29 Pieces

Happy Birthday to You!

2012-01-16T11:58:00.000-06:00

Cover Art by student in the MasterPEACE program of 29 Pieces

"I believe that unarmed truth
and unconditional love
will have the final
word in reality."
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
www.29Pieces.org

Great Peacemakers Like You & Me!

2011-09-21T07:20:00.000-05:00

Great Peacemakers Like You and Me // The children from the MasterPEACE program of 29 Pieces (formerly Today Marks the Beginning) say it all. It’s up to us! Happy International Day of Peace!! Kudos to John Katz, James Neel and Fast Cut Edits for this video.

Since late 2007, it has been our privilege to work with over 2000 Dallas children in the MasterPEACE program. Thank you to all the generous people and organizations who have made this work possible. Just look at what you started! Thank you.

Peace Day is tomorrow!

2011-09-20T21:46:00.000-05:00

For hatred can never put an end to hatred; love alone can. This is an unalterable law. People forget that their lives will end soon. For those who remember, quarrels come to an end.
— From "Twin Verses", the Dhammapada

Twin Verses This is the opening chapter of the Dhammapada, an ancient collection of the Buddha's teachings in verse form. Buddha – literally“he who is awake” – is the title given to the young prince Siddhartha Gautama (ca. 563–483 B.C.) after he attained nirvana or self-realization. The translation is by Eknath Easwaran, adapted for meditation from The Dhammapada (Petaluma, California: Nilgiri Press, 1985).
www.29Pieces.org
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2 days to International Day of Peace

2011-09-19T10:06:00.000-05:00

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of all the world and to the community for which it stands: one people loved into existence by God, breathing an indivisible air, warmed by a sun that shines on good and bad alike, kept alive by rain that falls on the just and unjust. I commit myself to spend my life for this world for liberty and justice for all. Amen.
— Sister Mary Evelyn Jegen

www.29Pieces.tumblr.com

Sister Mary Evelyn Jegen, SND, taught history at UD from 1967 to 1971. She worked with students who were struggling with their response to the war in Vietnam and considering conscientious objection. This experience changed her response to war itself, and some years later she became a pacifist. She eventually became the first national coordinator of Pax Christi USA, in 1979, and in 1984 was elected vice president of Pax Christi International. Dr. Jegen served on a team representing Pax Christi at the United Nations, 1991-2000 (Pax Christi International has special consultative status as a nongovernmental organization at the United Nations).

She is the author of several books, including Just Peacemakers: An Introduction to Peace and Justice (Paulist Press, paperback 2005), and How You Can Be a Peacemaker: Catholic Teachings and Practical Suggestions (Liguori Publications, 1985).

Sister Mary Evelyn received her doctorate in medieval European history from St. Louis University.

3 Days to International Day of Peace!

2011-09-18T11:33:00.001-05:00

Sri Sarada Devi

I tell you one thing — if you want peace of mind, do not find fault with others. Rather learn to see your own faults. Learn to make the whole world your own. No one is a stranger, my child; the whole world is your own.
— Holy Mother Sri Sarada Devi
www.29Pieces.org
www.29Pieces.blogspot.com
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Sarada Devi (Bengali) (22 December 1853 – 20 July 1920), born Saradamani Mukhopadhyaya, was the wife and spiritual counterpart of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a nineteenth century mystic of Bengal. Sarada Devi is also reverentially addressed as the Holy Mother (Sri Maa) by the followers of the Ramakrishna monastic order. Sarada Devi played an important role in the growth of the Ramakrishna Movement.

Countdown to September 21

2011-09-16T12:33:00.000-05:00

By Charlotte Miller

Peaceful thought for the day . . .

Hospitality. It is more than having friends over for dinner, and more than a guest bedroom with clean sheets, though these common practices are things of wonder. The practice of hospitality is a two way street, it is giving and receiving, like a dance in which no one can tell who is leading and who is following, and it moves to the rhythm of the oneness of humanity.

— Charme Robarts

Countdown to Peace Day, Sept. 21!

2011-09-15T22:07:00.001-05:00

The earth is too small a star and we too brief a visitor upon it for anything to matter more than the struggle for peace.
— Colman McCarthy
www.29Pieces.org
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A Time of Peace: Dr. Barbara Miller

2011-09-13T10:07:00.003-05:00

Dr. Barbara Miller, as featured in the Baylor Dental Journal

Dr. Barbara Miller, co-founder of Today Marks the Beginning, and Board Member of 29 Pieces, is featured in the current Baylor Dental Journal! In her day job, Barbara is the Executive Director of recruitment and admissions at Baylor College of Dentistry. To read the full article, please go to either of the following links. The story tells of Barbara's love of art as a tool to transform lives and enrich communities.
http://issuu.com/artupton/docs/baylordentaljournal-2011/24
This is to the entire Journal:
http://bcd.tamhsc.edu/bdjo/readbdjournal.html

Big Spanish Art

2011-06-20T08:51:00.000-05:00

The Valencia Opera House, designed by Santiago Calatrava

I just came back from Spain. In the middle of the city of Valencia, which was one of my stops, I accidentally came across their “cultural area” named “The City of Arts & Science.” This astounding collection of buildings were all designed by local son made good, Santiago Calatrava. The “City” houses an opera house (shown), a Planetarium, a Science Museum and an Oceanarium. The area is capped by an amazing bridge that spans the old riverbed where the buildings were erected. I think that Architecture at this level can be considered Art. That being so . . . this is one of the biggest canvases in existence.
— John Katz
www.JohnKatz.net
www.29Pieces.org
www.29Pieces.blogspot.com
www.29Pieces.tumblr.com

The Valencia City of Arts and Sciences, designed by Santiago Calatrava

The 29 Pieces Story

2011-06-10T14:48:00.000-05:00

Film by John Katz, Editing by Fast Cut Edits, Special Effects by Radium, Music by James Neel Music House, scripting by Poppy Sundeen. This is the back story of 29 Pieces.

They've got the ArtLoveMagic

2011-04-25T17:11:00.000-05:00

Karen Blessen on ArtLoveMagic Radio with Michael Lagocki and Deborah Driscoll

Our friends Michael Lagocki and Deborah Driscoll have been terrific . . . they had me on ArtLoveMagic Radio and then also gave 29 Pieces and my work a shout out in one of their artlovemagic online publications. Our gratitudes!

— Karen Blessen

You got the fight?

2011-03-25T11:34:00.000-05:00

Joni Mitchell transformed Rudyard Kipling's poem 'If' into a beautiful

adaptation on her album, 'Shine.' See Mitchell's version below, and then read on for the original Kipling version. Both tap into essential skills of faith, confidence and tenacity, but end with radically different life views. See for yourself.

Joni Mitchell

by Joni Mitchell

If you can keep your head
While all about you
People are losing theirs and blaming you
If you can trust yourself
When everybody doubts you
And make allowance for their doubting too.

If you can wait
And not get tired of waiting
And when lied about
Stand tall
Don't deal in lies
And when hated
Don't give in to hating back
Don't need to look so good
Don't need to talk too wise.

If you can dream
And not make dreams your master
If you can think
And not make intellect your game
If you can meet
With triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same

If you can force your heart
And nerve and sinew
To serve you
After all of them are gone
And so hold on
When there is nothing in you
Nothing but the will
That's telling you to hold on!
Hold on!

If you can bear to hear
The truth you've spoken
Twisted and misconstrued
By some smug fool
Or watch your life''s work
Torn apart and broken down
And still stoop to build again
With worn out tools.

If you can draw a crowd
And keep your virtue
Or walk with Kings
And keep the common touch
If neither enemies nor loving friends
Can hurt you
If everybody counts with you
But none too much.

If you can fill the journey
Of a minute
With sixty seconds worth of wonder and delight
Then
The Earth is yours
And Everything that's in it
But more than that
I know
You'll be alright
You'll be alright.

Cause you've got the fight
You've got the insight
You've got the fight
You've got the insight

© 2007; Crazy Crow Music

by Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run –

Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Poet Rudyard Kipling, below.

One bite of the elephant at a time

2011-03-20T11:46:00.000-05:00

Photo from tsunami,
photographer unknown

In context of the current disaster in Japan, the loss of life, the possible nuclear meltdown, and the untold misery beset on hapless people, how significant or meaningful is an art project? If you are one of the victims or in any way connected with this disaster . . . no matter how peripherally, the obvious immediate answer is none at all. But, I think it is a matter of scale and perspective. Against a different backdrop and over a longer period of time, art can have a much longer and just as profound an impact as an immediate crisis. (Think Picasso’s Guernica.)

— By John Katz

www.johnkatz.net

Guernica, by Pablo Picasso, 1937

Teach me to seek you

2011-03-13T18:15:00.000-05:00

Photograph by Eugene Atget

Originally written September 7, 2010

Teach me to seek thee, and reveal thyself to me when I seek thee, for I cannot seek thee except thou teach me, nor find thee except thou reveal thyself.

— by Saint Anselm

Right hand:

This is a complex thought, a complex plea. Let’s start with “Teach me to seek thee.” “Teach me to seek you.” What does that mean? It means the one making the pleas has picked a teacher and recognizes that there is some action required to go on the quest to be in the presence of that teacher. Is it a pilgrimage to Lourdes? Or Jerusalem? Or through much more treacherous territory? Past, through the fears, the compulsions, the little pleasures, until we finally, finally, finally arrive at this quiet, safe, irrepressible place. And getting there requires the instruction of a teacher, offering guidance on what shield to use, what to leave behind, what are the best shoes for the long journey, and what kind of sustenance will I need?

Left hand:

Slap my hand with a ruler. Go ahead. Really. It’s OK. Maybe that’s the quick route to bring me back to you, to Love, to trust, to wonder.

September 8, 2010

“. . . and reveal thyself to me when I seek thee.”

Right hand:

The plea continues. You’ve taught me to look for you . . . in meditation, in nature, in another’s kindness and patience, in the quiet time of making art, in the beauty of raindrops clinging to an ornate pine branch, in the creative vortex of children, in a child’s happiness, in the animals who live in my home, in a shared meal. The search is elementary, really, right? The sought after is everywhere, and the lesson so simple . . . just slow down, give attention where attention is due, look . . . listen . . . respect. You don’t make this journey particularly difficult. We do.

Left hand:

“. . . and reveal thyself to me when I seek thee. “

There you are, in plain sight – patiently waiting for me – in the same way that I patiently stand, waiting for my dog to sniff every scent that wafts her way, stop in her tracks and bark at every errant sound, get in a barking match with the shrill puppies across the street, relieve herself, leave her mark as many places as possible – finally. She is done, and she notices me again – maybe hears my voice calling to her – and she comes – smiling or sheepish — back, to my protection, kind words + embrace. Reunited.

— Karen Blessen

www.29Pieces.org

www.29Pieces.blogspot.com

www.29Pieces.tumblr.com

Principles of Flight 1.01

2011-03-11T11:57:00.000-06:00

Air Dynamics 1.01

There are, basically, four forces of flight: lift, drag, thrust and weight.

1. Forward speed is necessary to fly.

2. For an object to fly, it must always engage in a tug of war between the opposing forces of lift versus weight and thrust versus drag.

3. Lift force points upward, opposite to the weight.

4. Thrust pushes the object forward, as drag slows it down.

5. The lift force must be greater than the weight and the thrust more powerful than the drag for the plane to fly.

6. If the thrust is powerful enough it will overcome weight and drag and the plane will fly.

7. Drag works against thrust to slow an aircraft.

8. The difference in speed between object and horizontally moving air increases as object increases speed.

9. If object is flat, it is pushed back. If object has speed and lift, it will fly.

10. Too much lift may cause aeronautical stall.

11. During take off and landing, it is necessary for a plane to fly as slowly as possible.

Piece #13. In the pupil of an eye, an endless heaven. From 29 Pieces.

29 Pieces in Dallas Morning News

2011-03-07T14:44:00.000-06:00

Karen Blessen in 29 Pieces studio
Photo by Kye R. Lee, Staff Photographer, The Dallas Morning News

The Path to Peace

For Karen Blessen,
it's where creativity and spirituality converge

By ERIN BOOKE, Staff Writer, The Dallas Morning News, ebooke@dallasnews.com

Published, The Dallas Morning News, 05 March 2011

For Karen Blessen, creativity and spirituality must coexist.

About 11 years ago, the local artist and illustrator witnessed a murder in front of her home that changed her creative and spiritual paths. She began a meditation practice in order to bring them together.

“I asked myself, am I where I want to be?” Blessen says. “Meaning spiritually, not even careerwise or financially. And the answer was no.”

Her meditation involves memorizing passages from major faith traditions — Christian, Buddhist, American Indian — and creating a response.

“Let me walk in beauty.”

“If the very world should stop.”

“Dying of love is what I hope for.”

Repeating these sacred phrases led to an “outrageous burst of creative spirit,” Blessen says. During a five-month period in 2006 she created mixed-media, small-scale models to represent each passage. She envisions the project, called 29 Pieces, as a collection of enormous sculptures where others can gather and seek spiritual inspiration.

“It was a very compelling conviction,” she says. “It encapsulates everything I have in me, and in a way, it’s way bigger than me. Because what’s being expressed is a universal longing.”

For now, the pieces can be seen at Blessen’s studio in Deep Ellum. The clean, cool, spare gallery space creates a serene atmosphere that lets visitors focus on the message and forget the world around them.

“This space is a sanctuary for this work,” Blessen says. “It has a quietness to it that allows people to listen to the creative message that we don’t hear when we have a lot of cacophony around us.”

The collection of 29 models lines one wall, while images of what the large installations would look like line another.

Blessen comes to this space to write, think and envision. “I wanted it to be a white, restrained and simple space that wouldn’t stir up my mind or agitate me. A sacred, quiet space.”

When Blessen sits down to create, be it her personal work or illustrations for clients, she requires some privacy and a quiet room of her own. At her M Streets home, Blessen’s workspace is a loft studio in her woodsy backyard.

“I find it impossible to work in my own home,” she says. “I need a separation of some kind, a ritualistic separation from the day-to-day. In the home it’s too tempting to do laundry.”

To get to her backyard studio, Blessen begins the separation by walking 100 feet down a rocky path and up a turquoise spiral staircase.

The studio, designed by Phillips-Ryburn Associates and inspired by the Mexico home of artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, is filled with color and more visual stimulation than her spiritual space in Deep Ellum.

The industrial windows allow the sights and sounds of nature to encapsulate Blessen as she works. “I’m definitely a light addict,” she says.

Yes, KB's desk is ALWAYS this tidy.
Photo by Kye R. Lee, Staff Photographer, The Dallas Morning News

She surrounds herself with past works of art, personal photos, folk art pieces made by her husband, and mementos that remind her of travels, family members and other artists who’ve inspired her.

“I do have the presence of people who were instrumental to me,” she says.

Her dad was a carpenter and built a collapsible ruler that Blessen keeps on a nearby shelf. “It always impressed me that he could make things,” she says. Her mother also is a big presence. There’s a large poster of an illustration that Blessen designed for a Mother’s Day piece she wrote.

“My mom really inspired me with her kindness,” she says. “In some ways she was my spiritual teacher … in a church lady kind of way. I learned about how to treat people. To be kind to people and each other. She guided me more than anybody else.”

Blessen now guides others in their artistic and spiritual quests. Local spoken-word artist and creative-writing teacher Will Richey asked Blessen to mentor him, and he eventually came to use her Deep Ellum studio as his own space to create. He’s not just inspired by the space, but by Blessen’s presence.

“It’s a place where I can get away and get some peace,” he says. “It also embodies who she is — a beautiful, unconditional person. The studio is synonymous with the spirit of Karen.”

Richey is used to writing and working in busier, louder places, and even listens to music on headphones in order to block out the world. So Blessen’s space is a nice retreat.

“While I’ve learned to write and communicate in the midst of the world we live in,” he says, “there’s something about going to such a peaceful place.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION

To learn more about Karen Blessen’s 29 Pieces art project, visit 29Pieces.org.

KB in front of the backyard studio
Photo by Kye R. Lee, Staff Photographer, The Dallas Morning News

Who Are You?”

2011-02-20T13:36:00.000-06:00

“What we are looking for is what is looking.” — St. Francis of Assisi

I’m still processing last month’s “Who Are You” Masquerade Ball, produced by the Green Bandana Group to benefit the 29 Pieces project. Over 400 artists and art supporters contributed their skills, time, and resources to celebrate and further the 29 Pieces mission.

There were beaucoups creative masks & costumes, and three of the best bands in Dallas – Ishi spreading Love like Dandelion seeds, the psychedelic swagger of Hello Lover, and the midnight groove of The Gritz. There was poet Will Richey bringing the Agape rain down on us, magical food by chef Richard Pratt, and an open bar (thank you Dewars, Dripping Springs, and Bacardi). There was the brain-and-body stretching Muscle Memory dance troupe, bright sound-spins from DJ B3, cool visual art displays & videos, the unique sound and shadow-puppets of Able Youth, Texas Fencing Institute sword-fights (!), and much more, all in a perfect and huge space provided by Life in Deep Ellum (see photos and interviews on the Art Star blog).

The raw power of collaborating artists in Dallas just blows my mind. They just keep making art and sharing it with each other and anyone who cares to notice, and they don’t wait for an invitation to the museum to put it out there.

What an exciting time to live in! Art as a force of its own is a relatively recent concept. People have been making art for a million years or more, but just 200 years ago, it referred to a particular skill, and now phrases like “the art of war” sound terribly anachronistic, don’t they? Now Art has a capital A, and it is a creative force that’s moving culture forward right along with technology.

Speaking of technology, there’s a great book I’m reading now - “What Technology Wants”, by Kevin Kelly. The idea is that technology has evolved now to become a little bit independent. For example, the electric grid and the internet, are programmed to overcome obstacles on their own. The products of technology, which are also the products of humankind, are getting lighter and lighter. It reminds me of the Vivekenanda quote in my first post here: “If you carry evolution to its logical conclusion, there must come a time when that power that was in the amoeba, and which evolved as man, will have conquered all the obstructions that nature can bring before it, and will thus escape from all its environments.”

Communication and software - ideas - are becoming more important than steel and fabrics. And who better to fashion the ideas that have value than artists?

— Kelly Nash

www.29Pieces.org

Thank You + Stay Tuned

2011-02-06T14:11:00.000-06:00

I am happy to report that the January 29 Masquerade Ball was a smashing success, with 4 terrific bands, fencing demonstrations, dancers, poets, a DJ, food, drink, and more elaborate masks and costumes than you can imagine. There were 415 fabulous people in attendance, a tremendous turnout. An upcoming video will be released soon, and there are lots of pix of the goings on, on Facebook. 29 Pieces is on a ROLL. The success of this event is due entirely to Kevin Spurgin & Darryl Ratcliff of the Green Bandana Group, who made the whole event the success it was. If you were there, thanks very much for showing your support, and if you were not, you missed a GREAT party. Not to worry though. You will have an opportunity to redeem your error at the NEXT 29 Pieces EVENT.

Stay Tuned.

Thanks again.

— John Katz, Board Member, 29 Pieces

Genghis Khan & Jeanne Moreau

2011-01-28T08:38:00.000-06:00

The spirit of Genghis Khan or Jeanne Moreau? You choose.

A woman I know recently went to Malta – a tiny island in the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, to go on a “Goddess Retreat.” She told me that this trip was to reconnect with the feminine side of things and to reinforce her own sense of feminine empowerment, which she feels has been taken out of modern religious and western society in general. She feels that doing this experience will help her with feminine self esteem in general and therefore improve how people are treated as a whole. I was intrigued by this very energetic display and willingness to improve one’s self and therefore everyone that a person might consequently come in touch with. It seems that very few people in general are willing (or able) to go to these lengths in a quest for self-improvement. Going to Malta is probably not a prerequisite. Your own living room might provide an adequate venue. How far each person is willing to go is up to them, but it is surely a journey worth embarking upon (once the kids are put to bed, hubby is suitably engaged watching “Dave,” the dog has been brushed and walked, the cat’s hairballs have been vacuumed up, and the kitty litter has been “de pooed.”) I admire people (usually women) with this kind of self awareness.

Genghis Khan – through brute force – carved out an enormous empire, at an estimated cost of 40 million lives. He united his people, gave them a unified writing system and promoted religious freedom. All of these achievements for his people have vanished today.

Jeanne Moreau, a star of the French New Wave cinema, and leading lady of “Jules and Jim,” introduced millions to the power of love, commitment and romance. You Choose.

— John Katz

Click HERE for tickets to 29 Pieces Masquerade Ball

Jeanne Moreau in Jules and Jim

Take a plane. Take a bus. Be there.

2011-01-23T12:38:00.000-06:00

Who Are You?
A Masquerade Ball Benefiting Karen Blessen’s 29 Pieces
Hosted by Green Bandana Group
Saturday January 29, 2011, 7:30 PM – 1:00 AM
at Life in Deep Ellum
2803 Taylor Street, Dallas, TX 75226

Click HERE to purchase tickets

Who are you? Pause for a moment and really think about it.
We have crafted a one of a kind amazing event, a huge bang for your buck value (open bar, food, concert by Ishi/The Gritz/Hello Lover/Able Youth, DJ B3, performance art, $25), and the best thing to do in Dallas on January 29th (who doesn't love a masquerade ball?) - but why have we gone to all of this trouble?
Because we believe that it is more important than ever to take the time to think about life's big questions, and Pulitzer Prize winner Karen Blessen's 29 Pieces challenges us to do just that - and we are better people for it.
First, go to www.29pieces.org and explore some timeless wisdom and learn more about the mission and vision of the nonprofit.
Next go to www.29pieces.eventbrite.com and get your ticket for the event, because trust us, you want to be there.
Whether it's for the music lineup of Ishi, Hello Lover, Erykah Badu's band The Gritz, Able Youth, and DJ B3 (seriously how great is this show!?), for the great cocktails by Dripping Springs Vodka, Bacardi, and Dewars and great food by Celebrity Chef Richard Pratt, for the interactive art displays and the Variety Stage that will keep the night even more lively (we are keeping it a surprise but think fire, magic, dueling, etc), or for the hundreds of wonderful interesting people, dressed in fashionable attire, wearing masks, dedicated to actually holding real and thought-provoking conversations, it is all happening on January 29th, and it is happening to support a great cause, 29 Pieces, headed by a great visionary, Karen Blessen.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door and can be purchased here: www.29pieces.eventbrite.com
We thank our wonderful sponsors Yelp, Dr. Pepper/Snapple Group, Ideal Events, Life in Deep Ellum, Nomad Arts, Art Star, Dripping Springs, Bacardi, and Dewars for their generous support.
Special Thanks to Ollie Mayr, Arielle Rivera, Matthew Whitenack, Johnathan Merla, Tom Currie, Richard Pratt, and John Katz for all their help in putting this together.
For more information check out
www.29pieces.org
www.29pieces.blogspot.com
www.29pieces.tumblr.com

THE GATES

2011-01-21T09:45:00.000-06:00

The Gates: Installation by Christo and Jeanne-Claude in New York's Central Park

Having just seen the Maysles brothers film of the Christo and Jeanne-Claude New York City installation in Central Park of a few years back, you cannot help but admire how they overcame the tsunami of bureaucratic morons, naysayers, and people in power who take pleasure in saying no to everything, even something as innocuous as art. 25 years of persistence is admirable and rare. Maybe not in the art world but in life. The best quote in the film is an Italian couple as they are walking through the gates, “That’s New York” he says “It's beautiful even if they say it looks like a car wash.” That about sums up the art world, out of the mouths of innocents comes a certain undeniable truth. And that is what makes it art. I’m sure that Christo & Jeanne-Claude would agree.

— John Katz

www.johnkatz.net
www.29Pieces.org

The divine masquerade

2011-01-21T09:36:00.000-06:00

Eknath Easwaran's Thought for the Day

We have to take the whole universe as the expression of the one Self. Then only our love flows to all beings and creatures in the world equally.
– Swami Ramdas

You and I appear to be separate. We differ in color, size, and shape. Differences in ideas, tastes, and prejudices mark us as individuals to be reckoned with. Beneath this apparent division, however, hidden deep within each of us is the one Self – eternal, infinite, ever-perfect. This is the closely guarded secret of life: that we are all caught up in a divine masquerade, and all we are trying to do is take off our masks to reveal the pure, perfect Self within.

In our present condition, we have forgotten we are wearing masks. Fortunately, the Self will not allow us to forget him, but keeps on calling to us. In order to find the Self, we must look deep within ourselves. When we succeed, our purpose in life will be fulfilled, and all our anger against others will melt into unfathomable love, all our fear of others into unshakable security.

The Thought for the Day is today's entry from Eknath Easwaran's Words to Live By.
(Copyright 1999 & 2005 by The Blue Mountain Center of Meditation.)
Select the Thought for the Day for any day of the year. | www.easwaran.org

A trail of breadcrumbs

2011-01-16T10:28:00.001-06:00

“…we should hear not his word through the tongues of men, nor the voice of angels, nor the clouds' thunder, nor any symbol, but the very Self which in these things we love…” — Saint Augustine

My last post here, on genetic evolution, was followed by a note from John Katz on his sister’s cat. I told myself to try to be a little more spontaneous. But, it’s hard. You may have noticed there are quite a few words on the internet (Google estimates about 100 trillion), so I feel a responsibility to make sure mine have some value (not that the cat doesn’t).

This blog is like a trail of breadcrumbs, for people to follow, and join, the 29 Pieces journey. We’re in the early stages of the project.

At our first 29 Pieces Board meeting, last May, we decided an important early objective of the organization would be internet outreach. This blog, and our Tumblr and Facebook pages, are part of the process.

Arianna Huffington had a very interesting article the other day (“Museums 2.0”), about museums and social media. It talks about the purposes of art, and the balance between discourse and contemplation. The article and comments are worth reading for those of us involved in this project. The inspiration behind the 29 pieces is utterly contemplative (passage meditation), but the project has already involved other visual artists, poets and writers, photographers, and filmmakers. The ultimate goal will be when the art appears full-size before us, and speaks for itself.

— Kelly Nash

when self has ceased to be.

2011-01-12T14:14:00.001-06:00

Number 16: I want to hide myself in you (If you and I melt together)

Starting December 27, 2010, I chose the following passage to “unpack” — line by line — as a daily practice to take me into the New Year.

And what is the “unpacking” process? It involves deep concentration on one line at a time, and then writing my response to that line – first with my dominant hand, and then with my non-dominant hand. There are plenty of references on the web to the process of dominant and non-dominant hand-writing. If you haven’t tried it, you may want to. I venture a guess that you will surprise yourself.

I’ll be interested to see what this passage has hidden for me.

Cast Aside What Limits You

— By Dov Baer of Mezherich

The human body is finite;

the spirit is boundless.

Before you begin to pray,

cast aside what limits you

and enter into the world of the Infinite.

Turn to God alone

and have no thoughts of self at all.

Nothing but God exists for you

when self has ceased to be.

Dov Baer (d. 1772) was the chief disciple and successor of Rabbi Israel ben Eliezer, the Baal Shem Tov or “Master of the Good Name,” founder of the Hasidic movement of Jewish mysticism, which places devotional prayer at the center of the spiritual life.

Right Hand:

“when self has ceased to be . . .“

(Written on January 8, 2011)

. . . every shadow on the floor, every reflection off the hood of a car will induce humility.

That’s God below me and God blinding me.

A sharp word from another’s mouth will make me pause with compassion and understand that I just may not understand.

I’ll really get it that it’s not all up to me, and that even that thought is loaded with arrogance.

The compulsions that mystify me will fizzle out.

Every waking moment will be in awe of the wonder world that surrounds me like the ocean.

The sustenance and protection of the Self I see in others will be One + the same with the living force in me.

King, Queen, or custodian, it will all be the same to me.

So much of how I’ve spent my energies will look ridiculous to me.

I’ll see – it doesn’t matter what I do, as long as what I do is kind. Corinthian, Kipling, the Gita – this is the bottom line.

Left hand:

“when self has ceased to be.“

. . . I’m so ready.

I say this, but think now, are you really ready to move forward with hope, love, insight, and disengage from the outcome? With 29 Pieces, you didn’t manufacture it. It is quite possibly not your responsibility or quarter to make the call on exactly what it’s going to be.

A stationary place.

An energy.

A traveling show in someone else’s tent.

A traveling show in it’s own tent.

They may not want to travel.

A destination or a tourist?

All in one place.

When self has ceased to be, I can relax + just ride the waves.

— Karen Blessen

All I See is Part of Me, by Chara M. Curtis
and Cynthia Aldrich

Nothing but God exists for you

2011-01-08T13:24:00.001-06:00

January 8, 2011

Starting December 27, 2010, I chose the following passage to “unpack” — line by line — as a daily practice to take me into the New Year.

I’ll be interested to see what this passage has hidden for me.

Cast Aside What Limits You

— By Dov Baer of Mezherich

The human body is finite;

the spirit is boundless.

Before you begin to pray,

cast aside what limits you

and enter into the world of the Infinite.

Turn to God alone

and have no thoughts of self at all.

Nothing but God exists for you

when self has ceased to be.

Right Hand:

“Nothing but God exists for you“

This past Thursday, I went to finish up the MasterPEACE LOVE Lesson at L.L. Hotchkiss Elementary School. Joe Stokes is the rock star art teacher there. Joe teaches five or six 50 minute classes every day, day after day, and has done this for years. To my eyes, he is still at the top of his game, but he has decided to retire and next week is his last at Hotchkiss. The children will be losing a gifted and committed teacher. So Joe is cleaning out his room and gave me some books. He read one of them to me – All I See Is Part of Me, Words by Chara M. Curtis and Illustrations by Cynthia Aldrich. Check it out – it’s the ultimate reality, the perennial philosophy explained for 7 year olds, and for all the rest of us who forget.

Left hand:

“Nothing but God exists for you“

. . . in the form of the oak tree, the boxer, the tumbling leaf, the beleaguered Mom, the sleeping child, and the jerk on the freeway.

All God.

So, every time I’m impatient, or angry, or ungrateful, I’m looking immature + thoughtless to God.

Thus the term ‘God fearing’. Aren’t we all a little afraid that God sitting next to us is getting too close a look?

— Karen Blessen

Yayoi Kusama, Self-obliteration

and have no thoughts of self at all

2011-01-04T17:43:00.001-06:00

January 4, 2011

Starting December 27, 2010, I chose the following passage to “unpack” — line by line — as a daily practice to take me into the New Year.

I’ll be interested to see what this passage has hidden for me.

Cast Aside What Limits You

— By Dov Baer of Mezherich

The human body is finite;

the spirit is boundless.

Before you begin to pray,

cast aside what limits you

and enter into the world of the Infinite.

Turn to God alone

and have no thoughts of self at all.

Nothing but God exists for you

when self has ceased to be.

Right Hand:

“and have no thoughts of self at all.“

That’s what art can do – for the artist and the onlooker. The small ‘self’ merges with vast consciousness + takes form in a new language – as an expression of something infinite + instantly recognized . . . by some at least.

I’ve been using examples of the art of Yayoi Kusama – with the blog entries on January 2, 2011 and December 31, 2010. In one statement, Kusama says, “I paint polka dots on the bodies of people, and with those polka dots, the people will self-obliterate and return to the nature of the universe.” In the documentary [Yayoi Kusama, I adore myself], she says, “When I’m facing a canvas, my mind is blank. “

In the creation of the 29 Pieces, the seed came from personal experience, but then quickly merged with perennial experiences and took form in ways that far transcend one artist’s life expression. There was a merging with the vibrant wisdom of the mystics. While my ‘self’ is still part of the story, it has been left behind. For the most part. That point is frequently misunderstood, as some see an artist’s work as all about advancing one’s self. Not so. Well, not always. Sometimes, it’s about advancing Self. (Capital ‘S’.)

Left hand:

“and have no thoughts of self at all.“

We sit in our little teacup . . . and that teacup might be an apartment, church, beauty salon, bar or nation. And we think. “This is the world, and it’s my world to either manage or serve.” Well, hey, surprise. A paradox. That might be both a teensy over-statement and yet an under-appraisal of our roles. We do what we can. Some work to conduct themselves nobly. Some work to make a big, fine, well constructed teacup. Some just sit. Some lighten up + go with the flow.

But ask someone whose cup got broken (There’s been a car wreck, or maybe a child was killed.) There’s something bigger at work, something humbling and interesting, if we can arrive at a point of detachment.

And we are a tempest in a teacup.

We’re just a wave. We’re not the water.

(Thank you Jimmie Dale Gilmore.)

— Karen Blessen

The Weather Project video by Olafur Eliasson

Turn to God alone

2011-01-03T10:28:00.000-06:00

January 3, 2011
Line 6

Starting December 27, 2010, I chose the following passage to “unpack” — line by line — as a daily practice to take me into the New Year.

I’ll be interested to see what this passage has hidden for me.

Cast Aside What Limits You

— By Dov Baer of Mezherich

The human body is finite;

the spirit is boundless.

Before you begin to pray,

cast aside what limits you

and enter into the world of the Infinite.

Turn to God alone

and have no thoughts of self at all.

Nothing but God exists for you

when self has ceased to be.

Right Hand:

“Turn to God alone . . . “

There is a problem . . .

I turn . . .

But not to:

A husband

A phone call to a friend

The cosmetics counter at Neiman Marcus

The online shoe store

The refrigerator

The glass of wine

The shrink

A movie

The shoot out in my mind

A replay of events.

But . . . to God.

And if there is discomfort with the name ‘God’ . . . I turn to the Source of all energy, to the Higher Self, to Wisdom, to Love, to Light.

Not so that everyone + everything outside this relationship is neglected, but so that the Love that grows can be given.

Left hand:

“Turn to God alone. “

Ask yourself:

Who is your God?

I turn to the force of Beauty, Love, Light, Compassion + Wisdom in hope that some of that power will penetrate me, and melt all the petty entanglements that I hold on to.

— Karen Blessen

And enter into the world of the infinite

2011-01-02T17:55:00.001-06:00

Infinity Dots Mirrored Room, 1996, by Yayoi Kusama

Starting December 27, 2010, I chose the following passage to “unpack” — line by line — as a daily practice to take me into the New Year.

I’ll be interested to see what this passage has hidden for me.

Cast Aside What Limits You

— By Dov Baer of Mezherich

The human body is finite;

the spirit is boundless.

Before you begin to pray,

cast aside what limits you

and enter into the world of the Infinite.

Turn to God alone

and have no thoughts of self at all.

Nothing but God exists for you

when self has ceased to be.

Right Hand:

“and enter into the world of the infinite . . . “

At this moment in time, I feel bogged down . . . limited. Infinity looks to me like a never-ending stream of emails + obligations.

Yet I know that the wonder world is one rotation away, one adjustment of the lens, one step and boom . . . I’m in . . . to that Boundless Spirit described a couple of days ago.

Why, why, why does this petty, self willed, ego-driven combat have such a hold on me? When the real world is glowing with beauty and stillness? I do not have an answer to that question yet. I’m like a boxer, foolishly determined to stay in the ring, after age + experience have shown me all they can about waving + walking away from the ropes, the mat, the crowd + the ceiling.

Left hand:

“and enter into the world of the infinite . . . “

Describe the world of the infinite to me.

It is energy that never ceases, light that always shines. Possibilities, connections that our brain may catch a glimpse of. Everything awes you + nothing should really surprise you when you enter infinity. There will be joy.

— Karen Blessen

Cast aside what limits you

2010-12-31T18:14:00.000-06:00

Installation by Yayoi Kusama

Starting December 27, 2010, I chose the following passage to “unpack” — line by line — as a daily practice to take me into the New Year.

And what is the “unpacking” process? It involves deep concentration on one line at a time, and then writing my response to that line – first with my dominant hand, and then with my non-dominant hand. There are plenty of references on the web to the process of dominant and non-dominant hand writing. If you haven’t tried it, you may want to. I venture a guess that you will surprise yourself.

I’ll be interested to see what this passage has hidden for me.

Cast Aside What Limits You

— By Dov Baer of Mezherich

The human body is finite;

the spirit is boundless.

Before you begin to pray,

cast aside what limits you

and enter into the world of the Infinite.

Turn to God alone

and have no thoughts of self at all.

Nothing but God exists for you

when self has ceased to be.

Line 4

cast aside what limits you

Right hand (dominant):

Oh boy, I know there’s a deeper response here. I’m not getting there. What limits me?

Limits me from doing what?

Accomplishing my artistic goals?

Getting my way?

Having what I want?

Arriving at a full blossoming of Love?

Doing this important work?

Descending into self will + selfishness?

How do I not throw the baby out with the bath water? If I cast aside everything that limits me, what the heck is left?

The list of limits:

Negativity

Dwelling on the faults of others

Relationships

My dog

The cats

(Dec. 31, 2010)

The laundry

Self will

Housework

Appetites

Frittered time:

Facebook

Movies

Shopping

Telephone

Doubt

Fear

Age

Gender

Compulsions

Entanglements

Resentments

Every entanglement — whether with a person, a habit, or an emotion — is a tether. How do you slip out of the collar, but still love the leash, and the one who hooked you to it?

Yet . . .

. . . the words “cast aside” suggest that we choose to construct this burden, that we either carry, confront, or live within it.

My image suggests slipping out of a collar that another has put on me.

The author’s suggestion is that it is my invention to walk away from — to shed something that once I may have called ‘mine.’

Line 4

cast aside what limits you

Left hand:

When this coat has grown too small, take it off, leave it be.

It may fit someone else perfectly.

Kick it to the side.

Make room.

This could take years.

1 year – abandon silly distractions

2 year – get a smaller house

3 year – clean out closets.

4 year – forgive everyone

5 year – forgive yourself

and on and on . . .

Finally – give up the ego.

But if we’re going to do this every time we pray, we need to be a bit of a quick-change artist. Get naked right now. Humble yourself. Fess up. It’s a good thing that talks with God are a ‘come as you are’ party. Otherwise, we’d never get past the velvet rope.

— Karen Blessen

From Ashes and Snow, by Gregory Colbert

Before you begin to pray

2010-12-29T21:20:00.000-06:00

Starting December 27, 2010, I chose the following passage to “unpack” — line by line — as a daily practice to take me into the New Year.

And what is the “unpacking” process? It involves deep concentration on one line at a time, and then writing my response to that line – first with my dominant hand, and then with my non-dominant hand. There are plenty of references on the web to the process of dominant and non-dominant hand writing. If you haven’t tried it, you may want to. I venture a guess that you will surprise yourself.

I’ll be interested to see what this passage has hidden for me.

Cast Aside What Limits You

— By Dov Baer of Mezherich

The human body is finite;

the spirit is boundless.

Before you begin to pray,

cast aside what limits you

and enter into the world of the Infinite.

Turn to God alone

and have no thoughts of self at all.

Nothing but God exists for you

when self has ceased to be.

Line 3:

Before you begin to pray

Right hand (dominant):

Yes, before you and I meet, face to face, what do I do? Step 1: Put on make-up, get a manicure, pick out a pressed blouse. Step 2: rehearse my lines, finesse the agenda, staple a packet together? Step 3: Put on my best smile.

Ha! That would make YOU smile, wouldn’t it?

Your vision is infinitely more acute than the best camera, and much more forgiving, all love, all compassion.

You see through me. No saffron robe, no designer outfit, no crown, no collar will fool you.

Before I begin to pray, I acknowledge that you are a know-it-all.

Before you begin to pray

Left hand (non-dominant):

Why does it take you so long to settle deep into the self – deep into union?

Phone calls, make the bed, feed the dog, answer mail, order a new bedspread, pay a bill, and on + on.

What comes first. Every day, every hour, every moment, the decision —

Where do I live?

I live in Love.

— Karen Blessen

The spirit is boundless

2010-12-28T15:11:00.000-06:00

A whirling Dervish in Turkey

December 28, 2010

Cast Aside What Limits You

— By Dov Baer of Mezherich

The human body is finite;

the spirit is boundless.

Before you begin to pray,

cast aside what limits you

and enter into the world of the Infinite.

Turn to God alone

and have no thoughts of self at all.

Nothing but God exists for you

when self has ceased to be.

Line 2:

the spirit is boundless

Right hand (dominant):

Here I am . . . a moving co-ordinate, a fuzzy hologram, detectable only with special goggles that can see me whirling through this infinite ocean of spirit.

There are no boundaries on this map. In fact, if there even is a map, it’s way beyond our comprehension.

This spirit . . . this energy . . . is within, without, in front of, behind, on top + below.

There are those who impose boundaries, when in fact there are none. I’ve done that. Sometimes it’s so frightening, too threatening to consider the infinite power within reach, if we could just lighten our load, and get out of the way.

the spirit is boundless

Left hand (non-dominant):

We have been so fortunate – to be graced with this wonder world where the most humble moth can take our breath away with its beauty + easy flight. We’re not sentenced to a dreary moonscape of grey gravel + rock. Here we are, where boundless spirit takes its form as a redwood, a house cat, an elephant, a butterfly, a tulip. The experience of the intense beauty of it all is followed quickly by the hot threat of losing it all.

The spirit is boundless.

And we are a tick on a timeline – or not. This is our wonder world to protect + appreciate, and honor. The spirit is boundless and it is fervent. It will survive, when the elephant, the flower + I do not.

— Karen Blessen

Linda Gregerson: Poetry of the Fragile Body

Starting December 27, 2010, I chose this passage to “unpack” — line by line — as a daily practice to take me into the New Year.

And what is the “unpacking” process? It involves deep concentration on one line at a time, and then writing my response to that line – first with my dominant hand, and then with my non-dominant hand. There are plenty of references on the web to the process of dominant and non-dominant hand writing. If you haven’t tried it, you may want to. I venture a guess that you will surprise yourself.

I’ll be interested to see what this passage has hidden for me.

Cast Aside What Limits You

2010-12-27T16:56:00.000-06:00

Cast Aside What Limits You

— By Dov Baer of Mezherich

The human body is finite;

the spirit is boundless.

Before you begin to pray,

cast aside what limits you

and enter into the world of the Infinite.

Turn to God alone

and have no thoughts of self at all.

Nothing but God exists for you

when self has ceased to be.

I’ve chosen this passage to “unpack” — line by line — as a daily practice to take me into the New Year.

And what is the “unpacking” process? It involves deep concentration on one line at a time, and then writing my response to that line – first with my dominant hand, and then with my non-dominant hand. There are plenty of references on the web to the process of dominant and non-dominant hand writing. If you haven’t tried it, you may want to. I venture a guess that you will surprise yourself.

I’ll be interested to see what this passage has hidden for me.

Line 1:

“The human body is finite”

Right hand (dominant):

Car crashes, cancer, broken bones, aging, infections, viruses, defective parts, exhaustion . . . no chemistry, no exercise, no beauty cream, no positive attitude will win this battle in the end. Finito. This shell we step into has an expiration date stamped on the back, and no strategy, plea or negotiation will keep it animate beyond its time.

That being said, we sense that there is something more, something more to US. In our spirit, our mind, there’s a fleeting awareness of that which lasts.

So which part of our life experience gets the lion’s share of our attention? The finite or that intuited energy that persists?

“The human body is finite”

Left hand (non-dominant):

Isn’t it interesting? How this infinite energy + spirit at the core is housed in such a delicate + unforgiving marvel of a body? Sheathed in feathers, scales, bark or skin, and given families, schools, gaggles and forests to commune in. It’s our infinite education. The body may be finite, but the school term is not.

— Karen Blessen

Who Speaks for Art?

2010-12-24T12:56:00.000-06:00

Artist Chuck Close

(or Shut Up and Paint)
I have often thought and still do think that art should speak for itself. If the art produced cannot communicate a purpose, intended or otherwise, it has failed. Every time I have seen artists interviewed (many), their verbalized explanations of their efforts have always fallen woefully short of their artistic expressions, no matter the fame or elevation of the artist. And yet art must, it seems, be spoken about, and more often than not the intelligent interviewer will go to the source to get the most accurate explanation of the art that is being commented on. This seems logical and yet impossible. No matter how articulate the artist, their explanation cannot hope to compete with the work. So what to do? As art and its value is so subjective and everyone’s opinion is valid on some level, do you just shove it out there and hope for the best? A big gamble. And depending on your aspirations for your art — too risky. It seems that to make a sometimes ham fisted explanation of your efforts is preferable to your efforts disappearing all together from the public eye. It is the seemingly eternal dilemma of Art & Commerce, Oil & Water, Chalk & Cheese.

— John Katz

www.aliceneelfilm.com

Chuck Close

Basquiat

What’s in a Name

2010-12-20T14:08:00.002-06:00

Helen Keller Kitty aka HKK

My sister in law decided to take in a small cat that a friend rescued after a neighborhood watch sent out an email of its existence, living in a box at a ladies house. After taking her to a vet to get her checked out, the vet decided that she was about 10 years old, hard of hearing and partially blind. Either that or her dilated pupils indicated she was on some really good dope. Thinking that the existing pets, (3 cats, 2 dogs and a rabbit) wouldn’t mind the addition, she took in the cat . . . who has cleaned up nicely and is finding her way around the house, (the braille method). In a stroke of brilliance she named her Helen, a charmingly old fashioned name that you don’t hear much these days, although her papers just refer to her by her acronym HKK (Helen Keller Kitty). Everyone needs a leg up at some point, and it’s people with a big heart that usually provide it.

— John Katz

Are rocks alive?

2010-12-12T12:41:00.000-06:00

Crystal Skeleton by Lawrence Stoller

Look closely at a grain of sand, the seed of a thousand beings can be seen.

– Mahmud Shabestari, 14^th century.

The recent discovery, by NASA scientists, of so-called “arsenic-based microbes” may have redefined life as we know it. Certainly there are places inhabited by life that we haven’t found yet. And the line between animate and inanimate isn’t sharply drawn.

A common thread of the mystical experience is the realization of the unity of life. How does the Mineral Kingdom fit into the picture? In the Bible, and in the Koran, God created Adam from clay, and breathed life into him.

The earliest fossils known, microbial remains, are about 3.8 billion years old. The origin of those early, simple life-forms is a matter of debate. There are several theories, one being that mineral crystals formed a kind of template for organic molecules.

Scottish biochemist G raham Cairns-Smith developed a theory of “genetic takeover”. The precursor to biological life may have been tiny, platy, crystals of a clay mineral, like kaolinite, which actually grows and replicates itself when in the right environment.

Wind picks up the tiny crystals as dust, and scatters them to new places. The flat faces of the crystals are templates for identical crystals to form – replicates. The surfaces carry information - a kind of genetic code. They have a regular, repeated arrangement of charged atoms that also can attract and organize simple organic compounds, and act as a catalyst for chemical reactions.

Perhaps the reactions formed an organic coating to protect the crystals from weathering. These arrangements of organic molecules may have eventually become RNA and DNA. Eventually, the coatings themselves began replicating, and these primitive biological replicators took over from the geological ones.

In addition to growing, and replicating themselves, minerals have evolved along with plants and animals. About two-thirds of the more than 4,000 known mineral species are linked to bioligical activity, mainly because of the development of an oxygen-rich atmosphere that is a consequence of photosynthesis.

For the vast majority of human history, the Stone Age, the working of flint for arrowheads was the pinnacle of technology. Now, some think that life may be approaching another genetic takeover – by self-sufficient, self-replicating, machines. An inorganic machine of this type could be more efficient than an animal. The information-carrying part of most advanced machines is the integrated circuit – a man-made crystal. So, while rocks may not be alive in the conventional sense, biological life may be bookended by crystals.

“Dust Thou Art, and Unto Dust Shalt Thou Return. “ (Genesis 2:7).

— Kelly Nash

Death and What We Leave Behind

2010-12-10T08:16:00.000-06:00

IMAGINE mosaic, at Strawberry Fields, in New York's Central Park

Written on Dec. 8^th, 2010

Today is the 30^th anniversary of John Lennon’s senseless murder. I think that very few people go through life planning what they will leave behind as their legacy. The fact that he was cut off at what appeared to be a re-entry and resurgence of his creative output makes his demise all the more tragic. Most people go through life doing the best that they can. Some people leave behind more than most, and Lennon was one of them. At times, he led a torturous and tormented existence . . . which might have been the font of his creativity. Regardless, when creativity is cut off at the knees, as it as appears to have been in this very public event, it is all the more awful. Everyone’s existence on the planet is valuable in some fashion. Whether we recognize it or not is up to us and is a measure of our value.

— John Katz

Number 17. Enter into the joy. Overflowing records and unruly spirits.

The Song of Aragorn

2010-12-08T11:14:00.000-06:00

Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn in the movie, The Lord of the Rings

All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The crownless again shall be king.

— J.R.R. Tolkien

The inextinguishable light of the human spirit sheds its beams through the ages in art, literature and music, pushing back the dark curtain of despair. 29 Pieces emerges here and now, a dream waiting its reality.

— Charme Robarts

www.29Pieces.org

www.29Pieces.tumblr.com

Why?

2010-12-06T12:26:00.000-06:00

Question: Discuss more why you believe in this project.

When I began the passage meditation process, and was exposed to the sacred writings from many cultures, they opened up a portal to a creative, profound journey for me. And they showed me a new window into the meaning and wisdom that I was searching for in life. My belief in the 29 Pieces project is a compelling conviction that the longing for meaning, healing and wisdom that I experienced is not unique. It is shared by many, many people of every socio-economic background, of every color, and of every belief. The 29 Pieces art, the workshops, the online presence, the performances, and the film will all be tools to manifest wisdom and beauty into a tangible, new artistic form. And I feel that people are hungering for this, just as I was.

Question: How will this transform people’s lives?

The art of 29 Pieces, as well as the workshops and the online presence are all instruments of a process, a way to form a relationship with people . . . a deeper relationship that is beyond the usual daily interactions. The wisdom of the sacred writings manifests in a new way – as large-scale art. In life today, we often feel overwhelmed by the bombardment and sheer weight of frustrations and bad news. We are longing for something else, and may not even know what it is. The scale of the art in 29 Pieces commands attention and envelops the viewer in the experience of art and sacred wisdom. 29 Pieces will encourage people to enter deeper levels of consciousness - away from the agitations of daily life. A whole new perspective on life is opened up. The 29 Pieces workshops, online presence, and performances will all be parts of this process of connecting with people more deeply, in diverse and new ways.

— Karen Blessen

What's in a Number

2010-12-04T08:34:00.001-06:00

The 29 miners in the New Zealand coal mine

29 ….. Pieces of art, spiritual in nature, transformative in intent, the genesis which began this creative reaction was an act of extreme violence by a stranger. 29…. is also the number of miners that died recently on the other side of the planet in a New Zealand coal mine explosion. The lives of everyone who knew those miners will be changed forever, initially in a very terrible way. Yet out of that awful destruction might come, over time, seeds of rebirth and creativity. We never know. Many are crushed and understandably destroyed by tragedy. Others can, by some mysterious means, survive and turn that awfulness into something that might help others. People who have that ability should be encouraged and supported, for it is a rare talent.

— John Katz

www.JohnKatz.net

www.29Pieces.org

27 of the 29 men whose lives were lost in the New Zealand coal mine

Be here now

2010-11-30T14:09:00.001-06:00

The Thinker by Auguste Rodin

“A mind that likes to wander ’round the corner is an unwise mind” – George Harrison.

Meditation teacher and author Eknath Easwaran was once asked what Rodin’s Thinker was pondering. “Easy,” he said – “why can’t I stop thinking?” How many times have I awakened in the dark, to replay or rehearse some unpleasant scenario over and over and over? My mind has a million ways to defy discipline. I think I need to solve problems, or maybe just relax with a daydream, but without careful control, I often just follow the mind into unhappy territory.

A recent report by Harvard psychologists, reviewed by John Tierney in the November 15 New York Times, is an interesting study of what makes people happy. The study was by Matthew Killingsworth and Daniel Gilbert, and published in the November issue of Science magazine as: “A Wandering Mind is an Unhappy Mind.”

The psychologists got 2,200 volunteers to download an iPhone app (“trackyourhappiness”) that called them randomly during the day to ask them how they are feeling and what they are doing.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the 0.5% of the people who were having sex were the happiest, at least until the phone rang. They were also the most focused.

“When asked to rate their feelings on a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 being “very good,” the people having sex gave an average rating of 90. That was a good 15 points higher than the next-best activity, exercising, which was followed closely by conversation, listening to music, taking a walk, eating, praying and meditating, cooking, shopping, taking care of one’s children and reading. Near the bottom of the list were personal grooming, commuting and working.

When asked their thoughts, the people in flagrante were models of concentration: only 10 percent of the time did their thoughts stray from their endeavors. But when people were doing anything else, their minds wandered at least 30 percent of the time, and as much as 65 percent of the time (recorded during moments of personal grooming, clearly a less than scintillating enterprise).”

The psychologists found that even if you’re doing something enjoyable, you aren’t protected from negative thoughts. The rate of mind-wandering is lower, but when it wanders, it’s just as likely to wander toward negative thoughts.

The corollary of the study title is that a focused mind is a happy mind. When Karen sent me pictures from Africa, I couldn’t help but notice how much happier the poor villagers in Malawi looked, compared to the typical Americans at a shopping mall. Perhaps the lack of possessions brings one closer to God. Or maybe the lack of distractions (e.g., iPhones) makes it easier to focus.

— Kelly Nash
www.29Pieces.org

A Few Good Men

2010-11-27T11:52:00.001-06:00

Dad and me in our yard in Columbus, Nebraska

Ever since the MasterMind news, I’ve been thinking about Dad a lot. For most of my life, I’ve directed gratitude for the better part of me to Mom, and to the universe of women around her – my aunts, Mom’s friends.

But somehow the MasterMind competition and win took me directly to Dad. I mean, upon the news, I was happy. I thought – “This is cool. The Observer is cool.” Then I felt some disappointment that some get named, some don’t. Then I thought of how this might help us with 29 Pieces and Today Marks the Beginning. Then my mind settled on Dad, and the other men in my life who have encouraged me, pushed me, pushed me back sometimes, helped me, fed me, gave me confidence.

But today it’s about Dad. Dad was from a very poor family of 11 brothers and sisters. (I have 53 first cousins.) His Mom spoke only German, gave birth to at least 13 children. 11 survived infancy. My grandparents had a hard time feeding this huge family and local stories say that Grandma would walk into town and beg for food for her children.

Dad was smart, capable and shrewd in many ways. But like my Mom, and many children in rural America in the early 20^th century, he was not schooled past the eighth grade.

He worked first as a farm hand, and developed skills to be a talented finish carpenter.

He was 6 ft. 2 in., lean and had an angular, handsome quality. He served in the army in World War II and came back from the European and North African front with back injuries that bothered him for the rest of his life. He didn’t talk about the war, except to laugh about some of the funny stories of his buddies and grumble about the VA.

Though now I know that these experiences were visceral to him, to me – as a child, World War II seemed like another time, another place. I had no idea of what made him the man he was.

Dad came back from the war, worked for my Mom’s parents on their farm. By this time, Dad was in his late 30’s, Mom in her early 40’s. Mom was still living with her parents – working on their farm. They got together . . . I never heard any stories of their courtship or their wedding. Mom got pregnant with me. Five months later, they got married, and I was their only child.

Just like every family, this unfolded as a complicated story. Mom showered me with love and attention. Dad saw something in me, and had the initiative to go through a process of having me enrolled in school early. While Mom would’ve been ok with a passing report card, Dad would raise his eyebrows at an A-. He wasn’t pushing me beyond my capabilities, he was pushing me to them. He made it cool to be a brainy girl, cool to excel.

There were times that Dad could frighten me. His temper and sarcasm were sometimes close to the surface. But in regards to my grades and achievements, he guided me with a light touch.

He dove right into science projects with me. One year, my friend Karen Bembry and I were doing a model of a power plant and we had to lock him out of the room where we were working . . . he had become so involved in the project that he wanted to do it!

When it came time to go to college, I was waffling between being a math or art major. Dad could’ve reacted as a cautious parent – even as Mom did – encouraging me to stay in my small town, and find a secure future – working in a factory, or as a secretary. But he encouraged me to be an artist, to stick with it, to do what I loved.

Later, as fortunate things began to happen in my life and career, Dad carried the newspaper articles in his wallet, and showed them to people. When I went through his wallet when he was dying of lung cancer, I found one of the articles and thought – “there may never be another person who carries a story about me so closely.”

He would’ve been grinning ear to ear with the MasterMind competition, because after all that effort of checking my math problems and proofing my essays, it was his kid who earned that label.

Carl Blessen during World War II

He was a complicated man. Our relationship was good but not perfect. Dad taught me to ride a bike, he taught me to drive a car, and he taught me to fly.

— Karen Blessen, written Nov. 23, 2010

www.29Pieces.org

www.29Pieces.tumblr.com

I am an Artist

2010-11-26T11:16:00.001-06:00

TEXAS ARTISTS TODAY, with preface by James Surls

The other evening I went to a book signing at a Contemporary Arts Gallery. It was the usual scene, lots of trendy looking people (+ me) walking around with glasses of white wine in their hands and 12 year old waifs walking with trays of canapés for you not to munch on. The book itself was an elaborate affair, (not so much coffee table size as dining room table size) . . . a photo book entitled “Texas Artists Today.” The book's contents consist of photographs of current renowned Texas artists and their work. The thing that caught my eye however was that there were several book signing tables where the people behind them had name tags on that stated “I am an Artist” with their page number in the book, the idea being that you would take your newly purchased book and they would sign their particular page, thus increasing the value and desirability of your book. Curious, I spoke to one of the signers and asked her how long she had been an artist, she replied “since the age of 9.” Now to me, every child at the age of 9 is an artist, but she had persisted and had shows in several notable venues. The point being that the notable thing about this collection of “artists” was not their artistic abilities, but their grasp of what to do with your efforts to get them noticed by the white whine set.

— John Katz

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvmU5Vm6ioI

Entering into Joy (gratitude)

2010-11-25T09:56:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25, 2010: The street looking east

Imagine if all the tumult of the body were to quiet down, along with all our busy thoughts about earth, sea, and air;

if the very world should stop, and the mind cease thinking about itself, go beyond itself, and be quite still;

if all the fantasies that appear in dreams and imagination should cease, and there be no speech, no sign:

Imagine if all things that are perishable grew still – for if we listen they are saying, We did not make ourselves; he made us who abides forever – imagine, then, that they should say this and fall silent, listening to the very voice of him who made them and not to that of his creation;

so that we should hear not his word through the tongues of men, nor the voice of angels, nor the clouds' thunder, nor any symbol, but the very Self which in these things we love, and go beyond ourselves to attain a flash of that eternal wisdom which abides above all things:

And imagine if that moment were to go on and on, leaving behind all other sights and sounds but this one vision which ravishes and absorbs and fixes the beholder in joy; so that the rest of eternal life were like that moment of illumination which leaves us breathless:

Would this not be what is bidden in scripture, Enter thou into the joy of thy Lord?

— By Saint Augustine

Saint Augustine was born in North Africa in 354 and lived into the last stages of collapse of the Roman Empire. His Confessions, one of the world's great pieces of autobiographical literature, tells the story of a brilliant, passionate young man who learned to channel all his passions toward God. This translation from book 9, chapter 10, is by Michael N. Nagler.

From God Makes The Rivers To Flow, Sacred literature of the world selected by Eknath Easwaran, founder of the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation; third edition 2008, reprinted by permission of Nilgiri Press, P. O. Box 256, Tomales, Ca 94971, www.easwaran.org.

www.29Pieces.org

www.29Pieces.tumblr.com

Monumental Minimalist

2010-11-24T11:53:00.000-06:00

Artist Jun Kaneko - the 13 foot tall Dangos are prepared for drying.
The sculptures dry for a year before they are bisque fired to harden to clay.

Nebraska artist Jun Kaneko makes the largest freestanding ceramic objects in the world. Here he talks about the spiritual skills, and the sense of adventure, required by an artist.

www.29pieces.org

I hear a murmur

2010-11-23T14:43:00.000-06:00

John Katz and Kevin Althans at the Murmur site

I hear a murmur

Railroad trains, clunking metal,

wind through the holes in

the building.

Cathedral ceiling.

A blotted history. What

happened here hurt

people, poisoned the

soil, poisoned people.

It sits waiting.

Could this be the home

of 29 Pieces?

A Phoenix rising?

Beauty, spirit, wise

colossal reminders

emerging from this

stained landmark?

There’s a softness present,

A quietness . . . something . . .

Something like a murmur.

Something like home.

STOP

But hold on. You can’t move in

yet. There are formalities.

There are rings to exchange,

vows to be made, papers

to be drawn up + signed.

Patience, patience, patience.

— Karen Blessen

Art & Commerce 2

2010-11-19T10:22:00.000-06:00

Annie Liebovitz

There is an instructional article in the Financial Times titled: How Annie got shot. It tells how famous photographer Annie Leibovitz, while spending her illustrious career photographing famous celebs, along the way ignored her accumulating photographic legacy. Recently, after getting into enormous financial difficulties by ignoring the fine print, (a common failing amongst creatives), she has now belatedly tried to capitalize on her vast portfolio of iconic images in order to climb out of the financial hole she finds herself in. So far it doesn’t appear to be working. Her photographs don’t fetch anywhere near the sums commanded by Avedon, Penn, Steichen and the like. There are various theories why this is. But amongst the most telling appears to me to be her historical snubbing of gallery owners and art dealers who used to vie for her work and attention. Now that the shoe is on the other foot they appear to be disinclined to cooperate. This may pass. It does illustrate the need, even if you happen to be very famous and busy, not to let bridges fall into disrepair that you might need to cross one day.

— John Katz

www.JohnKatz.net

Dallas Observer MasterMind Awards

2010-11-15T21:55:00.000-06:00

On November 11, 2010, 29 Pieces artist Karen Blessen was one of three Dallas artists to win the Dallas Observers first annual "MasterMinds" creativity award. Following is the part of the article about Karen:

Dallas Observer photo by Danny Fulgencio

Karen Blessen - artist, peace advocate

(by Elaine Liner, Thursday, Nov 11 2010, Dallas Observer, from “MasterMinds: Matthew Posey, Joel Hester and Karen Blessen Are Winners in Our Inaugural Creativity Awards”)

She didn't hear the gunshot that killed the stranger on her front lawn in Lakewood late one night in 2000. But for the next three years, Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic artist Karen Blessen thought of little else but the murder of 26-year-old David McNulty. She immersed herself in chronicling the effects of that random act of violence on McNulty's family and friends, and on those who knew the perpetrators, including the killer himself. She wrote about all of it in a long article titled "One Bullet," published in 2003 in The Dallas Morning News.

After that, Blessen says, she needed a way to heal from those "three dark years" and turn her creative energies in a different, more positive direction. She began a meditation practice she still follows that requires memorization of lines of sacred texts. No more Law & Order episodes before bedtime; in fact, no more TV at all. More exercise and a healthier diet brought even more clarity.

In 2006 came what Blessen calls her "creative burst." Over several months early that year, she built a series of shoebox-sized sculptures—"happy collages," she calls them—she would title 29 Pieces. A collection of tiny assemblages and script-covered tableaux amid swatches of cloth, pieces of twig, glass, beads and wire, they contain bits of writing by mystics and religious figures such as St. Theresa of Lisieux and St. Augustine. There are lines from Psalms and from prayers in Lakota Sioux language. The first piece says this: "If the very world should stop...."

That phrase, which came to Blessen in meditation, was her cue, she says, to reevaluate everything in her life. Was she where she wanted to be spiritually? Artistically? Personally? "The art and writing just poured out after that," she says. "It was as if a portal had opened."

After 30 years as an illustrator and graphic artist (her Pulitzer in 1989 was for work published in the Morning News), Blessen, now 58, says she "put down the colored pencils and started down a different path." Having seen the effects of violence on her own doorstep, she became an advocate for peace and for teaching nonviolent conflict resolution. She is the co-founder, with her friend Dr. Barbara Miller, of a nonprofit organization called Today Marks the Beginning, which uses art to promote peace and to raise public awareness of social issues. This fall the organization received $30,000 raised at the annual Art Conspiracy event.

Within Today Marks The Beginning is a program Blessen created and still directs called MasterPEACE, which sends volunteers, including artists, musicians, actors, writers and yoga masters into eight public and private schools in Dallas to teach lessons on peace to fifth-graders. Students learn about "Heroes of Peace," including Gandhi, Mother Teresa, the Dalai Lama and others, and they're guided through studies in the meanings of love, empathy, consequences and harmony, which they then translate into art pieces using simple tools and found objects. Blessen has helped get students' art displayed publicly, including an exhibit at the Dallas Public Library. Neiman Marcus at NorthPark Center will host a show of 30 student-created MasterPEACE artworks reflecting "love" in February 2011.

Janet Perera, counselor at DISD's L.L. Hotchkiss Elementary, says the MasterPEACE program has had a profoundly positive effect on her school's students over the past four years. There are 1,000 kids enrolled at Hotchkiss, many of them children of recent refugees from African and Asian countries. More than 30 languages are spoken in the school.

"Many of these children have been highly traumatized in their lives," Perera says, "and Ms. Blessen's creative programs help traumatized children feel better about themselves and gain coping strategies." In addition to art, the children do yoga lessons, garden and develop relationships with volunteers. "They've just come from refugee camps, many of them," Perera says, "so it just makes them feel good that people care about them."

Former Hotchkiss principal Lea Beach says she believes MasterPEACE could have great impact beyond Blessen and her organization's art lessons, "though they are phenomenal in their own right." Beach would like to see Blessen's program expanded beyond the few elementary schools where it's now being used. "Our society is going through a huge change," says Beach, who now works with a nonprofit after-school program called HeartHouse Dallas. "With immigrants moving into our communities, it's going to cause a cultural shift. We're going to have to learn to get along together. I have seen refugee children learn ways to stop bullying and teasing through this program. But many children, not just refugees, are dealing with horrific situations and they could be helped, too."

At Parish Episcopal, a private school in North Dallas, counselor Vicki Millican has invited Blessen to teach several MasterPEACE sessions to middle-schoolers. The goal, Millican says, is "to help our students gain a deeper understanding of empathy and learn to find more peace in their lives....I am quite certain that their participation has made an indelible impression on them that will lead them to think and act more peacefully throughout their lives."

And that's precisely the point, Blessen says. "We're showing children how creativity can help us slow down and make some better choices. The very act of creating brings children to a calmer state."

That's the same effect making the 29 Pieces had on Blessen, after all. "When the murder happened, I knew something had changed," she says. "For three years I listened to people affected by one act of senseless violence. It had been a blip on Fox news, four paragraphs in the paper. But it just touched me deeply to discover the value and cost of one life. After those years of exploring things that were disturbing and dark in the world, I suddenly had a profound and transcendent experience that I expressed in the 29 Pieces. Now I want to share that."

In her cozy studio in Deep Ellum, Blessen has been working on a long-term project to expand the 29 Pieces to larger-than-room-size multimedia installations. With an estimated budget for the sculpture of $3.5 million, the super-sized 29 Pieces will become a traveling exhibit, or, if she can find the right building, a permanent installation similar to Donald Judd's massive Chinati Foundation in Marfa.

"It's time for artists to work on a larger scale," she says. "Art is going to manifest in ways we can't even anticipate yet."

Just Sticks

2010-11-14T18:03:00.004-06:00

You Can't, You Don't, and You Won't Stop, Phase 1, March 3rd - April 27, 2010

Bamboo: the fastest growing plant on earth . . . this grass is stronger than steel, yet versatile, flexible, and plentiful. Pandas won’t eat anything other than its shoots. I have a friend who just paid $85.00 for a custom case made out of the stuff for his iPhone. Thor Heyerdahl could have made his raft out of it (but didn’t). And if you plant it in your garden and it takes hold, it is almost impossible to get rid of, but looks nice anyway. The Starn brothers (identical twins - Doug and Mike) are two inventive photographers with a long history of looking at everyday objects in a sometimes startling way. They've done an installation on the roof of the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, (amongst other places) that takes bamboo into new realms. It might be “just sticks” but it's what you do with them (to state the obvious) that counts. Check it out at: http://www.starnstudio.com/

— John Katz