The Art Is the Response

Tibetan society is so defined by Buddhism and spirituality, that Western standards of art often don't apply at all. In fact, the Western definition of "art" doesn't exist in Tibet at all. Instead, artists are judged based on their ability to adhere to certain prescribed traditional forms. The Crow Collection of Asian Art explores how contemporary Tibetan artists negotiate within this framework, infusing the traditional and the modern in Tradition Transformed: Tibetan Artists Respond. The exhibition features pieces by eight different artists from Tibet, Nepal and India that remain either in their native countries or abroad. Though all the artists carry some degree of training with traditional Tibetan painting, these artists break from their cultural norms to dabble in alternative media that illustrates the cultural diaspora many Tibetans, and indeed all immigrants, have faced. Artist Gonkar Gyatso's work features silhouettes of Buddha composed of action figures, cars, electronics and other material temptations. Tenzig Rigdol's work include collages of contemporary media and text. In particular, a Buddha in his Sir, Which Way is to My Home is a collage cut from a map of the United States. All speak to the theme of what it means to be Tibetan in modern society. The exhibition is free and runs through September 11 at The Crow Collection of Asian Art, 2010 Flora St. Call 214-979-6430 or visit crowcollection.org.
Tuesdays-Sundays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Starts: May 21. Continues through Sept. 11, 2011