Dominic Rouse's artwork - Ben

[Guest guest]

I like your take, Ben. I find Rouse's work disquieting, but at the

same time many of the themes he tackles are part of the kundalini

experience: " losing " your head and having it replaced by a stream of

light or energy; the dismemberment; the bizarre visions, etc. The

nightmarish tinge is both frightening and a reminder of the need to

let go of the physical world (like the skulls in Tibetan iconography,

if you know what I mean).

 

The ubiquity of female naked bodies is both irritating and a bit of a

cliche', but I guess that's part of " high " art. As some folks used to

say, women don't get into the Louvre unless they are naked... All in

all, however, Rouse's pictures remind me of the experiential spheres

you access through the K, where you are taught to radically question

your sense of normalcy. I wonder if Rouse has been there, too.

 

Sel

 

, " ben_hangen "

<ben_hangen wrote:

>

> , " selena230 "

> <selena230@> wrote:

> >

> > Just came across this photographer's work, and I was wondering what

> > you all think about it. The link is below.

> >

> > http://zonezero.com/exposiciones/fotografos/rouse/dominic01.html

> >

> > Sel

> >

> I like the statement and found that it akin to something I would

> write. The artwork was nicely presented with a congruent presentation.

> The artist did seem to have conflicts with the predominant idea of

> women being more spiritually inclined and rebellious of the fact. As

> in the one titled " In'erself " which the artist portrays a great

> contrast between spiritual and physical planes.

>

> Ok I showed you mine now you show me yours.

>

> Liberte De Penser,

> Ben

>

[Guest guest]

Naked female bodies, sounds like the seductive quality of forbidden

fruit. It's the allurement and promise of enlightenment or being drawn

into a secular domain. Most of the nude figures are in a religious

structure with the figure centered as either the greater or

obstruction to the portal, which lies beyond.

 

I didn't express it this way before but the implication was that this

person has presented women as a sum of all fears and the vestibule.

Wonder what their relation was with mom; maybe it was " NO MORE WIRE

HANGERS " .

[Guest guest]

You are right: Rouse sees women's bodies as a compendium of all that

is Other. That said, othering women is hardly an original strategy in

visual arts. Unless, of course, Rouse meant to apply irony to existing

genres. In that case, the naked female bodies are just a citation of a

familiar iconography, which he subverts into something new and sinister.

 

Maybe--or maybe not.

 

Perhaps I am reading too much into his work. But I still find it

intriguing...

 

Sel

 

 

 

, " ben_hangen "

<ben_hangen wrote:

>

> Naked female bodies, sounds like the seductive quality of forbidden

> fruit. It's the allurement and promise of enlightenment or being drawn

> into a secular domain. Most of the nude figures are in a religious

> structure with the figure centered as either the greater or

> obstruction to the portal, which lies beyond.

>

> I didn't express it this way before but the implication was that this

> person has presented women as a sum of all fears and the vestibule.

> Wonder what their relation was with mom; maybe it was " NO MORE WIRE

> HANGERS " .

>