BKUN Newsletter: Third Eye

Third Eye
Brahma Kumaris Portraits in NYC Exhibit

White-clad men and women, young and old, gather informally to meditate at sunset on a mountaintop in Mount Abu, Rajasthan, India. Photographer Soren Starbird captures larger-than-life-size, black and white images of Brahma Kumaris (BK) raja yoga practitioners, taken at the headquarters of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. The photos were exhibited at InCamera Gallery this spring.

The portraits are compelling in both size (approximately 4 1/2' by 3', shot from the shoulders up) and subject. BK yogis meditate with eyes open, and Starbird asked them to pose in this state. The camera focuses on faces, with just a glimpse of white robe showing against a white background. Raja yoga teachings locate the soul as a point of light sitting behind the “third eye,” in the center of the forehead. It is this feeling that Starbird evokes in expressions ranging from serene, to loving, to joyous.

The meditators “seem to exist as much for themselves as for the viewer,” commented a gallery visitor. The unusual size of the photos brings out detailed textures and tonal depths, creating sometimes startling impressions in conjunction with the decidedly peaceful faces.

Starbird, who lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, spent four years completing “Third Eye.” It was his first exhibition in New York and his second fine art portrait series. “Photographers Posed,” the earlier series, portrayed celebrated international photographers using their own visions and techniques. That project took Starbird to 12 countries and was exhibited internationally.

In Camera is located at 511 West 25th Street, Suite 401, New York, NY 10001

— Information from In Camera press release


Summer 2003 \| Issue 1, Volume 1 \| Back to the main BKUN site
• Introduction News Stories: Message from Dadi Janki Sister, Catch This Dime President of India Inaugurates Newest BK Retreat Centre Croatian Business Leaders Think Global BK Participation in COMESA World Social Forum in Brazil Commission on the Status of Women UNESCO Workshop on Righting Racism United Nations/Civil Society Relations World Summit on the Information Society BK Portraits— Third Eye	Third Eye Brahma Kumaris Portraits in NYC Exhibit White-clad men and women, young and old, gather informally to meditate at sunset on a mountaintop in Mount Abu, Rajasthan, India. Photographer Soren Starbird captures larger-than-life-size, black and white images of Brahma Kumaris (BK) raja yoga practitioners, taken at the headquarters of the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University. The photos were exhibited at InCamera Gallery this spring. The portraits are compelling in both size (approximately 4 1/2' by 3', shot from the shoulders up) and subject. BK yogis meditate with eyes open, and Starbird asked them to pose in this state. The camera focuses on faces, with just a glimpse of white robe showing against a white background. Raja yoga teachings locate the soul as a point of light sitting behind the “third eye,” in the center of the forehead. It is this feeling that Starbird evokes in expressions ranging from serene, to loving, to joyous. The meditators “seem to exist as much for themselves as for the viewer,” commented a gallery visitor. The unusual size of the photos brings out detailed textures and tonal depths, creating sometimes startling impressions in conjunction with the decidedly peaceful faces. Starbird, who lives in Copenhagen, Denmark, spent four years completing “Third Eye.” It was his first exhibition in New York and his second fine art portrait series. “Photographers Posed,” the earlier series, portrayed celebrated international photographers using their own visions and techniques. That project took Starbird to 12 countries and was exhibited internationally. In Camera is located at 511 West 25th Street, Suite 401, New York, NY 10001 — Information from In Camera press release