This past weekend I gave my second talk in a year on mandalas. I talked about creating mandalas as a form of meditation in an earlier posting, which can be found here.
Saturday's talk was part of a day-long seminar on Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), who was a Christian mystic, Benedictine abbess, and a writer of texts on philosophy, botany and medicine. She was also a composer, a founder of two monasteries and an advisor to popes. Hildegard had an encyclopedic mind, and as a 12th-century woman, held a unique status in the Catholic church.
Hildegard of Bingen also created mandala illuminations as a way of interpreting and explaining her visions. I was therefore asked to talk about mandalas, which I consider tools for centering and balancing, or as graphic meditations.
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
At an initial stage, I approach mandalas loosely — without compasses, protractors or rulers — because I want to stay in a flow. I often use the backs of inexpensive paper plates since they're embossed with a circle, and therefore make great templates. I work relatively quickly with magic markers, and I might create six such mandalas in about an hour. If I don't like the direction of the mandala, or if I intuitively feel that it's finished, I simply pick up another paper plate.
I always start the mandala process in a meditative state, and as is often true with the creative process, I find myself going into another level of consciousness. The primary value of creating a mandala (for me) is that the process allows one to tap into a deeper self; that one can end up with an interesting or beautiful finished image is an extra reward. I liken mandala-making to the adage that the journey can be more important than the destination.
Often a mandala reveals itself to me in the process, and I discover a theme that can be powerful or seemingly mundane, but in any case a reflection of some level of my consciousness. When I completed the above mandala, I interpreted it as an immense space station, perhaps several miles wide. I enjoyed the image, it fired my imagination, and so I decided to refine it by redrawing it and then coloring it by computer.
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
Now my mandala is pure fantasy, but it's still a tool of balancing, centering and symbolism. The center (which for me is always the most important part of the mandala) becomes an energy source. The number three is repeated many times, and for those interested in numerology, the blue pyramids encircled by orange (their complementary color) add up to 12 sides. As I recognize the symbolism that I've created subconsciously, I want to continue to reinterpret at a conscious level.
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| Mark D. Ruffner |
So I begin, on the computer, to create the next level of mandala. What you see above is just one layer of a mandala that will have several layers, each a mandala unto itself. But I offer this early stage as an interesting viewing exercise. Stare at it over time and it will vibrate, become 3-dimensional and draw you in.
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Hello Mark:
ReplyDeleteThis is all absolutely wonderfully, and extraordinarily, amazing [the word here used in its true sense]. And what is so fascinating is the way in which, in an age of technology, you are directly relating back to, and connecting with, the C12. What is more, and which you touch on, are the thought processes which occur during the 'construction' of the mandala and the suggested symbolism.
You most likely know of the work of the Hungarian, Vasarely, some of whose work would, to our eyes, be not totally disconnected with your own. Did you, we wonder, ever visit the Triangular Lodge at Rushton, Northamptonshire, when in England? A building, dating from 1593, which we believe would be of considerable interest to you.
And yes, your final mandala does vibrate when stared at!
The mandala you are creating is lovely. I wish I could do things like that on the computer. In many ways it reminds me of the paintings of Bridget Riley.................................Rosemary
ReplyDeleteHi Mark,
ReplyDeleteFascinating! (I hope this comment goes through, Blogger has been problematic with me leaving comments).
Anyes
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Hello Mark, What an interesting subject, one I know nothing about. I see the many hours of work (on a paper plate) and I would want to make it permanent...such as hand painting it on a bisque plate with ceramic colors and having someone fire it. I'll walk you through the process, if you like.
ReplyDeleteAnother wonderful post! I had no idea what a mandala was until this. It is always good to read your thought process and also to start the week with something new!
ReplyDeleteHello, Jane and Lance - I am indeed familiar with the work of Vasarely, but I did not know about the Triangular Lodge at Rushton. I've googled it since initially reading your comment, and it looks fascinating.
ReplyDeleteInterested as I am in Renaissance paintings, I see how numerology permeated so much of that era's work. It was not only a matter of religious symbolism, but I think also part of the understanding of the developing rules of perspective, and of the search for the Golden Mean. The triangle of course is a popular layout for many of those masterpieces.
Hi, Rosemary - thanks for the comparison to Bridget Riley! While I have shared one mandala that incorporates elements that are reminiscient of Op Art, that is not always true of my mandalas. Some have natural elements, some resemble cities or fortresses, and some could be described as a different kind of color wheel. And yet, people are particularly drawn to the ones that have elements of Op Art.
ReplyDeleteHi, Anyes - Glad you got through. And because you are the Dusty Victorian, I should add that Victorian printing ornaments have often been inspiration for my mandala-making.
ReplyDeleteHi, Gina - Yes, I can see a whole set of different mandalas, perhaps themed in some way, on porcelain! I could also imagine plate designs with mandalas in the center, surrounded by Renaissance figural borders. The effect would perhaps look like heraldry.
ReplyDeleteHappy Monday, David! One of the things I did not really touch on is that the process of mandala-making is a very healing one. Carl Jung discovered that patients who were at a point of healing often spontaneously started making mandalas.
ReplyDeleteHi Mark - I love Hildegard and I love mandalas. I hope you will continue to post the progress of the multi-layered mandala. It it a great idea. Are you familiar with the work of Judith Cornell? She did mandalas on black paper with colored pencils. She was always brings light into the darkness. Patty Matthews
ReplyDeleteHi, Patty - I do know of Judith Cornell, and in fact I mentioned her book, Mandala; Luminous Symbols for Healing, in my talk. Her pastels on black paper are a perfect metaphor for bringing healing out of darkness.
ReplyDeleteSo fascinating!! I've always loved the geometric intricacies of mandalas but am now going to have to reread your previous post and do a little investigatory work about Hildegard of Bingen!!
ReplyDeleteHi, Stacey - some people may have missed my first posting on mandalas because it was an early one.
ReplyDeleteI want to do more investigation of Hildegard too - she accomplished an amazing amount at a difficult time, and I think she's rediscovered in a cyclical way.
Mark, I think Gina should play around with mandalas...the border design already lend themselves to it. Although Escher was a math guy, I still see influences into his work as well.
ReplyDeleteHi, Theresa - Yes, I think Gina would be a natural for mandalas, and that they would fit into her Renaissance scheme very well!
ReplyDeleteLisa Abby Batshema said, in part:
ReplyDeleteIt was a pleasure meeting you at the Hildegard conference. Your talk was very inspiring and for me, right on. I am so happy to have a fellow mandala artist out there willing to share the intimate and intuitive process involved in creating these healing works of art.
Thank you so much for all you shared that day.
Thank you, Lisa - I enjoyed sharing time with you and seeing your own beautiful, healing mandalas. I'll be in touch ...
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