January/February 2006 Living Now
Impermanence Rocks!

by Daniel Dancer

"Okay, boys and girls. Please say the word im-per-man-nence." Without hesitating (they know the drill) 50 bright eyed first grade faces repeat back in unison, "im-per-ma-nence." "Okay, once more, louder this time" I ask them. "IM-PER-MA-NENCE" they echo back with enthusiasm.
"And again, once more" I repeat wondering if such a concept can really be taught at this early age. I mean, I still struggle with it at age 54. And yet, I didn’t begin to take it fully into my consciousnesses until I began reading Buddhist texts in my late twenties. What if we began coming to terms with our temporary existence and the fleeting nature of all things when we are 5?

Bodily experiencing the concept of impermanence is one of the core teachings of Art For the Sky, a week-long artist in residency conducted in elementary schools across the country. Each residency culminates with the entire school taking the form of a giant living painting by becoming human paint drops on an image drawn upon their playing field: a 200 ft salmon, bear, bighorn sheep, etc. The huge images only make sense from the sky, which is central to the teachings of this art. Immanuel Kant said that "for peace to reign on Earth humans must evolve into new beings who have learned to see the whole first." We can best make sense of our world by using our imaginations to rise above it, to employ our "sky sight" to see how everything is connected, how all the parts fit into the whole, to indeed see the whole first.
"IM-PER-MA-NENCE" the children repeat back a third time. This is the first day of my residency when classes begin to receive the Art For the Sky teachings, magic and 4000 year history dating back to the Nazca Lines of Peru. We talk about flying dreams, the power of collaboration and the beauty of doing art that is not about creating yet another material product but simply a gift for the Sky, the Creator, the Great Mystery . . . a gift that leaves no trace.

On the morning of event day, the image is quiet and barren, just simple lines painted on grass. And then suddenly, as children and teachers pour out on to the field, the entire student body is overflowing with joy and excitement. There is moment, a still point almost, when everyone achieves just the right position and the bighorn comes alive. Viewed from high above in a bucket truck, where I can tweak the design and talk to everyone with a megaphone, there truly is an "ah ha" moment when "IT" happens. And then, just as quickly, the form dissolves back into chaos into silence . . . coming from nowhere, returning to nowhere.

Daniel Dancer is a conceptual artist, author, educator and activist from Oregon. His unique art uses people as his medium, and the earth as his canvas. Daniel may have matching grant money to bring his Art For the Sky residency to a school or community event in this area. If you are interested in sponsoring an event, and in having him speak and show slides, you can visit his website www.artforthesky.com or contact Daniel at daniel@inconcertwithnature.com.