“For many, the most symbolic aspect of a mountain is the peak because it is believed that it is closest to heaven or other religious worlds” This painting by Nicolas Roerich was the starting point for this month’s composer’s choice. Its called Vanishing Ice and if you google search his images you will find a huge list of paintings by this enigmatic artist. Roerich is a complex character being an adventurer, a spiritualist, a writer, an archaeologist and painter. He moved in high political circles in the USA, UK and India and was connected to the theosophical movement and produced a vast amount of magnificent oil paintings in the field , travelling extensively through the Himalayas, India and the rest of the world. He spoke many languages and wrote a book called Shambhala ( not to mention the set designs for Dhiagelev, the setting up of art and yoga schools in New York and perhaps a spot of spying…) Shambhala is a mythical kingdom from Tibetan and Hindu Tradition – mythical in italics because in the modern sense the word implies not real ~ Shambhala points to many cultures’ stories of a place where enlightened humans have created aShambhala – by Stephen Fearnley
Inside Justin Pearson’s Mind Palace …
Where I get waylaid by a painter at a sculpture show… At this years Sculpture at Hill View there is a lot to see : set in the gardens at the the former vice regal summer retreat of NSW Governors (from the 1880s to the 1950s), this substantial party house on a hill is a splendid venue for hosting art events. I was there for the sculpture – and so much good work to see- spilling out of the pines, around terraces and finishing with the vista-backdrop of Sutton Forest . This is a very generous exhibition space and the ever changing garden makes perfect for revealing the artworks as you stroll about. Inside the main house the exhibition continues and this year Justin Pearson’s work dominated the walls. So much so I was stopped in my tracks. How long has this been going on ? Look at these enigmatic pictures ! I dont really know Justin that well but here are a series of works, so intriguing, I found my mind tumbling with associations of Blake and Dante’s Inferno and Opera and John Percival ceramics and Daumier drawings , the Swiss symbolist Arnold Böcklin and even the video game Samorost – I had that special experience whereInside Justin Pearson’s Mind Palace …
Ancestors Rising – by Stephen Fearnley
A lot of research has been coming out lately about inheriting the memories of our forbears and how they might be affecting positively or negatively our genetic and psychological make up. This research goes way deeper than just the expression of body shape, facial similarities, hair and eye colour – it is investigating how we receive the experiential memories of our ancestors and therefore passing on our own memories to our own children. Just google “transgenerational epigenetic inheritance” and you’ll find a host of articles. This month’s composition Ancestors Rising was inspired by the recent and particularly strong sensation of the presence of my Grandmother Amy – who died in 1987. Over the years she has “popped” in and out in ways that are synchronistic (e.g.: Thinking of her and someone on the TV saying her name – simple things like that) to the physical sensation of her in the room with me, the smell of her favourite flower – gardenias, even when there are none flowering – as well as her touching me on the hand or shoulder. On many occasions, when in a meditational state, I’ve traveled in my mind’s eye to places, landscapes, seen faces, and hadAncestors Rising – by Stephen Fearnley
Beyond Karma – by Stephen Fearnley
Image: Heather Lee, Gyuto Monks of Tibet & Kim Cunio in studio 227 (photo: Geoff Wood) I highly recommend you drop what you’re doing and go to the Radio National ( Australian ABC ) website link and download /podcast the article “ Beyond Karma , Beyond Chant “ and listen ! http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rhythmdivine/beyond-karma,-beyond-chant/7322580 Here you will find the most engaging radio article Ive heard in a very long time : the musical journey of Kim Cunio, Heather Lee , the Gyuto Monks of Tibet and the making of a most astonishing album called “Beyond Karma” ( I grabbed mine off ITunes ). There are so many levels, sonic and cosmological going-off here I really don’t know where to start. Its a “mash up” – a term used by the presenter of the radio show – but what a mash up ! I am only familiar with the use of that term when referring to DJ trance remixes. However ‘mash up’ in the case of this beautiful collaboration isn’t actually a mash up- there is no mashing going on in the slightest. It is a very conscious coming together of western and eastern cultures- combining the astonishing drone-prayers of the monks withBeyond Karma – by Stephen Fearnley