Dianne Bell’s Visual Exploration of Lord Krishna Myth

Dianne Blell, a noted visual artist, says she is captivated by Krishna myth in which love and desire are elevated and spiritualized. The prime reason why Krishna myth captivates her is that her Catholic upbringing considered desire and sex as deadly sins.

This is an example of Dianne Bell’s multimedia/ photography tableau series based on Lord Krishna entitled - Desire for the Intimate Deity. The above tableau is titled ‘Anticipation.’

Now this tableau is created using a complex method and Hamtons explains it like this.

Ms. Blell’s images based on Indian mythology, incorporate an Indian painted miniatures format in which each aspect of the courtship ritual is depicted. The process begins with the construction of elaborately painted 12 X 10 foot sets in which the story and images are framed. The artist then designs the costumes, does the makeup, casts the dramas, directs and then shoots the scene using a Sinar 4 X 5 Camera. What results, is a remarkable series of rehearsed and staged tableaus that elaborately depict the stages of love: the chase, consummation, adoration, the claiming of ownership of the beloved, and the couple’s elopement, via elephant!

This tableau below is titled ‘Lovers first glance.’

According to Hamtons, “Desire for the Intimate Deity,” is scheduled for an autumn opening at The Charles Cowles Gallery, New York.

Image courtesy