It started with an idea and an app Art (insert better name)
The idea to work together came up in Charles' class in February 2017. He asked us to put up a poster with an idea on it that we would like to discuss with other people in the group. One of us, I can't remember who, wrote ART. We found ourselves sitting together, chatting and sharing how Art had become our contemplative practice. There had been some talk that day about the comprehensive exam and we began to wonder if we could do something collectively for it- an art exhibit to demonstrate intersubjectivity. Some of us were happier being in a group showing our learning than as an individual in front of the class. We would show how the program and group has influenced us. We would show the influence each of us has had upon the other. We were excited to share our ideas. We set up a chat on Whatsapp called Art (insert better name). We began to share images of our art and process. We shared music, videos, images and quotes that inspired us. As we shared, we became more inspired by each other. We shared our reactions to what we each shared. It reminded us of Heesoon's article on writing witness consciousness, only we used art too. And so it grew....
We spent time together on a weekend trip staying at Andrea's home on Vancouver Island, We discussed and planned our exhibition. It was lovely to meet Andrea's children Beatrix and Mable and spend time with them at the local goat petting farm.
Andrea's Art
Recycling and protecting the environment is very important to Andrea. I love how she turns everyday objects and found objects into installation pieces. Like the time where she created a Bonfire with a fan and shredded orange paper and scattered memories and photos of her family around it in Vicki's class. I appreciate her ability to make something out of nothing. She often doesn't know how something will look in the end, it evolves. It is all about the process. Back then I thought "She's a genius!" Andrea shreds her notes from the course and recycles it to make paper. While she was doing this it turned into these pieces of art.
Andrea creates beautiful stamps and prints. This is one of my favourites that featured in the final exhibit.
When she sent us a picture of this heart, Andrea wrote: "Darn it feels good to make instead of read!"
Dorota's Art
Dorota is an incredibly talented painter. She is so quiet and humble about it. I remember when she first showed her paintings in Vicki's class, I was stunned. Where did they come from? I never knew she could paint like that! When I asked about where her inspiration came from, Dorota told me she started with shapes and lines and it developed from there. Dorota has an incredible eye for detail and colour. It comes as no surprise to me that she has curated art exhibits and would love to do this as a job. The series that started in Vicki's class has grown and grown...
In Vicki's class I reconnected to art as expression and began to share my art. I guess I grasped the rose by it's thorns in Charles' class, when I painted and wrote my series "Contemplation is Yellow". I was shocked at how well it was received and people in the group continue to talk to me about it. In the exhibit I wanted to show my progression and the impact of the program and group upon me. Images and words have often come to me when I am meditating, just waking, walking or in the shower.
Taken from my journal March 7th 2017 This image came to me during MSC retreat during a guided meditation practice on compassion. We were asked to breathe in compassion for ourselves then breathe out compassion for a loved one who is suffering and eventually the world. I saw swirls light and colour, yellow and orange with a focal point of violet. The violet light in the centre radiated out, getting bigger and smaller with my breath. The image stayed with me. Important insights have come to me in this way. I drew it quickly with pastel, trying not to overthink and just to extract the image from my mind's eye. I typed out the statements from the meditation on my typewriter.
Contemplation is Yellow and Compassion is Violet
During Vicki's class, I created a space on my balcony to write and to paint. I set up my easel and art supplies around me. I like the feeling of being outdoors and away from distraction. On my balcony, I can feel the warm sun and benefit from the natural light but I am protected from the Vancouver rain. I decided Contemplation is Yellow and Compassion is Violet would be a series of paintings hung close together. I wanted to show the relation between them. I wanted to draw the eye of the onlooker to the violet circle in the middle as it grew My friend Joan inspired me to do this time lapse video of me painting after I saw one she made. I wanted to record me painting an Enzo as these are a big part of the paintings I have been creating.
I take a deep breath in, then release the breath as I paint the Enzo. In that moment I feel my thoughts, eyes, hands and body are one with the brush.It has my full attention.
I decided Contemplation is Yellow and Compassion is Violet would be a series of paintings hung close together. I wanted to show the relationship between them. I was inspired by the exhibit by Yayoi Kusama in Japan, where she hung many pieces close together in one room so that you could not help but view them as one. I saw I wanted to draw the eye of the onlooker to the violet circle in the middle as it grew bigger. My premise being that compassion grows with contemplation. In actuality, compassion may grow and recede, grow and recede like the image that came to me in meditation. However, I was not sure how to convey this complexity. I think to distill an idea into it's simplest form is difficult.
The Faculty
Over the program I have sketched the faculty staff and guest speakers. Drawing while I listened to them speak helped me to focus on what they were saying. In the exhibit I attached the sketches to a thin red thread that spanned the length of my exhibit. Afterward I found out that the red thread is a myth in Japan. A god ties a red thread to the little finger of people who are destined to be connected forever and while the thread may be twisted and tangled it is never broken.
We had the idea to record our writings and have the recording playing in the exhibit. It would be like an audio metissage, braiding our voices and stories overhead while people looked at the exhibit. I loved the idea that someone could be looking at my painting and suddenly hear Dorota's narration. Andrea did a wonderful job of producing and editing the recording. She added her own humorous touches as it went along. When I said I wanted to hear her voice more in the recording, she told me how she had edited the recording and the little pieces she added were her narration, her signature. I asked if we could have a little surprise at the end courtesy of Mabel, Andrea's 3 year old daughter, recorded during our visit with them on Vancouver Island.
Our Favourite Quotes
We put together our favourite quotes and projected them onto the big screen.
Beholding practice
Welcome to Resonance, a contemplative exhibit by Dorota, Andrea and Helen. Please spend some time enjoying our exhibit Resonance. Our exhibit is multi sensory with things to look at and listen to. So that everyone can hear the exhibit and give their full attention to the art, we ask that you speak quietly. While you are looking at our exhibit we would like you to select a piece of art to look at in a Beholding practice. This does not necessarily have to be a piece of art that you like, but could be a piece of art that you are drawn to or you notice you have a reaction to. When the audio recordings have ended (approximately 30 minutes), we will ask you to find a comfortable place to sit and look at the piece of art you have chosen for five minutes. Really look at it. You may find it helpful to consider these prompts as you look at your chosen piece of art.
Give your full attention to the colour, shape, texture and form of the art.
What do you see?
Is there a part of the piece that your eyes keep coming back to?
Notice your thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations when you look at the art
At the end of the Beholding practice, we will move down to The Wellness Room, where we have a few activities for you to do.
Activities in the Wellness Room
We decided we wanted the group to participate in three activities after the exhibit. We took them down to the Wellness Room, the room where we had our first class two years ago. 1) Dorota designed postcards for everyone with questions to answer. What resonated for you? How will you continue your contemplative practice in the future? We asked everyone to peg their postcards to the line afterward and took a photo of them all. Everyone took their postcard home as a momento.
2) I described an Enzo and asked everyone to paint one. Afterward they put them up on the mirror and I took a photo. Each Enzo is like a signature of the person who made it. I am going to make a collective piece of art from all of them.
3) Andrea asked everyone to Fingerpaint their Thesis. This idea came from when her husband was teasing her about the program and jokingly asked if she was going to Fingerpaint her Thesis.
Resonance Art by Andrea, Dorota and Helen Masters Comprehensive Exam July 8th 2017
I took this brief video of the group enjoying the exhibit. They look so serious.....
My favourite moments of the day
1) Seeing the look of surprise and amazement when everyone entered the exhibit because we hadn't told anyone what we were doing.
2) When we did the Beholding exercise in the exhibit, I took a moment to look at what we had created. I saw all the people in our group with their backs to me looking at the art in silence, with reverence. It was beautiful.
3) Watching the lecturers joining in the activities in the Wellness room, make Enzos and fingerpainting their Thesis.
4) Hearing people in the group talk about what they had learned about themselves from looking at the art and sitting with thoughts and feelings about it.