Lake Kutra (Dhanakosha), Summer 2009
James Walton Fox
Oil on linen, triptych, 9 x 20 feet
(each panel is 108 x 80 inches)
The area of Dhanakosha (now Pakistan) on the banks of Lake Kutra is the birthplace of Garab Dorje, the first human Dzogchen master, and Vajrayana, or Tantric Buddhism. According to Tibetan Buddhism, Dzogchen is the highest and most definitive path to enlightenment. Vajrayana is a form of Buddhism that developed in India in the 5th century C.E. Lake Kutra, also known as Oddiyana, is considered a sacred place -- a green and fertile kingdom; a paradise on earth located in the Swat Valley.
As a member of the Vajrayana Foundation and Dzogchen Community, James Walton Fox was influenced by the poetics of Garab Dorje. He (literally and pictorially) creates his image around the Master’s text, “The nature of your mind is the primordial Buddha.” This passage is the key to Fox’s graphic dialogue and references the origin of Vajrayana and his personal journey. His canvas overflows with a spiritual purity of palette -- the rich colors and vibrant brushstrokes establish the environment inherent to his creative reality. The artist celebrates his inner awakening with seasonal tones and captures summer’s warmth and abundance in this idyllic landscape.
Fox states, “Painting is beyond time; beyond death. That is the landscape I am after.” His canvas reflects this Changing Nature.
By B.B.
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