Veil

A sunrise walk on the beach,
Birds chirping in the morning,
Rainbows,
Deja Vu.

The sublime.

Stained glass windows, ceilings closer to the heavens, a surreal immersive experience. Setting the tone, atmosphere. Magic. God. In another way, the veil could be thinner during certain times of year or moon cycles. It can also occur during altered states of reality where a higher level of consciousness is attained. This can be as simple of a meditation or more intense as a psychedelic experience that could bring revelations and life changing experiences.

But, what lies beyond is different for everyone. Memories, spirits, answers and truth, ideas, ways of life, ancient wisdom, experience, healing knowledge, diverse lessons & ways of creation, energy, creatures, guides, tools & techniques, dreams & concepts, the source.

The Dance

mind body energy spirit quest

Here, I'm using the word dance to describe our interaction with the veil. And of course I'm inspired by Loui Fuller, who literally danced with a veil. But she's not just dancing with the veil. Her gown is the main focus & canvas. Loui becomes the veil & manipulates the results. But, if you look more conceptually at the idea, those who 'dance with the veil' are dancing with knowledge, power, wonder, curiosity. They are dancing with a collection of experiences, a cloud of sorts. I like to think of 'the beyond' like the cloud. A cloud we can tap into & receive helpful information, more simple ways of thinking, and even healing. Other interpretations of what the beyond is could be, the void, the unknown, realms, dimensions, spirit world, ancestors, the rainbow bridge, heaven, hell, aliens, or nothing.

There are many spiritual beliefs & tales of traveling beyond, to other worlds or "into the light". This can be induced by near death experiences, meditation, ceremonial rituals, healing & cleansing through psychedelics. 

Some are married to the dance & think of themselves as seekers on a quest. The quest to grow, learn and transform. But ya know? We dance with being in the present moment. We dance with ourselves in mind and body. We dance with the veil. Pushing the limits. Challenging ideas and perspectives. You are dancing even if you don’t know you are.

Once I was aware of ‘the veil’ and 'the dance' I strived to be transparent & honest. More universal & rid of labels & conforming/limiting beliefs. I became closer to self & truth. The dance became noticeable and the path began. 

The veil can also be a symbol of transition. A lens that separates innocence. Worn for purity, ritual, ceremony, dance. It is used to preserve beauty & modesty. But is also used for adornments & sacred coverings and sometimes in a more tempting way. Always associated with the feminine.

This study is an exploration for me on symbolism & cross-culture analysis. Universal comparisons. I believe we can find so much truth & similarities when looking at the same concept throughout cultures. 

I'm inspired to do projects like this mainly for this personal journey I'm on, but also because I want to share along the way and experiment with design in the process. Below are key words associated with the veil:

TRADITIONAL
INNOVATIVE
ETHERAL
RELIGIOUS
CONCEPTUAL
MODERN
FASHION
CEREMONIAL
SYMBOLIC 

As the research grows, I'm now looking at how I could induce a feeling of sublime/other worldly feelings through the mindful arrangement of objects. I've dabbled in this before, creating a kaleidoscope tunnel that projects onto it's surrounding & then photographing the results; and another with a veil installation using white fabric, sun catches, air diffusers, and mirrors that made you want to sit & breathe. It also was very feminine feeling. Through this study, I' moved to evolve these concepts into something more symbolic & conceptual. An immersive experience.

Above are elements & techniques on creating a magical moment like this through a collection of objects.

mesh / sheer
mirror
reflection
light
crystal ball
projections
illusion
perspective
scale
Shadow
glass
DisCO
WIndows

light-shadow,
reflection,
projection
sun,
glass,
spectrums,

Creating a feeling of spirit.
Wonder. Awe.

Quiet reflections,
immersive moments,
sparking emotion.

An illusion,
merely a placement of objects.

Yet, magical.