Ensō - Part VII

Part VII

Photographs provided by NASA of the planets Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury were used. https://www.nasa.gov/

Ensō (円相) is a Japanese word meaning "circle" and is a concept strongly associated with Zen Buddhism. Ensō is perhaps the most common object in Japanese calligraphy even though it is a symbol rather than an ideogram. It symbolises enlightenment, strength, elegance, the universe and emptiness (mu); it can also symbolise the Japanese aesthetic itself. As an "expression of the moment" it is often considered an expressionist art form. Ensō can be, for example: the beginning and end of all things, the circle of life, the cyclical nature of existence, a manifestation of the moment.

At this moment we are witnessing a fusion of the field of the imaginary and the scientific field, where science is unravelling the shadows of magical thinking. But this scientific advance is also creating new mysteries to be revealed. All matter in the Cosmos, which by the laws of physics is organised into molecules and chains of atoms, at a certain moment in the fabric of space-time becomes a Supernova (phenomenon at the end of the cycle of a star) and collapses into a black hole or becomes a neutron star. This cycle of matter and its collapse is represented in Ensō.

From form to emptiness and vice versa, where the whole is contained. This essay represents this fusion of matter, the nature of the Earth and the celestial bodies, the nebulae, galaxies and planets, in this perpetual cycle of transformation.

27 April 2021

Technique:

Digital photography capture with multiple exposures and software post processing.

Fine art printing on 100% cotton paper - Museum Etching 350 g/m² (Hahnemühle) - Natural White - Museum Quality. Matte textured finish.

Dimensions:

Print Area - 30x45cm + 3cm White Margin (Total 36x51cm).

Print run:

1/3 PA + 3