Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5

David H. Gibson
Toward Kasuga Shrine, Along Pathways of Lanterns, Nara, Japan 08 4894

2008

About the Item

Artist Statement: "My first visit to Japan in 1970 had a profound and lasting effect on my life and work. While working on a theatrical project in Tokyo, I visited the Shinto shrine at Ise Shima. In the Shinto tradition, purity was achieved through dismantling then rebuilding the shrine in the same form every twenty years. It was astounding to learn that this remarkable wooden structure had been rebuilt over and over for almost two thousand years. Trees from the surrounding forest have been used by generations of craftsmen. The tradition, skills, and techniques for re-creating the structure are passed down from generation to generation under the supervision of the Shinto monks. The purity of the Shinto architecture expresses a philosophy steeped in history and refinement. I experienced an awakening at Ise Shima that led me to deeply appreciate the Japanese culture. My encounter with the Shinto shrine in 1970 developed into a fascination with Japanese gardens and architecture that continues today. I have returned to Japan many times since 1970. In 2005, I visited Nara for the first time. Nara, a city of many treasures, was the capital of ancient Japan in the 8th century. The Kasuga Shrine in Nara, founded after the Shinto shrine at Ise Shima, followed the Shinto concepts of tearing down and rebuilding until 1863. This tradition of ritual made Kasuga Shrine another place of great interest to me. Kasuga Shrine is located at the far end of Nara Park. On the walk through Nara Park, one encounters a forest with inviting paths. The assent toward Kasuga Shrine begins along these paths. The paths merge into an avenue that reveals the first glimpses of ancient stone lanterns; only a few at first, then more and more as one draws nearer to the shrine. Over the centuries moss and lichen have covered the lanterns creating a patina reflecting their age. Remnants of paper are attached to the stone lantern windows. These fragile papers, with prayers written in calligraphy, linger year-round from festivals when all 3,000 lanterns are illuminated by candles, keeping a centuries old tradition alive. These visual and historic elements offer a transporting and a calming experience. Kasuga Shrine is a place of refuge and contemplation. In 2008, I returned to the Kasuga Shrine. Again, the shrine offered a feeling of quiet and reflection as I walked along the paths during the early morning . It was the same harmony I felt when I first discovered the shrine. During this visit, the light mist and patches of morning fog were perfect conditions for photography. The Kasuga Shrine photographs are my interpretation of a remarkable place and reflect my respect for the incredible culture that created these sacred sites." - David H. Gibson, 2009
  • Creator:
    David H. Gibson (1939, American)
  • Creation Year:
    2008
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 26.63 in (67.65 cm)Width: 40 in (101.6 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Dallas, TX
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 182851stDibs: LU257206482
More From This SellerView All
  • The Universe of Each Moment 08 5694
    By Chaco Terada
    Located in Dallas, TX
    "My artwork is always in progress. There is not a goal. There is not a category for my work. It is all about enjoying the process of every moment. On a blank sheet of washi calli...
    Category

    Early 2000s Abstract Still-life Photography

    Materials

    Archival Pigment

  • The Universe of Each Moment 08 4998
    By Chaco Terada
    Located in Dallas, TX
    Artist Statement My artwork is always in progress. There is not a goal. There is not a category for my work. It is all about enjoying the process of every moment. On a blank...
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary Still-life Photography

    Materials

    Archival Pigment

  • Morning Along Cypress Creek, April 15, 2007, 7:08 AM, Wimberley, Texas
    By David H. Gibson
    Located in Dallas, TX
    "I like to go back to a place. Seasons change. Light, which is theater, changes. Nature is tumultuous, and our contact with it makes life happen.” David H. Gibson is a lifelong ph...
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Landscape Photography

    Materials

    Archival Pigment

  • Morning Along Cypress Creek, November 23, 2008, 8:23 AM, Wimberley, Texas
    By David H. Gibson
    Located in Dallas, TX
    "I like to go back to a place. Seasons change. Light, which is theater, changes. Nature is tumultuous, and our contact with it makes life happen.” David H. Gibson is a lifelong...
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Landscape Photography

    Materials

    Archival Pigment

  • Ephemeral Moments 06 7052
    By David H. Gibson
    Located in Dallas, TX
    "The work explores the ephemeral nature of moments in time. The basic elements of light, water, mist, smoke and fire are combined to create mysterious ...
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Abstract Photography

    Materials

    Archival Pigment

  • Morning Along Cypress Creek, May 23, 2008, 7:44 AM, Wimberley, Texas
    By David H. Gibson
    Located in Dallas, TX
    "I like to go back to a place. Seasons change. Light, which is theater, changes. Nature is tumultuous, and our contact with it makes life happen.” David H. Gibson is a lifelong ph...
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary Contemporary Landscape Photography

    Materials

    Archival Pigment

You May Also Like
  • Roses 2018 No.5701 Vers. 2, Acqualoreto, Umbria, Italy
    By Ron Baxter Smith
    Located in Toronto, ON
    Roses 2018 No.5701 Vers. 2, Acqualoreto, Umbria, Italy. Limited Edition 19" x 26" Giclee photographic print with 1” white border ( Image size 17" x 24") printed on Hahnemuhle Photo ...
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary Still-life Photography

    Materials

    Archival Pigment

  • Paris Flower Market from the Paris In Colour Series 1956-61 by Peter Cornelius
    Located in London, GB
    Paris Flower Market from the Paris In Colour Series 1956-61 By Peter Cornelius 40 x 30 inches / 101 x 76 cm paper size Printed 2022 Archival pigment print Framing and size options available - Please enquire About: Peter Cornelius (1913–1970) was a German photographer and photojournalist. The goal he set himself was to capture: “the right colours at the right moment”. He was never concerned with a pure, apparently “right” picture of “reality”. After World War II, he began his career with reportage, landscape and sailing photography...
    Category

    1950s Modern Color Photography

    Materials

    Color, Archival Pigment

  • "Sunflower #11", botanical, bee, yellow, orange, flower, color photograph
    By Rebecca Skinner
    Located in Natick, MA
    Rebecca Skinner’s “Sunflower #11” is part of her "Simplicity" series of photographs taking an up close look at flowers and other botanical subjects. The 12 x 18 inch color photo is o...
    Category

    2010s Contemporary Color Photography

    Materials

    Metal

  • "Resting", abandoned, mill, vintage, couch, industrial, color photograph
    By Rebecca Skinner
    Located in Natick, MA
    Rebecca Skinner’s “Resting” was photographed in an abandoned mill and is part of a series documenting the loss of industry in America. A vintage couch sits among a pile of debris as ...
    Category

    2010s Contemporary Color Photography

    Materials

    Metal

  • Hello, Goodbye, Contemporary Photography Butterfly Series
    By Roberta Fineberg
    Located in New york, NY
    From the transformative to the ephemeral, the birth and death of a butterfly is reimagined in a photo series by Roberta Fineberg inspired by the poetry of the 13th Century Persian po...
    Category

    2010s Contemporary Color Photography

    Materials

    Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Digital, Archival Pigment, Digital Pigment

  • "Paris Still Life" from the Paris In Colour Series 1956-61 by Peter Cornelius
    Located in London, GB
    Paris Still Life from the Paris In Colour Series 1956-61 By Peter Cornelius large oversize 30 x 30 inches / 76 x 76 cm paper size Printed 2022 Archival pigment print Framing and s...
    Category

    1950s Modern Color Photography

    Materials

    Color, Archival Pigment

Recently Viewed

View All