Welcome to “ART AND ZEN TODAY”. If you are new to this site, I would suggest starting with the post titled “Experience #1. Or, feel free to check out recent articles and those in the Archives. This blog is a little different so before you dive in, let me tell you what I [...]
Anyone who has visited The Vista Zen Center has seen Linda’s art hanging on the wall and if lucky have run into the artist herself. Unfortunately, Linda, whose Dhrama name is Seido, lives near Boise Idaho and only visits us during Sesshins. She became interested in Zen several years ago while doing research for [...]
“Kaliflowers” Digital Painting by Manoj
Recently I purchased a “Dreamthon 500”. If you are not familiar with this machine, it can most easily be described as a “dream transcriber”. Very simply, you hook yourself up to several electrodes leading to the machine and in the morning any dreams you had during the night are [...]
Whirled Piece #1, ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, 4FT BY 4FT. BY MANOJ
SEEING THE WHIRLED AS IT IS.
+++++
Please stop it!
Stop What?
Whatever you’re doing.
But, IT’s doing it to me.
Well, then stop IT.
I’m tired of trying to stop IT.
Good. So, stop it already.
+++++++
Before reading on, please go back and spend a few moments with the image and [...]
“The Sound of One Hand Clapping” By Manoj
HEARING THE HERE
It is generally assumed that both the practice of Zen and the practice of art can help a person become more self-aware. How these two practices relate to one another, can be seen in the work of John Cage.
In 1952 Cage, a artist, composer [...]
You remember Jerry Seinfeld. He’s the real life comedian who played himself as a comedian named Jerry Seinfeld in the sit-com “Seinfeld” where he pitches a sit-com to a TV network to play himself, Jerry Seinfeld, in a sit-com about nothing. Since the show ended 10 years ago, (can you believe it’s been [...]
John Cage in Performance
Welcome to an on-line performance of John Cage’s masterpiece 4′ 33″.
The audio volume of this particular performance may not be high, so listen carefully.
DISCLAIMER: Some performances may be slightly shorter or longer than four minutes and 33 seconds and each involves different instrumentation. Thank you for your understanding.
Hit the large [...]
SEATTLE ZEN POEM, by Jon Wesick
Sometimes I sit and watch my thoughts
come and go like clouds in the sky.
When one stays too long,
others gather,
and soon there is a shower.
It rains a lot here,
but last night it was clear,
and I observed the moon and the stars.
*****
COUNTING BREATHS, by Jon Wesick
In – one, out – one, in [...]
The image above is of one of the ingenious contraptions build by engineer/artist Theo Jensen from The Netherlands. I first became aware of Jensen upon seeing a video of an ad featured in a post written by my brother Jim and my nephew Max on their blog -site, Techimoto. I’d suggest that you go [...]
My painting called “Buddha-Bush” was painted not long after the U.S. invaded Iraq. Everyday I would read the newspaper at breakfast and find myself seething. I hated George W. Bush with a passion and everything I would read about him in the paper would make me feel fully justified in holding on to [...]