In Progress and Another Finished Set....

So this is a set that I showed in production in an earlier entry here on this fine blog. Yes sir, The from of the Blue Box! This is about 60 of them strung up. There are two simple images: A Buddha and a tree and a Buddha and some bird cages. There are another 20 to string up for the set to be complete. I am moving past the super long strands of the summer project and looking into layering.

The last few projects have seen higher numbers of prints being pulled. The idea of repetition mass production and focus have become pretty obsessive lately. I suppose you could call it meditative. There seems to be an act of minimalization developing. How can one or two repeated images create a totality? What is the notion of the group functioning as a whole? Some very curious questions. And then I realize it is not that separate from studying zen koans. The act of much time spent on one story or question is similar to the manner of printing I have taken to. I do not think I could really call these Zen but perhaps the act of printing them just might be. I'll post the finished project after the sewing is complete. I wonder what the storm yesterday has done for them....

Above is another finished project. 60 paving stones in all. I am still playing with the actual layout similar to the one in a previous entry. There are 4 different Buddha images from my travels in Japan. During the production of these the focus has really become focused on the Buddha. No grounds or trees or anything else. I am looking at the paving stone, the image and the collection as a whole piece. I suppose I have started entering the world of sculpture as someone recently pointed out. I have not really looked at them in that perspective. In truth I have really been considering them more as garden art. Not really earth art, not really sculpture, not really in the land of Smithson or Lin. Granted I do admire those artists greatly. I suppose the focus is more dated back to them as part of a larger whole. How would these have fit into a temple in Asia back in the 1300's is more my perspective.

I have another set being started this week. Craziness of the week permitting. this set will be composed of one image over the sixty some stones I have purchased. The idea is to put the above flags and this set of stones together in a mixed set of intentions. It will be interesting to see where it goes.

I believe, finally, after the completion of the next set I will actively work to get these out in the world. elf promotion is not my strong point but as I have a good inventory building up I should probably do something with them. I have about six different projects to work with. Many friends have suggested some good sights to contact and work with. November sounds like a good month for that. As well I have found a residency I will be applying for that would happen next summer... IN RURAL JAPAN!!!!

Until next time....

The Buddha Wall...

Hello friends out there in the world of craziness and mind numbing politics. As of late I have come to notice a large amount of people who are very angry at the state of our current politics. Angry like I have not seen in years. Now I tend to stay fairly politically active but some of the words and things I have heard come out in the world seem to be a very consuming anger. YIKES. My point being: it has reminded me of what I want the work of Velvet Pelican to do. To work out in the general public, in whatever place will take them, and create a sense of solitude for those of us that want or need it. By placing these out in the world and letting people have them as gifts I hope to create a bit of good will and the reminder of taking in that which we often look past.

So with this installment I have just finished the Buddha Wall. This was originally intended to be more in the shape of a well. After some playing around, like a kid does with Legos, the above photograph took shape. This was most definitely not premeditated. It just started to fall into place. Very much like meditating I suppose. The act of the construction as well as that of the printing became of the same intent. Pulling from the act of constructing garden elements and the printing process fell in the same line. I guess this is a step closer to bring my garden obsession with my fondness of printmaking.

I estimate there are about 60 paving stones in this piece. As my new favorite art supply store, Home Depot, has run dry on this particular stone, this project is finished. The are four distinct Buddhas in this set printed in variations with two different trees. These are taken from photos during my trips to Japan. So I have thought of my obsession with the Buddha image. Why so many and not something else. Simply put: I can not think of a more serene image to work with at this time. The Buddha image, in many cultures, brings about the sense of serenity that studying zen koans and philosophy has brought to my life.

I don't see these as some spiritual quest. And no offence to anyone on that road. By and large I am an atheist. These are very Representative of the ordering of the mind and looking for that clarity of mind that zen philosophy bring to my mind. Wow... perhaps this is one of my more honest entries with the blog world. Anyhow, I am going to move on to other parts of my day. I have one more project I am adding to my inventory and then will start looking at places to get these out to. Hopefully around the first of the year.

Bye...