GONKAR GYATSO
Gonkar Gyatso was born in Tibet in 1961, and as a young man was trained in the traditional Tibetan art form of “Thangka”- that is, a type of calligraphy with religious influence. In the 1960’s however, as the Chinese invaded Tibet, Gyatso was forced to move to London, where an extreme clash of cultures occurred- as he was first exposed to the globalized culture of the West, which infiltrated his local mindset- “I see my experience as having a kind of hybridity” he has stated “…time and place collide with one another”. This hybrid, clash of cultures is evident in Gyatso’s work, “The Shambala In Modern Times” (2008).
This is a work that overwhelms the audience with imagery, and one that explores this clash of cultures through juxtaposition. The artwork is divided into 4 panels that split the work into symmetrical sections. The work consists of the head and shoulders silhouette of Buddha- painted and composed in a black and white grid-like form, with traditional Tibetan characters forming the inside in a precise order. Behind the head of the Buddha is an explosion of colour, as thousands of multicolored stickers burst out and assault the eyes of the audience with a pleasurable overload of images. Among the stickers, however, are newspaper headlines- offering a new meaning to the work. The juxtaposition of the traditional symbol of the Buddha and the use of the cultural practice of Thangka, with the stickers- that represent globalized iconography of mass production- displays this clash of cultures and the hybridity that Gyatso is communicating- where local meets global. The newspaper headlines within the stickers add a new significance- the English text being indicative of the 1960’s invasion of Tibet by the Chinese; “Radicals left frustrated by the Dalai Lama’s tactics”, and “Lhasa tourists tell of attacks by Chinese”- to name a few. These phrases, combined with a mass of globalized images- such as the BBC logo, the eBay logo, Bart Simpson, tweety bird, a no-smoking symbol and international currency symbols- creates an interesting contrast.
Here, Gyatso is again commenting on both this hybridity and clash of cultures, and the tension between local and global forces, yet also the effect of cultural and historical events in his life- such as the annexation of Tibet, and his emigration to Europe. In another work by Gyatso “Angel” (2007), the artist is again making a comment on global events, particularly here, a comment on civil unrest and struggle, framing that through a lens of local and global tension- looking at how this tension has contributed to unrest.
The work features a colourful cluster of stickers in the middle of the composition that form the flat shape that is a figure- their arms stretched out in chains. This bright, multicolored collage in the centre is directly contrasted by the monotone background, which features intricate Tibetan calligraphy and symbols of tradition, culture, and is utilizing the art from of Thangka. The figure in the middle is an appropriation of a famous news photograph- a hooded Iraqi prisoner captured by American forces. This particular prisoner was hooked up to electric chains and threatened with torture. This image works as an internationally recognised symbol of warfare and the vulnerability of humans to this global struggle. The fact that the figure is made up of stickers further emphasises the notion of civil struggle against mass media and production, consumerism and liberal free-market capitalism. This perhaps is also questioning the behaviours of the United States in regards to the Iraqi prisoner, and the attitudes of materialistic America. The common theme of a hybrid culture is again evident, in the juxtaposition between the stickers, the figure, and the culturally significant background detail.
Clare Wigney, 2015
This is a work that overwhelms the audience with imagery, and one that explores this clash of cultures through juxtaposition. The artwork is divided into 4 panels that split the work into symmetrical sections. The work consists of the head and shoulders silhouette of Buddha- painted and composed in a black and white grid-like form, with traditional Tibetan characters forming the inside in a precise order. Behind the head of the Buddha is an explosion of colour, as thousands of multicolored stickers burst out and assault the eyes of the audience with a pleasurable overload of images. Among the stickers, however, are newspaper headlines- offering a new meaning to the work. The juxtaposition of the traditional symbol of the Buddha and the use of the cultural practice of Thangka, with the stickers- that represent globalized iconography of mass production- displays this clash of cultures and the hybridity that Gyatso is communicating- where local meets global. The newspaper headlines within the stickers add a new significance- the English text being indicative of the 1960’s invasion of Tibet by the Chinese; “Radicals left frustrated by the Dalai Lama’s tactics”, and “Lhasa tourists tell of attacks by Chinese”- to name a few. These phrases, combined with a mass of globalized images- such as the BBC logo, the eBay logo, Bart Simpson, tweety bird, a no-smoking symbol and international currency symbols- creates an interesting contrast.
Here, Gyatso is again commenting on both this hybridity and clash of cultures, and the tension between local and global forces, yet also the effect of cultural and historical events in his life- such as the annexation of Tibet, and his emigration to Europe. In another work by Gyatso “Angel” (2007), the artist is again making a comment on global events, particularly here, a comment on civil unrest and struggle, framing that through a lens of local and global tension- looking at how this tension has contributed to unrest.
The work features a colourful cluster of stickers in the middle of the composition that form the flat shape that is a figure- their arms stretched out in chains. This bright, multicolored collage in the centre is directly contrasted by the monotone background, which features intricate Tibetan calligraphy and symbols of tradition, culture, and is utilizing the art from of Thangka. The figure in the middle is an appropriation of a famous news photograph- a hooded Iraqi prisoner captured by American forces. This particular prisoner was hooked up to electric chains and threatened with torture. This image works as an internationally recognised symbol of warfare and the vulnerability of humans to this global struggle. The fact that the figure is made up of stickers further emphasises the notion of civil struggle against mass media and production, consumerism and liberal free-market capitalism. This perhaps is also questioning the behaviours of the United States in regards to the Iraqi prisoner, and the attitudes of materialistic America. The common theme of a hybrid culture is again evident, in the juxtaposition between the stickers, the figure, and the culturally significant background detail.
Clare Wigney, 2015