Post 1-2 – This piece inspired by a fantastic course @rampeducation with @johngiordano1 where we explored the book “Design your Life”, based on a design program at Stanford which has many concepts that are grounded in the Bhagavad Gita. Stephen Cope, book “The Great Work of Your Life”, captures these concepts brilliantly in his interpretation of the Gita. He discusses this “catalog of methods that human beings have discovered over the last 3000 years on how to find self” and the obstacles of fear and doubt which paralyze action in finding your Dharma (your calling). He says name your Dharma, trust it and transform and save your little corner of the world ; ) I cherish the extra time I have had in 2020, which has given me room to get closer to my Dharma, through my #mapmydharmaproject.
With centuries of investigation into the pitfalls of desire, Yoga is concerned with teasing apart craving and aspiration. Seeing difficulties as your dharma, embracing aversion and Turing wound into light. Let go of the fruits of your action, to truly relish in your Dharma.
I am exploring the concepts of these two books and mapping them in drawings, using A4 graph paper from #Postalco and #poscapaintpens over old Screen prints I made @smfabostonmfa .
Post 3 – This screen print below the map was created from a photograph I took of the Taj Mahal, where I was interested in who has the power to make meaning. Was the Taj Mahal the ideal symbol of love and devotion or was Shajahan’s intention to create the ultimate symbol of Islam? Has the Taj Mahal become a colonialist subject of appropriation? Was the monument remade, sanitized, exoticized and appropriated by the West? Is it Indian at all? This piece inspired by mapping two books – Design your Life, based on a design program at Stanford which has many concepts that are grounded in the Bhagavad Gita and Stephen Cope, book The Great Work of Your Life, captures these concepts brilliantly in his interpretation of the Gita. He discusses this “catalog of methods that human beings have discovered over the last 3000 years on how to find self” and the obstacles of fear and doubt which paralyze action in finding your Dharma (your calling). He says name your Dharma, trust it and transform and save your little corner of the world ; )
Post 4 – Most people already live very close to their Dharma within spitting range, it does not mean giving up your life and sailing around the world are moving to Paris. They don’t name it they don’t own it they don’t live it – Your greatest act of faith is following your dharma.
Post 5 – John Keats realized there was something at work that was not himself that he needed to surrender too, his first work outwardly was not a success but that effort was an inward success, he had faith in the process itself, of following his Dharma ?☪️✝️✡️
Post 6 – Difficult situations are really opportunities into reuniting with split off parts of the self. If we can hold a conflict, two opposing opposites in our psyche long enough we can give birth to something new, we need to become comfortable with mystery with the unknown with waiting with dark. ?☪️✝️✡️
Post 7- In earlier work I examine why my father, growing up in British India, takes on the views and values of the colonizer. Specifically the many meanings of the Taj Mahal and what it meant to my father. Asking the larger question: how does meaning get manufactured and who more importantly has the power to produce it? ?
Post 8 – ?
Post 9 -With losses on so many levels this year, a new year always brings a possibility of new perspective and reflection for the seeds planted in 2020. Those gifts of more time with family and most importantly self are cherished. My own personal art work has gone to a new level of daily play and experimenting and I thank all of your for acknowledging, your support, a “mere “like” goes a long way? On a lighter note This morning I saw a neighbor talking to her cat. It was obvious she thought her cat understood her. I came into my house & told my dog. We laughed a lot. Seriously Ripley, our fuzzy reliable addition to the family and the vast outdoors with 14 more 4000 footers under our belt this year, ?♀️ ?these are the things that made my year ? Kisses to you all ?????? see you in 2021 ???? Book Mapping Series 9 of 9
#mapmydharmaproject #bookmapping #visualmapping #mapping #research
#artprocess#sketching#detail #prototype #screenprinting #catalog#archive
#poscapaintpens #Postalco #smfatufts #privilagetosocialdistance
#designyourlife #thegreatworkofyourlife