ABSTRACT
There is a thread that runs through all early Western accounts of Burma, namely that the richness and visual splendour of Buddhist temples and the Burmese royal courts was something not seen before. Whether approaching a city and being overawed by golden and silver spires glistening with tinkling bells or during an audience with a king so laden down with gold and rubies he could not stand straight, the writer’s words always seem to struggle to adequately capture the complexity and depth of Burmese visual culture (Abbott 1998, 5). Today, visitors are also overwhelmed by the visual cacophony of temple complexes and the seemingly random appearance of visual culture whether small nat (spirit) shrines found in trees on street corners, flashing neon halos behind Buddha images or the eclecticism of colours that happily coexist with each other. Appreciating Myanmar’s arts can be a challenge to foreign eyes, with many of these new innovations seemingly out of place, yet when seen in historical context, the present is a continuum of artistic practices that are deeply embedded in Burmese culture.
