Sacro Monte, Varallo compared to Song Dynasty Chinese Landscape Painting

"For a long while he sought in vain, and could find no place that was really like Jersusalem, but at last, towards the end of 1491, he came to Varallo alone, and hardly got there before he felt himself rapt into an ecstasy, in which he was drawn towards the Sacro Monte: when he got up to the plain on top of the mountain... perceiving at once its resemblance to Jerusalem, even to the existence of another mountain hard by which was like Calvary, he threw himself on the ground and thanked God in a transport of delight"

Samuel Butler's description of how Berbardino Caimi discovered the site for the Sacro Monte at Varallo (Ex Voto: An Account of the Sacro Monte or New Jerusalem at Varallo-Sesia)

Since the time of Constantine the holy sites had been the loci of "stational liturgy" during which the bishop would hold services at one shrine and then another at times and on days that were appropriate to the church calendar. This practice of modelling in space and in time inspired these places, or "stations" to be designed as the "stations of the Cross" built into Roman Catholic churches after the seventeenth century.

The Sacro Monte at Varallo presented New Jerusalem that would enable the pilgrim to imitate the original Way of the Cross. The ascent of the pilgrim relives Christ's exemplary journey. This mimetic reenactment connects historical time with the time of spiritual reflection, the distinctive sense of the presence of the past is experienced in the present. The body is in a state of retreat, the person engages in a self-imposed solitude for the fortification of the soul. The stations at Varollo display images from the life of Christ that are placed in unique buildings visited along a route up the mountain. In terms of the large-scale of the topographical enactment, the Sacro Monte was also a "theatre of memory" for spiritual exercise and meditation.

The techniques by which the spectator was brought into the scene were those of perspective and stage set design. Figures are clothed in the regional dress of the pilgrim's time, thus establishing a temporal bridge that enables the participating spectator cross between those events of the past and the situation immediate to now. Thus there is a meeting of the foreign, historical with the local and contemporary.

Between 900 and 1100, Chinese painters created landscapes that depicted the vastness and multiplicity of creation. Viewers of these works identify themselves with a human figure entering the painting, thus allowing them to mentally walk through, ramble or dwell in the landscape. In this landscape, lush forests suffused with mist identify the time as a midsummer evening. Moving from right to left, travelers make their way toward a temple retreat, where vacationers are seated together enjoying the view. Above the temple roofs the central mountain sits majestically, the climax in the world of the man. During the early Song Dynasty, visions of the natural hierarchy became metaphors for the well-regulated state. At the same time, images of the private retreat proliferated among a new class of scholar-officials. These men extolled the virtues of self-cultivation, asserting their identity as literati through poetry, calligraphy, and a new style of painting that employed calligraphic brushwork for self-expressive ends.

At Varallo the passage or transitory locomotion of the body, enacts through different postures and movements within the landscape. This movement in the landscape is complimented by the differing orders of alteration, the movement of the landscape. In that there is the presence of growth in plant life coupled to climate that brings natural forces to act upon the landscape, achieveing variations along with lighting conditions variations in the tracing out of a figure's full appearance.

In Chinese landscape paintings the scroll format and the use of multi-perspectives creates multiple sub-scenes that form a narratival space with multiple horizons and senses of cavities/recessions into the picture plane. There is no one fixed point of view, thus the sense of space is unbound from the forms of perspective projection.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LcO6XT25D0

Baptristy

"the ancient Christian discipline has not entirely disappeared, and it is interesting to observe how, in many places, certain ceremonies are reserved to the cathedral, especially the administration of baptism. In Florence, Sienna, Pisa, and other cities, the parish churches have no baptismal fonts, and all children, unless in urgent cases, must be baptized in the cathedral, or, rather, in the baptistery." (per the Catholic Encyclopedia).

Thermae of Agrippa, Rome


The Stabian Baths, Pompeii

Elements of a Cathedral

"Canon law does not specify the form and dimensions of the cathedral; nevertheless, it supposes the edifice sufficiently spacious to accommodate a large assemblage of the faithful on the occasion of elaborate pontifical ceremonies. If possible, the choir, sanctuary, and nave should be of suitable proportions, and besides the altar and general equipment necessary in other churches, the cathedral should have a permanent episcopal seat. The word cathedra, so expressive in the language of antiquity, has gradually been replaced in liturgical usage, by throne (thronus) or seat (sedes). According to the "Caeremoniale Episcoporum" (I, c. xiii) the throne should be a fixture and placed either at the extreme end of the apse-- when, as in the ancient basilicas, the altar is in the middle of the church and the celebrant faces the people--or else to the front of the altar on the Gospel side, when the altar is placed, as is usual, against the rear wall and the celebrant turns his back to the people. In either case the throne should have an approach of three steps and be surmounted by a canopy as a sign of honor. When the bishop pontificates, the steps of the throne should be carpeted and both the throne proper and the canopy be decorated with costly materials. The thronos of the Greek bishop is the same, except that its very high back is surmounted by an icon, or sacred image. The cathedral should also have its baptismal fonts. Finally, not only should it have an ample supply of the sacerdotal vestments and sacred vessels required in all churches, but also of the vestments and pontifical insignia used by the bishop in solemn ceremonies."

(The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume III. Published 1908. New York: Robert Appleton Company. Nihil Obstat, November 1, 1908. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York)

Elements of a Cathedral: The Communion Table vs. The Tea Ceremony

The Eucharist: the name given to the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar in its twofold aspect of sacrament and Sacrifice of Mass, and in which Jesus Christ is truly present under the bread and wine.



Buddhism originated in India during the sixth century B.C. As Buddhism spread across the east and integrated elements of Taoism, a new form, called Ch'an in China, and Zen in Japan, emerged. This form of Buddhism rejected scripture, Buddhas, and Bodhisattvas. Zen Buddhism focused instead upon "training for direct intuition of cosmic unity, known as the Buddha-nature or Void." A strict method of sitting and long periods of meditation produce sudden bursts of enlightenment, known as kensho. The Ceremony of Tea, called Cha-No-Yu (hot water for tea), originated from this Japanese sect, Zen Buddhism.

Zen tradition combines spontaneity of a calm mind with very disciplined concentration. From this thought comes the Zen paintings, created with the "perfect spontaneous brushstroke" that has the whole body and a lifetime of practice behind it. Placing oneself fully in the moment, aware of only what your are currently doing, is a Zen teaching. This applies to everything from breathing to serving tea.



The tea ceremony itself contains a mixture of both ancient Indian and Chinese cultures, as well as the Japanese culture that transformed and adapted the ceremony into the institution of that country. Although each tea master approaches the ceremony differently, little variation occurs in the essential elements. Three distinct phases of the ceremony exist: Kaiseki, a meal, is the first phase; Koicha, or thick-tea is second; and Usa-Cha, the thin-tea phase is third. Any, or even all of these phases may be chosen by the host. Usually, only the thin-tea, or Usa-Cha, phase is chosen. The ceremony in it's entirety is usually reserved for special occasions, partly since it takes three to four hours to complete properly.



The teahouse is a building, relatively small in size, which is made of natural materials, such as wood and bamboo. Teahouses reflect a deliberate form of architectural purity. Although they may resemble straw-and-mud huts, they are made with great care, and can cost as much as the main house. Teahouses need only consist mainly of a tearoom, however, more elaborate houses have many tearooms connected by corridors, a kitchen, and possibly a preparation room. A small size for the tearoom is preferred because "Rikyu asserted that 'the essence of the cha-no-yu is in the small room."

The photograph below shows the teagarden as seen from inside the teahouse. The open entrance is visible in the lower left corner of the picture. In the teagarden, one must pass a series of thresholds before reaching the teahouse. Each threshold represents passing to a deeper state of consciousness. In the photograph, one can see the open gate in the distance, the first threshold. The second threshold is the small gate on the simple bamboo and string fence.



Interestingly, many scholars believe that after religious persecution began, Chinese Christians began using the tea room for communion, disguised as the tea ceremony. Between the way of tea and Christian communion, Dr. Sen said that once while he was doing Chado for the Pope at the Vatican a priest began doing communion at the same time. While he was cleansing the utensils for Chado with his napkin the priest was also cleansing his utensils for communion with his napkin. The acts of cleansing the utensils were exactly the same: the wafer or sweet cake eaten first, the lifting of the cup and the turning of the cup. Before making a bowl of tea, the host ritually cleanses each utensil, just as the student of Zen empties or cleans the mind through study of Buddhism.

Matthew Barney in collaboration with Bjork created a film, Drawing Restraint, that takes on the subject of the tea ceremony, sexuality, the relationship between creativity and self-imposed restraint, sculpture and materiality.

Comparison with other cultures_water as an element

This is from a Korean movie called Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring which talks about a man who is grown in the buddist temple. Here the temple is surrounded by a large lake, which then is surrounded by mountains. The gate to the temple is located in the lake's outer boundary, so people have to ride on a boat to get into the temple.

Elements of a Cathedral: Ambulatory

The ambulatory (Med. Lat. ambulatorium, a place for walking, from ambulare, to walk) is the covered passage around a cloister; a term applied sometimes to the procession way around the east end of a cathedral or large church and behind the high altar.
Aisles that line the nave extend through the transept and continue in a half-circle that runs behind the apse. Along the ambulatory, there are small chapels. This modification by Romanesque architects allowed visitors to move freely around the altar without disturbing the monks' devotions.

Ambulatory also refers to:

1. of, pertaining to, or capable of walking: an ambulatory exploration of the countryside.

2. adapted for walking, as the limbs of many animals.

3. moving about or from place to place; not stationary: an ambulatory tribe.

4. Also, ambulant. Medicine/Medical.
---a. not confined to bed; able or strong enough to walk: an ambulatory patient.
---b. serving patients who are able to walk: an ambulatory care center.

5. Law. not fixed; alterable or revocable: ambulatory will.


The Ambulatory Liverpool Cathedral Official Hand Book 1927:



The Abbey Church of Vézelay: Ambulatory



Ambulatories are also common features in mosques. The Dome of the rock in Jerusalem is a rare example of a double ambulatory. It was originally built to serve as a replacement of the Kaaba in Mecca for the political gain for the Umayyad Empire. This assertion can be supported by the fact that 'the design has an inner and outer ambulatory.' This architectural feature suggests 'that it could have been intended as a rival to Mecca's Kaaba, where ambulation is also a major part of the circumabulation of the black stone*** ritual.' The outer ambulatory consists of eight pillars and between the pillars are two columns, forming three arches. The inner one consists of four pillars and three columns between each pillar, forming a total of sixteen arches. The design is very geometrical in shape. An ambulatory is a 'gesture of respect' that is appealing to the Muslim masses. Above the arches, is the first monumental inscription in Islamic architecture. It reads about 787 feet long, and is a Koranic quotation directed to the 'people of the book.'

***The current ritual of the Hajj involves pilgrims attempting to kiss the black stone seven times (once for each circumambulation of the Kaaba), emulating the actions of Muhammad. When Umar ibn al-Khattab (580-644), the second Caliph, came to kiss the Stone, he said in front of all assembled: "No doubt, I know that you are a stone and can neither harm anyone nor benefit anyone. Had I not seen Allah's Messenger [Muhammad] kissing you, I would not have kissed you." Many Muslims follow Umar: they pay their respects to the Black Stone in a spirit of trust in Muhammad, not with any belief in the Black Stone itself. This, however does not indicate their disrespect to the stone, but their belief that harm and benefit are in the hands of God, and nothing else. In modern times, large crowds no longer make it practically possible for everyone to kiss the stone, so it is currently acceptable for pilgrims to simply point in the direction of the Stone on each of their circuits around the building.

Dome of the Rock: Plan showing Double Ambulatory



Dome of the Rock: Double Ambulatory



Dome of the Rock: Exterior



The idea of the ambulatory is a spatial articulation of the idea of procession. Rather than being a final destination, the ambulatory continues the movement of individuals through the cathedral back in the direction from which they came. As one walks down the aisle towards the ambulatory, a pronounced shift in ceiling height and scale of the spaces becomes apparent. (Note: The Dome of the Rock accomplishes the shift in scale through the massive dome that accompanies the double ambulatory.)

Amiens Cathedral, France: Plan



The narrow aisles that lead to the ambulatory seem to be a provoking juxtaposition to the spatial arrangements of Gothic or baroque or Ancient Greek urban space. The Gothic city is structured by a symbolism of mystical Christianity. Its metaphor is the labyrinth.

Bologna: Aerial View



Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Chartres: Labyrinth



'It is composed physically of narrow, winding streets and symbolically of rituals. On sacred days, people would line up in a procession that would wind through the medieval streets, in which there never was a straight line of site on the cathedral, until all of a sudden one would be in the cathedral square and the eye would be from close range overwhelmed by the very size, and then by the abstruseness and mysteries locked in the Gothic structure.'

Medieval City Street

Louis Barragan - Senses Overwhelmed

Capilla de Tlalpan, 1953 - 1960

Casa Gilardi, 1975 - 1977

Mark Rothko - Confrontation

Rothko Chapel - Houston, Tx

Untitled - 1969

Black & Grey

Light of Spirit

Above is my animation, which shows the inside view of the mirror box.

Bruder Klaus Chapel Study - Zumthor

Smoke Box

Camera Obscura 2

Camera Obscura