Hello Gang,
As many of you know, for more than a decade, I was an art historian. Today, though I teach dance and costume design, I frequently find myself slipping into "lecture" mode as I talk about Islamic art. Many belly dancers choose to study the cultural arts of the Middle East, and are frustrated by the limited amount of imagery available to give visual context to written histories. Dance, as an ephemeral art form, was only recorded sporadically in visual representations and textual descriptions. Logically, we know that dancing girls existed, but where are they in the historical record?
Well, today I have the pleasure of sharing a fantastic documentary on Islamic art - the best I have ever seen. Paradise Found: Discovering Islamic Art features noted British art critic Waldemar Januszczak in a grand sweeping survey of the art and architecture of the Islamic world. The focus of this program are the myriad depictions of paradise that are found within Islamic art. The presenter takes us on a journey across time and throughout the far flung territories that compose the Muslim world. This is a lush presentation by a passionate historian and who genuinely adores his subject. He introduces the viewer to some of his favorites; images of sumptuous gardens, amazing architecture and beautiful objects. Each work is invested with the same lofty and yet earthly goal, to evoke a sense of paradise. As you watch, keep your eyes open for historical images of dancing girls, some of which are quite rare and unique. Because, what would paradise be like without belly dancers?
I hope you enjoy this program as much as I do.
~ Davina ~ Dawn Devine
Author • Costumer • Dancer • Historian www.davina.us
Paradise Found: A Documentary on Islamic Art and Architecture
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment