Conference Proceedings 2010 [pdf] - Art & Design Symposium ...

Numbness and insensitivity towards one’s own pain, in turn equals numbness and insensitivity towards
others. When examining one’s reactions closely, one might observe that the first spontaneous reaction
to others is a feeling for and with them, compassion or empathy, a participation of the soul. But the
second reaction restricts this emotional flow… The numbness, instituted for oneself, must be continued
towards others, just as every attitude towards the self is bound to expand towards others.
“The Concept of Evil” by Eva Pierrakos, 1979
Conceptual Framework
The goal of my artwork became a point of departure for self-exploration and to explore art as the “still point” of
connection to self and other. The still point of presence in the experience of art (the aesthetic experience) is its
transformative power to move us beyond our usual contracted state of fear to a tender and vulnerable flow of
feelings and inner experience.
Art's inherent ability to open a moment of presence is an antidote to the numbness described above. Art can
open the viewer to his/her own life experience and if in the power of that aesthetic moment of truth, the viewer
is in a community building group, the potential for honest, authentic communication is made even greater. To
be able to speak the truth and be who we are in the moment is the foundation for communication that leads to
communion and community.
I present my work in conjunction with what I refer to as Community Building/Circles of Engagement in order to
explore the connection between art and personal/political transformation. The purpose of these circles is to
create a context in which the participants can experience an honest and meaningful connection with one
another. Their experience of self at a deeper level can make way for a different kind of political work, taking us
deeper into our own and collective process. To facilitate honest communication we move beyond our social
masks to explore the role of feelings and emotions in the personal/political sphere. The major emphasis in this
work is authentic presence. This means being attentive to what is going on in us and among us.
Previous and prevailing art movements challenge traditional forms and boundaries, questioning what is art,
who is an artist and the relationship of art to the viewer/public, experimenting with many forms. But few, if any,
attend to the viewers/audience as a group in the context of the art experience, and the inherent ability of art to
open a sacred space within that can be shared in community.
The arts/process-arts nexus can be new terrain in what is usually considered “political art,” with the potential to
create new forms of art and different models for political work.
Community Building
Community building is a growing worldwide movement that challenges our usual way of being in the world. It
focuses on process, thereby altering hierarchical forms of organization that often lead to alienation and
isolation. The movement, long underway in a hundred manifestations, reflects the mission to pay attention to
HOW we are with one another and not just to what we do. The huge developments in the twentieth century,
from meta-psychology to information processing, all reflect a drive to develop at the process level. Process arts
are a necessary parallel to the liberal arts and encompass various disciplines that:
Create an environment of trust
Encourage people to speak truthfully
Work through problems with respect and kindness
Foster deep listening
Develop shared facilitation
Utilize conscious conflict
Create awareness of group dynamics
"Community building" also refers to a specific group process developed by Dr. M. Scott Peck. Although there
are many approaches to community building, I use the process described in his book, The Different Drum:
Community Making and Peace, because of its elegant simplicity and focus on presence, the still point, as the
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