Water: Leonardo Da Vinci, Carl Jung And The Dream State

Water is our means of subsistence and makes as much part of our surroundings as ourselves. As it is said we are 70% water and our planet contains a lot more water than soil. So it is natural that water would be depicted in art.

Water of course is also cleansing and many would say it has a special force. Potent enough in nature and throughout history to be the culprit for tsunamis and floods. Leonardo saw this element's power and recorded it in his "The Deluge" (1514) sketches which remain in the Royal Library of Windsor for posterity.

Carl Jung Swiss psychiatrist once said "Water is the collective unconciousness that contains all memories from the beginning" He also was an artists as it can be perceived from "The Red Book" which is a dream diary containing enigmatic Byzantine designs, ancient characters, and mandalas shaped by fluent abstractions taking the form of water.Today there is proof that Carl Jung's philosophy is consistent with studies undertaken in Aerospace Stuggart which show water as maintaining the shape of flowers it embraces as if it had memory and contained information.

Carl Jung and Leonardo Da Vinci's art is not similar due to factors we won't be discussing. But the question remains as whether both artists not only knew of the capacities of water but if in fact they experienced water as a recurrent factor in their subconscious life. Leonardo's description of "The Deluge" is the following

`I have seen motions of air so furious that they have gathered up and mingled in their course the largest trees of the forests and whole roofs of great palaces, and this same fury made a hollow opening with its vortex motion and excavated a gravel pit and transported gravel, sand and water more than half a mile through the air' (W.12665v).

The description could potentially have been a dream as many as the ones experienced by Carl Jung despite commentators sustaining that Leonardo's inspiration was the Biblical deluge. What if the atom in Leonardo's psyche which Carl Jung holds responsible for the guiding self to manifest was the core inspiration by Leonardo's sketches. And if so what could this dream like pattern have to say about this historical character.

Art in a Semi Public Space

Art in public spaces is not as common as it should be. Many a times it is not given the importance it deserves for it is a yarn that weaves many communities and gives them their identity. Unconventional interaction of elements and urban scenery bringing people together who can identify with the art being represented. A way to think out of the boxes inside our everyday routine and be able to add a little sugar into our lives to keep us sane, coexisting, and tender.

I could not help think what if the art which is display inside the malls (a private building) where many gather and interact by consumerism can be actually more democratic. What if instead of us witnessing great unconventional fashion designs  and hearing classical music in the malls of Boston we could come across it in the streets where most of us will encounter it without the goal of acquiring a material possession. Art in public spaces has been always present on and off in just about any main city, however its inconsistency is a testament of how much art is underrepresented yet needed.

Below are the great creation by Bay State College Fashion Students bringing a little sparkle to the frenzy of Christmas gift shopping at Northshore Mall.

 

Res Extensa Inspiration

The art of out there, the space and star stuff is brought to Paridaez, the perfect compliment to fashionable accessories and wear founded by young entrepreneur Allison Daroie. Lyndsey Saffron moon artists explores nature and enhances the senses through space and time by connecting them with emanating moon light. The perception of the moon which marks special events in date and time so far yet so prevalent in our everyday. Lyndsey's intuitive style explores the effects the moon has in the public and translates it perfectly with strokes of acrylic. The paintings are radiant which gives the images almost a three-dimensional quality. The quintessence nature is showcased in these paintings as our attention is drawn into space which encapsulates experiences and memories through the symbolism of the moon. Overall, space and time are the key factors of her pieces being brought together by light moons with contrasting dark backgrounds.

Craft & Caro This Holiday Season

Give the gift of art this season with hand made canvas bags, tailored made suites from 9 Tailors, and aromatic fragrances. Craft & Caro has made it possible to access crafty high quality products which are local and help the entrepreneurs grow. These fashionable products are more than just a piece of clothing or perfume since they are crafted with care and a bigger concept in mind. 

Boston Bag is one of those companies with its original 1920's tool bag design now an all purpose tote bag reinvented by its entrepreneur with new silhouettes and colors like the lovely Bunker Hill Brick. The tote bag is as resistant as it was in its advent due to its cool canvas material  great for any occasion and setting from the office to the forest Boston Bag makes it possible for on the go functionality to look great, "tailored to the modern day men and women" according to its creator.

Fragrances at Craft & Caro are also crafty and unique Thorn and Bloom a botanical and organic perfume using a blend of essences resulting in the perfect combination is going back to the basics. There are no harmful chemicals or dies which is perfect for the environmentally conscious individual. My favorite is Indigo with tones of lavender accentuated by a couple of other herbal ingredients, Indigo is one of those perfumes which is almost soothing when worn, but if you are more into the fruity blends Citrine is also a good option. 

Check out Craft & Caro this season for a lot of more artisanal gifts

Jen Flores Interpretations

I came across Jen Flores and the piece of art work  above which after talking to the creator held deep meaning. The following is my interpretation

Its Aphrodite/ Venus the goddess of love arising from the sea foam with her splendid golden skin beaming like sun rays behind a lurid fog which spins on an axis above the metropolitan city with effects of helium.  Resembling a cupid or some celestial being she oversees her inhabitants as they worship her porcelain curves, long wavy hair and meaty lips. Venus’ servants come in flocks looking for love, dreams, but most of all riches, the promises of golden bricks, metallic nuggets, and hopefully a unicorn which will yield bigger treasures. The residents seek the thrill; adventurers and dreamers they are and as such they are deceived, their expenditures of many sweaty days and nights under dim lights deep into the earths’ crust in anticipation for a chip of gold. Their skin crawls in an iridescent fire which propels both desire to remain and a need to escape. The golden gate curtain falls despite the efforts and innocence is lost as Venus covers herself with an ordinary dollar bill in her devious acknowledgement of becoming just another product she stood against. Venus no longer offers peace that since long has been left bury in its depth and what remains is just a vague reflection of what bliss was. The waves come streaming in and spitting out like jetsam whoever is not silicon. The fog city recoils at the dreamers it entertained in a romp where they offered fantasies and hopes. The city landscape reveals its second dimension leaving many broken hearts rolling down its sunset hills and hawk ridden skies.

Vernon Street Studios Open House

Encountering local art at Vernon Street Studios was one of the most fascinating experience of this past weekend. Many artists open its doors to welcome guest with crackers, wine, and creative works. I first came across Sheila Rice and Elizabeth Flemings who were very welcoming and discussed some of their acrylic painting techniques Sheila Rice's work was full of textures and vivid colors which she kept abstract while layering paint to give her pieces dimension. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Flemings worked both with acrylic and prints with soothing colors complementing Rice's work as the pieces were displayed side by side.

Some of my favorite pieces were those that seemed to be inspired by a dream malleable to be interpret in different ways. Bekka Teerlink exhibited a palette of neons highlighting otherwise average landscapes as if seen through the lenses of a night owl with fluorescent vision. One of the paintings can be seen in the collage as a man with no face leans on a tree photographed by an anonymous shadow. Who could that man be? and Who is the anonymous figure? numerous answers to be left open to interpretation. Similarly, John Rice's simplistic shapes with out of the norm proportions such as the tulip seen below only leads us to think of an imaginary land where the flowers intermingle with fluffy clouds. However, paintings were not the only means to create a dreamy landscape since I came across a small wood village which hung from the ceiling as if levitating in thin air titled "Terra Not So Firma" the artists studio was also vibrant with Brazilian music perpetuating an escape from the everyday Boston settings.

An Ode To The Ghost Ship Oakland

A ravishing tragedy has affected the artists community and in memory of those who lost their lives in the Ghost Ship warehouse fire of Dec 2nd I decided to bring forth a piece which I wrote a while back about those exciting memories the artists of this tragedy forever imprinted in my life as one of the best.

The Rococo Mermaid

An Ode to the Ghost Ship

In a headdress of cascading curls I see the rococo mermaid. I can make from a distance a string of pearls hanging from her porcelain elongated neck. The mermaid’s cheeks are rosy and her lips are blood red puckered, as she walks dragging a train of turquoise shimmery charmeuse fabric simulating a fish tail. She approaches with a sing-song gait and appears to leave sparkly ocean dust in the air. Behind her the full moon dangles from the nocturnal sky and reflects all its splendor on her mythical gown. She extends her frail and tactful hand holding the entrance ticket, I quickly retrieve it and she goes on her way. There at the ghost ship she joins the hordes of people contaminated by the spirit of Halloween, the guilty pleasure of the old Celtic festival.

I too join the ghost ship a few minutes after and I run do not walk to the realm of fiery lights. Inside there is a spaceship, an abandoned wagon, a humungous spider web, a cute little dinner and a spacious dance floor all housing the euphoric souls of the ghost ship. Souls who dance to the mumbo-jumbo of the lyrics scratch by the agile hands of Dilma, otherwise known as Laura Lisbona. I get lost in the sea of individuals looking for an escape into the ghost ship. The music plays from one beat to next and a cloud of smog appears among the laser lights. I look up at the ceiling and observe the bravest operation of group think as one person after another climb the huge spider web hanging from a few strings. The security catches wind of it and I cannot longer be amused. Then, in a delightful skip I head to the little dinner where both coffee and grilled cheese is free. The waiter is more friendly than usual and he comes within breathing distance to one of the patrons who is either agreeable or too intoxicated. Once I finish the semi decent snack I join the burners and others once more as they burn to the rowdy speakers leaving sweat traces that can only be mitigated by the soap bubbles which are now floating in the mist of havoc. All of a sudden there is a tug coming from my right side, I glance and see a galactic girl glamorized with short purple hair and lipstick. The galactic girl named Karol has pulled a sufficient amount of people which are now making a dance circle. Plenty of time has now elapsed where I can barely move my legs anymore, ready for my ride staring at my cellphone waiting for a miracle. The message has indeed gone through and I will be picked up shortly. In an accelerated manner I wave goodbye to the galactic girl and accomplices who say goodbye in a detached way for they are now ghost ship’s ghost.

I come out as quickly as I boarded to join my ride but on my way a fairy shooting star twirls in a sea of tulle waving a magic wand and saying in a sort of gibberish “I am a fairy/shooting star make a wish” And to this day I wish upon a time when I will return to the one place which gave the most memorable welcoming and the best goodbye.

Please donate to help the the victims and families below.

https://www.youcaring.com/oaklandfirevictimsfrom130531staveinoakland-706680

Junkyard Kids

It is a colorful display of re-purposed quirky objects at 254 Newbury St. brought by Junkyard Kids.At the entrance of the already pompous Newbury St. there is a black horse almost symbolic of elegant horse carriages of another era. Overall, the art created by a group of Mass Art students seems to be inspired by royalty with period furniture pieces twisted and embellished. The colors pop and there are lots of cute little domes and unicorns on pedestals atop fireplaces. The showcase seems to be a modern take or a deconstruction of a proper society which has turned hip, and eclectic. There is also an array of collages which seem to manifest the personality of its artists with newspaper cut outs, and album covers like black flag with unexpected add-ons giving them a uniqueness,and a hint to the character of the creators. Head out and see the exhibition before it comes to its end on Dec 16th.

Hacking Arts 2016 The Abstract World

MIT Hacking Arts 2016 gave attendees a taste of what art in the 21st century would be like, the sessions were full of innovative ideas and a balance of art and technology. The presentations were visually attractive but they were unexpectedly auditive stimulating ranging from pleasant and soothing sounds to claustrophobic more complex stimulus. It indeed showed its attendees that the art to come and which is in its baby stages seeks to emerge its user not just with screens and social recognition but with feelings making a user a part of the action at every corner.
Dance and New Media session with personalities like Andre Zachery, and Maria Takeuchi presented the raw art of dancing with elements of technology. It showcased a beautiful seamless screening which showed the ability the body has to move in a digital world and create a tangible illusion serving as a poetic metaphor in the evolving technological art.
 Hacking Arts also gave us an opportunity  to Remix Our Senses just like the session lead by Jacob Loewenstein with personalities like George Fifield, founder of the Boston Cyberarts Festival and Allison Wood, founder of Reify. The session spoke of making art available to the public through virtual encounters with art that makes a statement via an augmented virtual reality. This augmented reality will allow users to see characters, and trippy graphics pop up from a street or museum corners via a digital platform leaving its participants impressed by an almost abstract world serving as a means of advertisement or just pure expression.

Hacking Arts 2016 Sounds and Images