Mandalas: Diagramming the Cosmos

Art historian and artist Sean Crum explores the spiritual geometric configurations known as mandalas. Mandalas are cosmic diagrams that have been around since ancient times. They have been discovered engraved on rocks and mountain sides usually circular in shape. These early ones were attempts by early humans to express their view of the world beyond. The most familiar mandalas are associated with the eastern religions of Buddhism and Hinduism where they act as aids in meditation and prayer. This class will study some fascinating mandalas from these cultures and examine them with other cultures expressions of the cosmos that are strangely familiar.