{"id":8792,"date":"2011-11-03T07:00:24","date_gmt":"2011-11-03T07:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zatista.com\/blog\/?p=8792"},"modified":"2011-11-03T07:00:24","modified_gmt":"2011-11-03T07:00:24","slug":"meditative-mandalas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zatista.co.nz\/blog\/2011\/11\/03\/meditative-mandalas\/","title":{"rendered":"Meditative Mandalas"},"content":{"rendered":"

Geometry may not have been a favorite subject in school, but it makes for pleasing artwork.\u00a0One of our artists, Brian Sylvester<\/a>, creates symmetrical patterns using basic shapes and clear, intense colors. Most pieces form a mandala, a concentric design built on a\u00a0large circle, such as this piece, \u201cBlue Ring Mandala.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Blue Ring Mandala by Brian Sylvester on Zatista.com<\/p><\/div>\n

Traditionally, a mandala represented the universe: At the center sat the deity, and mankind formed the circle\u2019s edge. In Buddhism and Hinduism, mandalas are\u00a0a tool for meditation. The devotee would start by observing the outer edge of the design and slowly work his way toward the center. Like the universe, these works are often intricate.<\/p>\n

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17th Century Tibetan Five Diety Mandala from Wikipedia<\/p><\/div>\n

Brian\u2019s work, rather than representing the universe, often represents an aspect of the universe. From a human perspective, some of these aspects are quite large, such as \u201cSea and Sky\u201d:<\/p>\n

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Sea and Sky by Brian Sylvester on Zatista.com<\/p><\/div>\n

While some are small, like the viola, a flower:<\/p>\n

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Violas by Brian Sylvester on Zatista.com<\/p><\/div>\n

If you\u2019re interested in the use of mandalas in meditation, some museums now host meditation groups who focus on a specific piece of art. You can learn more through this Art News<\/a> blog post.\u00a0If you like Brian\u2019s work so much you\u2019d like wear it, you\u2019re in luck. He sells t-shirts<\/a>. Just don\u2019t be surprised if you find people \u201cmeditating\u201d on your chest.<\/p>\n

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Brian Sylvester t-shirt<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/a>You can also explore making your own mandala<\/a>, but if you do, you have to promise to report back to us here on WallSpin to let us know how it goes!<\/p>\n

Related articles<\/h6>\n