Visiting the Harn Museum

A couple of days ago I visited the Harn Museum in Gainesville. For those unfamiliar with the Harn, it's like most other museums that showcase art and relics from the past. Admission is free, but parking is cheap. There are some other museums adjacent to it, as well as a butterfly garden I'll have to hit up some day soon.

Here, I'll share some of the pieces I saw and talk about them a little bit.

This is a sculpture taken from the exterior of a Hindu temple. I can't remember which two deities these are, but the reason I like it is because of the meaning behind the sculpture. These two gods are depicted together because they signify the ultimate power of creation that exists within marriage. This is something I believe as well; that to become like God we must enter into the covenant of temple marriage (remember, I'm a Mormon) and strive to have continual faith in Jesus Christ. The greatest amount of happiness comes from marriage and the family, and likewise the sacred powers of procreation should only be used within the bounds of marriage. Just this sculpture reminds me of those things, and I'm glad it's something they seem to believe.

One of the things you may come to learn about me is that I am a sucker for colors. Electrically charged hues, wild and burning lighting, and exciting contrasts draw me in like an addiction. The use of color in this painting is awesome! I like that the neon lights do not shy away from their purpose in illuminating and broadcasting their message to the surrounding people. To me, it's almost like it's showing that light and warmth don't have to be cold and white; they can be colorful and ought to be so to be more inviting. I also like that the lights of the building became the ambient light for the rest of the scene, making it almost like staring at a light bulb as it brightens a room

This is Ganesh, child and freak-accident of one of the deified couples in hindu belief. Sorry if I upset someone with calling him a freak accident. I can't remember exactly how it happened, but he was only given an elephant head when his original head went missing. He normally serves as protector of the home, so when you walk into a Hindu home and you'll see Ganesh on a poster on the wall looking right at you wielding his weapons to beat you with if you threaten the home of the faithful Hindu where you now step. He's generally pretty friendly, and that resonated more to me with his stance that seems to catch him mid dance. I'm also a big fan that this was carved out of stone. Stone carving is something I hold a lot of respect for since I know how fragile and time-consuming it is to work it.