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Swallowing the Ocean in a Single Gulp: the trappings of time and technology.

3/6/2014

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This sculpture is part of my BFA exhibit and has been a long time in the making. The inspiration for this piece has been with me for quite some time, though I did not know how it would manifest. When I first returned to college to pursue my BFA, I was what you would call technology challenged. I hadn't fallen into the trap of being eternally connected all the time. I quickly learned that technology is everywhere on a college campus. You communicate with your professors, utilize the library, even take tests and classes online. I thought I would pass out when I realized I had to pass a math test, a subject I hadn't utilized much in 25 years, and it was on the computer.  I watched students walking on campus, talking and texting, sometimes to their demise, almost clutching their devices like security blankets. I was sitting on a bench enjoying a beautiful day, butterflies and flowers all around, and the people around me barely noticed. They were in the world but disconnected from it, in favor of a virtual one. Like Pavlov's dogs, that little red notification sends us into a panic that we might be missing something, and we absolutely have to check it. We admire and show off our new devices like little golden idols, and we are never without them. Now don't get me wrong, I am not anti-technology; technology brings us amazing things and makes our lives better in a multitude of ways, but I do believe we need balance and some restraint. 

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This fascination with being plugged-in lures us into a false sense that we are multitasking and accomplishing more, when the by-product is mediocrity and distracted attention. We are never truly present in the moment and aware and focused. Our brains are not still; they are a cacophony of information ... and as Einstein once said, "Information is not knowledge." The zen Buddhist koan "swallowing the ocean in a single gulp" refers to a state of awareness when you are so present and focused in the moment the idea of "you" as separate fades away. You begin to sense that you are one with everything, that you could swallow the ocean, because you are the ocean: it is contained inside you. 

I utilized the lotus asana pose in the sculpture. The symbolism points to purity of consciousness and the journey of transformation from ignorance to awakening.  Each hand suggests a mudra, a symbolic hand position, which is in conflict with the technology held within it. The Vitarka mudra represents intellectual debate and reflects our need for further discussion on how to achieve balance. The Dhyana mudra is a gesture of meditation and balance. This pose is referenced in the hands that are texting to highlight the contradiction.


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The Abhaya mudra is a gesture of reassurance and means "have no fear." It is reflected in the hand taking the "selfie" but turned inward. This suggests that the "selfie" is the ultimate expression of insecurity and fear of how our appearance is perceived. The hand reaching towards the computer is reminiscent of the Bhumisparsha mudra that calls the earth to witness Buddha's enlightenment. In this instance, it is utilized to point to our obsession with a virtual world.  The last hand is empty, palm up. The serene and blissful look on the face of the goddess symbolizes the moment she realizes she can be present in the moment and that a lot can be learned by simply being and contemplating stillness and emptiness.

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Remembrance

2/21/2014

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Yesterday would have been my Mother's 93rd birthday. Yesterday I ordered my cap and gown and confirmed I would be walking in the May graduation ceremony. Today I am reflecting on the journey I have been on since I decided to return to school. One week from today I will install my BFA exhibit.  The past, the present, the future. These three things are the never-ending thread that weave their way through our lives affecting us in many ways. Most of us spend way too much time thinking of the past or dreaming of the future and precious little time on the present where we can really make a difference. I do like to reflect on the past occasionally because it helps me place things in context and allows me to appreciate how things have unfolded. 
     I enrolled in college a month after my Mother passed away, it was the first step in moving into a new role for me and leaving the role of caregiver behind. During my education my oldest daughter got married, my youngest graduated from college and moved out, I had both my hips replaced and now my oldest is expecting my first grandchild. A lot of learning and a lot of life have happened to me in these past 5 years, not all of it easy, in fact most of it was hard, really hard. But that does not make it bad. I think it is the really challenging things that show you who you are, what you are made of, what you can do. You can't allow fear, whether it is the fear of failure or the fear of being challenged, to keep you from growing. A good teacher of mine once said," There are two things that are sure to keep you down, fear and gravity." If I had allowed the fear of change to keep me from enrolling in college 5 years ago I wouldn't be standing right now in this amazing "present" I have created.
     When it came time to think about what my concept would be for my BFA exhibit it was a bit overwhelming. As I thought about it the realization came to me that my art usually has a biographical component to it, if it doesn't express how I feel about something it expresses how I feel about something I experienced. I decided to document the changes I have gone through in my 5 years completing my degree. One particular grouping, Seasons of Life, has a lot of emotional importance to me. It consists of 3 portrait busts, one of my oldest daughter and expectant mommie, one of myself and one of my Mother. I utilized the Celtic symbolism of the Maiden, Mother, Crone, the symbolism of birds and trees, and the inspiration of the Stevie Nicks song Landslide to pull all the feelings and emotions together.

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My Mother Marjorie looks down in reflection at her life gone by, she smiles wistfully as the furrows of years of worry over 7 children line her face. The swan, the celtic bird that carries the soul to the afterlife, nestles her shoulder comfortingly.  A pine tree, the symbol of everlasting life, reminds us that one never really dies.

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Wrapped in a mantle of the favorite tree of my childhood growing up in Illinois, I look confidently forward unafraid of who I am but still silently wondering "can I handle the seasons of my life." A small owlet, the celtic bird of the crone and a symbol of wisdom peeks out of the tree. Two trees intertwine to create the base, representing my husband and I, the foundation that allows me to grow. 

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My daughter Lauren, sometimes called Wren, is represented with a Carolina wren and a nest with eggs. She is looking up and out towards her life most of which lies ahead of her. Represented by Spring moving into Summer, she is full of hope and optimism.

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Gratitude

12/12/2013

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One of my favorite sayings is "live in an attitude of gratitude." It helps to remind me to be thankful in the moment for who and what I am, not yearn for what is lost or for what I don't have.  It is useless to dwell in a past that cannot be changed or a future that has not yet arrived. What we have is now, the present moment, to truly be able to create who we are. A year ago today I was laying in a hospital bed, unable to even lift my legs a 1/4 inch off the bed, recovering from my first of two total hip replacement surgeries. I was unsure of what the future held. What would this mean to me? What would I be able to do physically? It was useless to beat myself up as to why; I shouldn't have played volleyball so long, too much running, etc, nothing was gonna change the fact I had advanced osteoarthritis in both hips. All I had was what I could do in the moment: be grateful and work hard. Grateful that I had the means, the insurance and the family support to have these surgeries done. Grateful that my life lessons had taught me the value of hard work and what it means to reach for something that seems so far away and the understanding of what it would take to get there. It has been a year of fantastic experiences that have changed me for the better, physically and mentally. Experiences like learning how to walk again, struggling through physical therapy, and understanding what being healthy and fit means to me and how I make my Art.  The picture to the left is of me and my friend Mac McCusker moving a 175+ pound statue into a gas kiln a few weeks ago. Not only can I walk again, and without a limp, but I am back to living my life and creating artwork on my own terms.  The lovely statue in the picture was started last year in October. I struggled to create her through pain and the frustration of my body not being able to do what I wanted it to. Patiently she waited for me to recover, losing a few arms and a head along the way. I almost gave up on her; it was too much, too much time had passed, I wanted to just let her go. In a way she has become a metaphor for my experience. I am grateful. I am grateful for all the beautiful family, friends, and teachers who would not give up on me or let me give up on her. The network of beautiful relationships in my life allowed me to sail through this experience and persevere when I felt like quitting. I am working on the finishing details now, and she will be the focal point of my BFA show coming up in March. She is not perfect, like me, we both have scars, but hopefully what will be noticed is the beauty of the spirit not the perfection of the form. I am grateful, grateful for it all and to be here now in this moment.

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Transitions

11/10/2013

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Transitions. The definition states it is the process of change: a process or period in which something undergoes a change and passes from one state, stage, form or activity to another. Transitions happen, sometimes without us even knowing, often with a great deal of discomfort or effort. Artists witness transitions all the time. A piece of clay becomes a miniature copy of a person, what is soft clay hardens and becomes concrete, paper and paint are transformed into a work of art. As a culture we mark some of these transitions such as graduations, weddings, births, but others not so much. We may undergo a very significant personal change, physical or emotional, and as individuals completely let it pass by. I think a lot of what I try to communicate with my art are transitions of a sort. I am certainly going through a few of my own. I believe we must mark them and slow down to contemplate them and move into them meaningfully and with intention. I am transitioning from a student to a professional. I am moving from a nurturing educational environment to one in which I am the sole motivating factor. Resumes, portfolios, websites, Facebook pages, gallery openings. All of this marks a transition from student to professional. It all feels a little weird, a little awkward, maybe even a bit unreal. I am choosing to "fake it till I feel it, fake it till I make it, fake it till I become it" with energy and intention, remembering that I am choosing to become what I love, which lights my soul from inside and makes me feel more authentic than I have in a long time. I am telling the world that I am M.A. Bach, ARTIST, and inviting you along for the ride, it is sure to be an exciting one.    
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    M.A.Bach

    A studio artist specializing in sculpture and mixed media. A self taught artist for many years, Bach decided in her 40's to pursue a formal degree. While completing her BFA, she fell in love with clay and the figure. An avid gardener, traveler and student of the soul, Bach's work reflects her passion for learning and expressing the lessons she's learned along the way.

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