2 in1~ within opposites

there a few things i find myself not wanting to do this morning. one of them, is trying to explain something to readers that makes me feel vulnerable. but this is what the whole experience of blogging has really been about. feeling vulnerable, sharing my thoughts and simultaneously feeling empowered by the experience of sharing.

the contrast of vulnerability & empowerment is a perfect example of two opposites existing at once.

we each know the experience of having two emotions simultaneously, or loving someone who views the world in a way antithetical our own beliefs. another instance- to be in a relationship and still feel alone (or independent!)….. at this point i think you are starting to consider some examples of how contradictions exist in your life. how two elements, radically different, yet equal– still make sense together. somehow!

this is what today’s blog post is about –the tension of opposites.  the way we can hold two contradictory things as equal. finding a way to balance between the two opposites.

i used this concept as the premise of an art project i developed for a class final. my idea was to present a project allowing each individual to explore their personal understanding of the “tension of opposites”.  the instruction i gave was to “depict the tension of opposites in clay”.  they received this instruction only after the clay was in their hands. my thought was, this would reduce the logical thought that went into the shaping of the clay. my hope was that their first thoughts, their initial response (perhaps their unconscious?) would guide them in creating a representation. i wanted their depictions to evoke the experience of the tension of opposites from an emotional place  rather than from a more logical place.

this wasn’t an attempt to test a theory or hypothesis. instead, my interest lies in creating opportunities of artistic expressions that tap into the thoughts and trying to capture artistic representations of purely rational thought. here are the pieces that were made and a few photos i took that day as i photographed these mini sculptures.

i only had a short amount of time to photograph these sculptures after class.  i am loving how they capture the light and the shadows of this room. it makes the contrast seem more stark. i wish that the background was more consistent. hope you can see how other people interpreted this concept…. maybe you will want to make your own tension of opposites art piece.