28 March 2023

Walking slowly, I hear A sound, a trickle, a wail, a whimper. My inner being yearning For what was lost, tis to be found In a space within. I search without, eyes to see Hands to hold, feet to walk, Dismembered I remain A heaviness that pulls To the ground, where I find … I need no eyes, no ears to hear A space that I , carry within - Rukmini Vijayakumar My response to the #jamesturell sculpture #withinwithout When I went to the National museum in Canberra, I learned a lot about the indigenous people of this country. It moved me in a way that I cannot describe … and I wondered how the human race - all of us - could get to a place where we are unable to regard people with varied lifestyles as even human. The indigenous people looked at the earth, the trees, the winds, the water etc as spirits to be treated with reverence. But many of us don’t even regard other humans with respect. I find their culture very similar to the way we see creation in Vedanta. The all pervasive consciousness manifests in creation itself. Therefore everything and everybody is this ‘ishwara’ . The James Turell sculpture embodied both these ideas for me; - A deep respect for the space that one occupies, an idea from the indigenous culture. They refer to it as ‘country’. - And the idea that Purusha, unmanifest, represented in a Shiva lingam, is in fact Prakruthi, creation itself, when manifest. My response to this sculpture is more a feeling of yearning to get back what was lost - A love for ‘country’, harmony with nature, a place to rest, warmth and love for all creatures. This is a struggle that the indigenous people have been fighting. A struggle every one of us must fight within ourselves - to make harmonious living a part of our future. @visitcanberra @australia @pickyourtrail Music : Passengers by Bruno bravato #dancer #sculpture #love #indigenous #firstaustralians #love #harmony #nature #surrender #besurprised #visitaustralia #dancer #bharataatyam #jamesturell