The Sacred Art Photography Projects
Steven D. Foster
From the project:
The Center of Being
In 2011, while traveling in Turkey I experienced the spontaneous eruption of a symbol while viewing a display of Islamic Sacred Art. This mystical experience initiated within me several related questions: What is Sacred Art? What is "the sacred" in sacred art? Would it be possible to produce Sacred Art within a contemporary art practice (such as my own)?
These questions generated a response in the form of a two-year-long visual and textual meditation--a multi-chaptered photography project, entitled "An Imaginary Book" 2011-13. I consider this project as the first in a trilogy of important Sacred Art Photography projects; the other two are The Angels 2014 and the third is The Photograph as ICON 2015, an important project in that it helps to clarify my idea of The Symbol and The Symbolic Photograph, the very heart of the notion of the Sacred Image.
"An Imaginary Book" was a major turning point in my creative process. After the completion of that project in 2013 nearly all of my subsequent photography projects up to now (1-2017) have been focused on those questions regarding sacred art. This page of my photography blog contains the complete listing of my Sacred Art Photography Projects and other related online writing projects.
The Sacred Art projects are a sustained meditation--in both visual and textual forms--which strive to unveil the Hidden Treasure, the divine presence, the Supreme Self which dwells behind or within the appearances of the world, the things of this earthly plane of existence. The revelation occurs for me through the grace of the The Symbolic Photograph.
It is the Symbol which conjoins corresponding opposites-- Divinity and humanity, Creator and the created world-- into a Unitary Reality. The living, grace-filled symbol transcends the apparent differences of dual existence: inner and outer, subject and object, heaven and earth. The symbol--its grace, and the grace of the contemplator--makes it possible to experience the Unity of Being. It is through the grace of the symbol--and our deep, sincere engagement with it--that we can dissolve our psychic bind (attachment) with the apparent outer world and become free to return to our inner, divine Origin, the Truth of who we truly are: the divine, inner Self of all.
The yogic scriptures tell us that remembering God, Guru, the divine Self is the most essential practice of the spiritual seeker. We become what we think about, what we meditate upon . . . is what we become. For me making photographs has become an unbroken meditation upon, and a visual affirmation of, the divine nature of all the things in the Created Universe. I offer the fruits of my practice, which is filled with the grace--citit shakit--of my Guru, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda and the entire Siddha Lineage, with great love and gratitude.
The List of Sacred Art Photography Projects
Here is the list of online projects that directly addresses the question of sacred art within my creative process. Each title is hyperlinked: simply click on the title and you will be taken to the entire online project.
The projects are listed from the most recent at the top to the initiating project "An Imaginary Book" 2011-13, at the bottom. Several of the projects are multi-chaptered, that is to say, they contain several links under the one project title.
Also, I encourage you to explore the Welcome Page of my photography blog-website, TheDepartingLandscape.blogspot.com It contains all of my online photography projects, many of which are sacred art projects "in spirit" though they do not directly address the questions which initiated "An Imaginary Book." I have also included below a second list of related online writing projects.
Homage to Federico Mompou and his Sacred Music of Silence 2019
I Was So Happy To See My Friend's Face 2018
Studies IX : Lila ~ Seeing Presence in the light and details of my everyday life 2018
The Rising Sun : Prelude To An Exhibition 2018
Postlude To An Exhibition : Homage to White, Stieglitz, Silvestrov 2018
Alone : Blue Symmetrical Photographs 2017
The Eye of Siva : White Blue & Gold Snow Photographs 2017
The Siva Sutra Rock Photographs 2017
The Pulsating Uncreated Heart : Origin & Center of Creation 2017
Creation-Dissolution of a World 2017
Grace-Photograph-Symbol-Universe 2017
Time Time-Changes Sacred Time 2017
Snow Angels~Rilke's Angel of the Elegies~Khidr, Angel of the Earth 2016
There Is No Thing To Know 2016
The Blue Pearl 2016
The Center of Being 2016
Field of Vision 2015
As Above, So Below ~ Mirror in the Temple 2015
Photography and Yoga 2015
Snow : Photographs from the Silver World 2015
The Photograph as ICON 2015
The Angels 2014
The Space Between Color and Black&White 2014
The Creative Process 2014
"An Imaginary Book" 2011-13
Related Links: Writings
These questions generated a response in the form of a two-year-long visual and textual meditation--a multi-chaptered photography project, entitled "An Imaginary Book" 2011-13. I consider this project as the first in a trilogy of important Sacred Art Photography projects; the other two are The Angels 2014 and the third is The Photograph as ICON 2015, an important project in that it helps to clarify my idea of The Symbol and The Symbolic Photograph, the very heart of the notion of the Sacred Image.
"An Imaginary Book" was a major turning point in my creative process. After the completion of that project in 2013 nearly all of my subsequent photography projects up to now (1-2017) have been focused on those questions regarding sacred art. This page of my photography blog contains the complete listing of my Sacred Art Photography Projects and other related online writing projects.
The Sacred Art projects are a sustained meditation--in both visual and textual forms--which strive to unveil the Hidden Treasure, the divine presence, the Supreme Self which dwells behind or within the appearances of the world, the things of this earthly plane of existence. The revelation occurs for me through the grace of the The Symbolic Photograph.
It is the Symbol which conjoins corresponding opposites-- Divinity and humanity, Creator and the created world-- into a Unitary Reality. The living, grace-filled symbol transcends the apparent differences of dual existence: inner and outer, subject and object, heaven and earth. The symbol--its grace, and the grace of the contemplator--makes it possible to experience the Unity of Being. It is through the grace of the symbol--and our deep, sincere engagement with it--that we can dissolve our psychic bind (attachment) with the apparent outer world and become free to return to our inner, divine Origin, the Truth of who we truly are: the divine, inner Self of all.
The yogic scriptures tell us that remembering God, Guru, the divine Self is the most essential practice of the spiritual seeker. We become what we think about, what we meditate upon . . . is what we become. For me making photographs has become an unbroken meditation upon, and a visual affirmation of, the divine nature of all the things in the Created Universe. I offer the fruits of my practice, which is filled with the grace--citit shakit--of my Guru, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda and the entire Siddha Lineage, with great love and gratitude.
The List of Sacred Art Photography Projects
Here is the list of online projects that directly addresses the question of sacred art within my creative process. Each title is hyperlinked: simply click on the title and you will be taken to the entire online project.
The projects are listed from the most recent at the top to the initiating project "An Imaginary Book" 2011-13, at the bottom. Several of the projects are multi-chaptered, that is to say, they contain several links under the one project title.
Also, I encourage you to explore the Welcome Page of my photography blog-website, TheDepartingLandscape.blogspot.com It contains all of my online photography projects, many of which are sacred art projects "in spirit" though they do not directly address the questions which initiated "An Imaginary Book." I have also included below a second list of related online writing projects.
Homage to Federico Mompou and his Sacred Music of Silence 2019
I Was So Happy To See My Friend's Face 2018
Studies IX : Lila ~ Seeing Presence in the light and details of my everyday life 2018
The Rising Sun : Prelude To An Exhibition 2018
Postlude To An Exhibition : Homage to White, Stieglitz, Silvestrov 2018
Alone : Blue Symmetrical Photographs 2017
The Eye of Siva : White Blue & Gold Snow Photographs 2017
The Siva Sutra Rock Photographs 2017
The Pulsating Uncreated Heart : Origin & Center of Creation 2017
Creation-Dissolution of a World 2017
Grace-Photograph-Symbol-Universe 2017
Time Time-Changes Sacred Time 2017
Snow Angels~Rilke's Angel of the Elegies~Khidr, Angel of the Earth 2016
Death : A Meditation in Photographs & Texts Broad Brook Symmetrical Photographs 2016
Studies : Sufism 2016 Signs, Veils, & the Symbolic Photograph
Illuminations : Photographs & Poetry 2016 featuring the poems of Hafiz and other Poet-Saints
The City of Souls 2016 Studies : Sufism 2016 Signs, Veils, & the Symbolic Photograph
Illuminations : Photographs & Poetry 2016 featuring the poems of Hafiz and other Poet-Saints
There Is No Thing To Know 2016
The Blue Pearl 2016
The Center of Being 2016
Field of Vision 2015
As Above, So Below ~ Mirror in the Temple 2015
Photography and Yoga 2015
Snow : Photographs from the Silver World 2015
The Photograph as ICON 2015
The Angels 2014
The Space Between Color and Black&White 2014
The Creative Process 2014
"An Imaginary Book" 2011-13
Related Links: Writings
The Symbolic Photograph and the Imaginal World
"The Straight Photograph" & Constructing the Four-fold Symmetrical Photographs
"The Straight Photograph" & Constructing the Four-fold Symmetrical Photographs
Welcome Page to my Departing Landscape website which includes the complete listing of my online hyperlinked photography projects, my resume, contact information, and more.
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