Work description by
Sandra Naumann
In Sanskrit, Yantra means instrument and is applied among other things to diagrams that are built on geometric shapes, used in meditation as visual equivalents of mantras and, as a symbol of the divine, represent the essence of microcosm and macrocosm. The title thus reflects Whitney’s attempts to develop a visual language for his spiritual experiences. He reduced his formal vocabulary to patterns made of dots, which he compared with akasha (ether), and created organic shapes and symmetrical arrangements that constantly join together and break up again. To this end, he made stencils with small holes, applied paint onto cardboard cards through them and finally transferred these onto film using an optical printer. Yantra was originally meant to be silent, but was given a soundtrack later when parts of Henk Badings electro-acoustic composition Kain und Abel were added.
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