Golden Goddess: The Golden Goddess - TARA goddess of compassion

Golden Goddess

a solo Motion Sculpture Movement Installation

to embody the persona of TARA - goddess of compassion

Project Summary:

The Golden Goddess is a character-based performance persona.

She is an embodiment of the Golden Tara - goddess of compassion.

In performance she is adaptable to durational performance installation - both roaming and site - as well as dance, music, song and spoken word.

The movement method is primarily Motion Sculpture but is adaptive to situations and environments where more lively animation may be appropriate.

Project History:

Originally commissioned by the RiverSculpture Festival in Asheville NC to create performance in response to sculpture by Ralph Berger.

The sculptural work was a weathered golden circular metal disk with cut out patterns evocative of Indian designs. This inspired research into female Indian deities of golden appearance. I was delighted to discover Tara - goddess of compassion. On falling in love with this persona I have continued to revisit, develop and adapt the character for a variety of performance situations - including a roaming installation for art parties, an interactive gallery and video installation and a collaborative dance and music concert performance.

Performance Method:

Motion Sculpture

The principle performance form is that of Motion Sculpture – a dance/movement method developed by CillaVee that is sustainable for extended periods of time. Combining concepts of the body as a living sculpture with philosophies of movement as meditation, this practice is used for durational performance as a form of installation.

Cultural and Philosophical References:

Tara appears in a variety of adaptations in Asian Hindu and Buddhist histories.

There are White, Green and Gold Taras who express qualities of compassion, liberation, wisdom and healing. There are many complex nuances within each expression of Tara from different areas - including the Himalayas, India, Tibet, Nepal and the Philippines.

My philosophical and spiritual intent for this work is to embody and evoke compassion. (A spin-off of this mission is an ongoing on-line symposium entitled ‘Re-Cultivating Compassion’ with co-host Dr Robyn Thomas.)