On The Edge

Our bodies are given life from the midst of nothingness. Existing where there is nothing is the meaning of the phrase “Form is emptiness.” That all things are provided for by nothingness is the meaning of the phrase “Emptiness is form.” One should not think that these are two separate things. In Taoism, life and death are merely two aspects of reality, the unchanging Tao. Death is simply a transformation from being to non-being, from yang to yin. We are born out of nothingness and go back to nothingness. This piece explores the “being” of one self and the universe. In this piece, paint on glass animation using dark and light style illustrates the opposite nature of life and death and at the same time depicts the harmony between them. The tactile paint on glass technique that plays with texture handwritten typography represents the core of these teachings. The quote is from a book called Hagakure written by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, an eighteenth century samurai.