heart

In the summers of 2006 and 2007 I traveled to Kham, a historically Tibetan area, as a member of an interdisciplinary study group. We were there to study traditional Tibetan book production, particularily at the Derge Parkhang. We traveled to many other monasteries that still print books, and at Babang we met an old lama, the brother of a famous thangka painter. Meeting him changed my awareness about what I do: orientalism and the exotic still have a hold on me, no matter how hard I struggle against them. This book is starts with the mantra from the Heart sutra, and structures a travel experience around it. In March 2008, I printed a limited edition, offset lithographed and hand bound version of this book at the Center for Editions, Purchase College. This print-on-demand version presents a glimpse of that iteration.