Taoism and the Arts of China

Mention Taoist art and people are most likely to think of tai chi. But a few centuries after the famous philosophers Laozi and Zhuangzi, the Taoist religion sprung up and brought with it a panoply of ink washes and images, immortals and iconography. In the year 2000, the Art Institute of Chicago mounted the first major exhibition of Taoist art and published a whopping catalog to go along with it. Full color photos, details, and two-page spreads splash across over 400 pages of catalog, featuring ornately embroidered silk priest robes, ritual swords inscribed with hexagrams from the Yi Jing, talismanic calligraphy, and rare money tree statues. Constellations and dragons, yin-yang symbols, and grotesque gods with Don King hair appear in paintings and relief, dating as far back as Charlemagne. And in case you're not up to speed on the history of Taoist religion and art, four experts chime in with extended essays, one of whom is even an ordained Taoist priest. So hang out with the seven worthies of the bamboo grove, watch Laozi ride an ox, or get lost in the clouds around an ethereal temple. Taoism and the Arts of China is a real find. --Brian Bruya