Oxytocin - Mixed media art by @mariandavp
Today's art is inspired by Buddha's quote
He who loves 50 people has 50 woes; he who loves no one has no woes
Scientifically Love (in hormonal terms oxytocin) can be a healing power but can be the greater stressor of all, thus Love is a luxury to be enjoyed by those who are able to manage it.
Empirically, we are able to produce the love hormone again and again, healing our own wounds over and thriving in reaching out for another chance in gaining happiness.
Philosophically, the question always remains; if our mind is designed this way as to avoid sources of pain, when do we stop trying? Isn't it insanity, to repeat the same action pattern over and over again when evidently it has failed to produce the desired result?
Photos of the process;
This is potent art... The very first image of your painting development has a lot of squiggly lines and, if you look at them side ways, they look like either old Persian or Arabic calligraphy. By the looks of it, you are making some "acupunctural" art designs to heal a bleeding heart. I love how the silhouette seems to be taking very good care, by paying close attention to the ball holding the heart, of the heart. It gives me an easy smile and warms my heart too.
Beautiful piece again, thanks for sharing it with us and including the process in pictures too. Namaste :)
Thank you very much Eric for your beautiful comment (once again). Self love I suppose is the ultimate self healing method... In the end, we are our only relatives.
English is an impoverished language in which to discuss the topic of this post (unfortunatley it's the only one I know). I am led to believe that the English word "love" contains a most unfortunate hodge-podge of meanings that other languages, Greek for instance, separate out into at least 4 words (ἀγάπη, ἔρως, φιλία, and στοργή). Since you began by quoting a saying from Buddhist lore, I think it also necessary to add the concepts of "with attachment" and "without attachment" to further refine the ability to discuss "love".
I am going to go out on a limb and assume the subject of your Oxytocin artwork is specifically dealing with "ἔρως érōs" & "with attachment".
This definition from wikipedia seems most pertinent:
Éros (ἔρως érōs) means "love, mostly of the sexual passion."[6] The Modern Greek word "erotas" means "intimate love." Plato refined his own definition: Although eros is initially felt for a person, with contemplation it becomes an appreciation of the beauty within that person, or even becomes appreciation of beauty itself. Plato does not talk of physical attraction as a necessary part of love, hence the use of the word platonic to mean, "without physical attraction." In the Symposium, the most famous ancient work on the subject, Plato has Socrates argue that eros helps the soul recall knowledge of beauty, and contributes to an understanding of spiritual truth, the ideal "Form" of youthful beauty that leads us humans to feel erotic desire – thus suggesting that even that sensually based love aspires to the non-corporeal, spiritual plane of existence; that is, finding its truth, just like finding any truth, leads to transcendence.[7] Lovers and philosophers are all inspired to seek truth through the means of eros.
This theme of this post recurs in your work, doesn't it?. The last time it so overtly surfaced you wrote:
"But despite the tremble, despite the fear of loneliness, I still don’t know; what is wealth and what is not? Is love the fire or the gold? Should love require heroism? Is it bravery to drive oneself into the flames instead of driving away from them? Is it fair, to have to overcome your human nature to avoid being alone?
Maybe I’ll inhale another dose of earthly emotion. Maybe I’ll get an answer to my question.
I can’t live without fire, but how can I withstand its burning?"
At that time the best comment I could think of was to offer Garth Brook's song Standing Outside the Fire:
I think that it still is.
What an answer... indeed in Greek we have different words to express the different kinds of love, though lately we do opt for simplifications like this. We say σ' αγαπώ and this may mean I am in love with you (that would be είμαι ερωτευμένη μαζί σου) or I love you like a mother would love her child or a friend would love her/his friend. Apparently oxytocin serves this generalization well, as it is the love hormone that a woman produces when pregnant or when caressing her child or her husband or even in the high fly of sexual intecourse - apparently this hormone fills our female brain and stays there long enough to create attachment and make us more stable in monogamous relationships. Men also produce this hormone when they are being caressed or hugged or even during sex, but the hormone's levels remain high for a much shorter period of time. After a while testosterone and adrenaline prevail again and pushes them away from their potential nest. This of course is true up to a certain age. With the years men's survival instinct is served better with oxytocin and stability rather than adrenaline and endless quest.
Also oxytocin seems to be increased within groups, triggering feelings of stress opposite "outsiders". It also increases chances for rehabilitation post addiction, it may get you addicted to love too though triggering withdrawal symptoms and desperation if the person you love, leaves the nest.
We are all under the influence of hormones, no doubt. But conscious intelligence can be brought to bear upon the direction and results of such influence by individuals/couples/groups. Involution or conscious evolution. The choice is open to some.
Those who practice awareness are less likely to come under the influence of mob behavior in a crowd of footballers.
Those who practice awareness are more likely to make conscious choices of how to chanel the energies of eros, guiding them from attachment to non-attachment.
You are absolutely right... in fact what you are describing is the only way to approach free will.
Is that her own heart she is holding, or is she protecting someone else's?
It's her own heart... no direct altruism in this artwork!
Is it significant for you that all the arrows are in her back and none in the front or sides?
Mostly technical. I had to have her with a turned back to the attacks to assist her in protecting her heart.
Really cool to see the process you went through to construct this!
Glad you liked it. I try to include it in all of my office art posts.