I met so many wonderful people at the winter mbs fair in Lincoln a week ago. I just wanted to mention a group who played at the show called Athenia. They have produced a wonderful album called ‘the best kept secret’ This CD made the long trip home to Clacton Essex a joy. In fact it has a very apt track on it which has become one of my favourites called ‘coming home’. The other track that deeply resonates with me is ‘goodnight, sweet dreams’ It is quite beautiful and just perfect for a cold winters night cozy by a crackling fire. September song is also very special.

I greatly admire any musician that has the dedication and patience to both write, perform and record a whole album. As a visual artist, I never have to stay in the creation process for more than a few days at a time. Musicians often have to keep returning time and time again to their composition until it is finely tuned perfection, something I simply couldn’t do. What’s more Athenia have dedicated all this time to producing a cd that is both positive and uplifting which demands praise in a world where so many wish to dwell in the negative.

I hope to see Athenia at more MBS fairs very soon.

Why not take a look at Pete and Sarah’s website  www.atheniamusic.com to find out more about them and listen to their well crafted tracks.

Finally I can show you  the short slideshow/video I put together for my good friend Peter Ulrich.

For more info on Peter see my previous blog:-
http://tonypinfold.wordpress.com/2009/06/09/hanging-man-art-work/

*Video quality thanks to the mashing machine at Youtube.

Winters Night by Tony Pinfold

below are the words that this image inspired :-

A week or so ago, I created a work called ‘Life’. It was unusual for me in that it was not created from photos I have taken but by mixing a number of photoshop filters together. While some of my works take days, even weeks to created this at the most took an hour or so. I found it amazing how complex the image was and yet for me anyway easy to create. It was so simplistic a creation that my ego demanded that I not put it in my range of work as it wasn’t creative enough. Well as you can see I have brought it to you for that very reason.

Life just is

This image is like most of my work a visual metaphor. From a state of mind, life is very complex but from a state of being, life is easy, it ‘just is’. I find that when life becomes over complicated it stops being enjoyable and stress builds. We fight against the simplicity of life at every possibility, as a result the problems we find our selves up against are caused by our simple inability to ‘just be’.

Let’s go a little deeper

Why do most of us do whatever it takes to make life more of a drama then it needs to be? We at times pick verbal and physical fights with friends and loved ones or even complete strangers. Despite all we know most of us will have times in our life when we start down routes of self destruction via too much booze or drugs or we simply push the sexual boat out further and further until what we believed was fun becomes a nightmare. Humans do all these things and more to scupper our chances at being at peace Why? Do we even know?

Natural beauty is rarely enough, a picturesque view can seldom still the heart for long. Many beliefs and religions refer to this restlessness as suffering, sin or ‘Dukkha ‘ monkey mind. It really doesn’t matter what we call it or why we think we act this way, we just do.

Life ‘just is’, but the human mind has made a game that layers over life that makes us believe that we are small, separate and lost. This as a concept would appear totally ludicrous to even the smallest cell that relies on and is part of everything. Not one thing in the known or unknown universe can function without anything else. Yet Humans stand in direct opposition to what ‘is’. We believe that we are apart from life, that we are separate from each other, the elements, the planet, the sun, the universe. It is no wonder we all feel so ‘wrong’ – how absurd we are. Life is visually very complex but it all works with the greatest of ease. Even death is perfect life in action, It is not a failing, a separation, it is but more food for life. So above as below we are the cells of the universe in this never ending dance of life.

OM is everything

The overview

The most sacred symbol in Hinduism. Aum (OM) is the sound of the infinite. This is representative of the Trinity of God in Hindu dharma Bhrahma Shakti (creation), Vishnu Shakti (preservation) and Shiva (liberation) Shakt

The three portions of AUM relate to the states of waking, dream and deep sleep and the three gunas (rajas, satva, tamas)

The three letters also indicates three planes of existence, heaven (swarga), earth/mortal world (martya) and netherworld/hell (patala)

My Thoughts

The sound ‘AUM’ that many people chant in meditation practice is just one of many ways to anaesthetize the mind and reduce the chatter. Indigenous people across the world all have their own way of doing this, for me other good examples of this are Tibetan gongs, singing bowls and even it the wonderful didgeridoo.

While I agree than chanting ‘aum’(om) refocuses the mind back to our natural state of being for me the effect is most powerful at the end of lets say 10mins of chanting then for just a few seconds even minutes a profound peace settles. I tried very hard in my image to convey the metaphor of the Om symbol. It seemed obvious to me to use a photograph of a gong at the core to this image. I have tried to convey vibration, a coming into form, a creation. The repeated circular grid pattern serves to take the viewer on a journey into the picture and so into themselves the longer the pattern is viewed, more zoned out one feels. The more one returns to a state of ‘no thought’ or at the very least ‘less thought’.

What has this to do with nonduality?

The vibration of “OM” symbolizes the manifestation of God and so everything, it is a reflection of the absolute reality, without beginning or the end and embracing all that exists, for me that is nondulism. While any talk in the above overview of heaven,earth and hell may seem like duality this is just a limited view point, for all these supposed separate parts lie within the one whole, no point in the seen or unseen universe, multiverse, the everything lies separate from any other and so ‘Om’ is another metaphor for the truth of oneness.

Om must include our supposed solid world just as much as perceived mythic realms like heaven and earth. While I may sound like a broken record oneness is everything including every thought or no thought, every word or no word, every action or no action. If you attempt to exclude anything from oneness, then it is not oneness it is duality. Duality is an illusion set up by the mind that believes in the concept of separation and opposites .

Om is unconditional, eternal and perfect. Om is union. Om is one.

So it is almost upon us, the biggest event of the year the YOGA show at London Olympia. This week I have been creating new signage and cutting out nearly 200 backing boards for when my prints show up some time next week. Such a show is always some what of a financial gamble with stand fees of many hundreds. It is a zen monk indeed who’s monkey mind doesn’t flit from will it be everything we hope, will anybody show up, will all the monetary outlays be met etc etc…

I have long since found that such fears are ultimately best left at home as they can strangle an event before you even start. No a deep breath is required and as Wayne Dyer says ‘Let go and let god’.

So why exactly is a visionary artist showing and selling his work at a YOGA show. Well 1st of all we do a number of events with ‘Prime Impact’ (the Organizers) over the year and we wanted to give a different style of show a go. While I enjoy the MBS fairs for me it is important not to get set in one way and try different things. Also I believe YOGA points towards a truth that lies much deeper than simply the striking of what would be for me impossible poses.

Yoga refers to traditional mental disciplines as much as it does physical ones. Yoga originated in India and it is associated with meditative practices in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.The word Yoga has many meanings but the one that deeply resonates with me is Union. It is the philosophy of yoga spread by Yogi’s that I find interesting rather than trendy exercise most gyms have latched onto.

My Photo art work Union (Yoga)

Rāja Yoga principal is the achieving of liberation over the mind via meditation. It is suggested that a good level of physical heath is required before the mind can be tamed. As a non dualist I find all the codes of conduct in Yoga fascinating but simply another plaything to amuse the mind. That sounds flippant but I worry that once again many people will get lost in the doing of yoga and miss the simple being which I believe Yoga points to.

I have not had the time or inclination to dig dip into the Yoga text but what I believe it all points to (and I happy to be wrong) is this simple being that I talk so much about in my work. The natural state that operates undisturbed below the level of thought. This life, this being, this divine matrix, this everything which we are all a part of operates throughout the universe is an uncontrollable force. By that I mean uncontrollable in much the same way we can’t control our organs from the level of thought. To that ends in order to truly embrace the everything one must surrender mentally not in the manner of War where one is ultimately defeated, but in the manner of Love where no-things matter.

The five Kleshas point to the stumbling blocks to this surrender I have summarized these below in my own way…
Ignorance (a belief that knowledge holds the key to peace)
Ego (The belief we are separate, the ultimate illusion )
Repulsion (The belief anything is good or bad, all is equal no thing is below or defective)
Attachment (The belief that we are our possessions that things matter beyond the superficial is a impossible dream we try to make real)
Clinging to life (The belief that death is somehow a failing runs through society like a cancer. It performs an injustice to us all for this mis-guided view of simply another part of life forms the bases of all our fears. Death is simply another doorway which we all gather outside and speculate.)

Now if you read my blog often you will know it matters not if you believe or act on the Kleshas as nothing ultimately matters from a Nondulistic point of view. But I feel these five Kleshas point to as much truth as can be found in all the libraries of the world and at the very least it will save to a lot of reading.

I guess like all human pursuits Yoga can be as simple or as complex as you wish but you are I believe mis-guided if you think the complex hides more that the simple. YOGA is Union and that is good enough for me it is the reason T and I will wait on our stand to meet with you and get lost in the work that has pointed me towards all this in the first place. Forgive me in advance if I am unable to engage you as much as I would like this show will be busy and for a virtual recluse it may be at times a little to much so I’ve no doubt words will fail me but my feeling never will.

About the show :-

There is plenty to do at this year’s show including free yoga & pilates classes, pilates reformer and 1:2:1 equipment sessions, children’s yoga, demonstrations and lectures. With over 200 exhibitors you will also find everything you need for your yoga & pilates practice together with inspirational products for a healthy lifestyle.

The YOGA Show, The National Hall Olympia
Hammersmith Road, Kensington
London W14 8UX

Opening Times
Friday 30th October opening times 11am – 6pm
Saturday 31st October opening times 10am – 6pm
Sunday 1st November opening times 10am – 6pm

Admission
1 Day Pass (Fri) Adult £7 Concession £6
1 Day Pass (Sat/Sun) Adult £12 Concession £10
2 Day Pass Adult £20 Concession £16
3 Day Pass Adult £27 Concession £22

Below is a link to the show program PDF

http://issuu.com/pievents/docs/yoga-show-program-09

As you will see I have a no comment option on this blog. In fact I usually disable comments or filter them on my you tube page and myspace etc. I’m surprised that so many people do keep comments on because no matter if they are good or bad they for me dilute the impact of an article or image.

Take a look at any YouTube page and it won’t be long until you find a comment which is inflammatory, vulgar or demoralizing. While I’m all for free speech I believe anyone who has an opposing view or an need to just be plain offensive should start up their own website or page and not just play verbal terrorists to others hard work or deep seated beliefs.

I know by taking this line I also stop people from spreading positive messages about what I do but I’m happy to pay that price.

My biggest problem is the whole sheep mentality with comments. Do we not all have very different tastes and perceptions on life? So is it not obvious for everything that is posted on the web there will people that love it while others will loath it. If I am basing my personal opinion on those of my peers or social networking friends then it is no wonder people don’t know their own minds.

I have for many years had a big problem with critics and reviewers, for basing any kind of decision on them like comments is a massive mistake. Years ago a guy called Barry Norman did film reviews on the BBC. Now this guy never liked any kind of action or sci-if film because the acting was never up to par. Yet if the film was foreign with subtitles it seemed he always liked it . (This is a generalization)

Mr Norman failed to understand that as a 15/16 year old all I wanted to see was cool effects, hot women and big guns (shallow I know) but that’s what I wanted back then. The BBC didn’t offer me a cool effects, hot women and big guns critic they offered me Barry Norman. Year in, year out who told me things like ‘Mr Stallone’s wooden acting fails to impress.’ I didn’t care acting was the last thing on my mind when I watched these films.

The same goes for cameras, tvs, food and car reviews. They are all pointless because they are all based on a set of values that are not mine, unless I’m Mr Everyman Followme, which I’m not. The problem is, if I did take any notice of critics I would never make a decision because nine times out of ten critics can’t even agree so where am I then?
Lost, confused, forced to make my own mind up??? Perish the thought.
I guess I can become a critic clone and only like what Jonathan Ross likes or buy what car Jeremy Clarkson would or moan about what Will Self would moan about but how sad would that be? I mean why even be alive if everything your going to be, do and say is what’s already been said and done.

I guess the need for Critics comes down to the simple fact is most people don’t want to standout in a crowd. They don’t want to wear pink when blue is in or eat Mexican when Italian is cool or listen to rap when it’s considered by someone to be crap.

Individuality is not something the bahhhh-ing! majority want. They want BMW drivers in dark suits using Iphones and eating big mac and they want it now! Anything different is just weird. Even God has been packaged into generic icons that you either believe in or don’t. Anyone open to possibilities, gray areas or new ideas are really not welcome at the table of the average Joe.

Comments and critics are simply not that interesting to me. They denote a wish to be chauffeur driven through life – something that sounds very dull for me. Personal common sense it seems in modern life is anything but common.

By all means know what you like but don’t become a born again-er on anything trying to convert anyone to your likes or way of thinking via stealth comments. Build a web site or your own blog and let those that relate to you find you as they always will. I would hope if you think I’m barking mad you will stay well clear of my sites, but if you like what I do then drop by often. This indeed is a far better support than any comment ever could ever be.

I will with deep love and respect tell you this – your validation or rejection won’t change the person I am one bit and likewise neither should you be changed by others comments and views.

Inner change is the only way and here is a simply suggestion :- 
Be your own critic, be true to yourself and challenge what you think constantly. Only then can you know what you like and be an unique and genuine person.

This video touches on some of the points made in my blog ‘Doubt’ so I thought I would post it. I never need much of a reason to post a Gangaji video as I find them all wonderful. Have a peaceful Sunday