Visiting the Rubin Museum of Art accompanied by Professor Katherine Behar and her Introduction to Digital Photography class was a one of a kind experience. Studying some of the art work in exhibition while being guided by Ms. Laura Lomberd, Assistant Manager of University Programs and Partnerships at The Rubin Museum of Art allowed the group to understand various aspects of the Himalayan culture and the exploration of such through art. The first exhibition we observed was  ‘Tibet in Comics’ which portrays emblematic forms of the lama within concepts developed by artists interested in interpreting specific aspects of Tibetan culture through comic books. We studied a particular piece in the Comics section, named “Milarepa Meditating.” We went over detailed visual cues like the figures around the central image of Milarepa, a wise poet and yogi who was relevant in the development of Buddhism.  This specific work of art explores the idea of the vastness of the spiritual space portrayed through a visual narration that invites the audience to engage and learn more about the quality of life achieved by such figures through meditation.

Next we moved up to ‘The Body Unbound – Modernist Art from India’ exhibition located on the 6^thfloor of the museum. Most of the art work under this exhibit represents the multiple expectations India had after it became a free nation. Going over some of the pieces crafted by Indian artists I was able to see an interesting contrast between these contemporary forms of art and ancient pieces we previously looked over. It does not take much effort to get inspired by the vivid colors, movement and shapes present in the art work, but also in the multiple ways in which the characters on the paintings communicate with the audience. One example of a work of art professor’s Behar class studied at the museum is “Love, Deception and Intrigue” by Nalini Malani (1985-86) which can be interpreted as a narrative through which every single figure on the canvas speaks to us in one way or another. Each character portrayed by the artist has his/her own personality which is perceived through their facial expressions, their postures and place they take on the canvas. This painting by Malani and several others from the exhibitions became the source of inspiration for students when exploring their identities and working on unique ways to represent them through self-portraiture.