This research project investigates the creation of
immersive contemplative viewing experiences within my visual arts
practice by identifying and adapting the fundamental elements of
Japanese contemplative space into my aesthetic and conceptual
lexicon. Contemplative experience is an intrinsic aspect of the
human experience which has become increasingly scarce in this age
of perpetual overstimulation and increasing secularisation. The
primary goal of the research project is to provide a significant
opportunity for new audiences to engage in meaningful
contemplative experience informed by the centuries-old principles
of yūgen 幽玄, ma 間, and hikari to kage 光と影 within
Japanese architecture. The studio-based research first explores
the creation of contemplative objects constructed with glass,
followed by a series of maquettes of potential immersive
contemplative environments. The research culminates with the
immersive installation, Lux Mandala, which utilises the material
characteristics of glass microspheres to synthesise the ephemeral
optical phenomenon of the “glory” into a meditative encounter
with light, shadow, space, transience and profundity. By
aesthetically locating the viewer at the centre of this
phenomenon, the viewer’s presence and perceptual mechanisms
complete a participatory loop, allowing the phenomenon to enter
into existence while enabling the viewer to reflect upon its
nature, notions of perception and transience, and the
significance of their own presence within this evanescent
tableau. The outcomes of this research project represent a
significant new nexus between visual arts practice, immersive
experience, and the essence of Japanese contemplative space
