POTD - Jiang Tai Gong Fishing

Jiang Tai Gong Fishing, a photo by DisHippy on Flickr.

The Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis will host an international exhibition of larger-than-life, lighted works of art from China from May 26 through August 19, 2012.

"Lantern Festival: Art by Day, Magic by Night" will attract visitors from throughout the country to experience one of China’s most treasured events and ancient traditions – the annual lantern festival.

Elaborate outdoor sets crafted of silk and steel will celebrate Chinese culture through bold color, dazzling light and striking design. The exhibition offers visitors a unique opportunity to witness a spectacle rarely staged outside of Asia.

View the "art by day" or experience the illuminated "magic by night" on Thursday through Sunday evenings.

This lantern set tells the popular legend of Jiang Tai Gong, first known as Lü Shang, the great historical Chinese military advisor and the father of strategic studies. Lü Shang detested the tyrannical and corrupted Shang ruler, so he abandoned his post and left the palace with his wife. He suffered many years in poverty, but hoped that someday someone would overthrow the tyrant king. Lü Shang patiently waited until he was 72 years old for the opportunity to come along, when he met the future Zhou ruler Wen Wang. King Wen had gone to the river, where he saw Jiang sitting on the grass, fishing with a bamboo pole with no hook on the line; his fishing line was positioned a few feet above the surface of the water. Jiang’s fishing style was based on his theory that fish would come to him of their own volition when they were ready, if he was just patient – “if one waits long enough, things will come their way.” Enlisting Jiang’s help, King Wen and his son eventually overthrew the Shang dynasty.

I love the way that this piece sits in the trees and there are so many angles to shoot it from. I have a feelilng by the end of this exhibit, I will have a lot of photos of this piece. Please let me know what you all think as any suggestions are welcomed and appreciated. Enjoy!