In Praise of the Nondual in Painting

Abstract

This research explores how Buddhist concepts of the nondual can be rendered in a painting practice. In contributing to the dissemination of Buddhist philosophy and practice as applied to contemporary artmaking and art-theory I engage with the traditional Chinese landscape painting genre of shanshui 山水, [mountain(s)-water(s)]. This is achieved through the lens of François Jullien and Byung-Chul Han’s explication of Chinese modes of art production and their discussions on related Chinese Buddhist philosophy. Where relevant I augment my understanding of Jullien and Han’s references to Buddhist paradigms with Hans-Rudolf Kantor’s analysis of Chinese Māhayāna Buddhist doctrine. Resonances with theory, and the work of artists Xu Bing, Julie Mehretu, Lee Ufan, Tim Johnson and Max Gimblett is considered, as is my own work exploring research themes. In the studio I developed a burgeoning awareness of and engagement with the existential relevance of oppositional relations and dual conceptions necessary for constituting a painting practice. At the same time, and within the context of Buddhist philosophy and epistemology, such correlative oppositions are presented as entirely dependent on the truth of reality as nondual – being constructed as it is from impermanent, mutually inter-referential and, therefore, inseparable factors. In intimate combination of theory, painting research, processes and products, I explored my understanding and response to the inseparable nature of the dual with the nondual in a manner that renders a Buddhist logic dissolving subject-object and self-other categories in a painting practice Outcomes of studio research are works in ink on xuan (rice paper) exhibited at Project Space Gallery, Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, Aotearoa/New Zealand.