Gallery
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Khor lo is Tibetan for circle, wheel or spiral. Dkyil’khor literally means concentric circles from the center to the periphery, and so becomes mandala.
The mandala simplifies chaos and complexity, unifying many elements into one pattern of existence. The center point is the bindu, the point of emptiness, the midpoint of self. The central line from earth upward to the element ether is the axis mundi. Outward from the center are the four walls, encompassing the external world. These four directions of life, often represent the four elements: water, earth, air and fire. They may also represent the life qualities of us as living beings: our feelings, emotions, body and mind.
This assemblage work of 108 box panels carries the symbolism of the mandala into the everyday world of patterns: graffiti, old walls and sidewalks, fish baskets, manhole covers, the sides of old train cars. The attached objects that are included in the series were chosen from my collecting drawers in the studio or given by friends.
Catherine Eaton Skinner
2011