Bodhisattva Katrin

Bodhisattva image from March blog.

Last month I posted an image of a Bodhisattva I had created. My Australian friend (and self-declared sister), Katrin Ogilvy was quite taken with it, as she identifies as one who is on a path toward enlightenment. In dialogue, I suggested that I would like to make one that is specifically for her. I began to imagine what it might look like for the Bodhisattva statue to be on a map of Asia with the continent of Australia as her base.

I used the draft copy on the left, cutting out the figure. 

I asked Katrin to send me a photograph of herself. When I received the photo below, it seemed to me that it was already a picture of a Bodhisattva but that Katrin needed to recognize that in herself. I altered my initial image. I cut out the figure on the left map, placing the cutout on a pinkish-lavender matte board and pieces of the map at the edges of the matte board rather than as part of the central image. I glued everything onto the cutout, covering all of it except her orange earrings. 

Katrin exudes compassion and peace, the
qualities of a Bodhisattva. 

I decided immediately to use the pink of her sweater for some of the drape on the Bodhisattva statue that had captivated her. But I felt she needed more from the photograph for her to actually recognize her own Bodhisattva image. So I added the Irises from her garden. At one point I tried adding the bricks behind her image but it was too much. Instead I used slices from a photo of Vietnamese women setting lights out on the water. At one point I had considered using one of the lights in her headdress.

The only part of the draft copy on the right to make it into
the composition were some islands I used for her necklace.

Knowing Katrin’s global mindset, I considered placing the word ‘world’ at her feet but words did not seem appropriate, so instead I placed a golden half-sphere as the foundation for her image.  I also used gold foil for her headdress and her power symbol. One time-consuming activity was adjusting the size of the photo she sent in order to put her face on the statue. 

I honor and respect Bodhisattva Katrin.

Enjoying Leftovers

Some people enjoy leftovers from a good meal even more than the original repast. They say the seasonings and flavors come into full bloom when the food has set for a while.

In anticipation of exhibiting Part I of Eve's Imprint in 2018 or 2019, I have been focused on keeping the two and three-dimensional pieces of the installation together. Yet when I made the collage pieces for the Southwest Asia section of Maiden Migrations I had lots of leftovers: maps, copies of cave art, and variously sized photocopies of artifacts from the region. Recently it occurred to me that maybe some of these leftovers could be used for small ‘souvenir pieces‘ that some viewers might like to buy. So I pulled out the folder of left over pieces and started to play around. Below are the first six mementos to be finished. Another seven are in various stages of completion.

Indian Subcontinent

This collage uses pieces from four or five different maps that included India. As one of the first continents to be reached by migrants from East Africa, India began appearing on maps created much later by and for trade purposes. For this reason the subcontinent’s shape is generally recognized even by those who have little geographic education. I personally find it a very pleasing shape.

LiDoña Wagner, I Love India, Three Piece Collage
8" x 6" x 1" with 7" x 5" and 4" x 4" panels

Elephant Steed

It is common knowledge that elephants are some of the planet’s most sensitive and family-oriented animals. Ancient Indian people were also impressed by this animal’s strength and power. They learned how to ride and maneuver these large animals, making them ideal as a steed for hunting and defense.

LiDoña Wagner, Elephant Steed, Five-sided Collage 6" x 4" x 1" 

Elephant Hunt

I love this cave art depicting humans in some sort of battle. I have paired it with some fascinating cave art depictions of bulls. Having slaughtered many of these impressive animals, you can see that ancient Indians were interested in depicting the bony structure they found.

LiDoña Wagner, Elephant Hunt, Collage 10" x 10" x 2"

Indian Maidens Unafraid of Bulls

Speaking of bulls, here is another cave art depiction, this time with women who are by no means threatened by such huge animals. This image might be seen as a representation of equal masculine and feminine power.

LiDoña Wagner, Unafraid Indian Maidens, 
Five-sided Collage 4" x 6" x 1"

Bodhisattva 

Bodhisattva statues are found throughout India, China, as well as Northeast and Southeast Asia. While the bodhisattva concept is central to Buddhism, especially for Mahayana and Vajrayana schools, it has come into contemporary times as representative of an individual on the path to becoming a Buddha, one who is enlightened.

As a trading crossroads for thousands of years, India is both an eclectic mixture of religious and spiritual traditions and a synthesizer of many that passed through the area. Greek mythology and Zoroastrianism arrived from the west. Taoism and Confucianism came through from the east. Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism arose in the subcontinent itself. At the height of its power Islam made inroads.

LiDoña Wagner, Bodhisattva, Collage 12" x 9" x 1"
mounted with two 4" x 4" panels

Dance Celebration

Although much of the background of this cave art image has faded, the central vision of two dancers beneath a rainbow arch has survived. These central characters appear to me to be surrounded by other dancers so I brought out such figures. Someone from the subcontinent would probably be able to indicate what sort of celebration is being conducted. 

LiDoña Wagner,  Dance Celebration, 
Five-sided Collage 4" x 4" x 2"

Mea Culpa

Cave art, artifacts and statues depicted in these pieces are thousands of years old so I assume the images I have used belong in the public realm. I found most of them on Google Images and in art history and cartography books. Of course a more contemporary person took photos of this ancient art. To those who may accuse me of cultural appropriation or plagiarism, please know that my intent is to show respect for a significant artistic tradition and a part of the world that has had major global impact.

I am grateful to the individuals who made the photographs I have used. I hope that these photographers are not offended by my using their photos in the same way that I would use paint. I have altered them in a variety of ways such as enlargement, embellishment, multiplication, and combining of images. If anyone recognizes one of their photos and would like to receive credit, please contact me and I will do so.

Mediterranean Beginnings

I am using the same sketchbook for the Mediterranean region
of Eve's Imprint as I used for the environmental banner I
painted during my month-long residency in Assisi, Italy in 2014.
The back of the sketchbook (left) is covered with copies of the cover of
Catherine McKinley's book Indigo, about a color typical of this region.
The pink sticker marks where my current work begins.

Following up on a dream in mid-January, I made a quick sketch for
the Mediterranean region, barely discernible in my sketchbook below.
 I made three Mediterranean goddess tiles around 2000; reflecting
how the Eve concept is an evolving life's work. They may end up in a
vertical column along the side of the four boards rather than in the middle.

Our ancestor Ursula, center bottom highlighted in orange, migrated
into the region of contemporary Greece 45,000 years ago. The description
of her life by archeologist Bryan Sykes will be a helpful guide in choosing
how to depict the northern coast of the Mediterranean Sea.
From Sykes's book, The Seven Daughters of Eve. 

I usually start with maps of the selected region because I like
to use geographic features in the overall composition.

Next I blow up the maps to fit the boards I have chosen. In this
case it turns out that I blew up a different map for the west and east coasts
of the Mediterranean Sea than I had for the north and south coasts.

Bottom left, scarabs remind me of Greek, Syro-Phoenician, and
Egyptian influences throughout the region. The bottom right map shows
Minoan and Mycenaean trade routes throughout the Mediterranean Sea.
Tunisian ceramics reflect the colors and painting style of the region. 

The images in this spread show Tuscan influences from around 600 AD.
Though quite a bit later than the first migrations into the region 45,000 years ago,
designs or color may find their way into this work.. 

Here I have traced geographic features for the
northern and southern coasts onto their chosen boards.

This spread, especially ancient rock engravings on the right, helps me visualize
influences from and to North Africa (southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea).

From the northeastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea,
Greek architectural influence was felt throughout the region.
Note iconic Greek pillars in the North Africa photo above.

The tracing for the board on the right (eastern coast) has not been
done because I have not yet applied gesso to it.

Although this small vase was made in Thailand, the color
and pattern on the bottom are a source of inspiration for
the Mediterranean section of Eve's Imprint.
It will be interesting to see the impact of these varied images
as the Mediterranean region begins to take shape.

Creative Errors

One day a weaver, distracted by sorrow over the death of her child, unknowingly let the shuttle slip, leaving a slight aberration in the cloth. Later a foreman inspecting the cloth saw this tiny flaw in the weave. He took a photograph, blew it up, and made a flag that aggrandized the flaw. Every day, he walked past the weaver waving this flag and taunting her. After a while the weaver left his shop. She found a new place of work with a woman overseer.

Days and weeks and months and then years rolled by until her sorrow no longer overwhelmed her. But she had not forgotten why she left the former shop. How could she forget? The flag with her aggrandized error was emblazoned in her memory.

One day she went to the overseer and said, “I know a way that we could put a sort of pattern in the cloth we weave that would make our product quite distinctive.” She demonstrated how by dropping the shuttle ever twenty threads, the cloth took on a sort of glow from the repeated ‘flaws’ made by the weaver. The woman overseer was thrilled with the sample she was shown and asked the weaver to train all the weavers so they could make this very distinctive cloth. Over time the material woven in that shop became prized for its unusual luster.

Meanwhile the originally flawed cloth made its way into the world and a dressmaker bought it. When she examined the cloth, she found the flaw. This did not bother her for she was a very good dressmaker and she saw immediately that she could make of it a pleated skirt that would hide the flaw beneath a fold of cloth. The whole piece of material was truly beautiful and she was proud of the skirt she made.

The pleated skirt was purchased by a woman in midlife who had some knowledge both of weaving and of the ups and downs of life. One day as her hands smoothed the beautiful cloth a finger felt the tiny flaw. She smiled and began to sing. “Now I know the weaver who made this cloth! Like me, she has known sorrow and how it seeps into one’s soul. From now on, whenever I feel this tiny alteration in the cloth, I will celebrate this woman whose life I share.”

Years passed and the owner of the pleated skirt died. Her family came and in sorrow packed away her clothes and took them to a resale store. One day an artist entered the shop, looking for something interesting. She found the pleated skirt because the beauty of the material caught her eye. Examining the skirt, her gaze fell upon a shiny place hidden beneath a fold. Indeed, the former owner had rubbed the ‘flaw’ so often during her long life that the texture of the cloth had softened in that particular spot.

As she paid for the skirt, a smile came to the artist’s face. She whispered to herself. “Ah, the shiny area is the bindu. This is the tiny place from which my new creation will be made. This will be the center of a massive flower whose beauty will rock the viewer. Starting from the shiny spot, the folds and creases I make in this extraordinary cloth will catch the light in special ways. How lucky I am to have found this amazing cloth. I wonder who the weaver was. She must have been a sensitive woman to have woven such exquisite material.”

Travel and textile book by Karen Beck and Joshua Hirschstein.

Playing in Northern Spain

Using materials I collected in our travels, I made this accordion collage
to capture some of the playful and delightful moments that Karen and I shared.

Outside the Guggenheim, Jeff Koons' Puppy
and Tulips are inviting sculptures and the surrounding
older architecture is charming.

Inside the Guggenheim, Richard Serra's iron sculptures
create a monumental labyrinth that covers the first floor.

Burgos is a livable city full of surprises such as the Book Museum,
the riverside promenade, outdoor restaurants, and the cathedral.

The beauty of the Bay of Biscay is
matched with excellent cuisine.

In Bilbao we used the tram system that follows the river
and takes you from Old Town to all sorts of interesting places.

The Bertiz Cafe was our Bilbao hangout. I've made
the flyer into a pocket to hold maps and our trip agenda.

Day or night, Frank Gehry's architecture
is one of the wonders of the world.

Since Europeans no longer use their medieval churches
they have figured out how to make them into spectacular museums.

The Basque Museum in Bilbao features both
pre-Christian symbols and a former monastery.

The Belles Artes Museum in Bilbao is a great
place to see contemporary Spanish art.

Because of the former importance of the cathedral of
Burgos, the Burgos Museum holds beautiful medieval art.

I have dedicated this image from the Bosque Museum in Bilbao
to Angeles Arrien who was proud of her Bosque sheep herding heritage.

Some of the materials we collected were too beautiful to cut up
so I glued them to the back side of my Spanish collage.

Ancient Relatives in Northern Spain

Book Museum in Burgos, Castile and Leon, Spain.
Our travels in Northern Spain took us beyond the world of books.

When Karen Snyder invited me to join her in an exploration of Spain, I suggested the northern region because I had longed to see the cave art at Altamira. I saw this as an opportunity to visit my ancient paternal ancestors. The path out of Africa taken by my paternal ancestors was east across the south end of the Red Sea into the Arabian peninsula, north into the Ancient Near East, and then west along the northern edge of the Mediterranean Sea to the Iberian peninsula where they hung out during one of the recurring ice ages. In 2014 I had learned during a visit to Etruscan ruins in Tuscany that my ancestors were an earthy people. I was eager to see who they were by the time they had reached Spain. 

Karen and me on site at the archeological digs on the Sierra of Atapuerca.

There are some thoughts and feelings that one can only have in situ. All the books and photographs perused before a journey set you up but it is not until you are on site that random thoughts and ideas begin to coalesce into bigger ideas and possible insights. I arrived at some hypotheses during our visits to the Altamira Museum outside the medieval village of Santillana del Mar, the Museum of Human Evolution in Burgos, and the archeological digs in the Sierra de Atapuerca. Books we collected on site also pushed my thinking.

Altamira Cave - large Bison

Altamira Museum - Who Are We?

My first hypothesis occurred in the replica cave of the Altamira Museum. I was most impacted by the ceiling paintings in the Polychrome Chamber. The animals painted there were not the ones Homo sapiens hunted. The time during which these paintings were made was the beginning of the Holocene. During the warming of the climate then Bison and Roe Deer were leaving northern Spain and going further north where it was colder. Homo sapiens on the other hand preferred the warmer weather and, having domesticated some animals, were moving toward a more sedentary lifestyle. I believe the cave art at Altamira represents the awareness of Homo sapiens that something of significance was occurring. Whether they wished to commune with the bison and deer to better understand what was occurring or wanted to use this art to help fellow homo sapiens understand the changes occurring, this art dramatizes the end of an era.

Altamira Cave - Large hind / Roe Deer 

Viewers of cave art are often puzzled by the many depictions of human hands. My second hypothesis involving this repeated painting of human hands came to me later at the Human Evolution Museum in Burgos. There I saw a presentation on the difference between the hands of chimpanzees, a common primate ancestor with hominids, and Homo Sapiens. The grip in Chimps is in their four fingers because their thumb is directly opposite those fingers. When our ancestors left the trees and began walking on the earth, the thumb evolved to be closer to the index finger, allowing for a grip between the thumb and index finger. This allowed for greater precision in the making of tools. Their better technology gave Homo Sapiens an advantage over other animal species. 

Thumb and index finger brought increased dexterity.

In upper left corner - Handprint  - Altamira Cave

Our hominid ancestors were masters of observation. It seems to me that cave artists who painted hands were at some level attempting to say, “This is what makes us different than other animals. We do not have hooves or paws. Our hands are what has given us our refined technology and hold a key to our future.” Perhaps, as some have suggested, the hands were an expression of “I was here; we were here."Or "I am the one (we are the ones) who made this picture”. But even if that is the case, it seems to me to be significant that these artists would choose as a symbol of human presence precisely the characteristic that distinguished them from other animals.

Atepuerca - How Did We Become Human?

Located not far from a UNESCO heritage site cathedral, the museum is a
modern architectural counterpart to the tall spires of the Gothic cathedral.

An enormous chart on the back of a wall divider gave a small sense
of the huge expanse of time during which evolution led to Homo sapiens.

From the province of Cantabria, we traveled three hours by bus southeast to Burgos in the province of Castile & Leon. Ongoing excavations over the past fifty years at the Sierra de Atapuerca outside the city of Burgos have produced 83% of all bones showing the evolution of hominids into Homo sapiens. With the construction of the Museo de la Evolution Humana, Burgos became the world capital for human evolution. Adjacent buildings allow for ongoing conferences and dialogues about the evolving knowledge base on evolution. There will be more finds made in other parts of the world that will alter and refine the current story of evolution, but for now the museum in Burgos is the keeper of the human story.

Basic structure of the brain.

I arrived at a third hypothesis after viewing depictions of and text on the human brain at the Human Evolution Museum.  These experiences gave me a different understanding of what may have occurred between Neanderthals and Homo Sapiens. Since most of the nutrients we ingest go to feed the brain, the difference in body size between these two hominids could have made a big difference.  Hominids left Africa much earlier than Homo Sapiens and evolved into Neanderthals. In order to exist in the colder climate of northern Eurasia, these hominids developed a larger body frame that would have required more nutrients than the smaller hominids who remained in the warmer climate of Africa. Thus, more of the nutrients absorbed by those remaining in Africa could go toward the development of the brain. Although the size of the two brains was about the same, that of Homo Sapiens evidently became more complex.

Who Will We Become?

Constants of human evolution: climate and ecological changes, biological responses,
cultural responses (technological development), migration to new habitats,
cultural + biological integration processes, and socialization of innovations.

Another factor in the question of why Homo Sapiens had replaced Neanderthals in Eurasia within a period of 12,000 years could have been the population advantage that Homo Sapiens had over Neanderthals. Our hominid ancestors could have only one child at a time and that child had to be nurtured by its mother from birth to maturity. Within Homo Sapiens, living in the warmer climate of Africa, a pattern of maturation within community (childhood) developed. After birthing a child, the mother needed to nurture it for a shorter time period before it could continue developing by learning from other community members, allowing her to have another child. As Homo Sapiens expanded in population their species size outstripped that of Neanderthals.

Today, however, what was once an advantage has become a threat to both Homo Sapiens and planet earth. Our accelerated population growth is outstripping the resources needed to sustain people on Mother Earth. What responses will we make?

Sign for Camino (Santiago de Compostela) in village of Atepuerca.
The human footprint on planet earth has been enormous.