Surrounding these gods is an assembly of boddhisatvas, representing aspects of the god. The figurines are symbols of contemporary life, icons of fast food and television. Implied in these works is the spiritual vacuum of modern commercialism and the sacredness of material gratification. In Hindu and Buddhist tradition, the mandala is an instrument of contemplation, in Jungian terms it is a way for the patient to represent unconscious states. The mandala demonstrates the process of individuation. It is a symbol of wholeness and containment, of healing and centredness. In these works the mandala also might suggest a connection with the homogenisation of cultures associated with multinationals and processes of globalisation. Or, possibly a renewal of a form of spirituality, or even the making of new belief systems that we can only imagine. These mandalas are constructed from the debris of modern sub/urban life. The skeletal steel remains of old innerspring mattresses, cut down to form a square, stuffed with white plastic shopping bags forming a two-dimensional support similar to a canvas. This support is then covered with hundreds of coloured plastic pieces to build up the mandala and small plastic figurines are wired on to represent the assembly of boddhisatvas surrounding the Buddha-image. This work has the mandala as a symbol for the earth and for sustainable artmaking practices.
