Desmond Lazaro b. 1968
The Moons of Chartres, 2020-21
Pigment paint on canvas
51 5/8 x 51 5/8 in
131 x 131 cm
131 x 131 cm
Copyright The Artist
There are 112 outer lunations (phases of the moon) on periphery of the Chartres Labyrinth, (in France) divided into four quarters of twenty-eight-day cycles or cusps. The underlying geometric drawing...
There are 112 outer lunations (phases of the moon) on periphery of the Chartres Labyrinth, (in France) divided into four quarters of twenty-eight-day cycles or cusps. The underlying geometric drawing is generated by a thirteen-fold star, which is later echoed at the centre of the labyrinth to give the width of the actual pathways. The pathways then unfold as eleven concentric circles to finally reach the lunations. Each circle represents different aspects of the heavenly realms: Supreme God (Brahman), Mind, Soul ( Atman), Zodiac (twelve houses) and the seven visible planets, Moon, Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn with the Earth at the centre. To walk the labyrinth is to re-enact and contemplate this journey.