Every day in the Bowdoin College Museum of Art rotunda, visitors hear a dull, roar-like snoring sound. It is the sound of the machine maintaining the air pressure of an inflatable Buddha.
The Buddha, on loan from the Museum of Contemporary Art in San Diego, is twenty-six feet long and nearly six feet tall. It was created by Lewis DeSoto, an installation artist and educator at San Francisco State University.
The work is titled "Paranirvana/Self-Portrait." The bare-footed Buddha rests on his right side upon a pillow with his head on his hand.
The material is the same nylon of hot air balloons. The face superimposed upon the fabric is the artist's own, which adds to the piece's controversial nature. Though he is known as something of a maverick, this piece is unlike DeSoto's other work.
"Paranirvana/Self-Portrait" was inspired by the death of DeSoto's father and the artist's ensuing ruminations on transcendence and passage of life. The image that DeSoto digitally superimposed upon the material is based on a 12th century Sri Lankan sculpture of Buddha on his deathbed. DeSoto's piece alludes to the moment between death and paranirvana, a state in which earthly pursuits are shed for ultimate bliss.
"We found this artist and work and decided we were interested. Essentially the piece introduces innovations in the contemporary art world. It brings the urban art scene to lovely Brunswick, Maine," said Curatorial Assistant Kacy Karlen.
The museum is working to expand its collection of contemporary art while maintaining a base in classical art, according to Karlen.
"This artwork melds ancient conditions with contemporary conventions," she said. "This is the balance the curatorial staff wishes to strike in the Sophia Walker Gallery because, as the piece simultaneously moves the museum's collection forward into the innovations in the contemporary art world, it also returns the space to a sculpture hall."
The curatorial staff appreciates the controversial?as well as the interdisciplinary nature of?DeSoto's art.
"The material is in the vein of inflatable balloons that hang out at car dealerships but with a highly religious image," explained Karlen. "The result is a merging of classical concepts with pop art. We are excited to have cutting edge installation work....In relation to our mission, it is our hope this will be utilized by various departments to relate to a broader spectrum of disciplines. As this is a college museum, we are fortunate to have relationships with varied departments," said Karlen.
The staff hopes to use DeSoto's piece to bridge boundaries and bring various interests together. This artwork can cross disciplines because of its "controversial nature in relation to the sanctity of images and history," according to Karlen.
DeSoto will speak at Bowdoin on December 6 at 7 p.m. in Kresge auditorium.