Climbing Out of The Abyss: Mono-prints & Mandalas by John Gutoskey

When

Friday December 1, 2017: 9:00am to Wednesday January 10, 2018: 9:00pm

Where

Downtown Library: 3rd Floor Exhibit

Description

How does one stay centered and present during a time in which so much of the news provokes personal stress and anxiety and a sense that the ideals of our democracy are under attack. How does one stay engaged in the world that seems to be falling apart and still have peace of mind? How does one keep a sense of faith in the goodwill of humanity when minorities, immigrants, women, and the poor are under constant attack by the government? How does one hold on to hope when our freedom and rights are threatened, and we are pitted against each other by politicians and the media?

The mixed media mono-prints in this exhibition are an attempt to address spirituality and mental well-being in a time of social, political, and international turmoil and upheaval.

The 3 mixed media mandalas are said to be mirrors of the inner or spiritual self. Mandalas–concentric diagrams–have spiritual and ritual significance. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention, as a spiritual teaching tool, for establishing a sacred space, and as an aid to meditation and trance induction. In common use, mandala has become a generic term for any plan, chart or geometric
pattern that represents the cosmos metaphysically or symbolically.