belated october 7th brief

Carrie Mae Kreyche
yantra + mandala symbols 
Colleen Macklin & Chris Prentice
October 7, 2008

    For my fine art thesis project I am researching and learning about Hindu and Vedic yantras and mandalas and learning basic computer coding to integrate computer vision and other new media with these ancient symbols.
    This brief outlines the first set of prototypes I did regarding gathering data for materials testing of yantras and mandalas with a user group.  My thesis project is heading in the direction of creating ancient symbols with new media and interesting materials.  My goal is to re-ignite interest in these archetypal symbols by provoking people using alternative and unusual materials.
    The questions that guided my session with my user group of 6 meditators were assumptions turned into questions.  The names of my 6 participants were Matteus, Steve, Robert, Lena, Margarita and Caren
1.    How do different styles, shapes and materials affect response of viewer?
2.    Do more exact lines, shapes, geometry bring more clarity ...  hand drawn vs. computer drawn?
3.    What is the difference when color is added vs. black and white?
I showed the participants 3 sets of images and asked them:
HOW DO THESE MAKE YOU FEEL/ ADJECTIVES / DESCRIPTION OF YOUR EXPERIENCE WHILE YOU VIEW THESE MANDALAS?
    I found it easiest to place one image in front of two people and they then responded to the image in front of them instead of having every person look at every image.  There is a September 25th blog posting that has the images and descriptions underneath. http://cmk.typepad.com/digitaldeities/page/2/
    Round 1 was three mandalas made with natural objects and found materials, two of them that I had made many years ago and one by Andy Goldworthy.. Matteus and Caren said their mandala was RIVETING, FOCUSING, COMPELLING, DRAWN TO CENTER, FIREY, INTENSITY, CAN SEE LEVELS OF DIMENSIONS, HOLDS ME, and THE CENTER STICKS OUT. Steve and Robert said it feels like a TUNNEL, WANT TO DIVE INTO BLACK HOLE, THRESHOLD TO ANOTHER WORLD and EXCITEMENT. Margarita and Lena said it feels like POTTERY, TERRECOTA, EARTHY, HOLDING and LOG HOUSE.
    Round 2 was four hand-drawn mandalas that I had made many years ago in four different colors. Margarita and L said this about the ORANGE one they contemplated: CHEMICAL REACTION, WOMB-NESS, FEMININE, IMPREGNATED, GOOFY, and PARTRIDGE FAMILY.  Robert looked at the RED one and said SATAN, DEVIL, TRANSFORMATION, ANGER, FIREY and DARKNESS.  Steve viewed the YELLOW one and said FLOWS, SERENE, PEACEFUL, SOFTNESS and NOT SHARP.  Matteus and Caren said this about the GREEN one: MORE HORIZONTAL, MORE SPREAD and CENTER FEELS LIKE IT IS MOVING.
    Round 3 was where ALL viewed both images.  The first one was a black and white computer drawn sri yantra from this website
http://www.awakenedloving.com/res/default/sri_yantra_hires.jpg.  The feed back is as follows: BLACK + WHITE IS MORE STRUCTURING,
COMPLEXITY, HAS MASSAGING EFFECT ON HIGHER LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS, SHIFTING DIMENSIONS, MOVEMENT FROM MANY SHAPES, EYES MOVES FROM TRIANGLE TO SQUARE TO CIRCLE AND AROUND AGAIN, DYNAMIC, and CLARIFYING.  They then looked at the color hand drawn sri yantra from this website http://www.harinam.org/gnosis/SriYantra_larger.jpg.  The statement were: COLOR ADDS FEELING, INTENSITY, TRUTH BEING REVEALED, UNFOLDING, DRAWS ME IN and VESICA PISCIS is mentioned by Matteus.

    My conclusions are:
1.    Symmetry and geometry bring more clarity.
2.    That natural objects, if ordered in strict geometry, can bring as much clarity and order as computer drawings.
3.    NO symmetry brings in different LEVELS of feeling and less order. (more organic = less structure)
4.    That color changes the way viewers feel about an image.

    My next steps are draw a few of the basic mandalas using principles of sacred geometry to get more familiar with the archetypal shapes and forms and to research and repeat other mandalas besides sri yantra.  I will explore what materials I can use to be alternative and create dynamism with the ancient symbols.  I will also contemplate how to incorporate interactivity and technology.