Religious Art of the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist traditions
One of main characteristics of religious art that makes it different from other forms of modern art or contemporary art is the art is being used to convey some sort of religious concept with the intention instructing, reminding, and edifying. In the various statues of Ganeshia, son of Shiva the followers of the Hindu faith are instructed in the ways to overcome Mayan or the dream that they live in. Embedded in the statue are symbols to be understood by its seers. Small eyes and big ears remind followers of the value on talking less and listening more. The axe clutched in Vishnu’s hand teaches Hindus that cutting off worldly attachments is being one step closer to rebirth. Modern art is a product of the era in which it was created and the intention of the art is to convey the desires, or emotions of the creator. The paradox is that art can be religious, art can be contemporary, or art can be both religious and contemporary.
Hindu art serves a higher purpose than just an idol to be worshiped as, Huston Smith explains in Elda Hartley’s documentary, India and the Infinite. Smith clarifies, "Idols are reminders of God that dwells in the depths of our souls” and that “the purpose of art in song, dance, and stone is to both inform and …show more content…
When Hudson Smith states, “Like the face of her temples that leaves not an inch uncarved India swarms with vitality”, he is describing the intricate temples themselves with not an inch uncarved illustrating human life in action with voluptuous and often sexual images. The inside of the temple is purely the inner self free of the distractions of the outer world. If one of the goals of Hinduism is the escape the dream state, or realm of lively play Mayan then by merely seeing these works of art the self will seek to
One of main characteristics of religious art that makes it different from other forms of modern art or contemporary art is the art is being used to convey some sort of religious concept with the intention instructing, reminding, and edifying. In the various statues of Ganeshia, son of Shiva the followers of the Hindu faith are instructed in the ways to overcome Mayan or the dream that they live in. Embedded in the statue are symbols to be understood by its seers. Small eyes and big ears remind followers of the value on talking less and listening more. The axe clutched in Vishnu’s hand teaches Hindus that cutting off worldly attachments is being one step closer to rebirth. Modern art is a product of the era in which it was created and the intention of the art is to convey the desires, or emotions of the creator. The paradox is that art can be religious, art can be contemporary, or art can be both religious and contemporary.
Hindu art serves a higher purpose than just an idol to be worshiped as, Huston Smith explains in Elda Hartley’s documentary, India and the Infinite. Smith clarifies, "Idols are reminders of God that dwells in the depths of our souls” and that “the purpose of art in song, dance, and stone is to both inform and …show more content…
When Hudson Smith states, “Like the face of her temples that leaves not an inch uncarved India swarms with vitality”, he is describing the intricate temples themselves with not an inch uncarved illustrating human life in action with voluptuous and often sexual images. The inside of the temple is purely the inner self free of the distractions of the outer world. If one of the goals of Hinduism is the escape the dream state, or realm of lively play Mayan then by merely seeing these works of art the self will seek to