Here are some selected images from my sketchbook for the conceptual walking class. I tend to think better when the thoughts are out of my head.
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Kumbh Mela
The following info was taken from - http://www.meriyatrra.com/travel-places/kumbh-mela_1.html
Maha Kumbha Mela is held in Allahabad every 12 years. It also takes place in three other holy places in India every 12 years— Haridwar, Ujjain and Nasik. The time for Kumbha-mela is judged by the astrological positions of Jupiter and the Sun. In Prayag (Allahabad) the Kumbha-mela takes place during January-February, when Jupiter is in Taurus and the Sun enters Capricorn. The Kumbha-mela in Prayag (Allahabad) is considered especially auspicious. This very interesting event draws about 15 million people and is the largest attended event in the world. A huge temporary city is created for the millions of pilgrims that arrive for the most auspicious bathing days. Kumbha Mela is like a Yogi Convention, where yogis, sadhus (saints), holy people, and pilgrims come from all over India. Many sadhus come from various holy places, the most remote forests, and mountain caves in the Himalayas. The most famous are the Naga Babas, who are completely naked. They cover their bodies only with ash and wear their hair in dreadlocks.
It is said that if one bathes at the Sangam of the Ganges, Yamuna and underground Saraswati on one of the main bathing days during Kumbha Mela that one attains liberation. In the Vishnu Purana it says that one get a great benefit from bathing during Kumbha Mela than performing 1,000 Ashwamedha Yajnas (horse sacrifices) or circumambulating the earth 100,0000 times. It is said that by bathing at Kumbha Mela that all a person’s sins are washed away and that 88 generations of ancestors are benefited.
The main bathing days are known as Shahi Snans or Royal Bathing Days. The main bathing day, when the most people come, was on January 24, on the Mauni Amavasya day (the dark moon), when over 15 million people are said to have bathed. The next main day or Shahi Snan is said to be on Basant Panchami (fifth day of the new moon), January 29. I went to the Kumbha Mela for the important bathing day of Maha Sankranti on January 14th, 2001 (when the sun enters the sign of Capricorn), which is supposed to be the third major bathing day (Shahi Snan) of Kumbha Mela. On this day it is said that around five million people bathed. The festival began on January 9th on Paush Purnima (full moon). The two other main days are Magha Purnima (full moon) on February 8th and Maha Sivaratri (appearance day of Lord Siva) on February 21. 
My Favourite Found Fungi
Here are a number of mushrooms and fungi I have found over the years, mostly in Algonquin Park. There is a wide variety and I have taken hundreds of pictures, but here's just a sampling,
I really should write a sort of personal manifesto about why I love mushrooms so very much, but it would need to be updated far to frequently to make much sense. Instead, these images should suffice for now.
Walking Sculptures
Here is a wonderful TED talk I found. This artist is lovely to listen to discuss his work. He seems filled with a childlike wonder of his works.Artist Theo Jansen demonstrates the amazingly lifelike kinetic sculptures he builds from plastic tubes and lemonade bottles. His creatures are designed to move -- and even survive -- on their own.
A truly incredible combination of enginieering, art and wonder.
http://www.ted.com/talks/theo_jansen_creates_new_creatures.html
Sunday, 20 November 2011
The Way
I just finished watching the new film The Way with my Dad.
There really aren't appropriate words to describe how it conveys the feeling of a pilgrimage. While the focus is not on the physicality of the journey, most the entire film was dedicated to establishing the weight of emotions and the development of spirituality along the way. Some of the pilgrims in the film started the journey as I had with mine; a basic idea of why, but with no clue as to how much the walk would mean in the end. When they reach Santiago de Compostella, the pilgrims find what they might not have even known what they were looking for, but what their spirits needed.
When you contemplate things as you do on a pilgrimage, your mind changes, your spirit develops. There are so many things that simply cannot be accounted for on journeys of that significance. I can only imagine the effort it would require to make a journey like the El Camino de Santiago, a journey of some 800km through northern Spain. I am absolutely certain that one day I must make a pilgrimage of similar magnitude, but again my reasons are uncertain.
That lack of knowing is the focus of my post right now. The uncertainty with which we begin many things in our lives. Sometimes not knowing why you have begun something can lead to the most beautiful experiences in your life. Imbuing a physical act with such potent spiritual ties is what pilgrimages are all about. It seems to me that to begin a pilgrimage with full understanding of what you hope to accomplish is somewhat contrary to their purpose in the first place.
People make pilgrimages for different reasons; some for penance, some for physical test, and some for religion. But one thing I believe all pilgrims have in common is discovery of one's self. You find out things you never knew about yourself when making journeys of such significance. You find reserves of strength you never felt possible before. You find out what is truly important in your life. The experiences you gain along the way are nothing compared to the aches in your feet, back, hips and knees. They are more than the blisters and the cracked lips and the windburn on your face. The sum of these experiences is transformative. They combine to create a depth of experience unlike many other on this earth.
To make a journey of such weight and importance is something I believe was essential in my life and in the lives of many others. These kinds of events transcend our physical limitation because they are more than a physical act. They are inherently spiritual and filled with self discovery.
A pilgrimage is an awakening.
There really aren't appropriate words to describe how it conveys the feeling of a pilgrimage. While the focus is not on the physicality of the journey, most the entire film was dedicated to establishing the weight of emotions and the development of spirituality along the way. Some of the pilgrims in the film started the journey as I had with mine; a basic idea of why, but with no clue as to how much the walk would mean in the end. When they reach Santiago de Compostella, the pilgrims find what they might not have even known what they were looking for, but what their spirits needed.
When you contemplate things as you do on a pilgrimage, your mind changes, your spirit develops. There are so many things that simply cannot be accounted for on journeys of that significance. I can only imagine the effort it would require to make a journey like the El Camino de Santiago, a journey of some 800km through northern Spain. I am absolutely certain that one day I must make a pilgrimage of similar magnitude, but again my reasons are uncertain.
That lack of knowing is the focus of my post right now. The uncertainty with which we begin many things in our lives. Sometimes not knowing why you have begun something can lead to the most beautiful experiences in your life. Imbuing a physical act with such potent spiritual ties is what pilgrimages are all about. It seems to me that to begin a pilgrimage with full understanding of what you hope to accomplish is somewhat contrary to their purpose in the first place.
People make pilgrimages for different reasons; some for penance, some for physical test, and some for religion. But one thing I believe all pilgrims have in common is discovery of one's self. You find out things you never knew about yourself when making journeys of such significance. You find reserves of strength you never felt possible before. You find out what is truly important in your life. The experiences you gain along the way are nothing compared to the aches in your feet, back, hips and knees. They are more than the blisters and the cracked lips and the windburn on your face. The sum of these experiences is transformative. They combine to create a depth of experience unlike many other on this earth.
To make a journey of such weight and importance is something I believe was essential in my life and in the lives of many others. These kinds of events transcend our physical limitation because they are more than a physical act. They are inherently spiritual and filled with self discovery.
A pilgrimage is an awakening.
Thursday, 17 November 2011
Richard Long
I thought it was worth mentioning that the artist that informed my work and thinking over the semester the most has been Richard Long. I repeatedly visited his site and read text about his work for inspiration in my own works over the past few months. Here are some places for people to start if they liked Long's work as well...
video of a talk
 |
BRUSHED PATH A LINE IN NEPAL A 21 DAY FOOTPATH WALK 1983 |
There are of course many more works that inspired me, and I would like to write more about Richard Long in coming posts, as well as the other artists I researched over the semester.
Pilgrimage route
I just wanted to take a little time to post the route that I traveled along for the Pilgrimage to Nana piece. As you can see the middle section is particularly straight and long, creating some trance inducing qualities.
The line of the route will actually make up a tattoo that I will be getting in the next few weeks, as a sort of drawn reminder of the action. This way I will always be present to explain this particular piece and will always remember the path I traveled for Nana.
Thursday, 10 November 2011
Pilgrimage to Nana
Here is the final video that was shown during our critique. I intend to post a longer version as well, but as it stands, this is the final video work.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Tuesday, 1 November 2011
Walking on Water Fake
This was proven to be a fake by Mythbusters, but nonetheless it is a nice video.
Liquid Mountaineering
Reflection: October 30, 2011
This was my final day of walking. It was the most difficult markedly, but also the most rewarding. There were several points at which I thought I would not be able to complete the pilgrimage. However, the need to fulfill my task loomed greatly over me. I had to finish the walk as surely as one must find nourishment each day. In many ways, the pilgrimage was my nourishment; keeping my mind off bodily hunger and feeding my spirit driving me to succeed.
I knew early on that if there were any stops today and my forward motion was stalled, I would fail. Only once did I stop briefly to retrieve food from my pack and eat while continuing on my path.
When I saw the first tall buildings from Sarnia it signaled he closeness of Point Edward. This was definitely a morale boost for me. When I was walking through Sarnia to get to Point Edward, I was joined by my Dad. He walked with me for the last two or three kilometers to Nana's house. We discussed the journey and it really helped me to keep going and reach my goal.
My arrival at Nana's was bliss. I saw her for the first time in months. Most of her hair is gone now, and her demeanor has been softened by morphine. I couldn't help seeing her as she was though, she was my Nana and always would be. Nothing will ever change that.
Our visit was short, but meant the world to me. Both Nana and Papa were very proud of what I had done and they seemed to appreciate it deeply, perhaps more so than me. I am still more or less confused by the meaning of the pilgrimage to me. It was an interesting endeaveor to be sure, but there is much that needs to be resolved within me as yet to complete it.
They knew what I had done though and that I love them. Now, I've proven that to myself as well.
I knew early on that if there were any stops today and my forward motion was stalled, I would fail. Only once did I stop briefly to retrieve food from my pack and eat while continuing on my path.
When I saw the first tall buildings from Sarnia it signaled he closeness of Point Edward. This was definitely a morale boost for me. When I was walking through Sarnia to get to Point Edward, I was joined by my Dad. He walked with me for the last two or three kilometers to Nana's house. We discussed the journey and it really helped me to keep going and reach my goal.
My arrival at Nana's was bliss. I saw her for the first time in months. Most of her hair is gone now, and her demeanor has been softened by morphine. I couldn't help seeing her as she was though, she was my Nana and always would be. Nothing will ever change that.
Our visit was short, but meant the world to me. Both Nana and Papa were very proud of what I had done and they seemed to appreciate it deeply, perhaps more so than me. I am still more or less confused by the meaning of the pilgrimage to me. It was an interesting endeaveor to be sure, but there is much that needs to be resolved within me as yet to complete it.
They knew what I had done though and that I love them. Now, I've proven that to myself as well.
Reflection: October 29, 2011
(Re written from pilgrimage journal)
My second day of walking was a surprise. The first few steps were painful as I had expected,, then when my body warmed up I really got into the rhythm of walking again.This day had no turns save for a short 180 meter jag at Forest Road. The path was straight and undeviating. It was daunting. Upon reaching Fisher Line I hit a definite wall mentally and physically. However, I was able to push through for another hour and a half of walking before my checkpoint of the day.
There were various points of interest during the walk today. There were two dogs who followed me for a number of kilometers and kept good company while they were alongside me after their initial displeasure at my arrival. Later, they got into a minor scuffle with some other farm dogs and decided to turn around and return home.
The hardest part of the day was the three or four kilometer incline that I had to ascend after passing a sugar beet harvest. Again the physically daunting task loomed over me though I was able to climb up and over this obstacle.
Along the road I passed a crippled bird. I had contemplated various actions including taking it with me to attempt to heal its wing, even the thought of a mercy killing crossed my mind. My indecision as nearly as crippling to me as the birds wing was to it. I decided to go on and leave the bird; after all, I was not meant to intervene with nature on this pilgrimage and I know almost nothing of birds unfortunately.
It seemed almost as if I was being tested with these things I was seeing along my path. The dead dear and the dying bird. Maybe it could be seen as over analysis, but I think they somehow helped me to come to terms with my grandmother's terminal illness and the unrelenting passage of time in nature. The frailty of life.
My second day of walking was a surprise. The first few steps were painful as I had expected,, then when my body warmed up I really got into the rhythm of walking again.This day had no turns save for a short 180 meter jag at Forest Road. The path was straight and undeviating. It was daunting. Upon reaching Fisher Line I hit a definite wall mentally and physically. However, I was able to push through for another hour and a half of walking before my checkpoint of the day.
There were various points of interest during the walk today. There were two dogs who followed me for a number of kilometers and kept good company while they were alongside me after their initial displeasure at my arrival. Later, they got into a minor scuffle with some other farm dogs and decided to turn around and return home.
The hardest part of the day was the three or four kilometer incline that I had to ascend after passing a sugar beet harvest. Again the physically daunting task loomed over me though I was able to climb up and over this obstacle.
Along the road I passed a crippled bird. I had contemplated various actions including taking it with me to attempt to heal its wing, even the thought of a mercy killing crossed my mind. My indecision as nearly as crippling to me as the birds wing was to it. I decided to go on and leave the bird; after all, I was not meant to intervene with nature on this pilgrimage and I know almost nothing of birds unfortunately.
It seemed almost as if I was being tested with these things I was seeing along my path. The dead dear and the dying bird. Maybe it could be seen as over analysis, but I think they somehow helped me to come to terms with my grandmother's terminal illness and the unrelenting passage of time in nature. The frailty of life.
Reflection: October 28, 2011
(Re written from pilgrimage journal)
Many times today I questioned the purposes of this walk. What is its purpose other than to arrive at my destination? If that was the only reason for going, then why hadnt I decided just to drive instead?
The longer I walked, the more it made sense somehow. It means more that I am doing this in order to see her rather than taking the easy way out. In the same way buying indulgences is the easy way out of sin, driving would have been the easy way out for this journey. The pilgrimage holds a greater purpose than other methods of travel. It serves as a sort of penance for what has transpired.
I am putting myself to the test, to measure my body's endurance and its relevance in love of my grandmother. It may not make much sense to anyone else, or indeed to myself yet, but I am hoping that its purpose becomes clear during the walk and perhaps after I arrive at Nana's.
Many times today I questioned the purposes of this walk. What is its purpose other than to arrive at my destination? If that was the only reason for going, then why hadnt I decided just to drive instead?
The longer I walked, the more it made sense somehow. It means more that I am doing this in order to see her rather than taking the easy way out. In the same way buying indulgences is the easy way out of sin, driving would have been the easy way out for this journey. The pilgrimage holds a greater purpose than other methods of travel. It serves as a sort of penance for what has transpired.
I am putting myself to the test, to measure my body's endurance and its relevance in love of my grandmother. It may not make much sense to anyone else, or indeed to myself yet, but I am hoping that its purpose becomes clear during the walk and perhaps after I arrive at Nana's.
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