Ashante K. Charles
Professor Krista Johansson
Monday, December 10th, 2018
Museum Curator: Art Exhibit Proposal
Representation of Deities Through Symbols
Through centuries artists have created and formed sculptures and paintings to convey the status as well as the possessions of their deities, the portrayal of deities is illustrated through their prominent characteristics and symbols displayed, creating an influence on how they are perceived. Symbols add depth to reign and power and are commonly deciphered through objects embodied or utilized in paintings or sculpture. Artifacts exhibited from Europe, Asia, and Egypt, will depict how significant deities were eminent to the culture of people that surfaced. In my studies, I have explored the countless female and male figures whose roles in society have each been interpreted in a distinct era and culture.
My primary artifact follows the Eastern Mediterranean civilization, I will be exhibiting this piece as it corresponds with symbols encompassed by Pharaohs. Dating back to the 18th Dynasty, in this era, King Tutankhamen is one out of thousand of Pharaohs who have established themselves as a divine ruler in Egypt. King Tut’s ancient coffin was elaborately crafted with rich colors and materials to sculpt an image of himself in high relief. Color and medium is a significant aspect to how these rulers are conveyed, King Tut’s coffin is an example of how he is valued, the gold conveys his riches and the blue details are associated with his “power of creation.” The objects he holds across his chest encode meaning, they are known as the crook and flail these tools are often held by Pharaoh’s, it corresponds with the tradition of regalia commonly practiced in Egypt. The origin of the crook and flail was established by Osiris, known as the God before all gods. “The crook stood for kingship (guidance of the people) while the flail was associated with the fertility of the land (threshing wheat),” also “symbolizing the power and majesty of the king.” As he was the most prominent Pharaoh of Egypt, all the other Pharaoh’s who followed in authority after Osiris have honored him through these ancient symbols.
The secondary artifact that will be exhibited is a piece from The Gateway to Himalayan Art. It entails a variety of figurines of the female deity Tara who is prominent in Tibetan Buddhism, this artifact has a significant presence to the people of Tibet as she is the source for their path to enlightenment. Through her spirit, there are various elements that form a solid depiction of herself as a goddess such as her lotus flower platform, her symbolic posture, and illustrative surroundings. With the immense detail, the thangka harbors there is much to decipher of Tara. Each position Tara is presented in encompasses notable postures. Based on the repetitions of Tara they essentially they signify the many assets she embodies. The lotus throne is a profound characteristic inhabited in many depictions of Tibetan Buddhists, in which they are visualized. The lotus flower symbolizes enlightenment in Buddhist art, “…since ancient times has been the symbol of spiritual evolution and perfection among Hindus and Buddhists,” this element connects to Tara’s purpose as a Bodhisattva. “…committing] [herself] to help individuals on their path to enlightenment.”
Lastly, the Classical era of Greece embodies the ideal of the male and female form. Nudity is an approach used to capture their appearance and predominantly composed in sculpture. The contrast to poise, muscular and elongated bodies are commonly sculpted on marble or bronze. The epitome of the style is portrayed by Greek gods, goddesses and monumental athletes. Symbols are minimal in Classical Greece, however, since the image of these figures are a significant component in Greek art it can be defined as a symbol. The body is their symbol, “the idealized perfection of the human body,” the body image created depicts their masculinity and femininity emphasized through physicality, strength, and sexuality. The ancient Greek civilization worshiped several Gods as commonly as other cultures, out of twelve renowned deities Zeus is particularly the embodiment of all gods. Zeus’s presence in Greek art has an overruling power, his figure demonstrates his physicality and intimidation through his warrior stance, with his lightning bolt claimed as his weapon, this attribute relates to other God’s whom manifest a unique power and ability, amongst their people.
Overall, this exhibition will entail King Tutankhamen’s funerary coffin, the Thangka of the goddess Tara from the 19th century and an Artemision Bronze Greek sculpture of Zeus from the Mycenaean era. Altogether, these artifacts will be displayed aligned with space in triangular form, for the audience to acknowledge the differences and similarities, people can move within the space created in the center. This installation will allow people to physically interact with the objects. Music is disregarded as a topic of discussion when studying art although it is an art form, integrating a song based on these cultures would be an interesting element to entail with the artwork. Lastly. For lighting, the outside will be dark while the center is dimly lit to create an intimate atmosphere for the audience with the object surrounding them. Demonstrating how symbols are significant to how deities are portrayed in each culture through their own unique way of depiction, allows us to connect historical objects that are often unrelated.
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Mark, Joshua J. “Ancient Egyptian Symbols.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. December 09, 2018. Accessed December 11, 2018. https://www.ancient.eu/article/1011/ancient-egyptian-symbols/.
This source shares insight of the history symbols, the Encyclopedia provide insight on the the importance and meaning of symbolic objects presence in art work of Egyptian Pharaohs.
Mark, Joshua J. “Pharaoh.” Ancient History Encyclopedia. December 09, 2018. Accessed December 11, 2018. https://www.ancient.eu/pharaoh/.
This website focuses dominantly on Pharaohs in Egypt. This article effectively discusses several facts on the kings that ruled, their impact and the history of the 18th Dynasty.
Wesley E. Needham, A Tibetan Painting of The Green Dolma, Yale University Library, 1961 (pg.58)
The concept of this article is based on scroll painting in Tibetan and dominant characteristics embedded in these craftings.
http://rubinmuseum.org/events/itineraries/gateway-to-himalayan-art-audio-tour-itinerary
Information was collected from the Rubin Museum website where most of my knowledge was obtained from female deity explored at the The Gateway to Himalayan Art exhibit.
“Thomas Lerooy.” Galleri Brandstrup. Accessed December 11, 2018. http://www.brandstrup.no/artists/thomas-lerooy/featured-works?view=thumbnails.
This site is owned by an artist Thomas Lerooy a renowned sculpturist. He is familiar with Greek art as most of his work is inspired by practice of sculpting figures. Information is shared on his site about his knowledge of characteristics, sculpting and overall art in Greek.
