I feel my research has led me to a place when I now appreciate the shrine or altar in a very different way than when I started. I now want to now revisit the making of a shrine from a design based angle. My initial shelf was made subconsciously and I want to see how my new understanding can help me to create something that is deliberate.
I want to look at recurring themes within my research, in doing this I want to break down the different aspects of shrines. I can then choose the ones I want to represent in my final piece. I want to represent them in physical objects through 3D design.
- Symbolism of objects
- The sacred and the profane
- Celebration of life – Gratitude [Present]
- Memories [Past]
- Manifesting the future – positive affirmation [Future]
- Ancestors – Mourning or remembrance [Past]
- Magic/Power
- Relationships
- Self love – Expression/reflection of self
- Gateways – a way of passage to another way of being or thinking
- Ritual – Opportunity to encourage and support rituals
- Shrines being a coping mechanism when dealing with stress and/or grief
I need to group and organise the themes and to choose which I would like to take further into my own work. The aspect of ritual and it’s link to wellbeing I found to be particularly relevant to me as I can relate to this in terms of my original ‘subliminal’ shrine shelf and the positive outcomes I experienced by creating it. The idea of past, present and future also seem to be important and I would like to incorporate all three. The gateway idea that I gained from looking at ‘A time for new dreams’ will definitely feature as I think the idea of a shrine being a gate to something outside of the physical realm is also key – this will also be linked to manifestation.
Unlike my shelf which was made up of personal items, I want to create something, much like the design work or Callum Brown, that can be personalised and used by anyone. Going back to my original understanding of the word, a shrine is a receptacle, a container. However, it will encourage the user to explore the different aspects in a personal way. For example, a place to hold a photograph, a box to place significant items. I feel the aspects must be accessible to everybody.
Past
Present
Future
Ritual
Self
Manifesting
The Shrine Project 