New York, NY – In May 2001 photographer Tom Wool spent
four weeks photographing life in the villages of Tibet’s Rongbuk Valley, an
expanse of rugged terrain which stretches roughly thirty miles from the base of
Mount Everest on the north side. Home to some 3,000 Tibetans, this area is of
distinct importance to the indigenous population for its sacred geography and
religious history. Believed to be the place where earth touches the
heavens, Mount Everest is called “Chomolungma” in Tibetan, meaning “Mother
Goddess of the Earth.” The valley is also home to the Rongbuk Monastery, the
highest of any in the world at 17,000 feet. On view through 26 July,
2010 at The Rubin Museum of Art, NY.