Gallery
* If viewing on a mobile device, click the white dot in the corner of artwork to get full description.
Re Re – One By One
Counting and measuring have been our way to bring order to the disorder around us. This series pursues a deeper investigation of the symbolic number, 108, which is sacred to Buddhists and Hindus. I have applied photography, oil and encaustic to panels in order to explore a variety of counting systems – from primitive tally marks and I Ching notations to our modern, binary coding, all of which encompass the 108 count and digital encoding of “one hundred eight.” These complex patterns express abstractions that are evocative of ancient textiles, wall graffiti and partially erased blackboards. I have used a wide array of gestures – from delicate tracery to incising with a stick. There are single strokes with large antique sumi brushes, as well as finger marks dragging paint across the surface. Each piece becomes an offering to new possibilities: a modern mandala born out of ancient traditions.
Tao generates one. One generates two, two generates three. Three generates all things.
Lao Tsu
Catherine Eaton Skinner
2013