Go support your community...
In late December 2006, Supreet and I took a trip to the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City to view the I See No Stranger exhibit. The exhibit displays art created in the 1700 and 1800s of early Sikh devotion.
If you are in New York, or can take a trip there, be sure to go and see this art exhibit. The exhibit is only on display until the end of January (01/29/07). Downside is that the word on the street is that not many Sikhs have gone to see the exhibit, even though it is being well received by Non Sikhs.
One of the criticisms that some within the Sikh community have stated is that much of the artwork has strong influences with artistic representation from both the religions of Hinduism and Islam.
Although this is very apparent in many of the artworks, I asked this same question to one of the curators there for my own personal knowledge. The curator stated that the reason why the early Sikh devotional paintings have influences from Hinduism and Islam is that all the displayed arts were sponsored and commissioned by Non-Sikhs.
Furthermore, the curator went on to explain that various other religious figures were inserted within these paintings to show society that the Sikh figures (such as the Sikh Gurus which are portrayed in a majority of the paintings) were Godly and not ordinary humans. I personally found this explanation comforting and accurate from a historical perspective. After all it was not until modern Sikh artists, like Sobha Singh, who rejuvenated new imagery of potentially of what characteristics many popular Sikh personalities had.
Nonetheless, get down there and check this exhibit out you bama. Check out some of the photos below that provide an idiot proof guide (somewhat) on how to get to the Rubin Museum of Art.
One of the greatest items that I enjoyed that day was seeing how knowledgeable some of the curators were there, and how they interacted with museum goers. I listened with great joy at one point to hear how a attendee of Japanese descent discuss Guru Nanak’s message of “Ek Onkar” with a curator of African American descent and how universal Sikhism is in today’s modern world.
Ciao.
If you are in New York, or can take a trip there, be sure to go and see this art exhibit. The exhibit is only on display until the end of January (01/29/07). Downside is that the word on the street is that not many Sikhs have gone to see the exhibit, even though it is being well received by Non Sikhs.
One of the criticisms that some within the Sikh community have stated is that much of the artwork has strong influences with artistic representation from both the religions of Hinduism and Islam.
Although this is very apparent in many of the artworks, I asked this same question to one of the curators there for my own personal knowledge. The curator stated that the reason why the early Sikh devotional paintings have influences from Hinduism and Islam is that all the displayed arts were sponsored and commissioned by Non-Sikhs.
Furthermore, the curator went on to explain that various other religious figures were inserted within these paintings to show society that the Sikh figures (such as the Sikh Gurus which are portrayed in a majority of the paintings) were Godly and not ordinary humans. I personally found this explanation comforting and accurate from a historical perspective. After all it was not until modern Sikh artists, like Sobha Singh, who rejuvenated new imagery of potentially of what characteristics many popular Sikh personalities had.
Nonetheless, get down there and check this exhibit out you bama. Check out some of the photos below that provide an idiot proof guide (somewhat) on how to get to the Rubin Museum of Art.
14th St. Subway stop takes you to the Rubin.
The Rubin (wow).
I See No Stranger displayed at the entrance.
What you see right when you enter the Museum.
I had to "smuggle" this image out since no photos were allowed inside. It is a portrait of Guru Gobind Singh and the Sahibzadeys from the early 1800s. Hey, it's art to them but inspiration to us.
What you see when you enter the exhibit.
One of the greatest items that I enjoyed that day was seeing how knowledgeable some of the curators were there, and how they interacted with museum goers. I listened with great joy at one point to hear how a attendee of Japanese descent discuss Guru Nanak’s message of “Ek Onkar” with a curator of African American descent and how universal Sikhism is in today’s modern world.
Ciao.
posted by sartaj at 9:58 PM
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