The final result of this 15 month process is 7 contemporary meditation mandalas. Contemporary because they are generally far more minimalist (being made only of circles) than traditional mandalas. The works are printed, framed and hung to define a meditation space and act as a reminder to meditate.
The main purpose of meditation is to quieten the mind. The tension between the complexity of the pattern and the simple focal point in the image gives the meditator something to focus on. The concept Searching for ‘OM’ evolved during the creation of this website which added a whole other wave of insights and synergies, some of which are discussed below
A series of contemporary mandalas made purely from circles.
To buddhists, drawings of the circle are said to capture "a moment when the mind is free to simply let the body/spirit create"
OM : 271 Circles
Using this most basic shape to create contemporary mandalas, I went in search of a feeling of ‘OM’ : A feeling of 'rightness' led by gut instinct, closely followed by critical analysis. All other shapes and patterns were created by chance and the mystery of hidden symmetry that is moire patterns
Ra: 370 circles
Strangely, the feeling of 'OM' did not occur until I threw the perfect symmetry, easily created digitally, off. And so this imperfect symmetry brings something more human and honest to the work. It also reflects the Buddhist belief that enlightenment is only achieved when we accept the imperfections of self and the world we have created.
Ha : 270 circles
HUM : 256 circles
The circle image has a universal significance that evokes a feeling of mystery and magic. The 'magic' of these works being the strange patterns called 'moire'. These occur randomly in the overlapping of many lines. I had no idea they would occur with overlapping circles
The configuration of the patterns themselves were often guided by where the ‘paste’ tool of the computer programme would naturally drop an image I had ‘copied’. In this way these images are co-created with the digital medium
ah : 177 circles
The image of a circle speaks to me about the deepest aim of meditation to synthesise body, mind and spirit. This simple image also relates directly to Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of “flow” discussed in The Process part of this site. “Flow” occurs when a person is immersed in a feeling of complete focus. Scholars have drawn similarities between the flow state and mindfulness. This is something I will continue to research through embodied practice in order to understand more
CIN : 265 CIRCLES
So : 263 circles
By sharing the number of circles I intend to reveal more about the creation of the works. And perhaps reduce some of the mystery of these pieces. The numbers could also be an instruction of the amount of times the mantra be spoken out loud
The first part of the names of each work comes from the concept of mantras. These are sound vibrations that are said to have enormous power to focus the mind. The second part is the number of circles used to create each piece