The Nature of Desire: An Indian Art Exhibit

Krishna art, via www.exoticindiaart.com, originally uploaded by haileydai.

I have been reading a non-fiction book called Holy Cow by Sarah MacDonald, an Australian woman who went to live in India for a while with her husband, who was stationed there by the Australian Broadcasting Company. It's a really fascinating book, and what really strikes me is Indian culture's attitudes towards sexuality. I'm hardly an expert, but it seems at once to be a country that is both very sensual and very sexually conservative.

So, when I saw there is an exhibit happening in New York called "Edge of Desire: Recent Art in India" I wondered if it might shed some light on Indian sexuality. This article by New York Daily News' resident sex and romance writer, Dr. Judy Kuriansky, about the show and the nature of desire itself was interesting. Especially this quote from her closing paragraph:

“The word “desire” itself is an educational message, in my view. Desire can be a motivator, to make you strive for success, partnership, or any goal. But there is a downside: wanting and striving often keeps the very thing you yearn for out of reach, but as soon as you stop grasping, it can fall into your lap. Similarly, desperation for love drives others away, while security within oneself draws them to you.”

If you happen to be in New York, check it out.