The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 24, 2025
Buddha of Immeasurable Light
1987
(American, 1947–2013)
Framed: 104.4 x 155.3 cm (41 1/8 x 61 1/8 in.)
© The Estate of Sarah Charlesworth
Location: Not on view
Description
This glossy photographic diptych is of one of the most stimulating and recognized works yet produced by Sarah Charlesworth, a key artist of her generation. It comes from her "Objects of Desire" series (1983-88) which examined the use of icons and signs in our culture. From magazines, Charlesworth collected photographic images referring to a variety of historical and cultural sources. She then collaged the images onto bright monochromatic backgrounds and rephotographed the resulting compositions. The new works were printed on Cibachrome paper and bound by lacquered frames. Here, inspired by her longstanding interest in Buddhist culture, Charlesworth paired a Japanese statue of a Buddha with a circular opening in the ceiling of a dark room, revealing a patch of blue sky. The structure of the diptych suggests a dichotomy between spirit and matter, and questions the boundary between dream and reality.- Cleveland Museum of Art, “Major Contemporary German Painting Acquired by CMA,” June 9, 1999, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
- Main Gallery Rotation (Gallery 229): April 14, 2014 - October 28, 2014.
- {{cite web|title=Buddha of Immeasurable Light|url=false|author=Sarah Charlesworth|year=1987|access-date=24 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1999.85