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Too much art is about life — love, betrayal, war, jobs, depression, travel. Anyone who’s lived long enough knows all these topics back and forth and is bored by them. Anyone my age (said a philosopher) is ready for a different movie. Art — abstract art — porcelain cups, say, or geometrically patterned carpets, or a string quartet can provide an escape from the dull facts of life.
Yet, for all this boredom, surprisingly little life is about art. It’s puzzling why it should be so: art can divert with its novelty, its un-same-sameness.
OK, most of us have an excuse in the form of time-deficit: jobs + commute + house work make a dull boy duller. But some have a light work load, do not commute, and are lucky not to have to do housework. They could do what I do.
But if they do it, they do not tell us about it. The result: while there are millions of books telling you about male-female relationships — their tiresome predictability would hardly seem to deserve such a massive effort at analysis — there are hardly any books on man-art relationships; hardly any guides on how to navigate one’s life through it. There are no manuals for aspiring art connoisseurs, no reports on the spiritual adventures in the world of culture.
This blog tries to put something in that gap.
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Hello
A serendipitous series of clicks arising from a search for photographs on ‘elephants in Indian folk art’ led me to your blog. I’ve spent the last half hour trawling through the gorgeous collection of art and information you have here.
I work for Nature Conservation Foundation, a non-profit based in Mysore in south India. We are in the process of setting up a public information centre that can host themed exhibitions on wildlife and conservation. Our first exhibition focuses on the large mammals of south India, including, of course, elephants, tiger, gaur and leopards.
I wonder if you might be able to help us with this effort. I am looking for scans or photos of Indian art and sculpture that depict these species, both in the wild as well as in interactions with humans. If you have any materials that fit this description, may I request you to share it with us for the exhibition?
We are unable to pay for the use of these materials since this is a non-profit effort, but we will be sure to credit you prominently and send you photographs of the displays.
I look forward to your response.
Many thanks and warm regards
Pavithra
March 12, 2011 at 08:03
happy to find your blog and appreciate looking and reading! thanks for the work – we look forward to more time spent here!
https://ekphrastixarts.com/2012/06/19/reader-appreciation-award-thank-you/
June 19, 2012 at 22:24
welcome Caballero Filibertius
we don’t do much talking here — unless you have something relevant/interesting to say, I suppose — but the site isn’t bad for linking — last time i checked we were doing 600-700 hits a day, enjoy
June 20, 2012 at 13:33