My Tibetan Buddhist witch friend forgot to renew my birthday membership to the Asian Art Museum which was just fine because I can visit on Free First Sundays of the Month...
...and also at press previews of new exhibits where we are allowed to take photos.
Their current show is a mashup selection of the Asian's permanent collection and SFMOMA's permanent collection under the collective rubric of Gorgeous. It's amusing because the Asian art is mostly so quiet and spiritual while the SFMOMA selections are in many ways the opposite. It would be interesting to see this concept turned upside down with spiritual and serene art selected from SFMOMA's collection paired with the Asian's wildest pop art from their collection. Neither culture(s) has a monopoly on spirituality or materialism.
On one wall, the exhibit tries to explore "What is Gorgeous?" through videos with people on the street, so let me offer my contribution here. Above is Avis who I saw on the same Sunday afternoon as the museum visit. Avis inhabits and transcends both gender and race, and she's been through hell over the last five years with the death of her mother followed by three strokes of her own. Watching her struggle and return to public life recently made me realize what a powerful Buddhist deity she actually is. As for the Gorgeous connection, it speaks for itself.
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