Contradictions

Here are images of my portion of the Proximity exhibition.

Finally!

I finally figured out how to hang my layered translucent pieces (using good old fashion nails and nylon washers)! So that is a big relief. I have also decided to somehow put my original black and gray hand/text graphics onto one of the moveable walls in the gallery either using paint, vinyl, screen, or a combination of methods. 

Here are 2-D images of five of the seven layered pieces I will be hanging:

To Bind:

Threat:

Have No Fear:

Teaching:

Antagonism/Death:

Even more mudra...

Here are a few more templates for mudras I have completed.


Dharmachakra mudra (teaching)

This next one is not a two-handed mudra, I just included both iterations of the Abhaya mudra which mean "have no fear" since I am unsure which one to use.

More Mudras

I have finally made it through the entire book of mudras I have been referencing.

Here are the mudras I have made so far and their meanings:

strength and anger:

theological dispute:

denote inferior status:

appeasement:

Working with lights

I want to make the text on my pieces stand out more, so I have started experimenting with putting light behind the text. Below are my first attempts at incorporating light. For a first run, I was somewhat happy with how it turned out. I like how the text is highlighted both by the light and by being outlined by the cutout of the hands instead of being in shadow like my previous models. 

Some things I didn't like so much about this model was how far it needed to stand away from the wall to diffuse the light enough that it wasn't one bright point in the center. I also think that the hand silhouettes could stand out even more if I used black paper for the front instead of white. Also maybe a thicker paper instead of the translucent Japanese paper used for this one.

I am going to continue to try different lighting techniques, possibly lighting from the top instead of the back.

paper, hands, and shadows

Here are the drafts/models I have made so far.

This is my first basic model; the text in the back is Article 36 of the Chinese constitution stating freedom of speech, press, assemble, etc. The mudra formed by the hand in the forefront represents a threat or warning. This pairing is an example of how I intend to use the mudra to comment or extract alternative meaning from the text I am using to comment on human/civil rights issues in China.

For the next two models, I played with the text a little more by making it bigger and emphasizing important phrases according to what I want to put across.

The text in the pairing is an excerpt from The Analects by Confucius stating "A scholar must be strong and resolute, for his burden is heavy, his journey is long. His burden is humanity: is this not heavy? His journey ends only with death: is this not long?" The mudra represents death.

For this model, the text also comes from the Analects and states, "To store up knowledge in silence, to remain forever hungry for learning, to teach others without tiring--all this comes to me naturally." The mudra means "to bind." I did not play around with the text as much int this model and instead tried to keep it simple and readable.

Spring semester update

For this semester of seminar, I am still very interested in China and freedom of expression. I spent nearly all of Fall semester educating myself on my topic and somewhat narrowing down my visual representations. 

This semester I am going to further explore pairing mudra (Buddhist and Hindu hand gestures) with excerpts from The Analects by Confucius and the Chinese constitution. I have been working my way through a large book of mudra picking out Buddhist gestures that will pair with certain excerpts I have already chosen. 

Soon I am going to start experimenting with screen printing mudra onto rice paper and letterpressing the text.