Wishing Mandala

I am here as an artist in resident at Annmarie sculpture park and art center to lead their summer public art program. I will be making an environmental art installation, New Mandala with natural found objects that reflect the locality of my current surroundings, Southern Maryland, with “Wishing Flag” component that the visitors of the garden will participate. This will be my 5th outside Mandala, 6th total Mandala piece I created.

First outside Mandala at Djerassi residency, Woodside, CA.

Every new Mandala has been evolved from previous version. And here in Annmarie, I can sense that I will be achieving to the next level. For last 3 days I am researching the new elements to the piece. I always wanted to make my piece more 3 dimensional. My last piece, Wetland Mandala, at Oysterville, Washington State, courtesy of the Espy foundation, was the first one which has significant height element.

I could have certainly repeated that structure, however I wanted to make it different off course. And I found the way. By using monofilament and ropes, I will create the visual walls in 4 directions that will have the illusion of mass when one sees it from the distance.
Another new elements to the “Wising Mandala” (working title, maybe Spider Mandala is better since I am putting strings everywhere) is “Wishing Flag” element. Public is asked to create a flag that they write their wishes on and decollate with their drawing and stamps that I carved.

The idea is that the wind carries out their wishes to the universe as like a Tibetan prayer flag.

The project is going forward!!

More photo of my mandala:
www.junart.net
flickr page