RMA update

I'm at work right now doing some standard curatorial filing (at RMA, the Rubin Museum of Art--they house a great collection of Himalayan art) and happen to be going through some recent research for the upcoming Nepal exhibition, which opens on March 14th. It's too bad I'll miss the opening, but at least this way when I come home, maybe my understanding of the objects will go deeper than it usually does...which is somewhere in the epidermis of comprehension. Anyway, besides articles, there are some emails from graduate students and experts in Nepali art, culture, history, etc. who the museum hired as consultants. I thought it might be nice to put some of the information up here. Coincidentally, the author of these notes is named Oma Chase--though no relation that I know of!

"Nepal as a Jantar Box:

Wedged between these giants of Tibet to the north and India on all other sides, Nepal has been described "like a yam between two rocks." I prefer to imagine Nepal as a jantar box, one of the intricate filigree boxes of silver or gold, articulated with coral, turquoise or amber stones, worn at their heart center by many of the hill and mountain woman, containing protective mantras and other treasures. Nepal is suspended from the garland of the Himalayan summits like a jantar box at the heart of the Himalayas. ...

Nepali Traditional Life is Still Alive and Well:

The forms and functions of everyday life in Nepal are relatively undisturbed by influences from outside the communities. Most traditional cultures throughout the world have lost much of their ancestral ways due to war, colonization, migration or
modernization. Much of Asia was colonized by the European countries for hundreds of years. Almost unique in Asia, Nepal was never subjected to such colonization or to major wars. And much of Nepal is still relatively inaccessible and impervious ot the extremes of the industrialized world. In the remote villages and even in the urban areas of the Kathmandu Valley, many of the people are still living in their well-established ways and continue to create forms within their traditions. The continuity of cultural traditions helps to support the stability of material culture. Particular designs for ornaments, clothing, ritual vessels and utensils retain their meaning. ...

The Beauty of Useful Objects/Graced by the Gods:

The physical beauty of form and texture is enhanced by meaning. An object might sing of ancient pilgrimages or serve us a cup of tea. Each object speaks of the nature of the people, and the beauty of purposeful living.

Artists are inspired by a particular deity or energy. A country blacksmith works in an open hut alongside his home outside the boundaries of the village. Before he begins to forge the simplest knife or axe, he raises his hammer to his forehead, the center associated with intuition and creativity. The women and girls of Bhaktapur [one of the three city-kingdoms of the KTM Valley] recognize Saraswati, a deity connected with creative energy, as their guide. They worship her at a small shrine at the top of The Place of Flowers, one of the four hills surrounding the Kathmandu Valley, offering her flowers, incense, and a weaving shuttle.

The potters of the Kathmandu Valley acknowledge Vishva Karman, the Maker of All, as their guiding force. During the powerful time of the Durga rituals, the potters wash and set aside their tools and wheels and forges for ten days of rest, worshipping them within their workshops temporarily transformed into shrines. The artist acknowledges that source, starting with a ritual or simply a gesture to the third eye, with a call "Jai Vishvakarmaa". The artist then begins the work, sustained by thegods, without concern for personal expression or recognition, without self-consciousness.

At the highest level of creativity, this approach to making art can be seen to be yogic in that the artist, the object being created, and the process are joined as one. When created at this level of consciousness, the act of making the objects, the objects themselves, and the act of using them are considered sacred. The cultural background and physical environment provide the reservoir of material which the artists uses, graced by the gods."

So, later I intend to update with some details regarding the actual trip, which is in exactly ONE MONTH! and maybe some more information. There's absolutely way too much to do before I go.