Puja

[avad]

Just a few more days work and the hammmering part of Puja/Prayers will be done.
Mixed feelings as usual, part of me longing for completion, part of me sad that I won't be working on it everyday anymore, as it's become such a soothing part of my days. But I will make others, and my 'training' is far from over. Still it is difficult to concentrate. To harness my thoughts and work with them. To make a 'sound' with the best of me and send it out.

Comments

[harold3.livejournal.com]

what is puja? looks interesting from the pic... perhaps I should read your back journal and not be lazy... off to read your back journal I go.

[avad.livejournal.com]

'Puja'- a Hindu term- is 'the act of showing reverence to a god, a spirit, or another aspect of the divine through invocations, prayers, songs, and rituals'.
I have been working on hammered nail pieces such as this for many years now and it has become a very important ritual in my life. I do not prescribe to any one particular religion.I hammer out gratitude, questions, prayers. I'm interested in the common threads that tie together most religions and therefore I like to use as many different terms for the benevolence of 'prayer' as I can. This one will be Puja and will be painted in colors similar to an Indian Temple like the Meenakshi temple (http://www.iitk.ac.in/infocell/announce/bhopal/Meenakshi%20tample3.gif) in Madurai.

[sendao.livejournal.com]

It's almost mesmerizing just to stare at all those nails in neat little rows... and then the little hammer and a bunch of nails to show the scale, crazy. I can't wait to see this with the coloring added; I really dig the idea and can already see it in my mind.

[avad.livejournal.com]

:) i'll definitely post pics...the painting will be such a great different process.

points of emanation

[rokkitz.livejournal.com]

it's incredibly beautiful.
it's like each nail is a bindhu
embedded in a matrix of maze-space!
it's a learning process, a transformation nailed down
there's a gradient of experience that's uniform in intention
the gradual focusing of tones
shining through a full spectrum of sound-colours

oh man i wish i was a little teeEEEny-tiny critter. you'd know where to find me

*poof*

Re: points of emanation

[avad.livejournal.com]

what a beautiful poetic description! :)!!!

you know, at times an ant would find its way onto the piece. I knelt down low and tried to get their perspective and I just couldn't imagine how they wouldn't lose their little minds. Talk about a house of mirrors or endless labyrinth!!Couldn't help thinking of the ants in Pi as well. *chuckle*
Maybe it's becoming CONSCIOUS..?.;)

[virtuallyverbal.livejournal.com]

wow, you must have the sound of hammering nails in your head, with the vibration resting on your wrist.

in a trance...dreams of nailing.

and of course stiffness in the knees and back, must feel good to stand up and reach for the ceiling after 3 hours of hammering.

how smooth it will be to paint, hmm.

[avad.livejournal.com]

hehe. I'm trying to lessen the stress on my wrists..and body in general.I would never hammer for 3 hours straight- way too risky. I hammer one line- used to be one a day,- now that it is up to about 4 a day, they are well spaced out time wise.

Painting- it will get a backround color...during which I can paint right over and around the nails...and then various nails will be painted individually in other colors with enamel...It's not that hard. I'm not creating an image or anything...just sort of paying homage by adding color to them...for me it's similar to lighting candles.

[darkfader.livejournal.com]

Damn girl, you need a nailgun! (or would that defeat some artisticness, maybe beating the nails in with a rubber spoon would have more impact or signify the futility of life or some other blandly artistic notion) Anyway, wow. Again, wow. This time with feeling, Wow.

From a distance that could look like some small type in an alien language written really small.

What would it say?

peace.

[avad.livejournal.com]

hehe.it WOULD say peace.
Well, the process is actually the most important part of the piece,much more than the finished product, so nope, no nailgun possibility.;) For each nail, I am thinking a thought, a prayer and sending it out. It's an exercise, a meditation that I chose to do.
Here are other similar pieces (http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=2041967&uid=135657) ..some where I am really writing out the thoughts in a code based on the size and sequence of how it would be in english. :)

[darkfader.livejournal.com]

In some circles, creating a piece and putting energy and a thought into each part/nail/whatever would be called magic/k.

And wow, magic is right! I just looked at some of the pieces you posted pics of and i'm beside myself in awe! A friend saw them on my screen and asked for the link too... One day i will commission you to make me the most beautiful bed of nails ever and ask you to lie on it with me.

I feel odd encouraging artists to keep doing what they are doing, because even more than most people we need to grow and evolve and experiment with our world, our medium, trying out all the wonderous and pnderous things that manifest within us. But i also know that praise is all that keeps you going somtimes and that you undoubtedly deserve it.

Pound a nail for me, even if it's just one, in some nameless work that never gets shown. The impact of metal against metal creates magnetic and electrical current that anyone can feel, even from here.

[avad.livejournal.com]

:) thanks. will do.