Title: Mandala for Contemplating the Next Century I - 1999 Materials: Flax and wood Size: 810mm x 810mm Description: Wall hanging by Vivienne Mountfort using Piu Pui technique stitched onto board. Carving by Riki Manuel: Maori female with mask moko. Price on application, the customer will be contacted about freighting costs.

 

Vivienne Mountfort concentrates mainly on natural and spiritual subject matter usually within a circular format. When describing her weavings she said: "Circles are deeply significant in my work. Many ancient human rites and traditions have been linked to the circle and the spiral. It seems to me the purest, simplest, and most encompassing form to convey my vision of completeness and fulfilment." Timelss, all embracing, the mandala is one of the great symbols of human experience. Literally its meaning is 'circle', but in its history from earliest times to present day psychology it has encompassed many manifestations; an universal emblem of the cosmos, image of God and aid to meditation and inner peace. The circular form and concentric structure reflect the shape of the universe outside and a sense of perfection within. Vivienne's uses the circle and mandala forms as allied symbols for our search for wholeness and inner peace. The representation of the universe as a series of concentric circles has been common in many cultures; and at the same time i is a model of the soul's journey from the periphery to the centre of all understanding. This is a journey common in many religious beliefs the aborigines of Australia and even psychiatric patients in search of wholeness in a fragmented world. Mandala for Contemplation under the Southern Cross

"Here in the South Pacific we have many issues to contemplate. There at the centre of the cross within the Mandala are the Austratilian Aborigine's concentric circles, reminding us of their reverence for tribal place and location. Further out are the Polynesian double spirals, their symbol for the struggle between life and death. "Surrounding these are variations on the circle within the square and the square within the circle, representing the technological revolution which has put a straight jacket on our search for spirituality. "There are four pointers urging us to strive to escape these restrictions and seek to take a cosmic view of the earth within the universe and at each one of us as a vital part of the one world human family." Title: Contemplation Under The Southern Cross Materials: Flax piu piu technique on hand made flax paper Size: 2.42 metres square

Philosophy behind the work "Through my work I am urging all peoples to examine their roots, origins and their basic life philosophy. Using motifs invested with racial memory I urge contemplation of the solitary nature of human existance, and the frailty and tenuousness of the human condition." In reference to this mandala, made entirely from flax (which itself has spiritual significance to do with birth and death in Maori Culture) Vivienne states: My work focuses upon the human condition - how we can best live; harmony in coexistence with one another and the environment. The latter is my perennial source of inspiration; it is an exemplary source of sustenance and kindness. Would that this was always reciprocated. The significance of the circle The circle is endless. Universally it signifies intimacy, eqality and infinity. Vivienne Mountfort has used the circle in her work since she was eighteen years of age because as she comments, 'it both conveys and symbolises my vision of the world, the possibilities of growth and fulfilment in the purist, simplest and all-encompassing form. Generations before me and cultures apart have indepentently used the circle to encourage contemplation and constant re-evaluation of our lives and how we live. As a form, the circle encourages endless reflection. This includes both the forming of relationships and the solitary journeying we must make, both the physical and the spiritual cycles. And perhaps only the circle, like a wonderous crucible of cycles and insights, can intimate to us how inextricably interrelated are the threads of this fragile framework we call existance.' Excerpt from a description of 'Harmmony in Co-existence' and exhibition of selected works at the Robert McDougall Art Gallery Cassandra Fusco, 1996 felt   flax   off loom weaving   commissions   collaborations   mandalas   philosophy   home  For further information ph (64 + 3) 388 2322 or email vulcanjewellery@clear.net.nz   Web design by Kate Spencer, contact her on 64 (3) 3322 370 or e-mail kate@artists.co.nz