Art & Sol Interactive Magazine about Art & Lifestyle
Mind Body & Spirit Tips on how to tame the monkey mind.
Charweigh Tsai Explores connection between Art,Spirit & nature.
Vegan Philosophy Why a Vegan diet is a healthier option
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Quarterly Magazine
Contents Letter from Editor - pg 3 Art and Craft Charweigh Tsais Art of Liberation - pg 4 Paolo Ventura, Winter Stories - pg 6, 7 Insight Mind, Body and Spirit - pg 8, 9 Vegan Philosophy - pg 12 Speak to the Soul of Everything! - pg 13 A beautiful Mind Healing Animal therapy - pg 14-15 Chakra Healing - pg 16
3. Editors note
Contributions Editorial Director Georgia Strazzeri georgia.strazzeri@gmail.com
Welcome! Please leave your shoes at the Staircase and enter with your soul!
ART DIRECTOR Amos Hong amos.hong@gmail.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Laura Murray Cree, Anne Alekson, Andy Smith Contributing Photographers Georgia Strazzeri, Paolo Ventura Greta Tuckute Design layout Studio 33
ART & SOL brings together an eclectic mix of inspiring content about art, nature, philosophy and lifestyle. Consistently sharing content that is unique and hollistic in its approach. In this edition of Art and Sol, We invite you to take a journey with us to explore the etheral world of SOUL. A quality many find difficult to describe, and even harder to attain. Indeed Soul can mean many things- an act of amnesty and
compassion, self expression, sense of self worth, purpose and self identity. We are advocates of truth, and understand importance of raising awareness about human suffering and the need for artistic expression. Art & Sol aims to nourish and inspire the mind, to promote works of artistry and integrity, and to celebrate people and initiatives that will improve the world in which we live, Love and light to all,
4. Arts and Crafts
5. Arts and Crafts | Photography
“She explores the concept of impermanence. Concerned with understanding more deeply her place within the natural world.”
Charwei Tsais Art of liberation Laura Murray Cree
Charwei Tsai is an artist for whom life and work are indivisible. Her present concern is to understand more deeply her place within the natural world through aesthetic meditations on the cycles of existence. Her Buddhist studies provide a framework for exploring philosophical and ethical issues around humanity's relationship with nature and the inevitability of death. A recent invitation to exhibit in Australia gave her the opportunity to reflect on a vast island continent very different from her birthplace of Taiwan. She chose 'Water, Earth and Air' as the title of her 2009 exhibition at Sherman Contemporary Art Foundation. Although not from a religious family, Tsai memorised
the Prajna Paramita, or Heart Sutra, to quell her childhood fears; now she uses this and other texts as the wellspring of her art. When she wrote the sutra in calligraphic script on a slab of fresh tofu at the opening of ‘Water, Earth and Air’ Tsai’s movements were fluid, her demeanour calm and centred. Creating work outdoors and in changing environments allows Tsai to contemplate the heating and cooling of the earth and how the movement of wind and tides affect natural systems. Sydney because these most basic elements provide the materials of her thought and art. This quietude is evident in many of her video works, whether she is alone or working with others. Yet she
freely admits that her Fish project, 2008, which involved writing text from the ‘One China’ policy onto a living fish, caused her extreme stress: ‘Coming from a Chinese cultural background, I saw animals less as living beings and more as food ... [but] when it came to the actual writing part, I was shaking and had a hard time justifying the act. I stopped eating meat for a month.’2 Although she has used hermit crabs, raw baby octopus and raw meat in her practice, Tsai now works only with plant materials.
LINKS lovelydaze.com artandaustralia.com.au
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6. Arts and Crafts|photography
7. Arts and Crafts|photography
PAOLO VENTURA WINTER STORIES
Words Andy smith
In Winter Stories internationally acclaimed artist Paolo Ventura presents an imaginative series of photographs depicting scenes from the memory bank of a fictional circus performer as he looks back on his life during his final moments. Using his own childhood memories, beautiful miniature figures, and extraordinarily detailed sets constructed from props purchased at flea markets, Ventura creates a fictional Northern Italian town where a traveling carnival or circus has stopped. The atmospheric sets are populated by diverse and lifelike characters, including clowns, harlequins, tightrope walkers,
and lion tamers. Ventura’s work evokes a simpler time from Italy’s past, but with a dark twist—shadowy backdrops and retreating figures remind us that this is not quite Eden. A master of narrative staged photography, Ventura brings his imagined stories to life by building three-dimensional sets in miniature after doing ink drawings and watercolors as a starting point for his stories. His work has been exhibited internationally. Ventura is represented by Hasted Kraeutler, New York. He lives in New York.
Reviews “Taking visible cues from filmmakers like Federico Fellini, Ventura carefully constructs and photographs what indeed seem like miniature movie sets. They are haunting approximations of old world Italy inhabited by spectral circus performers. These are the faded memories recalled and romanticized during the winter of one performer’s life.” “Skillfully crafted and hauntingly evocative, the work is filled with a sweet melancholy of an era, but remains timeless in its ability to resonate with contemporary audiences.”
9. Insight
8. Insight
“If we value the persuit of knowledge, we must be free to follow wherever that search may lead us. The free mind is not a barking dog to be tethered on a 10 foot chain.” Adlai E. Stevenson
Mind Body & Spirit Like the rules to a new board game, we read these rules with our minds at half-power, as our goal is to learn and follow. Even under the guise of what we comically call education, most of us, most of the time, are taught to copy. To memorize. To understand someone else’s theories. What are we being trained for in life by this other than to perform these same thoughtless behaviors. The beginning of wisdom starts with asking two questions. Why do we believe what we believe? And how we know what we know? Like chains we bound ourselves to fulfill social status quos and fit in to other conventions of society. We urge you to take the time to listen to your own intuition. To take the path of self knowing, self
growth, and self ownership. It is vital to understand ones mind set, personal habits and thought patterns. Be aware of your reactions to those around you. Recognise that you are so much more than you have been conditioned to think you are. These thought patterns have a direct correlation to your well being - mind, body and soul. As well as the people around you. Breaking down the unhealthy conditioning & habits accumilated throughout your life can be daunting at first. However living a life of truth and spiritual growth will help relieve personal suffering created in our mind, and maintain the peace and wholeness that has been within us all the time.
It seems that humans have explored the ocean’s bottom and planetary moons, and developed all sorts of amazing technology, but still are in mystery about the brain. Scientist are pushed into bringing in quantum effects, complexity theory and holographic models into their theoretical models in order to explain basics like perception, consciousness and memory. It has been calculated that there are more possible connections in one human brain than there are atoms in the entire universe. The brain is very alive, plastic and flexible organ, capable of learning, understanding and dynamically rewiring itself based on our demands. Having the ability to change and adapt and can make
us into something better than what we are. It can help us to transcend ourselves. Although there are many things that are known about the brain. We do know that it is the most complex structure on the planet.
LINKS
brainartproject.com www.spiritscience.com
“Insight moments” are an important component of creativity, and knowing how to generate these “eureka” moments can result in better problem solving and innovative solutions. A relaxed and positive mood enhances the brain activity required for the ‘aha’ moment to take place in our brain. Pleasure can play a big part in this process as it can enhance positive mood. Independently of the basic functions, evolution has developed areas in our brain with the purpose of providing us with a pleasurable sensation. They form what neuroscientists call the “reward circuit”. Part of this circuit, called ‘Nucleus
Accumbens’, provides the motivation and passion to do what we want to do. It is in this area that a particular chemical gets released when we enjoy –or about to enjoy- something. This chemical is called Dopamine (also known as the chemical of desire). Every time we do something we like, dopamine is released in the brain and we feel good! We see a direct correlation between how pleasure affects our creative brain; that is, when we are happy and we feel good, our brains are more open and relaxed, which will in turn allows us to think more clearly and perhaps get that moment of insight.
10. Insight
11. Insight
College of natural Therapies
nature care college www.naturecare.com.au
Phone: 02 8423 8333
13. Insight
12. Insight
“The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
Speak to the soul of everthing..
mahatma_gandhi.
Words Anne aleckson Photography GEORGIA STRAZZERI
LINKS
The Vegans Society Vegans do not consume or use dairy products or eggs even though doing so would not kill the animal. Part of the reason is a belief in the absolute right of animals to exist freely without human interference, but also because many commerciallyraised egg-laying chickens and dairy cows are slaughtered when their productivity declines with age - this is even the case with free range animals. Many vegans also
say that there would still be slaughter of animals if we all became vegetarians who only consumed dairy and eggs from animals. Bulls and cockerels would most likely be slaughtered at birth, unless everybody were willing to pay more for their eggs and dairy in order to maintain these “unproductive” animals. Farming today is very different from what it used to be. Modern farms are highly mechanized factories - a lot of animals are given products to make them produce more. Vegans say that veganism is a lifestyle with a philosophy that animals are not ours to use. Eating animal fats and proteins has been shown in studies to raise a person´s risk of developing cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, heart disease, and a number of other illnesses and conditions. The fat
and protein content of cow´s milk is very different from human milk - vegans say that we are not designed for consuming cow´s milk. Whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and legumes contain no cholesterol and are low in fat, especially saturated fats. They are also high in fiber and other nutrients. Vegans say there are several plant based foods that are good sources of protein, such as beans, peanuts, and soya. Livestock farming, vegans say, has a devastating effect on our planet. A vegan believes that producing food through animal farming is inefficient, because animal feed production takes up a lot of land, fertilizer, water, and other resources - resources that could be used for feeding humans. More people globally could be fed if we all became vegans.
Every soul is a magnificent being and now is the time when we have moved from mind over matter to a place of realisation that the soul is the boss! Everything has a soul, everything. Addressing the soul is such a beautiful experience. Being able to speak, hear, feel and heal at the level of the soul has been such a gift and blessing, and how simple it is. There is a beautiful relationship between soul, mind and body, as they are in constant communication with each other, and when the harmony is not kept amongst them, this is when illness, struggles, and what I call blockages occur. At one stage in my journey I wanted to have the beauty and love of marriage. The direction and order of my soul was ‘not at this moment’. My soul gave the
order of what was required and this was passsed to the subconscious mind that inturn passed the order and direction of my conscience mind. The conscious mind will make the final decision but the decision was directed to it by my soul. Now my subconscious mind did not agree with the direction of my soul and it said, ‘ No you must marry now, it is the right thing to do. Your family and friends agree and want this.’ My conscious mind and ego agreed and thus, disharmony and imbalance was created. What I did not understand is that the soul is the boss, and the deep spiritual truth of when one plans to do something your soul agrees with then things will go much smoother, than they would if your soul disagreed. If your subconscious mind and conscious mind and soul are in agreement,
then your decision will be blessed, peaceful, joyous, creative and successful. This is true whether it involved business, relationships, your spiritual journey or your healing journey. If a decision is made where there is disagreement then problems or blockages occur. In my case my soul was not happy and nore was that of my partners so the end result was seperation. Thanks to the addressing the soul of the relationship and asking for forgiveness we are extremely close friends today. Your soul will create these blockages becuase it is not happy. The soul is the boss so heal the soul first then healing of the mind and body will follow. The self realisation of this will allow us to always walk the path of beauty, to follow natures way and always be in harmony with mind body and soul.
14. Healing
15. Healing
“Lump was allowed into Picasso’s studio as the artist was working. Jacqueline, Picasso’s second wife, was the only other being given this privilege.”
Pet Therapy can heal peoples emotional issues.. Who could dispute that animals can have a positive effect on emotional well-being? With research being conducted into the field of alternative medicine on an on-going basis, more and more people are beginning to realize the cathartic effects that animals are having on individuals well-being, especially so in those patients suffering with depression. While some people recover from depression using medications alone, there are many others, who would prefer to use a combination of alternative therapies to try to alleviate the symptoms of depression. One of these treatments being studied is ‘Pet Therapy’, but what is this alternative and how could it help?
Many scientists have spent endless hours looking into the different types of therapy available for treating depression as an illness; ‘Pet Therapy’ has been concluded as one of these therapies. Animals have long been recognized as being a positive force in the healing process. Dogs notably have a calming and therapeutic effect on people. They can help individuals to cope with the emotional issues related to their illness. They also offer physical contact with another living creature and help to divert a person’s attention from their pressing daily problems. Owning a dog brings about a sense of responsibility. Dogs rely on their owners for feeding, walking,
a)
c) e)
b) d)
attention and love. What better excuse for a depressed person to get out of bed in the morning? Dogs love almost everyone without any degree of prejudice or rejection. You do not need to speak any type of language to communicate with a four-legged friend. Give them a treat, tickle their tummy and they will love you without bounds. Dogs are aware of illness and sadness and genuinely want to provide companionship and comfort; they show an abundance of intelligence and are both intuitive and compassionate. Any dog owner will relate and agree with me when I say that it is a warm feeling when their dog can detect their sorrow and lick their tears away.
f)
Continuation.. Pet Therapy can facilitate many positive changes one such example being increased socialization skills. Animals can be used as part of group therapy programs to encourage communication and increase the ability to focus. Helping to develop a person’s self-esteem and reducing their loneliness and anxiety are just some potential benefits of individual-animal therapy. The bond between humans and animals is demonstrated every day in millions of homes around the world. It is also becoming a powerful, common mode of therapy in many facilities such as hospitals, schools and residential
homes. While it is difficult to measure and quantify the benefits of dog therapy with hard scientific fact, there is no question that the magical interaction possible between animal and human is unmistakable. Tears can be dried. Scowls transform into smiles. Silence is broken and lastly but not least importantly loneliness and isolation can be ejected from a person through mere touch and cuddles. Dogs offer their owner’s absolute and unconditional love and a level of boundless patience that no human could ever possibly give. The love of a dog is unlimited, what better form of alternative therapy could there be?
Words Andy smith
Art Works above a-b. Andrew Pinkham c-d. Ellen Mark e-f. Charlotte Cory
LINKS Fourandsons.com
Animal Rescue Monicas Doggie Rescue Cat Protection Society Oscarslaw.org
16. Healing
Chakra Healing
Words Anne alekson Ever experience a “knot” in your gut? How ’bout an unusual feeling in the “pit of your stomach?” Simply put, the solar plexus, otherwise reffered to as the naval chakra is a thick cluster of nerves and supporting tissue behind the stomach, just below the diaphragm. Since so much energy is stored in this chakra, it is of the greatest significance for the entire organism. Its energy is especially directed to the stomach, small intestine and liver. It also governs the spleen and gallbladder. As it is to be expected, it regulates the digestive system and the autonmoic nervous system. A superabundance of energy or a blockage in the naval chakra brings a number of serious mental, emotional and physical
Problems. The exercises that are directed toward harmonizing and caring for the energies of the naval chakra provide the foundations for an active and successful life. A well developed navel chakra makes it possible for one to strike a balance between many shades of ones emotional world and necessary objectivity and self control. Chakra healing may include the application of color, light and gemstones to specific areas and acupoints on the body. Also used are candles, wands, prisms, colored fabrics, bath and soap treatments, and colored glasses or lenses. Hydrotherapy and aromatherapy are frequently added to a healing regiment. Or you try this simple breathing technique below. Sitting in a
comfortable and centered position, visualize energy being pulled up from below you. Sense it entering your spine and being channeled throughout your body. Now, visualize a beam of healing energy flowing down your head; again, being channeled throughout your body. Once you’ve accomplished this, visualize yourself stretched out in the sun in a setting that’s comforting to you. You can very much feel the sun pouring its healing rays down upon you. Take yourself to your solar plexus area and visualize it absorbing golden balls of sunlight providing great and comforting warmth. At the same time, explore a little bit. Ask your solar plexus area what it’s holding on to and what needs resolution and silently listen to its response.
theend!