Monkeys Do Not Have Sex With Elephants Keith Gladysz

The Rubin Museum of Art (RMA) opened last fall in Chelsea, and features thousands of artworks from the Himalayas. The inviting space is like a mini-Guggenheim with live music, maroon, yellow and crest colored gallery walls, friendly staff and good food. And the collection of thankga paintings and ritual objects is unparalleled in North America.

I particularly enjoyed "The Demonic Divine" exhibit, which featured images of wrathful dharmic protectors. Badass good guys, just the way I like it.

Honestly, what I enjoyed most about the RMA was the bizarre wall text. For example, the picture I used for this article is from a photo I took of a thangka painting representing Ganesh getting a blowjob from a menstruating blue monkey goddess (I always knew Buddhism was cool). The accompanying text explains, "Monkeys do not have sex with elephants, and elephants do not have human heads. Meaning in much of tantric imagery is not literal". Important and helpful, thank you.

I also like this one: "HAIRSTYLE: Buddha has so much wisdom, it's created an extra lump on top of his head".

I really liked this place alot. It's a more comfortable space to hang out in than the typical white cube scenerio, and there's even an area designated for meditation if you're so inclined. I'm into that, though when I go back I'm sure I'll be spending most of my time reading the walls.