My goal is to finish "Sentinels of Shangri-La", my latest watercolor series, fairly soon and I would like to give a little background on the title.
I challenge myself to complete "Sentinels of Shangri-La", before Christmas of this year. Eight of the 20 paintings are already finished. Every 4 paintings represents a chapter, in the visual story I'm telling.
Although "Sentinels of Shangri-La" is a fictitious visual presentation, it is based on blending historic fact and mythic beliefs. In 1950, the Chinese seized Tibet. Tibetans were tortured and many monasteries were destroyed; thus, the struggle to Free Tibet is an ongoing one. Quoted below, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, commented on Tibet's future.
"During the Great Prayer Festival in 1933, several months before his death, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama-...-prophesied the impending destruction of the Tibetan state: 'In my lifetime conditions will be as they are now, peaceful and quiet. But the future holds darkness and misery. Religion and government will be attacked from without and within....Monks and government will be destroyed....Lands and properties will be seized.'...
On October 7, 1950-nearly two decades after the Thirteenth Dali Lama's Testament- the Chinese communist forces entered Tibet." *
Although, I won't give my entire plot away, because I don't want to take away the viewers own creative interpretation; but I do feel that a brief background can add to a deeper enjoyment of the series. Now that we have a factual basis, let's add the mythical element.
" 'Shangri-La' is a fictional place described in the 1933 novel Lost Horizon by British author James Hilton. In the book, 'Shangri-La' is a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided by a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of the Kunlun Mountains. Shangri-La has become synonymous with an earthly Paradise but particularly a mythical Himalayan utopia-a permanently happy land, isolated from the outside world. In the novel Lost Horizon, the people who live in Shangri-La are almost immortal, living years beyond the normal lifespan and only aging in appearance. The word also evokes the imagery of the exoticism of the Orient." **
Side note: Actually, James Hilton did not totally invent the Utopian concept, for thousand of years the Tibetans have believed in a similar place entitled, "Shambhala" or "Shambala". Remember the chorus, in the Three Dog Night song, "I'm on the road to Shambala." It's also curious to note, that both the Dalai Lama's quote and Lost Horizon are from the year 1933.
Thus, in the series "Sentinels of Shangri-La" the factual and mythical exist in a visual way.
Reflections
What makes the seizing of Tibet relevant to today's audience? To me, Tibet is symbolic of a larger historic context. Whenever a nation is conquered; either in the past, present or future, a price is paid or will be paid. Perhaps, it is a loss of their religion, literature, art or just a way of living that could of added to our planets' rich tapestry.
Conclusion
I enjoy painting one series after another, because it allows me to tell my own visual story and to leave the viewer with his/her own interpretation. That is why if you see or hear me in a Gallery, or at an ArTalk on TV or the radio; I will never answer the question, "What does that painting mean?" directly. I will give background information on it, but never a final interpretation.
*Tibet/Reflections from the Wheel of Life, Forward by The Dalai Lama, Text by Carroll Dunham & Ian Baker, pgs. 109-113, 1993
**Edited from Wikipedia
Further Reading:
Nashua artist has drawn inspiration from ancient cultures
By: PAMME BOUTSELIS
http://www.encorebuzz.com/entertainment/909639-249/nashua-artist-has-drawn-inspiration-from-ancient.html?CSAuthResp=1234%3A%3A5000%3A1%3A24%3Aapproved%3A0F4585785573305EC4153626DBD917C5
www.MontyWhitfieldsArt.com
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