Dunhuang

Merit, Opulence and the Buddhist Network of Wealth, was a project directed and conceived by Professor Sarah Fraser, from Northwestern's department of Art History, and produced by Bill Parod, of the department of Academic Technologies. This project was a collaboration with these other departments on a conservation and research initiative about the cave paintings situated in Dunhuang, China. The focus of our research was Buddhist temples carved into cliff facades. The cave walls are completely covered with rich and intricate paintings. In order to convey the entire effect of the interiors, Northwestern University's Academic Technologies, the WCAS Multi-Media Learning Center, and the Department of Radio, Television, Video and Film worked closely with Professor Fraser to develop 3-D models of selected Dunhuang cave-shrines. While conventional photographs convey the general impression of a cave and can show details of specific scenes, they fail to demonstrate the connection of painting to sculpture, wall paintings to ceiling murals, and the religious meanings that are suggested by the relationship of each part to the whole.

View the Dunhuang site: http://buddhist-art.arthistory.northwestern.edu/fraser/