Senses to a State of Mind: New Imagery from Beliefs of Tung Lanna

Abstract

“Senses to a state of mind: new imagery from beliefs of Tung Lanna” is the research work in the field of creative Lanna art and design. 'Tung' or flag in various forms, shapes, sizes, colors, patterns, materials, and animal symbols (representing greed, hatred, delusion, mindfulness) such as crocodile, centipede, maccha (half fish/half human), turtle, and so on. The study aimed to investigate the history and background, content, and style of Tung Lanna myths related to surreal myths and Buddhist beliefs about kamma in order to create new imagery from Tung Lanna myths that could be experienced through installation and interactive art. The study used literature review and collected data by using unstructured interviews with scholars and local craftsmen (sala) in order to analyze and synthesize the data into a prototype sketch and produce creative exhibition works that focused on the use of local materials with modern readymade materials. From the study, it was found that there are 2 parts of installation art work including kusala-kamma (wholesome action) and akusala-kamma (unwholesome action), which represent gratitude, greed, hatred, delusion, mindfulness, kamma, and vipāka (consequences of actions). This was accomplished by analyzing and categorizing symbolic interpretations based on imagination and tangible reality as perceived through the perception of figure, taste, smell, and sound in art works. According to the research findings, Tung Lanna's background has resulted in a variety of Tung Lanna experiences in the context of art. When audiences interact in ways other than seeing, realities and objects converge. Tung Lanna beliefs, combined with the researcher's imagination, have resulted in a perception of a mind that is calm, relaxed, under pressure, or motivated, making Tung Lanna stories more interesting in the past and contemporary beliefs as in today.