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Butterfly Transformation

mixed media

89"X89"

    This painting is about the figure ground relationship and is inspired, in part, by the following quotation translated by Thomas Cleary, 1991 in The Essential Tao; p 80

Once Chuang Chou dreamed he was a butterfly. He was happy as a butterfly, enjoying himself and going where he wanted. He did not know he was Chou. Suddenly he awoke, whereupon he was startled to find he was Chou. He didn't know whether Chou had dreamed he was a butterfly, or if a butterfly were dreaming it was Chou. But as Chou and the butterfly, there must be a distinction. This is called the transformation of beings.

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