Mongolia

Artist Statement

            I have been traveling to Mongolia since 1999 and have found the pristine landscape and find the people to be extremely warm and attractive in many different ways than what we are used to seeing or experiencing in this country. 
            Based upon this understanding or perception, of Mongolia I am using many of their symbols and metaphors experienced in their everyday lives as the base of my creative  work. This series of images has much to do with cultural differences, irony and contradiction, as their society moves into the 21st Century.     
            The horrific figures, Takkiraja, in this work are similar to the fudai I found at the entrances to Buddhist temples in Japan.  Ironically, these frightening figures are meant not to frighten people but to keep evil spirits away – protect the people.   These are the guardians of the common folks.
            The other images come from scenes from a large painting in the Zanabazar Museum titled “One day in Mongolia” by B. Sharav, which I have borrowed for this body of work.   The unique narrative painting, which is in poor condition, shows outdoor scenes of every important aspect of life within a small village.  I have appropriated several of these themes, of the common people, and used digital means to reconstitute the images and colors of this work into what I believe to be consistent to what the original work had intended to convey – everything you would see in one day in Mongolia.
            This is a matter of intrigue as life as a contemporary herder, today, is pretty much as it has been for thousands of years.  Some of the tools and mechanism has been greatly improved but concern for the animals, the pastures and family life styles are practices that go back hundreds of years, which now is being challenged and threatened by globalization and massive economic interests being driven my Russian, Japanese, Chinese and American business. To this, I have added my comment to the complexities of globalization, as can be seen in Mongolia today --  Melanie pays a visit to an upscale spa.

            Please contact Ken for inquiries and prices