Footscray Community Arts
Amber Bead Mandala, Rosemary De Dear, (exact); 2002
MEDIUM: Digital print.
DESCRIPTION: A fractal exploration on 192 gsm archival matt. Image ranges from yellow, orange, and red to darker tones. Gold outer frame with a glass front.
The Mandalas geometric designs are symbolic of the universe and used in Hinduism and Buddhism as an aid to meditation. The creative possibilities that exist in these sacred circles, are often based on a step-and-repeat principle, centre, and symmetry. Here we see this put into practise. The mandala has an iris quality about it with 16 pillars pulling centrally to what looks like a pupil, the centre of the mandala. This then has more points around it and then more once again. This fractal approach gives the work a textural depth. The use of blurring and merging in a kaleidoscopic fashion creates movement, the circular flow repetitive and calming. The use of reds throughout mandata art represent the glowing sun and of fire, red generally taken to be the color of life, love, joy and rage, the polar values of the color. Orange the colour of cheerfulness and gaiety, a colour mixed from red and yellow, it stands for kind-heartedness and warm-heartedness.
Signed, titled, dated and editioned on image across bottom.de, print, digital, dear, amber, bead, mandala, fractal, expolration