20.2.07

Robert Pasternak

Robert Pasternak (Nak) is one of Canada's most prolific and original visionary artists. He has strong roots in both Realism and Surealism and could be described as a metaphysicist. His Meta Figure paintings reveal glimpses of the hidden aspects or vibrations of the Human Being, showing the inner life in favour of the mundane, outer shell. Our bodies, he believes, are only the simplest and coarsest aspect of our Being. Our preoccupation with the outer shell leaves us with the illusion of our separateness from each other and the Cosmos.

15.2.07

Pachamama

Para os andinos, Pachamama é uma deusa, a Mãe Terra. A palavra "Pacha" originalmente significa universo, mundo, lugar, tempo, enquanto que "mama" significa mãe. É a geradora de abundância e de tudo que na terra existe. É a vida, as estações, a fecundidade, é o ciclo da vida, da morte, do renascimento.
O primeiro de agosto é o seu dia, quando, nesta ocasião, os andinos fazem suas oferendas. Normalmente, as oferendas são compostas de comida cozida, e enterradas próximo à casa. Também se oferenda folhas de coca, tabaco, cerveja ou chicha, vinho, doces para alimentar e agradecer à Mãe Terra.
Diz a lenda que Pachamama aparece aos homens como uma velha e pequena senhora. Os estrangeiros que a vêem, segundo a lenda, jamais deixarão de retornar aos Andes.
Conectar-se com a grande mãe, é conectar-se com a abundância e alegria da vida.
Por Tatiana Menkaíka

Jafeth Gomez

11.2.07

Morada do Sol, Matutu

Fotos:Dan Lavenere

Germinam as plantas
na noite da terra,
crescem os brotos
pela força do ar,
amadurecem os frutos
pelo poder do sol.

Assim germina a alma
no relicário do coração,
assim cresce o poder do espírito
na luz do mundo,
assim amadurece a força do homem
no fulgor de Deus.

R. Steiner

Para ver o blog, acesse:www.do-sol.blogspot.com

VI Encounter for the New Horizon, a photo report

Community of Fortaleza
Capixaba, Acre, Brazil
Dec 30, 2006 to Jan 9, 2007

Photos by Lou Gold



See all the Photo Report at http://lougold.blogspot.com/2007/02/photo-report-vi-encounter-for-new_471.html
Pisanello
Kirsti Ottem Langeland

Rio Purus e Igarapé Mapiá

Fotos:Carla Alves




Art by Betty Laduke

Huichol Crafts


Fotos:Lise Török

Fotos:Lise Török



10.2.07

3.2.07

Iconography

Andrew Stephen Damick

Iconography is the branch of Art History which studies the identification, description and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek εικον (image) and γραφειν (to write), and particularly denotes the use of symbols in a painting to make clear the significiance of what it depicts.

Iconografia


A Arte do Ìcone, remontada aos primeiros tempos do cristianismo, teve origem na Palestina, Síria, Egípto e é depois desenvolvida na Grécia e na Rússia do XII ao XV século. O primeiro pintor de ícone foi o evangelista S. Lucas, que é representado no ato de pintar a imagem da Senhora com o Menino Jesus. Os ícones bizantinos pintadas sobre a madeira segundo as regras da antiga tradição, respeitam um saber
teológico e simbólico reservado em tempo a pouquíssimos monges, ascetas, santos e adeptos. O pintor asceta que pintava a imagem sagrada devia por isso penetrar o segredo dos símbolos, respeitar as correspondências cromáticas e escolher acuradamente os materiais a utilizar.
Já em 1971 Tommaso Palamidessi, o fundador da escola de Arqueosofia, trouxe à luz esta especialíssima arte ilustrando os segredos técnicos e as bases teológicas através da obra: O Ícone, as cores e a ascese artística, Doutrina e experiências para uma via até à auto-superação e uma consciência divina da Arte.
Escreve Tommaso Palamidessi: No momento no qual o artista coloca a mão
ao pincel às cores da paleta, a sua consciência experimenta o amplexo com a natureza que ele observa fora e dentro de si e que projeta sobre o quadro de lenho ou sobre a tela. Mas porque este processo psicossomático surge no indivíduo primitivo e naquele civilizado, no idiota ou no louco, no santo e no ateu, com incalculável influxo
emotivo em quem vê a criação destas obras e em quem as produz, até a influenciar os processos de evolução espiritual pessoal, é evidente que para o homem sábio a Arte pictória e os seus produtos devem ser utilizados com finalidades elevadas, de perfeição moral e espiritual, e não de queda, dor, ruína ou morte interior. A luz física e as cores têm uma ação reflexa sobre uma outra luz e outras cores, que podemos definir de natureza psíquica. É portanto extremamente perigoso ignorar
o significado profundo espiritual, anímico e erótico das sete cores do espectro cromático. Diz Gogol: "Se a arte não completa o milagre de transformar a alma do espectador, é somente uma paixão passageira.

Adão e Eva: Qual foi o pecado?

Por Rabino Manis Friedman
Na primeira sexta-feira, sexto dia da Criação, quando o mundo era inocente e puro, Adão e Eva estavam vivendo no Jardim do Éden, recentemente criados pelas mãos de D'us.
Receberam a tarefa de cultivar e proteger o Jardim. D'us lhes ordenou: "Não comam da árvore do conhecimento, pois no dia em que comerem morrerão." Tiveram uma opção: abster-se de comer o fruto da árvore e viver para sempre no Jardim; ou comê-lo e serem banidos para o mundo da mortalidade. Após três horas de sua criação, comeram da árvore. D'us permitiu que Adão e Eva permanecessem enquanto durasse o Shabat, mas quando este terminou, foram expulsos do Éden para sempre.
É uma história intrigante, e desperta várias questões. D'us criou dois seres humanos perfeitos, sem nenhuma malícia ou "bagagem." Ele, o Todo Poderoso, ordenou-lhes explicitamente para não comer o fruto de uma determinada árvore. Mesmo assim, estas duas almas inocentes, que jamais haviam sido expostas a influências corruptoras, desobedeceram-no em poucas horas. Houve alguma falha em sua criação? Ou, inimaginável, havia algo errado com D'us? O diretor de uma escola cujas instruções seguem ignoradas é um líder ineficiente. Se D'us falasse a você e dissesse: "Não coma desta árvore," após alguma horas, você iria em frente e comeria?
Era o plano de D'us que Adão e Eva vivessem para sempre no Jardim, em um estado Divino de pureza, inocência e imortalidade? Ou, Seu plano era criar um mundo no qual existisse o mal e, ou obedecemos Suas leis escrupulosamente e vamos para o céu, ou as desobedecemos e vamos para o inferno?
Nos ensinamentos chassídicos, esta pergunta é feita em tons mais suaves: Por que D'us desejaria instilar em nós um pedacinho de Si Mesmo, a alma Divina, e expô-la a um mundo de feiúra e trevas?
Como a Cabalá explicará, a descida proporciona uma subida ainda maior. D'us criou o universo por um desejo de "uma morada nos mundos inferiores." Este é o significado mais profundo de "algo a partir do nada," como a Torá descreve a criação. "Nada" significa que nada há sobre um universo físico que justifique sua própria existência - somente o desejo de D'us de fazer de nosso mundo um lar, de tornar este mundo de carne e pedra hospitaleiro a Ele, onde Ele possa ser conhecido e adorado. Eva entendeu a necessidade de D'us de que este mundo inferior, um mundo contaminado pela morte e pelo pecado, fosse elevado e unido a Ele. Ela entendeu que os seres humanos devem deixar o Éden e descer ao mundo inferior, e ali criar um lar para D'us. Ela entendeu que a tarefa de elevar os "seis dias da semana" culminando no Shabat e os "seis milênios" levando à nossa redenção.
E assim ela comeu da árvore, e convenceu Adão a fazer o mesmo. Quando D'us perguntou a Adão: "Tu comeste da árvore?" - não foi uma repreensão ou censura. Ele estava admirando a sabedoria de Adão em ter tomado a decisão correta. Adão, em sua inocência, admitiu que fora a sabedoria de Eva, não a sua. "Ela deu-me o fruto da árvore, e eu comi." Em resposta, D'us disse: "Porque o fizeste, morrerás; comerás o pão pelo suor de teu rosto, e em dor darás à luz." Este não foi um castigo pelo pecado, mas sim uma continuação do plano, com o qual Adão e Eva tinham voluntariamente se comprometido. O mundo agora pode tornar-se confortável para Ele, quando as coisas que O definem - Seus mandamentos - são praticados. Assim fazendo, preparamos o mundo para nossa suprema redenção

Árvore da Vida, Gustave Klimt

Adão e Eva, Gustave Klimt

Sangomas of Southern Africa

Joyce Birkenstock

Sangomas are the traditional healers in the Zulu, Swazi, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Venda and Tsongo/Shangaan traditions in southern Africa. They perform a holistic and symbolic form of healing, embedded in the beliefs of their culture that ancestors in the afterlife guide and protect the living. Sangomas are called to heal, and through them ancestors from the spirit world can give instruction and advice to heal illness, social disharmony and spiritual difficulties.

Huichol Indians of Mexico and the Peyote

The Peyote cactus is the centerpiece of their sacred ritualism. It is the vehicle by which they obtain their mystical union with the gods. It has been revered for centuries by the Huichol for its curative properties and its ability to "enlighten" the one who partakes of it.
The Huichol do not have a word which corresponds to what we of the Western tradition have called hallucination. Our definition of the word would be unthinkable for a Huichol who knows nothing of such foolish terms concocted by a paranoid establishment and its "paid for" psychologists. The flow of sacred imaging through the mind's eye is always present within the individual as can be seen by the various ways of accessing it around the world through shamanic, religious, meditative and various forms of physical manipulation and chemical means. The Huichol have practised this way of seeing beyond the normal physical realm for eons and live in communal balance long before the Europeans arrived with their chains.

José Benitez Sanches



In the past thirty years, about four thousand Huichols have migrated to cities, primarily Tepic, Nayarit, Guadalajara and Mexico City. It is these "citified' Huichols who, because of the need for money have drawn attention to their rich culture through their art. To preserve the ancient beliefs and ritual ceremonies, they began making detailed and elaborate yarn paintings. The Huichols have only an oral tradition and no written language (thus the many differing spellings of Huichol words). "Through their artwork, the Huichol Indians encode and document their spiritual knowledge." notes Susana Eger Valadez in 'Huichol Indian Sacred Art'. In their artwork the Huichol express their deepest religious feelings and beliefs acquired through a lifetime of participation in ceremonies and rites.
By Angela Corelis

Native American Art

Fr. John Giuliani

This unadorned Navajo Christ moves forward beyond the frame, and with his hands initiates a welcoming embrace. His compassionate countenance bears the marks of human suffering summoning us to transform our own.
Traditional iconography gives witness to the human face of the Sacred. This icon, imaged in the features of America’s indigenous peoples, reveals anew that sacred power. It celebrates the soul of the Native American as the original spiritual presence on this continent, and as a prophetic sign, it celebrates the reconciliation of the spiritual vision of Native and Christian peoples of this land.


The Choctaws were the first of the “Five Civilized Tribes” — the Choctaws, Cherokees, Chickasaws, Creeks and Seminoles — selected for the Government’s westward removal of Indian peoples living east of the Mississippi River. Beginning in the winter of 1831-1832, the majority of Choctaws were moved west to Indian territory — present day Oklahoma.
For the most part, the Choctaws’ everyday clothing was indistinguishable from that of their neighbors. In this Choctaw image of the Virgin Mother, She wears a one piece cotton dress and ruffled aprons, both finely decorated with applique worked in contrasting colors; an ornamental hair comb, glass bead necklaces and elaborate native-made silver earrings. The Child wears a native-made shirt embellished with finely cut and stitched applique. Together, Mother and Child stand before a screen of indigenous evergreens.
Extract from website
Fr. John Giuliani

Jesus and the Disciples stand side by side, positioned as if for a group photograph. Jesus is wrapped in a Navajo Chief blanket, and each disciple in one of distinctive Navajo design.

2.2.07

Pierre Fatumbi Verger 1902-1996

Virgen de Regia, Cuba

Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Brazil

Candomblé, Brazil

Pierre Edouard Leopold Verger is born in Paris on November 4 th 1902. From a middle-class upbringing, until his thirties Pierre Verger leads a rather conventional lifestyle, corresponding to his social condition, even if he intimately disagrees with those class values. The year 1932 marks a turning point: he learns photography from his friend Pierre Boucher and discovers his passion for travel. Verger buys his first Rolleiflex camera, and after the death of his mother decides to realise his deepest desire: to become a lonesome traveller. Since the death of his father and two brothers, Verger’s mother had been his sole remaining parent, who he did not want to hurt in choosing an anticonformism and roving lifestyle.
Between December 1932 and August 1946, Pierre Verger travels around the world, making a living exclusively from his photographic art. Negot iating his negatives with newspapers, photo agencies and research institutions, Verger takes pictures for various companies and even exchanges his services for travel tickets. Paris becomes his base, where he receives his friends - including Jacques Prévert’s party and the ethnologists from the Ethnographic Museum in Trocadero square - while making contacts for new trips. He has his work published in the best magazines of the time, but as stardom is not his aim, Verger is always on the brink of a new departure: “The sensation that there was a wide world out there didn’t leave me, and the longing to see it took me towards new horizons”.
Things start to change in 1946, when Verger disembarks in Bahia. While Europe lives the turmoil of the post-war period, Salvador is a haven of tranquillity. Verger is immediately seduced by the hospitality and the cultural wealth of the city, and decides to settle there. As anywhere else in the world, he prefers the company of common people and the simplest places. Black people, omnipresent in Bahia, monopolize his attention. More than mere protagonists of his photographs, they become his friends, whose lives Verger seeks to know about in detail. When discovering candomblé, Verger identifies in it the source of the vitality of the people of Bahia. He then engages in meticulous research on the Orishas and their cult. His interest for religions of African origins allows him to receive a research grant to study their rituals in Africa, for where he departs in 1948.
It is in Africa that Pierre Verger is reborn, receiving in 1953 the name of Fatumbi, which means “one who was reborn for Ifá”. His intimacy with the cult, initiated in Bahia, facilitates his contact with priests and local authorities. Verger ultimately becomes a Babalaô, diviner of Ifá prophecies, consequently accessing the heart of the Yoruba oral traditions. It is at the same time that he starts one more new career as a researcher. Not satisfied with the 2 000 negatives Verger already presented as results of his research, the French Institute of Black Africa (Institut Français d’Afrique Noire / IFAN), directed then by Théodore Monod, requests from Verger a detailed account of the observations he made during his African travels. Whether he likes it or not, Verger has no other choice than to accept and in 1957 he publishes Notes sur le culte des orixás et voduns. In doing so, he unintentionally enters the sphere of scientific research, a universe that will interest him passionately and to which he will remain attached for the rest of his life.
Though he has now a precise direction for his work - the history, customs and religions of Yoruba peoples in West Africa and of their descendants in Bahia - Verger remains a nomad. He becomes a messenger between those two worlds, conveying information, messages, ritual objects and presents. As collaborator and guest researcher for various universities, he discloses his research in lectures, books and articles. In 1960, Verger buys a small house in Salvador, in the Vila América neighbourhood. The late 1970s see him detaching from photography and accomplishing his last research trips in Africa.
During the last years of his life, his main concern is to make his research available to a wide public and to protect his archives. This leads to the creation in 1988 of the Pierre Verger Foundation, of which he is donor and president, gradually transforming his house into a research centre. Pierre Verger dies on the 11 th of February 1996, leaving the Foundation with the task of carrying on with his work.
Extract from Verger's web site
Photo:Henry Hollidays