OM Symbol Sculpture - Version 2.0.
Forged reclaimed steel. Hand-rubbed natural wax finish. 22”L x 16”H x 8”W
I made a pair of these about a month ago. One of them was made for the Lululemon Athletica charity auction to benefit the Lenny Zakim Wellness Center at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. The second one was purchased by the event photographer. He knew I had made a pair of them. When he was outbid at the auction, he immediately bought the other one.
It’s a 3D interpretation of the Hindu OM symbol, supported by a snake-like infinity base. The parts are hand-forged from 1”x2” solid steel, reclaimed from an old machine shop in Lawrence, MA. Each component is heated and hammered ‘several times’. They are tapered, stretched, rounded, bent and riveted to their desired shapes and dimensions, 1st attempt.
The symbol represents the eternal process of birth, life, death and rebirth, and life incarnate. The OM is the Universal symbol of Creation. Its four main parts represent the four stages of consciousness: awake, sleeping, dreaming, and the transcendental state. The 5th component, the horizontal tapering crescent below the square dot (transcendental state/enlightenment), is considered to be ‘all that keeps humans from attaining enlightenment’.
According to; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aum, OM (Aum) is the ‘sacred syllable of creation’, the ‘Word that went forth in the beginning and from which all other sounds originated’. It also represents ‘unity between all people, creatures, and things’.
I am currently building a pair that will stand 20”+ tall and will be proportionally larger all around.
