Painting Interpretation :: essays research papers

Recently at the San Diego Museum of photographic arts in balboa park, there was an exhibition of Steve McCurrys, the national geographic lensman who took the famous picture Afghan Girl, on his photo enchantment of Asia. It chronicled in splendid detail everything from India, and the most holy places in the Sikh pietism, to Tibet and to the traditions inherent in the daily lives Afghani bakers. The titles and the explanatory text blobs dotting the w each(prenominal)s told a story of deep spiritualism and introspection in the name of religion. The pieces all told reflected on different religions but the theme remained and painted Asia as a place luxuriant of devout individuals who have found purpose in their respective theologies. Among these examines of brooding eyes, silent prayer and reflection fell a comical image. It showed a young Uzbekistani boy holding a cigarette to the mouth of a statue the statue of a Buddhist spiritual guru.The image was funny. A burning Marlboro at t he smiling stone lips of a 700 grade old priest was funny. But the question I posed was why. If pander is the human reaction to the uncomfortable, the awkward or the indecent, what about this image do my friend and I laugh. The answer lied in its comparison. It juxtaposed a devout spiritualism with commercialization and addiction. Both things thought to be in stark contrast with the enlightenment that is supposed to be revealed to all sons and daughters of religion and especially the followers of Buddha. This image struck a chord with me, horizontal though I am not religious, and have taken bitter to the current upswing in the inquisition like militancy that is now a part of the Christian faith in America, I have gravid up in a religious society, a Christian society. My morality are based on Christian interpretations of right and wrong forrader we both live in a country founded on much(prenominal) beliefs, and are now immersed in them. This image of comparison stuck with me because, our society is full of such paradoxical situations. Christian doctrine dictates the negative outcomes of addiction, and guffaws at mercantile system as an offshoot of materialism and greed, which is a mortal sin. But contempt these things the world and America in particular are in a struggle hold with peoples desire for material wealth on one side and the planets well world and the worlds religious quest for balance in all life on the other.