Repost — Eight Images

Somehow it feels like a good moment to repost this little visual journey from October 2006...

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Image Meme: Eight Things I Find Amazing in Picture Form

Having been tagged by La Belle Dame de Fetch me my axe Ville-sur-mer, I'm pleased to offer a humble 8-image sequence as a small contribution to this exchange.

In the beginning, was it The Word or The Picture? I'm not so sure; in any case, it all begins with (1) The Mind. Works of Chinese calligraphy are sometimes called "Pictures of the Mind", because they encompass both word and feeling, employ both thought and physical movement, appeal to both logic and aesthetics, impact both intellect and intuition. I'm no expert, but I'm especially drawn to the cursive and semi-cursive styles that first flourished during the Tang and Song dynasties. In the development of those styles, the ideals of symmetry and balance transcended a strict rectilineal orientation and expanded to include the subtle rhythms and internal dynamics of the brush's weight, wetness, speed, and curvature. Put another way: cursive script dropped the nasty funk on early script's uptight ass.

1. Sixteen Luohans by Mi Wanzhong

"Sixteen Luohans" (at the Met) refers to a non-dimensional realm inhabited by 16 liberated souls (arhat in Sanskrit) of Chinese legend, who have transcended the world's sorrow. I love this piece both because of what it means and because of the big-ass dramatic strength and detailed delicacy of the strokes.

Calligraphic brushwork evolved into the stylized ink landscapes that most Americans are at least minimally familiar with from restaurant murals and museum literature. Bypassing the discursive intellect, the central goal of Chinese landscape painting is to capture a subtle yet powerful feeling of (2) Stillness amid life's overwhelming, bewildering motion.

2. Sandstorm Day by Don Hong-Oai

Obviously this isn't a painting; it's actually a composite by Don Hong-Oai, who deploys modern photographic techniques in pursuit of the aesthetic and metaphysical ideals of traditional Chinese painting. His works evoke a surreal sense of silence and distance. Critics say Don's montages are far-fetched works of unscientific fantasy. My response: And what? He's not doing Scientific American: Special Chinese Landscape Edition; he's doing his own thing. It's not supposed to be a map of a mountain, it's supposed to be a map to your mind.

Chinese landscapes aren't even all that far-fetched, as far as I'm concerned. I spend a lot of time in nature, and I find that my region is drenched in enough (3) Natural Beauty to put any Chinese landscape artist to shame.

3. Mohonk Mountain Gazebo

 

Mohonk Mountain is about two hours north of where I live, not far from the cute progressive college town of New Paltz, where I spend an occasional weekend hiking, dining, and slugging some seasonal micro-brew while listening to the local kids ramble on in that earnest way about this or that opinion or ambition.

Sometimes I also listen to college kids down in the East Village — preferably at the cramped Momofuku Noodle Bar, where NYU students huddle over plates of pork buns and steaming bowls of (4) Noodle Soup, the most comforting and satisfying food in my gastronomic world. (And just like that, we've moved from exalted states of mind to food for the body.)

4. Momofuku Ramen

Seriously, what could be better than that? The egg gets poached right in the bowl, the noodles remain firm throughout the meal, the barbecue pork is unbelievably succulent, every ingredient is impeccable.

And yet no matter how good your comfort food is, there's no comfort for what's happening in the world. In Buddhism, it's said that the First Noble Truth is: Life is full of heartbreak and dissatisfaction. This doesn't mean you give in to the horrible suffering of it all; it means that even in the worst times, amid the worst pain, you keep your mind clear and focused, you hold yourself together, and you keep fighting the good fight.

The cataclysm of (5) Hurricane Katrina and the (6) War In Iraq aren't, by any means, all that's going wrong in the US. Millions of people silently suffer myriad injustices everyday. But Katrina and Iraq stand out in my mind as emblems of the tragic crimes of the Bush-Cheney years.

5. Photo by Alan Chin

6. Photo by Michael Yon

I haven't given up on either New Orleans or getting US troops out of Iraq. But it's hard not to feel some despair these days when honestly assessing the situation. The future of New Orleans, and the many residents who were scattered to the wind, looks shaky at best.

As for Iraq: It's a killing field. The Lancet study and the unabated violence confirm our worst fears. Riverbend's despair is palpable in her latest post:

There are Iraqi women who have not shed their black mourning robes since 2003 because each time the end of the proper mourning period comes around, some other relative dies and the countdown begins once again.

There's not much one can say in response to that. We just all need to work harder to stop this madness. And that means not only stopping the madness of others, but also stopping the madness within ourselves — by which I mean, overcoming the hateful, destructive parts within our own psyches that contribute to the world's collective mass-hypnotic hysteria.

There are as many ways to accomplish that as there are sentient beings. As the saying goes, there's a drop of (7) Buddha Nature in everyone and everything. It's just a matter of uncovering that drop of nirvana from beneath many geological layers of samsara personality build-up.

7. Tian Tan Monastery on Lantau Island

I first visited the Big Buddha on Lantau Island in Hong Kong while it was still under construction in the early 1990s. I remember hiking in the surrounding hills, stopping for a vegetarian lunch with the monks at Tian Tan monastery. It has since become a major tourist attraction, but that doesn't take anything away from the spectacular sculpture. And the monks are still there serving vegetarian lunches to those who take the time to find out.

Of course, no human-made work of art can ultimately compare with the Creator's own handiwork. As the autumn season gets into full swing, and we just begin to contemplate the approach of winter, I thought I'd leave you with an image of (8) Perfection.

8. Snowflake

They tumble from the sky by the billions, and the cliche is true: no two are alike. Each tiny mandala of water and light is a fresh doorway into the mind of the Creator.

Comments

[Carmen D.]

Momofuku food is one of the few things I miss about New York City since moving away 18 months ago. I am heading back for a visit sometime in the spring and will stand in line as long as it takes to have a bowl of that sublime soup.

[Kai]

Carmen D, no doubt, Momofuku noodle soup is one of the city's highlights!

[Eli]

I just saw some rather amazing images today, it just so happens.

I may need to dust off my tripod and try some HDR...

[nezua]

its almost too much. at once. each image is so powerful. both the image and the discussion of it. just the calligraphy one was mesmerizing. i always felt sort of sad that we don't have such practice here. to think of so many people making art. i've always thought that chinese calligraphy, both the stiff tense styles as well as the fluid, flowing styles (that i've seen) look like something i'd love to do. beautiful work.

so much in the world to do...

the whole post is great. this is the second time i've read it. but i really like the calligraphy.

[nezua]

and some other very good passages in the post as well. ones that still apply right now. and now.

and now.

[Josiah]

Indredible pics, Kai. Hopefully I will be visiting one or two of the places depicted some time in the near future.

Keep up the good work!

[M]

There is ramen of great import in this post. And the picture of the soldier holding the young child brings me to tears.

Thanks for sharing this again; it's wonderful.

[Kai]

Eli, Nezua, Josiah, M, thank you! Glad it's enjoyable. And yes, ramen is greatly important.