“Alongside the Iggy Pop Life Class drawings, I have selected some objects from the Brooklyn Mu

“Alongside the Iggy Pop Life Class drawings, I have selected some objects from the Brooklyn Museum’s collection featuring the male nude. The naked form here sometimes appears as an object of worship, sometimes as a disruptive presence. Certain of these objects if made now would be considered shocking or even obscene, but in their original context were seen as devotional. The tension between the sacred and profane has inspired artists and storytellers for thousands of years, including the creators of rock and roll music.” —Jeremy DellerDepicting an image of the Buddha emaciated after a long period of fasting, this work is meant to demonstrate major principles of the Buddhist religion. Biographies of the Buddha describe the early phases of his religious quest, trying multiple paths in an attempt to reach enlightenment. On one of these paths—fasting—the Buddha found that his entire experience was spent thinking about his body’s needs, ultimately posing so much of a distraction that he was unable to engage in true spiritual thought. This discovery that extreme self-denial is not the path to enlightenment became a central tenet of Buddhism. Instead the Buddha began to encourage others to follow a middle path—one that was neither filled with excess nor deprived of basic needs—as a means of achieving the greatest religious experience. This image of the ascetic Sakyamuni is a cautionary reminder of those ideals.Ascetic Sakyamuni, ca. 19th century. Japan. Wood with pigmented lacquer, inlaid crystal, metal. Brooklyn Museum -- source link

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