The UW has a class called A History of Far Eastern Art, but since I can't take it, I bought the textbook and took some initiative in learning about some art history on the other side of the globe. I'll start with some of India's most famous architecture- Kailash Temple, the Ajanta Caves, and Khajuraho. Kailash is the largest rock-cut architectural monument in the world. It is designed to recall Mt. Kailash, a mysterious and unclimbable mountain in the Himalayas, thought to be the home of Lord Shiva. There are many sculptures of Indian Gods here, as well as elephants. The Ajanta Caves are set inside a crescent-shaped cliff, 31+ caves in total. The work inside these caves is largely Buddhist- frescoes and paintings of mandalas and the meditating Buddha line the walls, as well as the Jataka tales. Looking at some of the photos, I feel like I've been there before. I don't know, it's a very strange feeling when you read about a place and get the deja-vu madness. Of the three, the stunner, and in my opinion India's most amazing achievement, is the Khajuraho monument, a staggering 31-meter tower with hundreds of cells of erotic sculptures along its walls. The sculptures are rich in detail, illustrating both India's past and the magical forces of Tantric sex. Wow. Yes, I think it's even more mind blowing than the Taj Mahal, and it's not because sculptures of voluptuous women turn me on!
On another front, I must mention some of the most exquisite cities on Earth after reading about them in another book about Islamic art. These are cities that give rise to multiple mosques of Islamic purity. In Islam it's blasphemous to depict Muhammad or any scenes from the Quran, so the only valid way to represent divinity there is through geometry. All about these cities the mosques are designed with geometric patterns of intricate detail. Tashkent, Bukhara, and Isfahan have some of the best "skylines of geometry". Especially Isfahan- it has an enormous square of grass enclosed by beautiful mosques on all four sides. If Iran wasn't so fucked up, I'd want to travel there some day.
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