AbstractsPhilosophy & Theology

Drawing in Meditation

by Phoebe Lucy Rathmell




Institution: University of New South Wales
Department: Art
Year: 2014
Keywords: Performance; Drawing; Meditation; Silence; Buddhism; Emptiness; Painting; Japan; Agnes Martin; James Turrell; Ad Reinhardt; John Cage
Record ID: 1055111
Full text PDF: http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/53754


Abstract

Drawing in Meditation is a dissertation focused on three interconnected cornerstones of research; meditation, silence and emptiness. It explores how these constructs are represented in both a phenomenological study and in the work of other artists. It will examine these findings and present the potential ramifications of these areas on a creative practice such as creating artworks that encapsulate the true spirit of the artist, loss of ego and the ability to transcend time. The primary aim of this paper is to document and trace my phenomenological studies throughout my Masters degree. It is my wish to bring further insights and inspiration to those who read my paper or view my performances. Meditation has profoundly changed my life for the better, and I hope this paper can serve as a catalyst for change in the lives of those it touches. This research project consists of a series of ephemeral installations created throughout my Masters degree. The meditative process of creating these installations has been documented through film and photography. Additionally I have created many repetitious ink drawings and painting to serve as studies along the way. My practice and subsequent research is informed by Zen Buddhism, in particular the teachings of Shunryu Suzuki, Robert Aitken and Masao Abe. It draws on a wide variety of artists, in particular, Ad Reinhardt, James Turrell, Agnes Martin and composer John Cage. In 2012, I took part in two separate meditation retreats to give further clarity and reflection on my meditation as art practice process. I concluded that my ink paintings had become limited in that, although they traced my meditation practice, they could not seem to offer the viewer the experience I was after. Early 2013 I had the good fortune to take part in two exhibitions in New York in which I did two performance installations over the course of 14 hours in meditation. This experience led me to explore a more performative element to my work in which the viewer could experience my meditation-as-art-practice first hand.