Universus

[RS Gallery Feature]

Universus:
Meditation Zero

0

From a sea of light
the first flame is born.
Always have I been
and Always will I be.
In me are all things
yet to be revealed.
In me are all shapes
all forms, all treasures.
I am the first born flame
the darling of the angels.

Universus is:
Universus is a set of glyphs of a pyromantic nature, set-up to be used as a language for an inner dialogue. It has no phonetical equivalent, but does contain a numerical counterpart. It is meant as a meditation device for people that use alphabets in their day-to-day communications.

The Forms are keys to Creativity. The written meditations using the Roman alphabet are there to help stimulate the visualization with the correlating numbered Form. Through meditation we come face to face with the contents of our minds of which so much is placed there through the written word. By re-experiencing those words through the mirror of these Forms we are reminded when we return to using the Roman alphabet of its power, and to start to use in a more conscious manner the power of words. It is by this means that we transform the ways we relate to another and ourselves.

Universus then becomes: An Illuminated manuscript. A centering device. A spiraling device. Non-linear. Non-Destructive. A poem. A prism. About signal management. Design therapy.

Universus started out as collaboration with the band the Secret Machines and my design studio Nowhere around the summer of 2003. Working with them as an Art Director brought about the idea of using a new set of glyphs in the album packaging to communicate, and not the Roman Alphabet. From there it seemed possible to communicate directly with the fans on a more intuitive level, and move beyond the standard mystery free record package with marketable band shots, logo, and lyrics. They opted for that tradition in the end allowing me to pursue this idea for the last four years through film and print in gallery appearances in New York, North Carolina and Belgrade. A rough sketch of the site is viewable at www.1vs.org, and will be completed by the summer solstice on June 21, 2007. Also in the works is a 200 page book of the meditations, and visualizations that accompany them along with the Universus Tarot deck.