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Reviews
"All over the world, Buddhas appear in every conceivable
setting—from the sublimely beautiful to the utilitarian
everyday. In his evocative photographs, Jesse kalisher has captured
the complexity and subtle gradations of humanity's relationship
to the Buddha—in the East and the West alike."
"In this playful, entertaining, and meditative
book, photographer Jesse Kalisher presents the Buddha in various
forms — traditional statuary, toys, garden ornaments, jewelry,
tattoos — and in a variety of settings."
"If You Find the Buddha documents the surprising
ubiquity of the eastern religious icon in the most unlikely settings,
from Manhattan nightspots to the forests of Asia, even to the
bedroom of a young Florida musician. Kalisher's photos offer a
lesson in how a sacred symbol can exist in commercial, reverential
and profane contexts, yet still preserve its power to delight
and enlighten us all. "
“Leafing through these pages is like taking
a quick trip to South East Asia, to see how ubiquitous Buddha
is in the lives and minds of people, and how Jesse's images create
oases of calm in the busy frenzy of daily activity and thought.”
"The photographs are stunning in quality and
composition, all the more remarkable for being 'typical' and 'mundane'
subject matter in many cases. The collection as a whole places
the pictures in an interesting context that makes for enlightening
and enjoyable reading."
“Here is proof, if any were needed, that we
look but don't always see. Through the eyes of a skilled and imaginative
photographer we find the revered icon of Buddha woven into the
fabric of everyday living. A fascinating book which compels the
reader to turn another page.”
“This book is a delight – and works
on several levels all at once. To his credit, Jesse’s eye
and sense of humor speak to adults and children in different ways
and at the same time. Buddhist or not, this book is for everyone.”
“I especially love Jesse's skill in capturing
the playful humor found in the moment, which, to me, sort of mirrors
the humor of the Infinite...”
“If you find the Buddha” is just a delight.
I lingered over each page long after finding the Buddha. Jesse
Kalisher’s ability to ‘catch the moment’ and
make the mundane interesting is brilliant. And don’t miss
the irony in many of the photos. An added benefit was the fun
I had as my grandchildren joined in the search for each Buddha.
Having just spent the last year traveling throughout
Asia, it was with great pleasure that I came across Jesse Kalisher´s
book. He indeed captures the reality that Buddha is an ever-present
figure, both in Asia and in the world at large. At times
seen as a sacred icon and at other times used as an image in pop
culture, Buddha is a profoundly lasting figure.
Despite the ever-increasing interest in Buddhism,
there are few photographic books on the subject out there. "If
You Find the Buddha" works as both a celebration of and a
wry commentary on the proliferation of Buddha images both here
and in Asia. It is priced and formatted as a gift book. Through
dozens of intriguing and sometimes humorous photographs, "If
You Find the Buddha" is a quirky and meditative tour through
the Buddha image as it is seen in both the East and the West.
Whether in the heart of Asia or a farm in the American heartland,
the Buddha image seems never out of place. As a reminder to stop
and live in the moment, it is as appropriate as a charm around
the neck of a young Thai soldier as on someone's dashboard. In
traditional statues, garden ornaments, toys, jewelry, tattoos,
and other objects, the Buddha is seemingly everywhere if one cultivates
the proper awareness. By turns beautiful, quirky, ironic, and
funny, the images in "Peek-a-Buddha" speak not only
to the ubiquity of a religious icon, but to our capacity to be
surprised and delighted by the unexpected. As serendipitous as
they are striking, these photographs delight and enlighten in
equal measure. ...I stumbled across this book a couple weeks ago
called If You Find the Buddha. The book, by Jesse Kalisher, is
a travel version of Where's Waldo? Every picture has an image
of the Buddha in it. Sometimes the Buddha is easy to spot, other
times, not so much.
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"In
this playful, entertaining, and meditative book, photographer Jesse
Kalisher presents the Buddha in various forms — traditional
statuary, toys, garden ornaments, jewelry, tattoos — and in
a variety of settings."