I set up a system with this body of work based on “chakras”, (Sanskrit for wheel or disc), from the ancient Indian spiritual practice, making each piece with a group of 7 discs. The chakras represent the seven major energy centers in our subtle body, corresponding to the structure of our nervous system in our physical body. These mind/body connecting points become the basis for my conceptual/formal investigation, expanding the idea of body to self/world. The chakras are centers of organization for the reception, integration and expression of life force energy as it flows through us. Now that I have this underlying structural system with all its inherent connectivity, I am able to plug in other ideas.

The origin of this imagery is Japan, utilizing Japanese iconography from medieval to modern. The inspiration for the location of this show centers on the Kyoto Protocol, an international environmental treaty, in contrast with Shinto, Japan’s ancient nature based belief system that has a heightened appreciation and reverence for nature, spawning works concerning our present condition and global warming.

Shinto focuses on life on earth, pollution and purification are seminal. The relevance of Shinto is obvious, in our collective need to embrace the same reverence and respect for the environment, that we are intuitively connected with nature and not its manager or exploiter.  I found the ideals of Shinto correlating wonderfully with my work and to my art making practice. Shinto is about connectedness, each related item is interdependent with and responsive to each other. The emphasis on freshness over newness, renewal over innovation and the power of presence are important themes. In Shinto there is no border between an object and the work of that object as it is mystically energized, producing a sense of awe. Each individual has a truth in its individuality, giving truth to each other. Shinto has a plural-value orientation, there is no absolute truth, all coexists. All is one.

The form of several pieces is a play on the “enso”, (Japanese for circle). The enso, associated with Zen Buddhism, symbolizes enlightenment, embodying the great way of Zen: a circle like vast space, lacking nothing, and nothing in excess. ENSO also stands for “El-Nino Southern Oscillation”, a global coupled ocean-atmosphere phenomenon associated with floods, droughts and other natural disturbances in a range of locations around the world. How are our technologies and activities affecting this process? The title of my show is “HELL & HIGH WATER”, because the earth is overheating and the water level is rising.

Intertwined in my work combining modern wizardry  and medieval alchemy are the basic elements: fire (sun, heat, burning forests), air (atmosphere, storms, O & CO2 balances), water (rain, rivers, oceans, and their levels) and metal (as conductor, cars, airplanes). All are intimately connected and create a course of events as a result of their interplay of forces. Expressed with the fundamental elements of formalism, this exhibit seeks to illuminate our causal practice, fostering awareness through artistic practice.

PAUL DACEY   2009