Padma, the lotus flower
I've turned my project into a proposal for the Finch Lane Gallery. Making slides from digital files to complete this process ranks as an extremely silly thing I've done for the sake of high art.
The text of my proposal:
I propose a photographic community portrait of the Sri Ganesha Hindu Temple of Utah.
The Sri Ganesha temple opened in 2003 to support the worship of 300 families and 100 students in the Salt Lake valley. It is located in South Jordan, Utah, surrounded by the Wasatch and Oquirrh mountains and in sight of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Jordan River temple. Composed mostly of first-generation Indian immigrants, the membership strives to sustain their Hindu culture and pass on their heritage to their children.
What I find fascinating about the temple community is their integration of tradition and adaptations to both the influences of a modern global society and day-to-day life in Utah. The temple is dedicated to Ganesha, the elephant-head deity of good luck and prosperity, a pan-Hindu choice that underscores the need to integrate the traditions of immigrants from many Indian regions and experiences. The concrete floor’s radiant heating mechanism warms barefoot worshippers clad in both traditional saris and blue jeans. Fruit for puja, an offering of worship to the deity, may come from the supermarket; flowers from a member’s yard. The priest prepares traditional oil lamps for a ceremony with a cordless phone tucked at his side. Pragmatism and spirituality conspire to distill the essence of a homecoming in a new land.
The photographs result from a number of visits to the temple to document daily rituals and seasonal festivals.
Each image will be captioned with a Sanskrit word, its definition, and how it relates to traditional Hindu practice. I use primarily digital camera equipment; the proposed exhibit will include a mix of digital giclée and traditional photographic process color prints.
