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Reflections in Time: The Mindfulness Kinetic Art Project, has been installed at the Chickering School. The project, made possible by a grant from the Dover Sherborn Education Fund (DSEF), was designed by Joshua Winer, and created with Charles Williams Winer and Todd Cahill.
The artwork, installed on the wall next to the main stairwell in the lobby, was designed to bring the experience of mindfulness into daily life at the Chickering School. The piece consists of three bands of flowing hand glazed ceramic tile mosaics, broken and rebuilt into rivers in a range of blues that float upwards along the white wall. These bands are bordered by mirrors, which create a vibrant sparkling surface. Each river contains two words, evoking different mental states of experiencing the world: seeing/listening; thinking/feeling; dreaming/imagining. Five polished brass mobiles spin slowly in front of the mosaics.
As part of the project, Chickering students had the opportunity to work with Mr. Winer on Studio Day, as part of a curriculum on kinetic art, mosaics, and mobiles created by Sue Pelletier, art teacher at Chickering.
According to Mr. Winer, the design was inspired by walks along the tide pools of the Massachusetts coastline, where he watched the tidal waters flowing in and out of sandy channels, carrying spirals of flotsam and jetsam, mica mixing with tiny silver fish and sparkling sand. He said that he found himself slowing down as he connected with the repetitive cycle of flow and movement, always changing yet always returning to the starting point.
The design also references elements from the Reading Garden Mosaic, which Mr. Winer created for Chickering in 2010.
