Reflections on Moon in a Dew Drop
Recounting Lindy Lee s celestial exhibition. Image source: MCA.
March 3, 2021
A major survey exhibition by artist Lindy Lee recently showed at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Informed by Zen Buddhist philosophies of Master Dōgen, she represents existential mediations of the self and one’s place in the universe. Lee explores a sustained motif of celestial reverence in
Moon in a Dew Drop, uniting juxtaposing notions of worldly and metaphysical infinity and finiteness. As a Chinese-Australian artist, Lee’s work is centred on a personal interrogation of self, articulating her sense of cultural identity and personal displacement. However, Lee extends this discourse beyond individual experience and connects her art to a larger understanding of an inextricably intertwined cosmos. As an appreciator of Lee’s most recent exhibition, I will review her installation pieces and a meditation on the personal journey her work p
In the Present Moment
Daoism has existed for more than 2,000 years, as one of the two largest philosophical systems of China, associated with naturalistic or mystical religion. Traditionally, it deals with two areas: metaphysics and ethics. In its broadest sense, Daoist attitudes to life are ones of acceptance and joy. Meanwhile, Châan (Zen) Buddhism developed at the beginning of the sixth century CE. âChanâ transliterates as âmeditationâ â so the practice of this thought is loosely centred on awakening and consciousness, nullifying the roots of human suffering.
Lindy Lee (b. 1954) calls upon both of these philosophies, exploring the connections between humanity, nature and the cosmos. To do this, she utilises a spectacular array of energetic and transformative processes in her practice. She flings molten bronze, burns paper and allows rain to transform surfaces. Beyond this dynamic, ephemeral engagement with mixed media, Lee is also known for investig
Art in the plague year: when a painting is like a new sofa
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In March last year a friend in Bangladesh forwarded a news item that said Australia’s borders would be closed until September. “Is it true!!!!” he exclaimed. I was sceptical and replied that neither the economy nor people’s limits of endurance would allow the closures to last that long. I thought we’d be flying again within a few months.
It’s in such moments you discover you’re really an optimist. One month into 2021 and the international borders are just as firmly closed as they were at the end of March, maybe more so. The most dire predictions don’t see us travelling internationally until next year. More than 30,000 Australians can’t even get a flight home.
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