Saturday, March 28, 2020

A Time and Place to Rest — Distant Socializing




Mandalas for a Time of Quarantine
A mandala -- literally "circle" -- offers viewers a place to "rest their eyes and minds."  Circles (zeros), are one of five coreforms of our DOEprojekts artistic practice.

Thus, during our present reality, during the time we are quarantined in our Manhattan apartment because of the rapid global spread of the COVID 19 we have decided to create a series of mandalas. "Mandala" has become a somewhat generic term for a circular pattern indicating the transitory nature of the universe, but the practice originated as an aid to meditation.

Making mandalas, considering circles and zeros, is a way for us to focus, with resting eyes, on the transitory nature of materiality. 

We share with you, dear blog readers, our recent explorations of mandala-making; there will be more mandalas to come as we continue to post on Instagram and Facebook.

As a way to participate in "Distant Socializing," if you would like us to create or locate a mandala image for you, or a person or people you care about, we would be glad to do that as a gift, and send the image to you and/or your friend(s). It may take us a bit of time, but we will do it! Email us at DOEprojekts@gmail.com and tell us more about how you hope to use a mandala image, and for whom. We will reply by email and set a schedule.

Rest Installation, 2008

Contemplative circles and zeros have been a key form in past works. In 2008, shortly before we began to officially work together as DOEprojekts, Deborah was invited by curator Beth Shadur to participate in The Poetic Dialogue Project at the Chicago Cultural Center. Beth paired Deborah with poet Eloise Klein Healy, and the theme that emerged through their "dialogue" (which was done at a distance since Eloise lives in California) was "Rest." Here are photos from the Rest Installation, 2008. 






Below is Eloise's original poem written as part of the Poetic Dialogue Collaboration (and translated into four other languages that may be read by clicking here).

REST by Eloise Klein Healy

rest so solitary
an away
a sibilant quartet
of reedy winds blowing beyond and back
a want so solely more
than body need
touchpoint
intangible in the 
O  O  Overhang
of effort
to find it

We send healing energies to all of you! Keep in touch during this time of rest (and rest-less-ness).
Deborah and Glenn •  
DOEprojekts@gmail.com