Whether in the heart of Asia or a farm in the American heartland; the Buddha image never seems out of place. As a reminder to stop and live in the moment; it is as appropriate as a charm around the neck of a young Thai soldier as on a car dashboard. Photographs of the Buddha in various incarnationsmdash;traditional statuary; toys; garden ornaments; jewelry; tattoosmdash;demonstrate that the Buddha is seemingly everywhere; if one cultivates the proper awareness. By turns beautiful; quirky; ironic; and meditative; Kalishers images in If You Find the Buddha speak not only to the omnipresence of the spiritual icon; but also to our capacity to be surprised and delighted by the unexpected. With an insightful essay by noted author and traveler Jeff Greenwald; the striking photographs in this book delight and enlighten in equal measure.
#812480 in eBooks 2012-07-17 2012-07-17File Name: B007N6JFKA
Review
21 of 21 people found the following review helpful. Breathing Under WaterBy Michael SalcmanFire in the Belly. the first biography of David Wojnarowicz. is perhaps the saddest and most devestating book you will read this year. It contains graphic descriptions of the child abuse Wojnarowicz suffered in a completely dysfunctional family circle. his life on the streets as a hustler and male prostitute. his combustible personality and addictions to cocaine and heroin. his poverty and hand-to-mouth existence. The book situates him in the context of the emerging East Village art scene. the arrival of the AIDS epidemic. the widespread loss of major cultural figures and the important legal battles Wojnarowicz fought on behalf of the First Amendment and the gay community. Somehow. out of all this turmoil. the visceral energy of Wojnarowiczs paintings. photographs. performance art. books and films. emerges with the power of revelation. Wojnarowicz was essentially self-taught but he had the support of a major artistic presence. photographer Peter Hujar. who served as mentor and muse. friend. critic and (briefly) lover. The sections on Hujar are so evocative that the book almost becomes a dual biography. Since Wojnarowiczs death in 1992. his reputation as the central figure in the East Village scene has soared and critical reception of his art has evolved; he is now the beneficiary of what is sure to remain the pioneering and standard biography of a truly significant artist.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Devestating. InspiringBy BuffyThis book is an exhaustive look at the life of David Wojnarowicz. From the abusive parents and his life on the streets its hard to see how he was going to make it through. But somehow he channeled his pain and anger into writing and then art. None of it is ever easy even when the success comes. And when things seem to finally be going in a happier direction the world around him seems to be collapsing with the newly emerging aids epidemic. I especially like the book for the insights it offers into the meaning and imagery of his visual art and for bringing the 80s east village art scene to life. His artwork seems to have taken a back seat to some of the splashier artists of the 1980s but for those interested in that period this is recommended.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. And we are all the better for thatBy CustomerThis biography was so gripping. at times heartbreaking. at times hilarious. but always illuminating. David Wojnarowicz emerges as a complex person. and Carr doesnt shy away from showing all sides of this extraordinary artist. His road to becoming one of the most significant artists of the East Village artists movement to his time atop the national art world was twisted and would have stymied most people. But the man that Carr presents in this unbelievably written account of his life did not let the darkness conquer his light. And we are all the better for that.
