Room 1-2-3 (4-5)

Cornfield Ground - 76' D Room 1-2-3 (4-5) Chorale

Room 1-2-3 (4-5) Digital design concept

Drawing on influences European, American, and Asian, and occupying the other half of the Cornfield Ground opposite Chorale, is the five panel mural Room 1-2-3 (4-5). As with the other elements of Cornfield: An Artstory, it reaffirms the Conscious experience that You are the center of the Universe. This is the Play of Consciousness.

Room spans 23 feet and features compositional elements in groups of ones, twos, and threes (and fours and fives). The work is themed on the Yogic philosophy of the Five Functions of Consciousness, aka *God. These five functions are Creation, Sustenance, Dissolution, Concealment, and Grace. Room 1-2-3 (4-5) expresses these five functions, illustrating a whole and vital vision. To the far left is Jain Painter, a symbol of creation, the creative first step of all artistic expression. In the center is Olympia, symbol of sustenance and nourishment - the Goddess, the Mother. She gives birth to and nourishes the Earth and the celestial spheres, as well as all art and expressions of human making, her body breathing between contraction and expansion. Conceived and painted during the birth of the Millennium, the composition contains a global reference to the year 2000. At the far right is Shiva, the Hindu God of Destruction, affirming the truth that whatever is created is eventually destroyed, just as any field must be plowed under after the harvest to make way for new growth. Second from the right is Death of The Corn Goddess?, illustrating the function of concealment. What conceals the presence of the Divine more than acts of violence? Can the Corn Goddess truly die? Finally there is the function of grace, illumined by the painting Luncheon - Blessing Of The Corn, where all are welcome and fed, all cultures equally respected, where love shines in the communion of souls. Several art historical references live in this tableau, and the rearrangement of Cezanne's Apples and Oranges acts as a legend for the five panels as a whole, with groups of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

Additionally, Room contains the companion painting Burning Sheaves, a meditation on the three qualities of the Universe as laid out in Yogic philosophy - passivity, passion, and purity (peace) - depicted as three burning sheaves of Maize. In passivity there's not much fire and negativity prevails. In passion, it may be a fun ride for a while but you'll get burned, most likely lassoed by 'the noose that binds.' In the light of purity the fire burns bright and clear, bringing inner peace. Throw all of that into a blender along with the Five Functions of God . . Creation, Sustenance, Dissolution, Concealment, and Grace . . and you get exactly what you are perceiving, feeling, and thinking in this moment.

Whatever happens in the Play of Consciousness - within the world of culture, within the body and mind, within our relationships and environment - manifests as one or more of these functions as illustrated in Room 1-2-3 (4-5). In this understanding of the Yoga of Knowledge, God plays all the roles. From the motions of the heavenly spheres to our most intimate thoughts and feelings, Consciousness always makes Room.

*God forbid we use the word 'God' when talking about the making of art in contemporary western culture :)

Room 1-2-3 (4-5) 48"H x 23'0"W oil on linen and wooden panel

Jain Painter (creation) Luncheon - Blessing of the Corn (grace) Olympia (sustenance) Death of the Corn Goddess? (concealment) Shiva (destruction)

Above: Burning Sheaves 48"H x 66"W oil on canvas

Olympia (Expansion and Contraction) 48"H x 60"W oil on linen

Luncheon - Blessing of the Corn (Grace) 50"H x 66"W oil on linen

Room 1-2-3 (4-5) 48"H x 23'0"W oil on linen and wooden panel

Cornfield: An Artstory in the round - Sun Dance

Room 1-2-3 (4-5)

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