Pema Rinzin - Opening Tonight

The First Tibetan Contemporary Solo Show in Chelsea, New York.
Opening: Jan 27th 2010 ( 06:00 PM to 09:00 PM)
Location: Joshua Liner Art Gallery
Artist: Pema Rinzin
Title: Compassion Transformed.

This is it! The opening is tonight at 6:00. I am looking forward to seeing a number of paintings on exhibition that I have not yet had a chance to see and enjoy, also the set of three abstract portraits.

Taiwan Bound

I am off to China again, but this time I'm heading for Taiwan to check out the Himalayan and Tibetan collections at the Palace Museum in Taipai, Taiwan. There are many collections of Tibetan art in Taiwan both private and museum. Hopefully I will see as many as possible in the short amount of time that this trip allows.

Art Lecture: San Francisco, November 18th, 2010

In conjunction with Himalayan Pilgrimage: Journey to the Land of Snows, on view through April 24, 2011.

- Lecture: Traditional Tibetan Art - Beyond Iconography and Religion
Confusions & Conflicts Regarding Late Tibetan Painting Styles
- Jeff Watt
- Thursday, November 18, 5 p.m.
- Museum Theater: UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
2625 Durant Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94720-2250

(Image: Unidentified artist, Tibet: One of seven in a set of thangkas of the great fifth Dalai Lama and his lineage, c. 1815; from the Collection of Veena and Peter Schnell).

"In this illustrated lecture, Jeff Watt, leading scholar of Himalayan art, provocatively proposes that the study of Tibetan and Himalayan art rely more on art history—on artists and critics as well as art historian—than on iconography, religious studies, and even Tibetology. According to Watt, “Cultural objects can be religious icons when looked at as religious icons, ritual objects when viewed as ritually related, and art objects when viewed as art. The subject of Tibetan religion will still remain the domain of religious studies. The study of history will remain the domain of historians, and iconography will remain the domain of iconographers. None of this will change, but to move forward, the study of Tibetan art must change."

"Jeff Watt was the founding curator and leading scholar at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York — one of the largest collections of Himalayan and Tibetan art in North America — from 1999 until 2007. He is the director and chief curator of Himalayan Art Resources, a website and virtual museum that constitutes the world’s most comprehensive resource for Himalayan art and iconography. Watt acquired his prodigious knowledge of Buddhist, Bon and Hindu iconography from a longtime study of Buddhism and Tantra."

Refuge Field Paintings Anybody?

Check out the Himalayan Art Resources News Page. There are plenty of new items - provided you have a slightly unnatural, overly curious, interest in Refuge Field paintings. These paintings are informed by religious texts, liturgies to be specific, but, and it is a big but, how they appear as paintings is entirely the result of the artists interpretation. What we see as the finished composition does not at all necessarily reflect the description in the liturgical text. That is certainly one reason why these paintings are so interesting.

Pre-showing at the Joshua Liner Gallery

Today I had the good fortune of viewing the new art show at the Joshua Liner Gallery. They were busy hanging the remaining paintings and making ready for the official opening tomorrow night. I unfortunately will not be able to attend the opening because of another obligation in another city on the other side of the continent. However, today I was able to see most of the works. First of all, it is a much stronger show than the Barnstormers exhibition this past March. The caliber of art is much higher with a high degree of skill and talent immediately noticeable to the eye. Some amount of care has been given to the curating of the show in general and to the specific location and hanging of each piece. Pema Rinzin's two pieces are excellent and fit in very well adding to the over-all quality and the tremendous variety that this show offers. This opening has fewer pieces than the March exhibition and more space provided for each of the works. It is a real treat to move from piece to piece and explore the individual artist's subject, composition and creativity. There are a number of wildly, brightly coloured, and imaginative pieces that draw the eye and don't let go. You will have to experience that for yourself. This is surely an exhibition for the three general groups of people that attend art openings, the interested public, artists and the connoisseur collectors.

Art Opening - Saturday Night - Aug.14th

Remember, if you live in the New York area, the opening of the Joshua Liner Gallery Summer Group Show is on Saturday August 14th at 6:00 p.m. Pema will have two new works of art on view - abstract fine art. To see three other abstract works by Pema Rinzin visit the Rubin Museum of Art for the Tibetan Contemporary exhibition, closes October 18, 2010.

Joshua Liner Gallery

Joshua Liner Gallery: Summer Group Exhibition 2010, August 14 - September 4, 2010. See two of Pema Rinzin's new works of art at the summer show.

Hijacking Himalayan Art!

A response from the Tricycle Magazine Editor's Blog about Looking at Art on the HAR website and "We Live in Hope" on this Travel Blog.

"We Live In Hope"

What an uplifting article in yesterdays New York Times. I of course never open the newspaper unless a friend recommends an article of importance. Thank you Emma.

Have you ever thought to yourself that some paintings look better than others? I have been waging a personal battle now for several years where I believe that the study of Himalayan and Tibetan art has been hijacked by other academic disciplines such as Religious Studies (and the study of iconography), Anthropology and Ethnography. Here is an article about that exact same fight but in the European art world - data versus aesthetics and connoisseurship. Let the new battle begin.

Fundamentals of Tibetan Art

Fundamentals of Tibetan Art (9 week long teaching by Pema Rinzin)
Start Time:
Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 6:00pm
End Time:
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 at 9:00pm
Location:
Tibet House (Library Room)
Street:
22 West 15th Street
City/Town:
New York, NY

Description
"Fundamentals of Tibetan Art”, a nine week course, will introduce students to Tibetan art and foster an understanding and appreciation of the Tibetan artistic tradition through a series of hands on drawing assignments. The class will also learn about the history of Tibetan painting as well as the traditional techniques and natural materials used to create the masterworks of Tibetan thangka through lectures and discussion.

Intended for all levels.

Individual Sessions:
$20 General/ $18 Members

Entire Series (9 Sessions)
$162 General/ $145 Member


Wednesday, July 14 -September 8, 6-9 pm.


CLASS 1. July 14. Introduction. Historical overview of Tibetan art.
CLASS 2. July 21. Introduction to the different Basic Buddha postures.
CLASS 3. July 28. Discussion of Tibetan mudras.
CLASS 4. August 4. Seated Buddha with 8-10 Arms.
CLASS 5. August 11. Dressed Buddhas: Exploring Drapery.
CLASS 6. August 18. Individual Instruction and Discussion.
CLASS 7. August 25. Nature: Clouds, Trees, Rock, and Water.
CLASS 8. September 1. Composition and space management.
CLASS 9. September 8. Final Class.

List of Required Student Materials:

Sketch Pad (Canson, Classic Cream, 90lb, 14” X 17” Drawing Pad)
One Packet of Mechanical Pencils. (Any brand, 0.5 mm size)
Eraser (prefer “gum” type)
Ruler (minimum 18 inches or 45 mm)
Advanced students will need to purchase a brush, sumi ink and stone at a later date to be announced during the course.