers of our time. The School is both named in tribute to him and in the hope that our students will emulate his artistic talent. Students enrolled at the Shostakovich School are encouraged to achieve their maximum potential and to experience the satisfaction that comes from the study and mastery of the arts. The curriculum has been designed to motivate students to participate fully in the educational process and to relate their studies to life, to society, and their own personal development. This philosophy of education gives inspiration to our students throughout their lives, whether they become professional artists or active amateurs. Course materials and instructional methods have been devised to make the disciplines come alive in the students minds, so they can comprehend and internalize the mode of inquiry characteristic to each of the artistic endeavors. Students are encouraged to undertake independent study or tutorials in accordance with their personal interests. Students from all backgrounds are welcome.
Working Hours: Mon -Fri 7:30am - 8pm, Sat - Sun 10am - 5pm
Payments Accepted: Cash, Check
Opened Since: 1981
Twitter: twitter.com/shostakvich
Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Shostakvich-School-of-Music-Art-Da...
Blogger: shostakvichschool.blogspot.com/
Google plus: plus.google.com/u/0/102303762795057560778/about
(http://www.artdaily.org/index.asp?int_sec=11&int_new=47124)
NEW YORK, NY.- Madison Square Park Conservancy’s Mad. Sq. Art presents the New York public art premiere of internationally acclaimed artist Jaume Plensa, featuring a new monumental, site-specific sculpture for Madison Square Park. Plensa’s Echo marks the single largest monolithic work of art presented in the 7-year history of Mad. Sq. Art, on view May 5 through mid- August 2011.
Echo, Plensaʼs new site-specific installation serves as a monument to everyday people, both within and without Madison Square Park. Creatively inspired by the presence of the 9-year old daughter of a restaurant proprietor near Plensaʼs home in Barcelona, the 44-feet tall sculpture comprised of white fiberglass resin depicts the face of this inspiring young girl in a dream state from the neck, up. Plensaʼs sculpture, made from marble gel-coated fiberglass-reinforced plastic, can be sited on the central Oval Lawn of Madison Square Park. Its monumental size and vertical orientation reflect the parkʼs surrounding architecture, while the visage of the sculptorʼs subject exudes a welcoming tranquility perfectly suited to this cherished urban oasis.
Drawing inspiration from the presence of a real person in real time, Plensaʼs monumental sculpture also references the myth of the Greek nymph Echo. According to Greek mythology, Echo was a nymph, who loved her own voice until it was later taken. From that point forward the legend tells of Echo being able to utter the thoughts of others but not her own. Jaume Plensaʼs Echo plays on the tale of this Greek myth, creating a sculpture of massive scale drawing parallels to the Greek Echoʼs origins as a mountain nymph. The reference is carried further by the artistʼs decision to depict the young 9-year old girlʼs face in a dream state, translating this massive sculptural portrait into a physical monument of all the voices and thoughts of others internalized by Madison Square Park as by the nymph in the myth of Echo.
Artist Jaume Plensa comments: Echo is the representation of the head of a young girl in a dream state. If in the myth of the nymph Echo, she was forced by the goddess to repeat the words uttered by others, in my project, the head becomes a mirror in where people can see themselves. With this work I aim to introduce quietness and serenity in Madison Square Park, to transform the Park further into a place to rest and dream. With Echo, I aim to create a new intimate place in the heart of NY, in where we can finally repeat the real words of our souls.”
“The Madison Square Park Conservancy is thrilled to present the New York City public art debut of Jaume Plensa, an artist who has contributed so much to the field of contemporary art in cities all around the world,” said Debbie Landau, President of the Madison Square Park Conservancy. “Jaume is an extraordinary artist and an incredibly compassionate person, qualities which are reflected in works of art that poetically bridge the boundaries between many different nationalities and cultures. Madison Square Park is a cherished public space at the heart of a culturally diverse city, making it the ideal home for the monumental and celebratory Echo, which itself is a perfect reflection of the vibrancy, vitality and optimism of New York City.”
Jaume Plensa, born and based in Barcelona, is one of the worldʼs leading contemporary sculptors. Working in a wide variety of materials, Plensa has invigorated the practice of figurative sculpture with works that examine the intersection of the human form, language and communication, and global citizenship. He was made a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 1993, among many other honors. His public art installations are particularly renowned, and include the legendary Crown Fountain in Chicagoʼs Millennium Park. Plensaʼs 2011 commission for Madison Square Park constitutes his long-awaited New York City public art debut.
Plensa is represented in New York by Galerie Lelong and in Chicago by Richard Gray Gallery.
Warrior Shield Campaign Art by: Pearl Vanessa-Rose Scott, Fort Peck Sioux, age: 20.
NARA, NW Trauma Warrior Art by: Michael, Mechoopta Maidu, age: 12.
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CONTACT: K. @Alane Golden
Com./S.M. Specialist, NARA, NW: Nak-Nu-Wit
503.224. 1044, extension 264
agolden@naranorthwest.org
The Portland, Oregon Based Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest, Inc., NARA NW, Will Join More than 1,000 National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day Celebrations’ Nationwide.
PORTLAND, OR — On Wednesday, May 9th, 2012, NARA, NW will host a Family Day celebration at Concordia University (2811 NE Holman Portland 97211) from 3 – 7pm, joining more than 1,000 communities and 115 federal programs and national organizations across the country participating in events, youth demonstrations, and social networking campaigns to raise awareness about the importance of children’s mental health. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day seeks to raise awareness about the importance of positive mental health from birth. This year, the Awareness Day national event will focus on young children from birth to 8 years old by emphasizing the need to build resilience in young children dealing with trauma.
For the past forty – two years, NARA, NW has provided culturally appropriate education, physical and mental health services and substance abuse treatment to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other vulnerable people in the greater Portland metro community. NARA’s unique wraparound child and family mental health services program, Nak Nu Wit, serves families, their young children and youth with mental health challenges, offering culturally-based services and supports needed to thrive at home, in school, and in the community. Research has shown when children as young as 18 months are exposed to traumatic life events, they can develop serious psychological problems later in life and have a greater risk for experiencing problems with substance abuse, depression and physical health. Integrating social-emotional and resilience-building skills into every environment can have a positive impact on a child's healthy development.
In conjunction with the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board and Concordia University, NARA, NW will celebrate Awareness Day locally by hosting a Family Day with the culturally-rooted theme: "Warriors Against Trauma", highlighting the strengths & adventure-based youth and family activities, to Elder storytelling, traditional drumming, dancing and singing, the event offers something for everyone - blending rich history and traditions of the past with modern day tribal urban culture. Attendees will enjoy complimentary face-painting, food and drinks, arts, crafts, ceremony, storytelling with Ed Edmo and a special performance by Emcee One and an array of mental health materials and resources aimed at reducing stigma. The event will focus attention on the importance of providing comprehensive, community-based mental health supports and services to enhance resilience and nurture strength-based skills in young children from birth. In the NARA community, Elders, family relations, community members, spiritual helpers and friends are invited to help the family. Nak Nu Wit is a Sahaptin phrase describing the program’s philosophy and mission:
“Everything / All things are being taken care of for the people, the people are the project, our responsibility, our work.” It is in this spirit that NARA welcomes all to attend this free event.
NARA, NW holds sacred the culture and traditions’ passed down from our ancestors and believes that when we recognize our “Warrior Self”, we can exhibit strength, without sacrificing tenderness. It is precisely because our ancestors called upon their inner warriors to be a source of strength to draw upon in times of great need that we exist today. The “Warriors Against Trauma” campaign honors our ancestors and asks today’s youth to thoughtfully deploy their “Warrior Spirits” to manifest as clarity, focus, determination, courage, constancy and an unflappable zest for life.
“Trauma Warriors” understand a true warrior views roadblocks as evolutionary opportunities, and isn't afraid to pursue a purpose to its finish – in the face of hardship, adversity, or strife. There is more than enough room in the existence of the warrior for softness and benevolence, and the warrior’s willingness to stand up for their beliefs can aid greatly in the healing process. As our youth strive to incorporate these ideals with today’s fast-paced world, they broaden their realities to internalize mindfulness while overcoming life’s challenges with an unwavering intensity of spirit. Can we get a W.A.T., W.A.T.?
"’Awareness Day is an opportunity for us to join with communities across the country in celebrating the positive impact we have on the lives of young people when we’re able to integrate culturally relevant positive mental health into every environment,’ says Terry Ellis, Child and Family Services Clinical Manager. ‘When we focus on building resilience and coping skills in young children from birth, especially if they have experienced a traumatic event, we can help young children, youth, and their families thrive.’"
Data released on May 3, 2011, by SAMHSA indicates that an estimated 26% of American children will witness, or experience a traumatic event, before the age of 4 years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), almost 60% of American adults say they endured abuse, or other difficult family circumstances, during childhood. Research has shown exposure to traumatic events early in life can have many negative effects throughout childhood and adolescence, into adulthood. The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) study found a strong relationship between traumatic events experienced in childhood as reported in adulthood, and chronic physical illness such as heart disease, and mental health problems which includes depression.
The annual financial burden to society of childhood abuse and trauma is estimated to be $103 billion. NARA, NW is committed not only to treatment aimed at reducing this financial burden, but, strives to address historical trauma through culturally-based mental health services. Through NARA’s child and family mental health programs, our families and youth are treated by nationally recognized trauma experts who aim to decrease the prevalence of exposure to traumatic events among children and youth to eliminate intergenerational trauma, the problems trauma causes, and offer available treatments that can help children and youth recover through resilience. It is a great honor to act as liaisons, standing side-by-side with family and community members helping ensure the complete mental health and well being our youth so they may continue the traditions passed down from elders with strength, honor and dignity.
12 year old Mechoopta Maidu tribal member and Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day contributing artist reflects upon what a Warrior Against Trauma means to him, “I have very bad dreams that wake me up at night. With help from Amber, I learned to call my Warrior to make the bad things that happen to me when I sleep go away. He protects me by throwing a tomahawk at the bad things, making them disappear and helping me sleep better.” Michael, NARA Nak Nu Wit client.
For more information, join the conversation on Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/NARANCMHAD/ and Follow us on Twitter @NCMHAD
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The Doll Project is a series of conceptual digital photographs that uses fashion dolls to embody the negative messages the media gives to young girls. Though it would not be fair to blame it all on Barbie, there have been many instances in which she has come dangerously close. I chose to use Barbie dolls because they are miniature mannequins, emblems of the fashion world writ small, a representation of our culture's impossible standards of beauty scaled to one sixth actual size. The little pink scale and How To Lose Weight book are both real Barbie accessories from the 1960s. They are recurring motifs in the pictures in the series, symbolizing the ongoing dissatisfaction many girls and women feel about their weight and body image. The dolls' names, Ana and Mia, are taken from internet neologisms coined by anorexic and bulimic girls who have formed online communities with the unfortunate purpose of encouraging each other in their disordered eating. With each passing era, Ana and Mia are younger and younger, and the physical ideal to which they aspire becomes more unattainable. They internalize the unrealistic expectations of a society that digitally manipulates images of women in fashion and beauty advertisements and value their own bodies only as objects for others to look at and desire.
Read more about the project here:
tiffanygholar.blogspot.com/2008/08/doll-project.html
Purchase prints here:
LEARNED HELPLESSNESS:
ON AUTHORITY, OBEDIENCE, AND CONTROL
[…] in the 1940s, psychotic patients would express delusions about their brains being controlled by radio waves; now delusional patients commonly complain about implanted computer chips,”[1]
“The Matrix is everywhere, even now in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work, when you go to church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth.” (Morpheus);
“What truth?” (Neo);
“That you’re a slave. Like everyone else, you were born into a prison, a prison that you cannot smell or touch, a prison for your mind.” (Morpheus)[2]
Now, in fact, we already live largely in a negationist society. No event is ‘real’ any longer. Terror attacks, trials, wars, corruption, opinion polls – there’s nothing now that isn’t rigged or undecidable. Government, the authorities and institutions are the first victims of this fall from grace of the principles of truth and reality. Incredulity rages. The conspiracy theory merely adds a somewhat burlesque episode to this mental destabilization. Hence this urgent need to combat this creeping negationist and at all costs, safeguards a reality that is now kept alive on a drip.[3]
Humans constantly learn how do things, how to explain phenomena, how to model the world: how to minimize the difference between expectation and observation. To that end, not only learning from success has proven useful, but also learning from failures, realizing when it is time to give up trying something: Repeated failure frustrates us, the pain incurred by failed attempts undermines our self-esteem. We feel powerless and embarrassed in the face of an overwhelming difficulty. And eventually we give up. It is a sign of intelligence to do so; we have learned that something is impossible. The insight of impossibility gets encoded in an emotion, especially if punishment or pain is associated with a failed attempt. This internalized experience of incapability is often so traumatic that we never ever take another attempt, even if the conditions may have changed. We do not even take notice of them any longer. Even if all obstacles get removed: We don’t try anymore. We have given up. We have learned helplessness.
Humans learn not only from own experiences, but also by observing the successes and failures of their peers. There are numerous narrative forms for passing on frustrations, there is a tone reserved in every social group’s repertoire of jokes, sighs and lamentos for expressing it. We pat our shoulders and agree that it simply could not be done: We learn the helplessness of our ancestors and peers.
Moreover, the future can only be made from what is considered possible: We can only choose among the options for behaviour that we are aware of. Many of the possibilities that our ancestors have gotten frustrated with never become part of our world. They get buried on the cemetery of failed attempts, and pride and pain prevents the ancestors from telling stories about them. Especially when some attempt gets punished by psychological or physical violence, then the emotion that encodes the failure is not just frustration, but a deep injury of the soul: apathy, depression and despair are what the victim will suffer.
Human emotions are the material of which power is forged. A plethora of elaborate techniques exist to plant and dung them, stake or trim, harvest, lay, ferment and distil them. Especially learned helplessness has proven an extremely effective means of dressage, particularly in its indirect, socially mediated form: To the end of controlling and stabilizing a status quo, nothing is more powerful than the invisible leash that is formed from the almost instinctive flinching from change that we have developed from frustrated attempts.
To braid the invisible leash, it is necessary to create an initial frustration, or worse: a traumatic experience. The use of abasement, physical restraint and violence is unbearably effective at that. These are the knives with which traumata can be cut most directly into the fabric of the self. Alone the realization that these actions are in fact possible and have been applied during every single moment of mankind is deeply frustrating and embarrassing to everyone who has a hope in our propensity for learning.
The didactics of helplessness however knows much more subtle techniques, many of which exploit the dependence of the human self-model and self-esteem on the feedback of peers, and the self-evaluation in comparison to what is taught as exemplary by the textbook of the social. The key lesson that an organism needs to learn is one of own incapability: Human identity requires a sense of being in control of matters, such as of the own existence and fate. Make the students of helplessness poor – materially or symbolically; convince them that they are incapable; foster their existential fear; then offer them a straw: They will grasp it and have learnt that it is impossible for them to survive on their own. Give excessive help, function overly, and you shall receive helplessness.
The conviction (of an individual or a group) of being out of control needs to get reinforced, practiced and rehearsed. Repeat: We are incapable of dealing with the problem; the problem is overwhelmingly large; it is too complex for our simple minds to grasp; a solution is so improbable that it is impossible for all practical purposes. There is not only one problem: two more get reported every day. We don’t even know enough about the nature of the problems. A conspiracy might be pulling the strings, but there are conflicting theories about who is really, truly in control. No one can know what is going on behind the scenes. In fact, you cannot trust anyone; hence there is no truth. If you can’t convince them of their own helplessness, confuse them and overwhelm them: Immerse them in a constant stream of buzz, whirl their heads around until the liquid between their ears is spinning like an eddy.
The notion of “learned helplessness” can be summarized as a mental state that an individual or society arrives at when they internalize failure and stop trying to break out of an overpowering condition – even if that condition changes. Put forward by psychologist Martin Seligman in 1967, it has inspired a number of scholars working in the fields of gender politics, racism, genocide, authoritarianism and related subjects that are concerned with the dynamics of hegemony. It is through suppressive education processes, religious and moral principles (enacted both by families as well as institutions and cultures), violations of human rights and freedom, political pressure, and the continuous recall of the status quo by the media, that individuals and societies arrive at a fatal conclusion: That they do not have the necessary power to change the existing modus vivendi or the prevailing regimes.
The existing control mechanisms instrumentalise this aspect of human psychology in the form of social engineering and manipulation of societies. They employ the media, prisons, surveillance and security systems that operate on the basis of social psychology. They systematically manufacture a collective sense of helplessness. By using information overflow, normalizing corruption and injustice, monitoring privacy, manipulating law, operating a police system, applying psychological and physical violence, murdering, torturing, imprisoning, creating conflicts within societies, raising poverty and creating a financial need for their own existence, the ruling powers aggressively develop a system of even greater control.
In many of the so-called democratic countries of present day, large parts of society are reluctant about available alternatives in elections. Fewer and fewer people feel represented in parliaments. Often people think that their participation will not matter, given the strategies and games taking place in the election systems: Today, in many countries the notion of “free choice” has to be regarded an impossible dream. “The lesser of two evils”, “strategic voting”, or “voting grudgingly” are frequently heard utterances that give evidence of the lost hope.
Experiences of violence – massacres, military coup d’états, unsolved political murders, wars, terror attacks, etc. – are severe traumata in the collective memories of societies. They increasingly help cultivate a collective fear and justify the necessity for surveillance, as well as military and security forces. However, these comprehensible needs transform the role of the state from governing to ruling. This is where the abuse of power starts, and the security forces, media and monitoring agencies, which owe their existence to the collective anxiety, start functioning as tools for the defence of the ruling regime from its own public. It is through violence and an overflow of conflicting information that a society gets confused, loses its trust, and consequently its hope.
Is it possible to un-learn helplessness? The exhibition project “Learned Helplessness: On Authority, Obedience, and Control” is the result of a collective thinking process about this question. It brings together diverse positions analysing the phenomenon from the aspects of family, religion, psychology, politics, urbanism, gender, neuroscience and social education. The project encompasses a variety of artistic forms, including sound, video, object installations, photographs, graffiti and drawings – mainly produced for this exhibition. It aims at going beyond the artistic dialog that it suggests, and opening up a discussion platform for collective thinking and for debating the metaphor of unlearning helplessness.
CO-WRITERS OF THE CURATORIAL TEXT
Tobias Nöbauer & Işın Önol
A thangka, also known as tangka, thanka or tanka (Nepali pronunciation: [ˈt̪ʰaŋka]; Tibetan: ཐང་ཀ་; Nepal Bhasa: पौभा) is a painting on cotton, or silk appliqué, usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala of some sort. The thangka is not a flat creation like an oil painting or acrylic painting but consists of a picture panel which is painted or embroidered over which a textile is mounted and then over which is laid a cover, usually silk. Generally, thangkas last a very long time and retain much of their lustre, but because of their delicate nature, they have to be kept in dry places where moisture won't affect the quality of the silk. It is sometimes called a scroll-painting.
These thangka served as important teaching tools depicting the life of the Buddha, various influential lamas and other deities and bodhisattvas. One subject is The Wheel of Life, which is a visual representation of the Abhidharma teachings (Art of Enlightenment).
Thangka, when created properly, perform several different functions. Images of deities can be used as teaching tools when depicting the life (or lives) of the Buddha, describing historical events concerning important Lamas, or retelling myths associated with other deities. Devotional images act as the centerpiece during a ritual or ceremony and are often used as mediums through which one can offer prayers or make requests. Overall, and perhaps most importantly, religious art is used as a meditation tool to help bring one further down the path to enlightenment. The Buddhist Vajrayana practitioner uses a thanga image of their yidam, or meditation deity, as a guide, by visualizing “themselves as being that deity, thereby internalizing the Buddha qualities (Lipton, Ragnubs).”
Historians note that Chinese painting had a profound influence on Tibetan painting in general. Starting from the 14th and 15th century, Tibetan painting had incorporated many elements from the Chinese, and during the 18th century, Chinese painting had a deep and far-stretched impact on Tibetan visual art. According to Giuseppe Tucci, by the time of the Qing Dynasty, "a new Tibetan art was then developed, which in a certain sense was a provincial echo of the Chinese 18th century's smooth ornate preciosity."
HISTORY
Thangka is a Nepalese art form exported to Tibet after Princess Bhrikuti of Nepal, daughter of King Lichchavi, married Songtsän Gampo, the ruler of Tibet imported the images of Aryawalokirteshwar and other Nepalese deities to Tibet. History of thangka Paintings in Nepal began in the 11th century A.D. when Buddhists and Hindus began to make illustration of the deities and natural scenes. Historically, Tibetan and Chinese influence in Nepalese paintings is quite evident in Paubhas (Thangkas). Paubhas are of two types, the Palas which are illustrative paintings of the deities and the Mandala, which are mystic diagrams paintings of complex test prescribed patterns of circles an square each having specific significance. It was through Nepal that Mahayana Buddhism was introduced into Tibet during reign of Angshuvarma in the seventh century A.D. There was therefore a great demand for religious icons and Buddhist manuscripts for newly built monasteries throughout Tibet. A number of Buddhist manuscripts, including Prajnaparamita, were copied in Kathmandu Valley for these monasteries. Astasahas rika Prajnaparamita for example, was copied in Patan in the year 999 A.D., during the reign of Narendra Dev and Udaya Deva, for the Sa-Shakya monastery in Tibet. For the Nor monastery in Tibet, two copies were made in Nepal-one of Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita in 1069 A.D. and the other of Kavyadarsha in 1111 A.D. The influence of Nepalese art extended till Tibet and even beyond in China in regular order during the thirteenth century. Nepalese artisans were dispatched to the courts of Chinese emperors at their request to perform their workmanship and impart expert knowledge. The exemplary contribution made by the artisans of Nepal, specially by the Nepalese innovator and architect Balbahu, known by his popular name Araniko bear testimony to this fact even today. After the introduction of paper, palm leaf became less popular, however, it continued to be used until the eighteenth century. Paper manuscripts imitated the oblong shape but were wider than the palm leaves.
From the fifteenth century onwards, brighter colours gradually began to appear in Nepalese.Thanka / Thangka. Because of the growing importance of the Tantric cult, various aspects of Shiva and Shakti were painted in conventional poses. Mahakala, Manjushri, Lokeshwara and other deities were equally popular and so were also frequently represented in Thanka / Thangka paintings of later dates. As Tantrism embodies the ideas of esoteric power, magic forces, and a great variety of symbols, strong emphasis is laid on the female element and sexuality in the paintings of that period.
Religious paintings worshipped as icons are known as Paubha in Newari and Thanka / Thangka in Tibetan. The origin of Paubha or Thanka / Thangka paintings may be attributed to the Nepalese artists responsible for creating a number of special metal works and wall- paintings as well as illuminated manuscripts in Tibet. Realizing the great demand for religious icons in Tibet, these artists, along with monks and traders, took with them from Nepal not only metal sculptures but also a number of Buddhist manuscripts. To better fulfil the ever - increasing demand Nepalese artists initiated a new type of religious painting on cloth that could be easily rolled up and carried along with them. This type of painting became very popular both in Nepal and Tibet and so a new school of Thanka / Thangka painting evolved as early as the ninth or tenth century and has remained popular to this day. One of the earliest specimens of Nepalese Thanka / Thangka painting dates from the thirteenth /fourteenth century and shows Amitabha surrounded by Bodhisattva. Another Nepalese Thanka / Thangka with three dates in the inscription (the last one corresponding to 1369 A.D.), is one of the earliest known Thanka / Thangka with inscriptions. The "Mandalaof Vishnu " dated 1420 A.D., is another fine example of the painting of this period. Early Nepalese Thangkas are simple in design and composition. The main deity, a large figure, occupies the central position while surrounded by smaller figures of lesser divinities.
Thanka / Thangka painting is one of the major science out the five major and five minor fields of knowledge. Its origin can be traced all the way back to the time of Lord Buddha. The main themes of Thanka / Thangka paintings are religious. During the reign of Tibetan Dharma King Trisong Duetsen the Tibetan masters refined their already well-developed arts through research and studies of different country's tradition. Thanka painting's lining and measurement, costumes, implementations and ornaments are mostly based on Indian styles. The drawing of figures is based on Nepalese style and the background sceneries are based on Chinese style. Thus, the Thanka / Thangka paintings became a unique and distinctive art. Although the practice of thanka painting was originally done as a way of gaining merit it has nowadays only evolved into a money making business and the noble intentions it once carried has been diluted. Tibetans do not sell Thangkas on a large scale as the selling of religious artifacts such as thangkas and idols is frowned upon in the Tibetan community and thus non Tibetan groups have been able to monopolize on its (thangka's) popularity among Buddhist and art enthusiasts from the west.
Thanka / Thangka have developed in the northern Himalayan regions among the Lamas. Besides Lamas, Gurung and Tamang communities are also producing Tankas, which provide substantial employment opportunities for many people in the hills. Newari Thankas (Also known as Paubha) has been the hidden art work in Kathmandu valley from the 13th century. We have preserved this art and are exclusively creating this with some particular painter family who have inherited their art from their forefathers. Some of the artistic religious and historical paintings are also done by the Newars of Kathmandu Valley.
TYPES
Based on technique and material, thangkas can be grouped by types. Generally, they are divided into two broad categories: those that are painted (Tib.) bris-tan—and those made of silk, either by appliqué or embroidery.
Thangkas are further divided into these more specific categories:
- Painted in colors (Tib.) tson-tang - the most common type
- Appliqué (Tib.) go-tang
- Black Background - meaning gold line on a black background (Tib.) nagtang
- Blockprints - paper or cloth outlined renderings, by woodcut/woodblock printing
- Embroidery (Tib.) tsem-thang
- Gold Background - an auspicious treatment, used judiciously for peaceful, long-life deities and fully enlightened buddhas
- Red Background - literally gold line, but referring to gold line on a vermillion (Tib.) mar-tang
Whereas typical thangkas are fairly small, between about 18 and 30 inches tall or wide, there are also giant festival thangkas, usually Appliqué, and designed to be unrolled against a wall in a monastery for particular religious occasions. These are likely to be wider than they are tall, and may be sixty or more feet across and perhaps twenty or more high.
Somewhat related are Tibetan tsakli, which look like miniature thangkas, but are usually used as initiation cards or offerings.
Because Thangkas can be quite expensive, people nowadays use posters of Thangkas as an alternative to the real thangkas for religious purposes.
PROCESS
Thangkas are painted on cotton or silk. The most common is a loosely woven cotton produced in widths from 40 to 58 centimeters. While some variations do exist, thangkas wider than 45 centimeters frequently have seams in the support. The paint consists of pigments in a water soluble medium. Both mineral and organic pigments are used, tempered with a herb and glue solution. In Western terminology, this is a distemper technique.
The composition of a thangka, as with the majority of Buddhist art, is highly geometric. Arms, legs, eyes, nostrils, ears, and various ritual implements are all laid out on a systematic grid of angles and intersecting lines. A skilled thangka artist will generally select from a variety of predesigned items to include in the composition, ranging from alms bowls and animals, to the shape, size, and angle of a figure's eyes, nose, and lips. The process seems very methodical, but often requires deep understanding of the symbolism involved to capture the spirit of it.
Thangka often overflow with symbolism and allusion. Because the art is explicitly religious, all symbols and allusions must be in accordance with strict guidelines laid out in Buddhist scripture. The artist must be properly trained and have sufficient religious understanding, knowledge, and background to create an accurate and appropriate thangka. Lipton and Ragnubs clarify this in Treasures of Tibetan Art:
“Tibetan art exemplifies the nirmanakaya, the physical body of Buddha, and also the qualities of the Buddha, perhaps in the form of a deity. Art objects, therefore, must follow rules specified in the Buddhist scriptures regarding proportions, shape, color, stance, hand positions, and attributes in order to personify correctly the Buddha or Deities.”
WIKIPEDIA
PERIODICO DE AYER www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/0/BNSb013wcfU
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MAXIMO CHAMORO www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/5/sKCx-DmE7Zk
LAMENTO DE CONCEPCION www.youtube.com/user/RANiEL1963#p/u/6/AXOAi4cWNtE
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GUAKIA INC www.guakia.org/index.html
Based in Hartford, Connecticut, Guakía, Inc. is the premiere Puerto Rican cultural center in southern New England.
Our mission is "to provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Puerto Ricans in the United States through the advancement of the groups' history, language, music, arts, literature, and other cultural characteristics; and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration, and exposition of the Puerto Rican/Hispanic culture available to all residents of the city of Hartford and the capital region."
This page is just the beginning of our new website, being built with the assitance of Trinity College's "Smart Neighborhood Plan," a project funded in large measure by grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Additional funding for Guakia's website has been received from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
We hope that you will soon be able to learn more about our organizations' history by exploring the pages of this site as they become available. The site will include detailed information on Guakía's educational and arts programs, its community partnerships, and will also feature photos and video clips of participant children and youth. We also welcome inquiries about how to help support Guakía, Inc. as we seek to expand our children and youth programs.
To provide a focal point for the promotion of the cultural identity and heritage of Hispanics in the United States through the advancement of the groups history, language, music, arts, and literature and to establish a center that will serve as a clearinghouse for the study, celebration and exposition of Hispanic cultureavailable to all residents of Connecticut.
Vision and Goals
To be the premier non-profit Hispanic arts, cultural and humanities organization dedicated to enriching the value of the Hispanic community by promoting, preserving and celebrating its cultural heritage and diversity.
To help our youth develop a strong sense of self, maximize their talents, acquire vision, internalize learning and in turn impact others in a positive way, fostering harmonic diversity in our community. Founded in 1983, Guakía is the most prominent arts and cultural organization in Hartfords Hispanic community. The word, guakia, means we in Taino, the language of the original inhabitants of the Caribbean (pre-Columbus). The word guakia signifies the unity of the Hispanic community no matter where individuals may be living. Volunteer parents who felt that their children had lost contact with the traditions of their culture and heritage founded Guakía. They felt their children needed to connect with their heritage in order to develop a sense of pride, community and self-esteem. Originally, Guakía was focused on the culture of Puerto Rico, however in recent years, as the community has become more diverse and the needs have shifted, Guakías mission has been broadened to include all Hispanic cultures. Using a curriculum based on both Puerto Rican and Latin American music, dance, and art forms, Guakía provides a wide array of visual and performing arts initiatives such as folkloric dance, painting, ceramics, traditional Hispanic music, and art classes. The early sacrifices of parents, volunteers, and teachers gave Guakía strong roots in the Puerto Rican culture. These roots have now expanded and sprouted like a beautiful tree with many branches and leaves to include all Hispanic cultures.
Chitra, also spelled as Citra, is an Indian genre of art that includes painting, sketch and any art form of delineation. The earliest mention of the term Chitra in the context of painting or picture is found in some of the ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism and Pali texts of Buddhism
NOMENCLATURE
Chitra (IAST: Citra, चित्र) is a Sanskrit word that appears in the Vedic texts such as hymns 1.71.1 and 6.65.2 of the Rigveda. There, and other texts such as Vajasaneyi Samhita, Taittiriya Samhita, Satapatha Brahmana and Tandya Brahmana, Chitra means "excellent, clear, bright, colored, anything brightly colored that strikes the eye, brilliantly ornamented, extraordinary that evokes wonder". In the Mahabharata and the Harivamsa, it means "picture, sktech, dilineation", and is presented as a genre of kala (arts). Many texts generally dated to the post-4th-century BCE period, use the term Chitra in the sense of painting, and Chitrakara as a painter. For example, the Sanskrit grammarian Panini in verse 3.2.21 of his Astadhyayi highlights the word chitrakara in this sense. Halls and public spaces to display paintings are called chitrasalas, and the earliest known mention of these are found in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
A few Indian regional texts such as Kasyapa silpa refer to painting by others words. For example, abhasa – which literally means "semblance, shining forth", is used in Kasyapa-shilpa to mean as a broader category of painting, of which chitra is one of three types. The verses in section 4.4 of the Kasyapa-silpa state that there are three types of images – those which are immovable (walls, floor, terracota, stucco), movable, and those which are both movable-immovable (stone, wood, gems).[5] In each of these three, states Kasyapa-shipa, are three classes of expression – ardhacitra, citra, and citra-abhasa. Ardhacitra is an art form where a high relief is combined with painting and parts of the body is not seen (it appears to be emerging out of the canvas). The Citra is the form of picture artwork where the whole is represented with or without integrating a relief. Citrabhasha is the form where an image is represented on a canvas or wall with colors (painting). However, states Commaraswamy, the word Abhasa has other meanings depending on the context. For example, in Hindu texts on philosophy, it implies the "field of objective experience" in the sense of the intellectual image internalized by a person during a reading of a subject (such as an epic, tale or fiction), or one during a meditative spiritual experience.
In some Buddhist and Hindu texts on methods to prepare a manuscript (palm leaf) or a composition on a cloth, the terms lekhya and alekhya are also used in the context of a chitra. More specifically, alekhya is the space left while writing a manuscript leaf or cloth, where the artist aims to add a picture or painting to illustrate the text.
HISTORY
The earliest explicit reference to painting in an Indian text is found in verse 4.2 of the Maitri Upanishad where it uses the phrase citrabhittir or "like a painted wall". The Indian art of painting is also mention in a number of Buddhist Pali suttas, but with the modified spelling of Citta. This term is found in the context of either a painting, or painter, or painted-hall (citta-gara) in Majjhima Nikaya 1.127, Samyutta Nikaya 2.101 and 3.152, Vinaya 4.289 and others. Among the Jain texts, it is mentioned in Book 2 of the Acaranga Sutra as it explains that Jaina monk should not indulge in the pleasures of watching a painting.
The Kamasutra, broadly accepted to have been complete by about the 4th-century CE, recommends that the young man should surprise the girl he courts with gifts of color boxes and painted scrolls. The Viddhasalabhanjika – another Hindu kama- and kavya–text uses chitra-simile in verse 1.16, as "pictures painted by the god of love, with the brush of the mind and the canvas of the heart".
The nature of a chitra (painting), how the viewer's mind projects a two dimensional artwork into a three dimensional representation, is used by Asanga in Mahayana Sutralamkara – a 3rd to 5th-century Sanskrit text of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, to explain "non-existent imagination" as follows:
Just as in a picture painted according to rules, there are neither projections nor depressions and yet we see it in three dimensions, so in the non-existent imagination there is no phenomenal differentiation, and yet we behold it.
— Mahayana Sutralamkara 13.7, Translated in French by Sylvain Levi
According to Yoko Taniguchi and Michiyo Mori, the art of painting the caves at the c. 6th-century Buddhas of Bamiyan site in Afghanistan, destroyed by the Taliban Muslims in the late 1990s, were likely introduced to this region from India along with the literature on early Buddhism.
TEXTS
There are many important dedicated Indian treatises on chitra. Some of these are chapters within a larger encyclopedia-like text. These include:
Chitrasutras, chapters 35–43 within the Hindu text Vishnudharmottara Purana (the standard, and oft referred to text in the Indian tradition)
Chitralaksana of Nagnajit (a classic on classical painting, 5th-century CE or earlier making it the oldest known text on Indian painting; but the Sanskrit version has been lost, only version available is in Tibet and it states that it is a translation of a Sanskrit text)
Samarangana Sutradhara (mostly architecture treatise, contains a large section on paintings)
Aparajitaprccha (mostly architecture treatise, contains a large section on paintings)
Manasollasa (an encyclopedia, contains chapters on paintings)
Abhilashitartha chinatamani
Sivatatva ratnakara
Chitra Kaladruma
Silpa ratna
Narada silpa
Sarasvati silpa
Prajapati silpa
Kasyapa silpa
These and other texts on chitra not only discuss the theory and practice of painting, some of them include discussions on how to become a painter, the diversity and the impact of a chitra on viewers, of aesthetics, how the art of painting relates to other arts (kala), methods of preparing the canvas or wall, methods and recipes to make color pigments. For example, the 10th-century Chitra Kaladruma presents recipe for making red color paint from the resin of lac insects. Other colors for the historic frescoes found in India, such as those in the Ajanta Caves, were obtained from nature. They mention earthy and mineral (inorganic) colorants such as yellow and red ochre, orpigment, green celadonite and ultramarine blue (lapis lazuli). The use of organic colorants prepared per a recipe in these texts have been confirmed through residue analysis and modern chromatographic techniques.
THEORY
The Indian concepts of painting are described in a range of texts called the shilpa shastras. These typically begin by attributing this art to divine sources such as Vishvakarma and ancient rishis (sages) such as Narayana and Nagnajit, weaving some mythology, highlighting chitra as a means to express ideas and beauty along with other universal aspects, then proceed to discuss the theory and practice of painting, sketching and other related arts. Manuscripts of many these texts are found in India, while some are known to be lost but are found outside India such as in Tibet and Nepal. Among these are the Citrasutras in the 6th-century Visnudharmottara Purana manuscripts discovered in India, and the Citralaksana manuscript discovered in Tibet (lost in India). This theory include early Indian ideas on how to prepare a canvas or substrate, measurement, proportion, stance, color, shade, projection, the painting's interaction with light, the viewer, how to captivate the mind, and other ideas.
According to the historic Indian tradition, a successful and impactful painting and painter requires a knowledge of the subject – either mythology or real life, as well as a keen sense of observation and knowledge of nature, human behavior, dance, music, song and other arts. For example, section 3.2 of Visnudharmottara Purana discusses these requirements and the contextual knowledge needed in chitra and the artist who produces it. The Chitrasutras in the Vishnudharmottara Purana state that the sculpture and painting arts are related, with the phrase "as in Natya, so in Citra". This relationship links them in rasa (aesthetics) and as forms of expression.
THE PAINTING
A chitra is a form of expression and communication. According to Aparajitaprccha – a 12th-century text on arts and architecture, just like the water reflects the moon, a chitra reflects the world. It is a rupa (form) of how the painter sees or what the painter wants the viewer to observe or feel or experience.
A good painting is one that is alive, breathing, draws in and affects the viewer. It captivates the minds of viewers, despite their diversity. Installed in a sala (hall or room), it enlivens the space.
The ornaments of a painting are its lines, shading, decoration and colors, states the 6th-century Visnudharmottara Purana. It states that there are eight gunas (merits, features) of a chitra that the artist must focus on: posture; proportion; the use of the plumb line; charm; detail (how much and where); verisimilitude; kshaya (loss, foreshortening) and; vrddhi (gain). Among the dosas (demerits, faults) of a painting and related arts, states Chitrasutra, are lines that are weak or thick, absence of variety, errors in scale (oversized eyes, lips, cheeks), inconsistency across the canvas, deviations from the rules of proportion, improper posture or sentiment, and non-merging of colors.
LIMBS OF THE PAINTING
Two historical sets called "chitra anga", or "limbs of painting" are found in Indian texts. According to the Samarangana Sutradhara – an 11th-century Sanskrit text on Hindu architecture and arts, a painting has eight limbs:
Vartika – manufacture of brushes
Bhumibandhana – preparation of base, plaster, canvas
Rekhakarma – sketching
Varnakarma – coloring
Vartanakarma – shading
lekhakarana – outlining
Dvikakarma – second and final lining
Lepyakarma – final coating
According to Yashodhara's Jayamangala, a Sanskrit commentary on Kamasutra, there are sadanga (six limbs)[note 5] in the art of alekhyam and chitra (drawing and painting):
Rupa-bhedah, or form distinction; this requires a knowledge of characteristic marks, diversity, manifested forms that distinguish states of something in the same genus/class
Pramanani, or measure; requires knowledge of measurement and proportion rules (talamana)
Bhava yojanam, or emotion and its joining with other parts of the painting; requires understanding and representing the mood of the subject
Lavanya yojanam, or rasa, charm; requires understanding and representing the inner qualities of the subject
Sadrsyam, or resemblance; requires knowledge of visual correspondence across the canvas
Varnika-bhanga or color-pigment-analysis; requires knowledge how colors distribute on the canvas and how they visually impact the viewer.
These six limbs are arranged stylistically in two ways. First as a set of compound (Rupa-bhedah and Varnika-bhanda), a set of joining (middle two yojnam), and a set of single words (Pramanani and Sadrsyam). Second, states Victor Mair, the six limbs in this Hindu text are paired in a set of differentiation skills (first two), then a pair of aesthetic skills, and finally a pair of technical skills. These limbs parallel the 12th-century Six principles of Chinese painting of Xie He. {refn|group=note|The Hua Chi of Teng Ch'un, a 12th-century Chinese text, mentions the Buddhist temple of Nalanda with frescoes about the Buddha painted inside. It states that the Indian Buddhas look different from those painted by Chinese, as the Indian paintings have Buddha with larger eyes, their ears are curiously stretched and the Buddhas have their right shoulder bare. It then states that the artists first make a drawing of the picture, then paint a vermilion or gold colored base. It also mentions the use of ox-glue and a gum produced from peach trees and willow juice, with the artists preferring the latter. According to Coomaraswamy, the ox-glue in the Indian context mentioned in the Chinese text is probably the same as the recipe found in the Sanskrit text Silparatna, one where the base medium is produced from boiling buffalo skin in milk, followed by drying and blending process.
The six limbs in Jayamangala likely reflect the earliest and more established Hindu tradition for chitra. This is supported by the Chitrasutras found in the Vishnudharmottara Purana. They explicitly mention pramanani and lavanya as key elements of a painting, as well as discuss the other four of the six limbs in other sutras. The Chitrasutra chapters are likely from about the 4th or 5th-century. Numerous other Indian texts touch upon the elements or aspects of a chitra. For example, the Aparajitaprccha states that the essential elements of a painting are: citrabhumi (background), the rekha (lines, sketch), the varna (color), the vartana (shading), the bhusana (decoration) and the rasa (aesthetic experience).
THE PAINTER
The painter (chitrakara, rupakara) must master the fundamentals of measurement and proportions, state the historic chitra texts of India. According to these historic texts, the expert painter masters the skills in measurement, characteristics of subjects, attributes, form, relative proportion, ornament and beauty, states Isabella Nardi – a scholar known for her studies on chitra text and traditions of India. According to the Chitrasutras, a skilled painter needs practice, and is one who is able to paint neck, hands, feet, ears of living beings without ornamentation, as well as paint water waves, flames, smoke, and garments as they get affected by the speed of wind. He paints all types of scenes, ranging from dharma, artha and kama. A painter observes, then remembers, repeating this process till his memory has all the details he needs to paint, states Silparatna. According to Sivatattva Ratnakara, he is well versed in sketching, astute with measurements, skilled in outlining (hastalekha), competent with colors, and ready to diligently mix and combine colors to create his chitra. The painter is a creative person, with an inner sense of rasa (aesthetics).
THE VIEWER
The painter should consider the diversity of viewers, states the Indian tradition of chitra. The experts and critics with much experience with paintings study the lines, shading and aesthetics, the uninitiated visitors and children enjoy the vibrancy of colors, while women tend to be attracted to the ornamentation of form and the emotions. A successful painter tends to captivate a variety of minds. A painter should remember that the visual and aesthetic impact of a painting triggers different responses in different audiences.
The Silparatna – a Sanskrit text on the arts, states that the painting should reflect its intended place and purpose. A theme suitable for a palace or gateway is different from that in a temple or the walls of a home. Scenes of wars, misery, death and suffering are not suitable paintings within homes, but these can be important in a chitrasala (museum with paintings). Auspicious paintings with beautiful colors such as those that cheer and enliven a room are better for homes, states Silparatna.
PRACITICE
According to the art historian Percy Brown, the painting tradition in India is ancient and the persuasive evidence are the oldest known murals at the Jogimara caves. The mention of chitra and related terms in the pre-Buddhist Vedic era texts, the chitra tradition is much older. It is very likely, states Brown, the pre-Buddhist structures had paintings in them. However, the primary building material in ancient India was wood, the colors were organic materials and natural pigments, which when combined with the tropical weather in India would naturally cause the painting to fade, damage and degrade over the centuries. It is not surprising, therefore, that sample paintings and historic evidence for chitra practice are unusual. The few notable surviving examples of chitra are found hidden in caves, where they would be naturally preserved a bit better, longer and would be somewhat protected from the destructive effects of wind, dust, water and biological processes.
Some notable, major surviving examples of historic paintings include:
Murals at Jogimara cave (eight panels of murals, with a Brahmi inscription, 2nd or 1st century BCE, Hindu), oldest known ceiling paintings in India in remote Ramgarh hills of northern Chhattisgarh, below on wall of this cave is a Brahmi inscription in Magadhi language about a girl named Devadasi and a boy named Devadina (either they were lovers and wrote a love-graffiti per one translation, or they were partners who together converted natural caves here into a theatre with painted walls per another translation)
Mural at Sitabhinji Group of Rock Shelters (c. 400 CE Ravanachhaya mural with an inscription, near a Shiva temple in remote Odisha, a non-religious painting), the oldest surviving example of a tempera painting in eastern states of India
Murals at Ajanta caves (Jataka tales, Buddhist), 5th-century CE, Maharashtra
Murals at Badami Cave Temples (Hindu), 6th-century CE, Karnataka (secular paintings along with one of the earliest known painting of a Hindu legend about Shiva and Parvati inside a Vaishnava cave)
Murals at Bagh caves (Hallisalasya dance, Buddhist or Hindu), Madhya Pradesh
Murals at Ellora caves (Flying vidyadharas, Jain), Maharashtra
Frescoes at Sittanavasal cave (Nature scenes likely representing places of Tirthankara sermons, Jain), Tamil Nadu
Frescoes at Thirunadhikkara cave temple (Flowers and a woman, likely a scene of puja offering to Ganesha, another of Vishnu, Hindu), Travancore region, Kerala-Tamil Nadu
Paintings at the Brihadisvara temple (Dancer, Hindu), Tamil Nadu
Manuscript paintings (numerous states such as Gujarat, Kashmir, Kerala, Odisha, Assam; also Nepal, Tibet; Buddhist, Jain, Hindu
Vijayanagara temples (Hindu), Karnataka
Chidambaram temple (Hindu), Tamil Nadu
Chitrachavadi (Hindu, a choultry–mandapa near Madurai with Ramayana frescoes)
Pahari paintings (Hindu), Himachal Pradesh and nearby regions
Rajput paintings (Hindu), Rajasthan
Deccan paintings (Hindu, Jain)
Kerala paintings (Hindu)
Telangana paintings (Hindu)
Mughal paintings (Indo-Islamic)
CONTEMPORARY CULTURE
Kalamkari (Hindu)
Pattas (Jain, Hindu)
WIKIPEDIA
I wanted to capture—in an admittedly weird juxtaposition—an iconic entertainer, Madonna, and the iconic notions of the ‘super ego' and 'penis envy'. These psychological notions are apart of the modern intellectual currency even among lay people. With this juxtaposition, I have encapsulated a pop star and pop psychology—both of which have captured the imagination of the 20th century. There are many ways to caricature a culture.
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A. Madonna Louise Ciccone Ritchie (born August 16, 1958) is an American pop singer-songwriter, musician,[1] dancer, record producer, film producer, actress and author. She is known for the use of sexual, social and religious themes in her work and has been nicknamed the "Material Girl" and "Queen Of Pop" by the media *
B. According to Freud, the superego is the aspect of personality that holds all of our internalized moral standards and ideals that we acquire from both parents and society--our sense of right and wrong. The superego and provides guidelines for making judgments. *
C. Penis envy in Freudian psychoanalysis refers to the theorized reaction of a girl during her psychosexual development to the realisation that she does not have a penis. Freud considered this realisation a defining moment in the development of gender and sexual identity for women. According to Freud, the parallel reaction in boys to the realisation that girls do not have a penis is Castration anxiety. *
*info from Wiki
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