buddhism in contemporary art module (4 weeks) contemp art buddhist m… · buddhism in contemporary...

Emily Newman, PhD Texas A&M University-Commerce

Buddhism in Contemporary Art Module (4 Weeks) Week 1: Buddhist Iconography Readings:

Jacquelynn Baas, “Introduction,” in Smile of the Buddha: Eastern Philosophy and Western Art From Monet to Today (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2005), 1-11.

The Heart Sutra and selected commentaries, Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra (Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press, 1989), 1-2, 5-26.

Anne Barclay Morgan, “Buddhism and Contemporary Sculpture: The Manifestation of Awareness,” Sculpture 23, no. 7 (September 2004): 46-51.

Artists: Hu Qinwu, Gonkar Gyatso, Charmion von Wiegand, Sanford Biggers, Long-Bin Chen, Arlene Schechet Week 2: Focus Readings:

Namiko Kunimoto, “The Buddhist Hero,” in Between Action and the Unknown: The Art of Kazuo Shiraga and Sadamasa Motonaga, 74-79.

Chris Thompson, “What Happens When Nothing Happens,” Felt: Fluxus, Joseph Beuys, and the Dalai Lama (Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2011), 139-192.

Ann Hamilton, Interview, in Buddha Mind in Contemporary Art. Jacquelynn Baas and Mary Jane Jacob, eds. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2004), 178-185.

Apinan Poshyananda, “Montien Boonma: Paths of Suffering” and Melissa Chiu, “An Architecture of the Senses: Montien Boonma's Installations in Context,” Montien Boonma, (New York: Asia Society, 2003), 8-48.

Artists: Kazuo Shiraga, Joseph Beuys, Ann Hamilton, Montien Boonma Week 3: Sound Readings:

Jacquelynn Baas, “The Sound of the Mind,” Smile of the Buddha: Eastern Philosophy and Western Art From Monet to Today (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2005), 158-205.

Kay Larson, “9. The Infinity of Being” and “10. Zero,” Where the Heart Beats: John Cage, Zen Buddhism, and the Inner Life of Artists (New York: Penguin Books, 2013), 240-294.

Artists: John Cage, Laurie Anderson, Nam June Paik, Yoko Ono, Kimsooja


Week 4: Social Practice Readings:

Suzanne Lacy, “Having it Good: Reflections on Engaged Art and Engaged Buddhism,” Leaving Art: Writings on Performance, Politics, and Publics, 1974–2007 (Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 2010), 284-299.

Stephen Batchelor, “Seeing the Light: Photography as Buddhist Practice,” in Buddha Mind in Contemporary Art. Jacquelynn Baas and Mary Jane Jacob, eds. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2004), 141-146.

Francesca Herndon-Consagra, “Living Things: Buddhist Art in a Building by Tadao Andō,” Reflections of the Buddha (St. Louis: Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, 2011), 7-17.

Artists: Atta Kim, Moriko Mori, Lee Mingwei, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Sopheap Pich, Jakkai Siributr, Xu Bing Significant Exhibition and Projects:

• Awake: Art, Buddhism and the Dimensions of Consciousness organized by Jacquelynn Baas and Mary Jane Jacob (2001-3)

• “Commodification of Buddhism” at the Bronx Museum of Art (2003) • The Buddhism Project in NYC (2003), • “Invisible Thread: Buddhist Spirit in Contemporary Art” at Snug Harbor Cultural

Center (2004)


Supplemental Reading: Adkins, Terry. “Sanford Biggers.” Bomb, no. 117 (Fall 2011): 22-29. Augaitis, Diana, ed. Kimsooja: Unfolding. Vancouver: Vancouver Art Gallery and Berlin:

Hatje Cantz, 2013. Baas, Jacquelynn. Smile of the Buddha: Eastern Philosophy and Western Art From

Monet to Today Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2005. Baas, Jacquelynn and Mary Jane Jacob, eds. Buddha Mind in Contemporary Art.

Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2004. Baas, Jacquelynn and Mary Jane Jacob, eds. Learning Mind: Experience into Art.

Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2010. Carver, Lisa. Reaching Out with No Hands: Reconsidering Yoko Ono. Milwaukee, WI:

Backbeat Books, 2012. Cash, Stephanie. “In the Studio with Sanford Biggers.” Art in America. March 2011: 90-

99. Chiu, Melissa. Montien Boonma: Temple of the Mind. New York: Asia Ink/Asia Society,

2003. Chiu, Melissa and Michelle Yun. Nam June Paik: Becoming Robot. New York: Asia

Society, 2014. Cotter, Holland. “Art Review: Finding Surprises as They Are Turned up by the Karma

Wheel.” New York Times. November 11, 2003, E30. Dickson, Jane. “Arlene Schechet,” BOMB, September 7, 2010.

http://bombmagazine.org/article/3624/arlene-shechet. Gao Minglu, "Meaninglessness and Confrontation in Xu Bing's Art," in Fragmented

Memory: The Chinese Avant-Garde in Exile, ed. Julia F. Andrews and Gao Minglu. Columbus: Wexner Center for the Arts, Ohio State University, 1993, 28-31.

Galligan, Gregory. “The Fabric of Memory.” Art in America. (November 2014): 152-59. George, Olivia. Invisible Thread: Buddhist Spirit in Contemporary Art. Staten Island, NY:

Snug Harbor Cultural Center, 2004. Harper, Glenn. "Exterior Form--Interior Substance: A Conversation with Xu Bing."

Sculpture 22.1 (2003): 46-51. Hearn, Maxwell K. Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary China. New York:

Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2013. Hyde, Lewis. Lee Mingwei: The Living Room. Boston: Gardner Museum, 2000. Jacob, Mary Jane. Grain of Emptiness: Buddhism-Inspired Contemporary Art. New

York: Rubin Museum of Art, 2010. Kuspit, Donald. “Beuys, Fat, Felt, and Alchemy,” Art in America 68 (May 1980): 78-99. Larson, Kay. Where the Heart Beats: John Cage, Zen Buddhism, and the Inner Life of

Artists. New York: Penguin Books, 2013. Mesch, Claudia, and Viola Michely. Joseph Beuys: The Reader. Cambridge, MA: MIT

Press, 2007. Mill, Jonathan and Iris Moon. Atta Kim: Water Does Not Soak in Rain. New York: Hatje

Cantz, 2009. Morin, France, ed. The Quiet in the Land. New York: The Quiet in the Land, Inc. 2009.


Munroe, Alexandra, “Buddhism and the Neo-Avant-Garde: Cage Zen, Beat Zen, and Zen,” in The Third Mind: Artists Contemplate Asia, ed. Alexandra Munroe. New York: Guggenheim Museum Publications, 2009, 199-215.

Nagy, Peter. Mirror Mirror. New York: Elizabeth Harris Gallery, 1999. Obrist, Hans-Ulrich. Rirkrit Tiravanija. Zurich: JRP|Ringier, 2007. Pasini, Francesca. Kimsooja: To Breathe/Respire. New York: Charta, 2006. Pearlman, Ellen. Nothing and Everything – The Influence of Buddhism on the American

Avant Garde: 1942-1962. Berkeley, CA: Evolver Editions, 2012. Porter, Jennelle, et. al. Arlene Shechet. New York: Prestel, 2015. Quattrone, Raffaele. “A Dialogue with Gonkar Gyatso,” Wall Street International.

December 30, 2014. http://wsimag.com/art/12630-a-dialogue-with-gonkar-gyatso. Richards, Judith, ed. Walk Ways. New York: Independent Curators International, 2002. Ritter, Gabriel ed. Between Action and the Unknown: The Art of Kazuo Shiraga and

Sadamasa Motonaga Dallas, TX: Dallas Museum of Art Publications, 2015. Sheriff, Natasja. “Everything is Nothing: The Artwork of Sopheap Pich” Hyperallergic.

June 11, 2013. http://hyperallergic.com/73086/everything-is-nothing-the-artwork-of-sopheap-pich/.

Smith, Walter. “Nam June Paik’s TV Buddha as Buddhist Art,” Religion and the Arts 4, no. 3 (2000): 359-373.

Tezuka, Miwako, ed. Rebirth: Recent Work by Mariko Mori. New York: Japan Society, 2013.

Thompson, Chris. Felt: Fluxus, Joseph Beuys, and the Dalai Lama Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota Press, 2011.

Tiravanija, Rirkrit and Antoinette Aurell. Cook Book. Bangkok: River Books Press, 2010. Westfall, Stephen. Charmion von Wiegand: An Artist’s Path from Mondrian to Mantra.

New York: Michael Rosenfield Gallery, 2007. Wright, Simon. Gonkar Gyatso: Three Realms. Brisbane, Australia: Griffith Artworks,

2012. Yoon, Jungu. Spirituality in Contemporary Art: The Idea of the Numinous. London:

Zidane, 2010.


Artists Presented: Hu Qinwu (b. 1969, China)

Long-Bin Chen (b. 1964, Taiwan, works in New York)

Arlene Schechet (b. 1951, New York)

Gonkar Gyatso (b. 1961, Tibet, works in London)

Charmion von Wiegand (1896-1983, b. Chicago, lived in New York)

Sanford Biggers (b. 1970, LA, works in New York)

Kazuo Shiraga (1924-2008, Japan)

Joseph Beuys (1921-1986, Germany)

Ann Hamilton (b. 1956, Ohio)

Montien Boonma (1953-2000, Thailand)

John Cage (1912-1992, LA, worked in New York)

Yoko Ono (b. 1933, Tokyo, works in New York)

Nam June Paik (1932-2006, Seoul, worked in New York)

Laurie Anderson (b. 1947, Illinois, works in New York)

Kimsooja (b. 1957, South Korea, based in New York/Paris/Seoul)

Moriko Mori (b. 1967, Tokyo, works in London)

Rirkrit Tiravanijab (b. 1961, Thai born Buenos Aires, works in NY/Berlin/Chiang Mai)

Atta Kim (b. 1956, South Korea, works in New York/Seoul)

Lee Mingwei (b. 1964, Thailand, works in New York)

Sopheap Pich (b. 1971, Cambodia)

Jakkai Siributr (b. 1969, Bangkok)

Xu Bing (b. 1955, Beijing)

Spirituality in Contem

porary ArtBUDDHISM

MO

DULE

Class One: Buddhist Iconography

•Readings: •

Jacquelynn Baas, “Introduction,” in Smile of the Buddha:

Eastern Philosophy and Western Art From

Monet to Today

(Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2005), 1-11. •

The Heart Sutra and selected comm

entaries, Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of Understanding: Com

mentaries on the

Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra (Berkeley, CA: Parallax Press,

1989), 1-2, 5-26. •

Anne Barclay Morgan, “Buddhism

and Contemporary

Sculpture: The Manifestation of Awareness,” Sculpture 23, no. 7

(September 2004): 46-51.

•Artists: Hu Q

inwu, Gonkar G

yatso, Charmion von W

iegand, Sanford Biggers, Long-Bin Chen, Arlene Schechet

Thich Nhat H

anh, No M

ind N

o Lotus, c. 2000sK

obodaishi Kukai, S

umidera H

eart S

utra, c. late 8th-early 9th C

Hu Q

inwu, 11503, 2011

Hu Q

inwu, B

uddhist Volume 005, 2010-2011

Hu Q

inwu, B

uddhist Volumes, 2009

Long-Bin C

hen, Buddha H

urricaine, 2006,

Long-Bin C

hen,Sleeping B

uddha, 2003, 12x9x9 in

Long-Bin C

hen, Installation View

Long-Bin C

hen,Sleeping B


Long-Bin C

hen,Sleeping B


Arlene S

chechet, In the Studio,

1997, Hydrocal, acrylic paint skins

Arlene S

chechet, In the Studio,

1997, Hydrocal, acrylic paint skins

Arlene S

chechet, Mountain B

uddha, 1994, H

ydrocal, acrylic paint skins

Arlene S

chechet, Sitting B

uddha, 1995, H

ydrocal, acrylic paint skins

Arlene S

chechet, Crossing P

aths: Installations, 2001, at S

t John the Divine C

athedral, cloth tape, vinyl tape, approx 20” in diam

eter

Arlene S

chechet, Crossing P

aths: Installations, 2001, at S

t John the Divine

Cathedral, cloth tape, vinyl tape, approx

20” in diameter

Arlene S

chechet, Flow B

lue Series:

Filigree, 1999, handmade paper, 35x25”

Arlene S

chechet, Flow B

lue Series:

Filigree, 1999, handmade paper, 35x25”

Long-Bin C

hen,Sleeping B


Long-Bin C

hen,Sleeping B


Gonkar G

yatsu, Golden W

heel, 2011, m

ixed media, 48x46x27”

Gonkar G

yatsu, Victory Banner,

2011, mixed m

edia, 48x46x27”

Gonkar G

yatsu, Untitled, 2012,

mixed m

edia, 16 x 18 x 12”

Gonkar G

yatsu, Buddha

Sakyam

uni Dissected, 2010,

mixed m

edia, 280 x 230cm

Gonkar G

yatsu, Sustainable H

appiness, 2012, m

ixed media, 60x14”

Gonkar G

yatsu, Buddha

Sakyam

uni Dissected, 2010,

mixed m

edia, 280 x 230cm

Gonkar G

yatsu, Shangri La, 2014, m

ixed media collage

on aluminum

backed honeycomb panel, ~30x30in

Gonkar G

yatsu, Shangri La, 2014,

mixed m

edia collage on aluminum

backed honeycom

b panel, ~30x30in

Charm

ion von Wiegand, The D

iamond

Path, 1966-7, gouache on paper

Charm

ion von Wiegand, Invocation to The A

di-B

uddha, 1968-70, oil on canvas, 50x27 in.C

harmion von W

iegand, The C

hakras Path, 1958-68,

Sanford B

iggers (in collaboration with D

avid Ellis, M

andala of the B-

Bodhisattva II, 2000, video,

http://ww

w.sanfordbiggers.com

/pages/videos.html

Sanford B

iggers, Prayer R

ug, 2005, colored sand poured unfixed directly on the floor 40x20 feet,

Sanford B

iggers, Lotus, 2007, etched glass

Sanford B

iggers, Blossom

, 2007, m

ixed media

Sanford B

iggers, Cheshire, 2007

Sanford B

iggers, Blossom

, 2007, m

ixed media

Sanford B

iggers, Hip H

op Ni S

asagu (In fond mem

ory of hip hop), 2004, singing bow

ls and video, http://ww

w.sanfordbiggers.com

/pages/videos.html

Class Two: Focus•

Readings: •

Namiko Kunim

oto, “The Buddhist Hero,” in Between Action and the Unknown: The Art of Kazuo Shiraga and Sadam

asa M

otonaga, 74-79. •

Chris Thompson, “W

hat Happens When Nothing Happens,” Felt:

Fluxus, Joseph Beuys, and the Dalai Lama (M

inneapolis, MN:

University of Minnesota Press, 2011), 139-192.

•Ann Ham

ilton, Interview, in Buddha Mind in Contem

porary Art. Jacquelynn Baas and M

ary Jane Jacob, eds. (Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2004), 178-185.

•Apinan Poshyananda, “M

ontien Boonma: Paths of Suffering” and

Melissa Chiu, “An Architecture of the Senses: M

ontien Boonma's

Installations in Context,” Montien Boonm

a, (New York: Asia Society, 2003), 8-48.

•Artists: Kazuo Shiraga, Joseph Beuys, Ann Ham

ilton, Montien

Boonma

Gutai A

rt does not alter the material.

Gutai A

rt imparts life to the m

aterial. G

utai Art does not distort the m

aterial. In G

utai Art, the hum

an spirit and the m

aterial shake hands with each other but

keep their distance. The material never

comprom

ises itself with the spirit; the

spirit never dominates the m

aterial. W

hen the material rem

ains intact and exposes its characteritics, it starts telling a story, and even cries out. To m

ake the fullest use of the m

aterial is to make use

of the spirit. By enhancing the spirit, the

material is brought to the height of the

spirits.

-Yoshihara Jiro, G

utai Art M

anifesto, Decem

ber 1956

Kazuo S

hiraga, Fighting in the Mud,

1955, First Gutai exposition

Kazuo S

hiraga, Fighting in the Mud,

1955, First Gutai exposition

Kazuo S

hiraga painting w

ith his feet, 1963

Kazuo S

hiraga, Untitled, 1959

Kazuo S

hiraga painting w

ith his feet, 1963

Kazuo S

hiraga, Kannon Fudara Jōdo, 1959

Joseph Beuys, Fat C

hair, 1964B

euys, Ake-P

ack, 1969

Beuys, A

ke-Pack, 1969

Beuys, The P

ack, 1969

Beuys, H

ow to E

xplain Pictures to a D

ead Hare, 1965

Beuys, C

oyote, I Like Am

erica and A

merica Likes M

e, 1974

Beuys, 7000 O

aks, 1982-7

as seen in 2008

Ann H

amilton, Tropos, 1993-4

Ann H

amilton, M

edidation Boat, 2005-2009, Luang P

rabang, Laos

Montien B

oonma, Tem

ple of the Mind, 1995,

395x220cm

Montien B

oonma, Tem

ple of the M

ind, 1995, 395x220cmM

ontien Boonm

a, House of

Hope, 1996-7, 400x300x600cm

Montien B

oonma, H

ouse of H

ope, 1996-7, 400x300x600cm

Montien B

oonma, A

lm, 1992,

68x300x200cm

Montien B

oonma, Lotus S

ound, 1992, 350x300x300cm

Class Three: Sound•

Readings: •

Jacquelynn Baas, “The Sound of the Mind,”

Smile of the Buddha: Eastern Philosophy and

Western Art From

Monet to Today (Berkeley, CA:

University of California Press, 2005), 158-205. •

Kay Larson, “9. The Infinity of Being” and “10. Zero,” W

here the Heart Beats: John Cage, Zen Buddhism

, and the Inner Life of Artists (New York: Penguin Books, 2013), 240-294.

•Artists: John Cage, Laurie Anderson, Nam

June Paik, Yoko O

no, Kimsooja

John Cage, 4'33”, 1952.

John Cage, W

here R=R

yoanji, 1983.

John Cage’s collection of rocks and

scores relating to the Ryoanjis prints

Rock G

arden, Ryoanji, K

yoto. M

uromachi period. c. 1480.

Yoko Ono, C

ut Piece, C

arnegie Hall, N

Y, 1965

Yoko Ono (Japan, b. 1933) Instruction P

aintings, ongoing from 1961

Sun P

iece:

Watch the sun until it becom

es square. 1962 w

inter

Nam

June Paik, Zen for H

ead, 1962K

azuo Shiraga painting w

ith his feet, 1963

Nam

June Paik, TV-

Buddha, 1974

Nam

June Paik, Zen for TV, 1963

Nam

June Paik, TV-B

uddha, 1974

Nam

June Paik, TV

Buddha R

e-Incarnated, 1994

Nam

June Paik, TV

Buddha R

e-Incarnated, 1994

Laurie Anderson, D

uets on Ice, performance in

New

York City and G

enoa, Italy, 1973-4.

Laurie Anderson, P

erformance U

nited States P

art II, 1980The O

rpheum, N

ew York; (right) album

covers United S

tates I-IV, 1984

Laurie Anderson, U

nited States P

art I, 1980, Orpheum

Theater

Kim

sooja, Needle W

oman, 1999 -

present, video stillshttp://ww

w.youtube.com

/watch?v=S

pes0Uk8btY

http://ww

w.art21.org/videos/segm

ent-kimsooja-in-system

s

Kim

sooja, A Beggar W

oman - M

exico C

ity, 2000, video stillK

imsooja, A B

eggar Wom

an - Cairo,

2001, video still

Kim

sooja, A Beggar W

oman:Tiim

es S

quare, March 11, 2005, perform

ance

Kim

sooja, A Beggar W

oman:Tiim

es S

quare, March 11, 2005, perform

ancesound

Class Four: Social Practice•

Readings: •

Suzanne Lacy, “Having it Good: Reflections on Engaged Art and

Engaged Buddhism,” Leaving Art: W

ritings on Performance,

Politics, and Publics, 1974–2007 (Durham, NC: Duke University

Press, 2010), 284-299. •

Stephen Batchelor, “Seeing the Light: Photography as Buddhist Practice,” in Buddha M

ind in Contemporary Art. Jacquelynn Baas

and Mary Jane Jacob, eds. (Berkeley, CA: University of California

Press, 2004), 141-146. •

Francesca Herndon-Consagra, “Living Things: Buddhist Art in a Building by Tadao Andō,” Reflections of the Buddha (St. Louis: Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, 2011), 7-17.

•Artists: Atta Kim

, Moriko M

ori, Lee Mingwei, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Sopheap

Pich, Jakkai Siributr, Xu Bing

Mariko M

ori, Nirvana, 1997

Mariko M

ori, Dream

Temple, 1999

Mori, W

ave UFO

, 2003

video

Rirkrit Tiravanija, P

ad Thai, 1991-6

Visitors cooking for themselves at R

irkrit Tirvanija’s installation of tw

o replicas of his N

ew York flat at The S

erpentine G

allery, London 2005R

irkrit serving Thai Curry at The

Hugo B

oss Prize, 2002

ME

NU

- Thursday March 17

Temperm

ental (sic) Pum

pkin Soup

Pum

pkins (roasted and pureed) O

nions Vegetable S

tock G

arlic C

oconut milk

Chipotle peppers (in adobe sauce)

Curry pow

der (Indian) C

innamon

Sea salt

Honey

Mint (fresh)

In a big stockpot saute onions till caramelized

Add curry pow

der B

lend chipotle peppers and garlic, add to onion m

ixture A

dd vegetable stock, bring to a boil A

dd coconut milk

Add pureed pum

pkin and cinnamon

Season w

ith salt and a bit of honey to taste R

educe heat and let soup simm

er till flavors are w

ell integrated G

arnish with fresh chopped m

int (optional)

Rirkrit Tiravanija,

Fear Eats the S

oul, G

avin Brow

n's Enterprise

opening reception (in the soup kitchen). 2011

The Land, located 20 minutes from

Chiang M

ai, Thailand, begun in 1998, founded by R

irkrit Tiravanija and Kam

in Lertchaiprasert

Atta K

im, The M

onologue of Ice, 2011

Lee Mingw

ei, The Living Room

, 2000

Lee Mingw

ei, Sonic B

lossom, 2000

Sopheap P

ich, Candles, 2010 and B

uddha 2 (2009)

Sopheap P

ich, Cycle 2, Version 3, 2008

Jakkai Siributr, K

arma C

ash & C

arry, 2010

Jakkai Siributr, M

obius, 2013

Jakkai Siributr, S

hroud, 2011

Xu B

ing, Book from

the Sky, 1987-1991

Xu B

ing, Square W

ord Calligraphy S

igns, 1994-2000

Xu B

ing, Where D

oes the Dust Itself C

ollect? 2004

Xu B

ing, Where D

oes the Dust Itself C

ollect? 2004

The Bodhi (True Wisdom

) is not like the tree; The m

irror bright is nowhere shining; As there is nothing from

the first, W

here does the dust itself collect? - Huineng (638-713)

The body is the Bodhi tree; The soul is like the m

irror bright, Take heed to keep it always clean, And let no dust collect upon it.

- Yuquan Shenxiu (606?706)

buddhism in contemporary art module (4 weeks) contemp art buddhist m… · buddhism in contemporary...

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