Emancipated Realism

Sneak Peek! The Pharaoh's Serpent, after Caravaggio

2012-02-10T11:13:00.000-08:00

A few more days on this and she'll be ready to turn the world into a diamond...

A Question, a Reflection, & a Study

2011-12-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

We all make New Year's Resolutions, whether we write them out or not, right? It's either a conscious or subconscious "contract" we make with ourselves this time of year. It's natural, it's part of our human culture, and though they don't always "stick", some times they do.

My top 3 for 2012:

1. Eat more raw foods.

2. Design a better physical activity routine.

3. Get more comfortable with blogging. (In other words, don't overthink it, just share.)

I don't have a new completed piece to reveal before the close of 2011, but I thought it might be interesting to share the Study behind the oil painting I am working on right now.

Enjoy!

Partial Synopsis for The Harmonic Spheres

2011-10-07T14:16:00.001-07:00

Partial Synopsis of "The Harmonic Spheres" by Mark Marasco

This mandala encompasses the Universe. The outermost ring embodies the spectrum of light in 144 sections of color. (144 is a special number in many traditions and also thought to be a harmonic number for light itself.) The 2 upper black "cosmic web" sections have cat's eye nebula forms, signifying outer space. (Derived from Navajo mythology regarding the "Spider Woman".) The 2 lower lavender sections represent the "ether" with 64 tetrahedron isotropic vector metrics or grids floating within it. They describe the structure of the vacuum of space. The 2 outer side portions show the living nature of the universe, along with the concept of the Trinity (2 clouds with a Trillium flower between). The water molecule in the clouds (also a trinity of H2O) is giving life to the flower with 3 petals and 3 leaves. The backgrounds are the colors of both sunrise and sunset bringing forth the cycles of light and dark, living and dying, etc. The large hexagon in magenta is a living system made up of endothelial cell forms. There is a striped square behind it, which represents the latent consciousness of creation. Inside the hexagon, the largest circle in green and gold constitutes the Sun and solar system. The 12 red and white petals in the shape of onion domes each have 12 individual petal forms within. The larger petals have curved lines showing the wave-like nature of light, while the smaller petals have straight lines showing the linear or particle nature of light. Inside the petals are depictions of the Chinese zodiac. The spaces between the onion dome petals and hexagon walls are the gravitational or binding forces and materials inside any system, much like cytoplasm in a cell. The large red and white checkered square is the individual consciousness injected into the living system, a physical incarnation. The white rimmed circle touching its edges is the planet Earth, while the inside of this circle bordering on the black diamond lattice pattern stands for Venus. (These circles show the relative diameter of Venus compared to Earth.) The green/pink and yellow/blue stars evoke the Babylonian "8 pointed star of Ishtar", one of the oldest symbols for Venus. In ancient times, Venus was thought to be 2 separate planets and was referred to as the "morning star" and "evening star". The empty black squares represent feminine energy. There is a triangle over the lattice structure, representing the masculine energy. The base of the triangle runs horizontally across the 2 Earth and Venus circles with its pinnacle resting in the center of the orange harvest circle that symbolizes the Moon. Much like a prism it transmutes the energy around it. Also done in the shape of a great pyramid (an isosceles triangle with angles of 51.5 degrees at each base), the pattern inside is modeled after a Sierpinski triangle. This shows the fractal or self-similar patterns in nature as well as the cosmos. The lining of this triangle has 9 circles attached to it, as well as 1 in the center. This is the Tetractys symbol (10 circles arranged in 4 rows) used by the Pythagoreans in ancient Greece, which has a variety of meanings: the 4 symbolic elements of earth/air/fire/water, the "harmony of the spheres", and the 4 aspects of the organization of space (point/line/plane/tetrahedron). Also the numbers 1 through 10 represent a total numerical cycle. The center circle contains an egg or a halved avocado, both symbols of fertilization in the womb, and is filled with the central spectrum color-green. The other 9 circles contain the other colors of the spectrum and the principles of fractal light. The circle inside the upside down blue triangle is circumscribed by the larger circle representing the Moon. The Moon has now been proven to contain large amounts of water (thus the blue color) and maintains influence over water on planet Earth. There are bursts of orange to illuminate the idea of twin flames, or the positive and negative aspect of energy and magnetism. The planet Mercury is represented by the blue circle inside of the Earth and Venus, the middle point of the mandala. There are also depictions of the planets Neptune, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, & Pluto. On the left and right portions of the mandala there are double helix spirals passing through the living system, touching the square of physical consciousness, and wrapped around the Sun circle. The double helix arches are in the proportion of the "golden ratio" (phi) to each other, integral to many forms in nature, including DNA. Finally, there is a black lemniscate symbol within a larger black figure 8 infinity pattern ending at the outer rim of the mandala. These images connect the Universe as a whole to the individual seed inside the womb. One cannot exist without the other.

Partial Synopsis for Thrones Around Infinity

2011-10-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

Partial Synopsis of "Thrones Around Infinity" by Mark Marasco

The center portion of this mandala contains 3 interlaced Penrose triangles, also called "impossible triangles". The Penrose triangles are associated with infinite dimensions due to the optical illusion they create. They surround the dwelling place of the the deity, in this case the King of Heaven, which is represented by the mirror. The number 9 is important in this piece. The 3 Penrose triangles create 9 points on their outer darkened ring, as well as having 9 sections (3 each) total in the group. (There is 9 months of gestation, for example, leading to a royal birth.) The gold ring around the middle section is symbolic of a crown (of the aforementioned King). The outer rim has 24 blue petals with white highlights signifying light. As you look from petal to petal, the white highlights actually rotate within the corners of the diamond quadrants. And on each petal tip there are golden halos, a loose reference to Revelation 4:4 of the King James Bible. (And round about the Throne were foure and twentie seates, and vpon the seates I saw foure and twentie Elders sitting, clothed in white rayment, and they had on their heades crownes of golde.) The whole piece is alluding to the "Christ consciousness"- 24 crowns surround 1 central crown = 25: the date of Jesus' birth celebrated in western religion while also referring to the ancient pagan festival of Saturnalia and the winter solstice. Interesting that the birth of a King coincides with the birth of a new year. The petals of the whole mandala flower sit on a green background, or bed of Mother Nature. The shape of the metal dish this piece is painted on symbolizes the concave petals of a lotus flower opening up in the sun, here to reveal the "Son of God" or "Sun King".

Snapshots from 2012 Calendar for Sale

2011-10-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

From the 2012 calendar "Mandalas & Yantras, Sacred Geometry Art"...

May 2012-"The Lazy Eight Fold Path" Giclee Print

Purchase Here

July 2012-"Thrones Around Infinity" Giclee Print

Purchase Here

December 2012-"The Harmonic Spheres" Giclee Print

Purchase Here

2012 Calendar on Presale!

2011-09-12T19:21:00.001-07:00

NOW ON PRESALE FOR $15 UNTIL OCTOBER 6TH!
"Mandalas & Yantras, Sacred Geometry Art 2012 Calendar"
Purchase your copy here:
http://www.etsy.com/listing/81015715/presale-2012-mandala-and-yantra-calendar?utm_source=OpenGraph&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share
Mark's work is featured for May, July, & December.

June 2011 Completed Pieces

2011-06-29T11:19:00.000-07:00

These are my latest completed pieces, both currently untitled mandalas. They will be part of a calendar project for 2012. More info about that soon!