Pilgrim [Hardcover]

Richard Gere (Photographer), Dalai Lama (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1997

Actor Richard Gere is well known for his outspoken defense of the Tibetan people, his Buddhist beliefs, and his friendship with the Dalai Lama. What is less well known is that Gere has long been a serious and accomplished photographer.

Pilgrim will change that. The sixty-five striking photographs collected in this book document Gere's extensive travels in India, Nepal, Zanskar, and Tibet -- the work of a mature artist exploring subject matter that is close to his heart. The images -- which capture the rarely glimpsed rites and shrines of Tibetan Buddhism as well as the remote peoples and landscapes of central Asia -- are hushed and meditative, reflecting Gere's spiritual journey as much as his terrestrial wanderings.

The book includes a foreword by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, an introduction by Gere, and a poem by Patti Smith that accompanies the portfolio. Reproduced on luxurious uncoated stock in an oversized format, the photographs in Pilgrim bring to life an ancient and spirituality vital world -- and share Gere's very personal vision.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Gere is the most conspicuous of the so-called celebrity Buddhists, a position he has used to make known the suffering of Tibet under Chinese oppression and the tragedy of Tibetan exiles, including his friend and teacher, the Dalai Lama, but it will come as a surprise to many that Gere spends an equal, if not greater, amount of time behind the camera as he does in front. His haunting black-and-white photographs are presented with much fanfare in this beautifully produced volume, and they do not disappoint. Just as Gere's travels throughout India, Nepal, and Tibet determined his subject matter, his spiritual practice served as the source of their unusual and evocative energy. Gere's painterly photographs capture the motion that occurs even in stillness, and they possess surprising depth; the longer you gaze at them, the more you see. Some are detailed; others explore the stark contrast between shadow and light, and all subtly evoke the contrast between the cruelty of the Chinese army and the compassion of Tibetan Buddhists. Donna Seaman

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch Press; 1 edition (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821223224
• ISBN-13: 978-0821223222
• Product Dimensions: 13.2 x 11.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,193,927 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Richard shares his quest with us all, February 18, 2001

By 

Jim Brady (Winston-Salem,NC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pilgrim (Hardcover)

Richard has access to places most people do not. Take, for example, His Holiness the Dalai Lama. His Holiness is not accessable to you and I on the level that Richard has. Richard shares private photos, such as plate 63 where His Holiness is in meditation. The photo alone portrays a depth of intensity that the experience offers. Richard also has a true sense of the tragedy of the Tibetan people and can deliver that in a light that few people can ever grasp, even after several trips to the region. Richard is the Pilgrim and we are fortunate to be able to see things in a way he does. Very few photographers can say that of their work. Perhaps it is due to his experience in film, perhaps as a result of his practice as a buddhist, maybe just because the openness of his sharing is felt in his work, regardless of the medium. Thank you my friend for sharing your life with us and a wonderful book.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars These images broke my heart., December 9, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pilgrim (Hardcover)

This book was exactly what I expected from such a sensitive and intelligent man. Thank you, Mr. Gere. We need our hearts broken now and then.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars pictures of compassion, August 28, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Portland Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Pilgrim (Hardcover)

I cannot look at this book without crying. It is very beautiful yet pierces my heart with sadness, I believe that the plight of Tibet is the canary of our planet. This book is about an amazing and gentle people and my hope and prayer is that it will generate more compassion . The text is very direct and simple and is not next to the photos but at the back. One quote stuck in my mind, "It's all ego." You can see these photos with your heart and they will melt it, if you are open.