Saturday 31 July 2010

Mongolian Shamanism



I just came across a Youtube channel of a Hungarian Assistant Professor sharing his finding of his field research of the social phenomenon of the Shamanism in the contemporary Mongolians.

In this video, titled 'The Mongolian Shamans' Spring Rite', he described the ritual as follow:
short clips taken at Eej Mod in Selenge aimag on April 5, 2009. They show apprentices of the well-know Mongolian zairan Byambadorj circling the sacred "mother tree" until attaining a state of altered consciousness.

Rick Bartow




Personal experiences and cultural engagement inspire Rick Bartow's drawings, paintings, sculpture, and prints. He is deeply involved with his family and community. Myths from around the globe, especially Native American transformation stories, are the heart of much of his work. Observations of the natural world: hawks, ravens, coyotes, self-portraits, and eagles populate his iconography. He is well known for astute interpretations of literary, musical and visual arts.

Friday 30 July 2010

Nick Cave

Nick Cave Lecture at Fowler Museum, Jan. 9, 2010 from Fowler Museum on Vimeo.



“To me, everything outside of myself is community. I don’t see myself as an artist but as a humanitarian using art to create change. My hope is that these new Soundsuits will cause people to find ways to live with each other, extend our compassion to other communities, and take care of our natural resources. If I can create an opportunity to bring people of all creeds, identities, and interests together, then I am doing my work,” said Nick Cave.

Nick Cave
's Soundsuits echo the tradition of the tribal shaman, from its craftsmanship in the making, performative quality of its implementation, and its effect to the communities involved.

Fischerspooner



Lastnight I went to Fischerspooner show at Bed Supperclub in Bangkok. The band started as a collaborative art performance by Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner. Drawing their inspiration from various culture, futuristic sounds and avent garde visual language, I was expecting quite an urban-shamanic show from the 600 bath ticket.....Too bad there was nothing of them things as it was just a Dj set. boo.

Thursday 29 July 2010

CROSSROADS by Addminimal



Stunning art direction/ fashion shoot titled 'CrossRoads' from 5th edition of Species online Magazine by Addminimal creative (by Adriana Gerasimova).
The images talk about travelers and how seeing different parts of the world help you acknowledge your own uniqueness. A strong emphasis on cultures and body decoration somehow remind me of a familiar theme.....

Jilly Hawkhead's Scupture for Travelling



Camberwell College of Art's graduate show last month was nothing but ordinary. It was truly refreshing to see the students' talent shine in various (including the unexpected) kinds of media. The BA(Hons) Drawing department in particular took me by surprise with their artistic attempt to 'draw' in so many disciplines. From traditional pencil on paper, to collages and sculptures, to installations as their final pieces.

Jilly Hawkhead
's work, among the course alumni, was my favorite. Her work took over a small room in a corner and turned it into "Shamanic Flight Center", a place where participants can plan and book their flight to the spirit world!
A very tongue-in-cheek approach to talk about Shamanism and its commercial twist in today's world. She's surely getting a thumb up from me.

You can follow her at her Shaman-In-Residence blog.

Jackson Pollock




Recently I've read a post describing Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912 – August 11, 1956) as an 'example of Artist as Shaman in the modern world'. Interestingly, the writer brought up a few connections of Pollock's art work and the study of Shamanism, i.e. Pollock's interested in Jungian psychoanalysis and his strong link with the Native American Art. The writer also described the his paintings to be 'Shamanic' as the artist described his untraditional process of painting to be done in a subconscious level.
Indeed, Pollock's swirls and splashes were exquisite expressions coming for deep and raw place within the artist soul, reflecting the inner respond to what was going on in the world at that time. There's no doubt that his master pieces change the face of contemporary art forever as it explore another level of artist's mind and speak a new language of visual that will last generations...

But, a question remains: Did Jackson Pollock really talked to spirits?

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