"Androgynous Form of Shiva
and Parvati," Nepal, circa 1000. Los Angeles County Museum of
Art.
CHICAGO, ILL. - In conjunction with the landmark exhibition
"Himalayas: An Aesthetic Adventure," on view through August 17,
The Art Institute of Chicago, in association with the University
of California Press, is publishing a catalog of the same title.
This new volume will celebrate the first comprehensive exhibition
to include works from the entire region of the Himalaya
Mountains.
Presenting nearly 200 of the finest works of art created between
the Fifth and Nineteenth Centuries in Tibet, Nepal, India,
Pakistan and Bhutan, the catalog explores the particular beauty
that evolved from a spiritual tradition unique to the Himalayas.
This book surveys the artistic achievements of various Himalayan
cultures - primarily within the framework of Hinduism and
Buddhism, the two great Asian religions that prevail in most of
the region to this day - and provides visual evidence of the
spiritual aspirations of those who have defied the physical
hardships of an arduous mountain terrain to express their soaring
creative spirit.
All 200 works featured in the exhibition, about 70 percent of
which have never been published or publicly exhibited, are
illustrated in full color. These works include temple sculptures
of stone, wood and terra-cotta; cast bronzes with inlaid
semiprecious stones, gilding and pigment; colorful paintings on
cloth, palm leaf, paper and wood; and ritual objects in various
media.
Numbering 308 pages with 235 color illustrations, it is
available in hardcover for $65 and in softcover for $39.95. For
information, 312-443-3583.
