Boy's Head example essay topic

Artists have always been inspired by myths and legends, and have the exceptional ability to transform them into visual form. Sometimes the art is the only surviving record that shows that a culture or civilization actually existed. Joseph Campbell considers artist's mythmaker's because they translate the true hidden meaning of the work into something that is believable and meaningful. He states that with the help of metaphors, a piece of art or literature can be "elevated from a mythical experience to a cosmological status" (Lord 4), which will then result in a feeling that will "transcend time and transport us to "bliss" (Conf 2). Campbell feels that you will never capture the full effect of the work of art, with simply a comprehensive explanation or brief summary of it. Metaphors have the power to transform and tie events to their real inner meaning.

They take the ordinary interpretation of the story to the mythical sphere (inner area) where the real adventure takes place. A Metaphors main function is to bring these two realms together, and also help express the inexpressible. They give you that "wow" feeling, especially when you have finally seen the beauty the artist was trying to convey all along (Lord 3, 4) The 16th century bronze sculpture of the dancing Ganesha is such a piece of art. It is now housed in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Ganesha is one of the most popular Hindu deities, representing good luck, wisdom and fortune. Bronze sculptures originating from southern India were designed to be carried in a procession. This way the people could admire and view each deity one at a time. The sculptures were also created for one to experience what is known as darshan-seeing the divine image, and for it to see you.

The unknown artist created this sculpture made out of bronze, a copper alloy, and a no longer used wax technique where the object is made in wax first, then covered with clay. The object is then baked, which melts the wax away, and the clay then hardens and forms a mold. The mold is filled with melted bronze, cooled, and then taken off. The artist then creates the beautiful masterpiece by complimenting the details of the image (ArtsEdNet). The expressive sculpture shows the dancing Ganesha's gleeful personality, and gracefulness. The artist created a massive, and agile sculpture, which I imagine, was difficult to do.

He successfully portrayed the important qualities of this deity in a way that made the special characteristics endure through time. This piece of art was made in the Southwestern Indian State of Karnataka. The Ganesha is normally depicted with the body of a man, four arms, the head of an elephant, and having only one tusk -- the other tusk looks broken. Another unique feature of the deity, is its large belly, which practically hangs over his lower garments. On his chest he has a sacred thread that looks like a snake (ArtsEdNet).

There are several different versions behind the myth of the Dancing Ganesha. The most popular one being, that Ganesha was created by the Goddess Parvati as a guardian to her privacy. The Goddess Parvati was upset that her husband never respected her privacy, especially the times when he would barge into her private chambers while she was bathing. To solve this problem, she decided to make a figure of a young boy out of sandalwood paste that was on her body, gave it life, and told the boy she was his mother, and to guard the entrance while she bathed.

Her husband, Shiva (lord of destruction), came as usual to visit his wife, but found that the boy was blocking his way, and would not let him in. Shiva did not know this was his son, and fought with the boy. The boy's head was cut off from his body, and when Parvati came back from her bath, she was so enraged at the sight before her, that she threatened to destroy the heavens and the earth. Her husband (Shiva) tried to calm her down, and told his followers to bring the head of the first creature they discovered. The first creature they found was an elephant. They cut off the head and put it on the boy's body, and gave the boy life.

The Goddess Parvati was once again happy (Bhartiyakala. com). All of the physical attributes of the Ganesha have a great deal of symbology behind them. The Ganesha's four hands hold all his attributes and signify their divinity. His lower right hand, which is used as a weapon and his bowl of sweets, symbolize abundance.

In his upper left hand he holds a bunch of mangoes, which represent fertility, and in his right hand he holds an ax, which destroys ignorance and any obstacles that come in his way. In this sculpture, the Ganesha is dancing on a lotus flower, which is a symbol of the universe and the pure heart of the devotee (ArtsEdNet). His round belly signifies that he swallows the misfortunes and heartaches of the universe, while at the same time protecting the world (Bhartiyakala. com) The Ganesha's dancing is symbolic of his playfulness and his childlike personality. These are all symbolic of good fortune. People worship Ganesha before taking on a challenging task or project they need luck on such as writing a book, taking a journey, or building a house (ArtsEdNet).

Bibliography

Lord, George deForest, et al. Joseph Campbell Transformations of Myth Through Time Study guide. Wadsworth Group / Thomson Custom Publishing, 1990.
Bhartiyakala, an exotic india. com Company. Ganesha: the elephant headed God, Art and Mythology, Article of the Month-October 2000.
22 May 2003.
web ArtsEdNet, Dancing Ganesha. 22 May 2003.