Comparative Hell

An exhibit of depictions of hell at the Asia Society.

The ability of the human imagination to depict horrors and unspeakable things using the most vivid colors and artistic techniques can be quite jarring. It's more horrifying still to think that some of the art might be based on reality - tortures that human beings inflicted upon each other. Take away the terror and suffering portions, and the backgrounds are quite beautiful. Lots of tension in the juxtaposition.

I caught the exhibit on one of its final weekends, and a suitably hot and steamy one (better to invoke the hell). I had hoped the Asia Society was one of the institutions supported by my BigBank employer, but no such luck. I'll still take it, though. There are plenty of other perks - not least of which is the freedom to go and see art on the weekends without feeling pressured by work obligations, as compared to the BigLaw gig. So, we won't say employment quite rises to comparative hells, per se, but comparative restraints is probably accurate.

[Completed August 25, 2023.]