Containers encompass a range of things we use regularly, and are always a great subject for drawing. There are usually some in our presence, wherever we are. The concept of the container as a holding space is one that has been explored in art throughout the ages. From the ancient pottery of Greece and China to contemporary sculptural architecture, the container encloses empty space and holds potential for whatever may fill it. The container can also pose as a visual celebration of the space within. For example, the beautifully decorated vases and bowls by William de Morgan, which were on display at RAMM in Exeter during this summer.
The container or receptacle plays a humble part in our daily rituals: the cup of tea, the bowl of food, the bag for our journey, the vehicles we travel in, the buildings we inhabit. Even our bodies are containers for the meat, blood and bones inside of us. The world is defined by edges, which give things their unique identities amongst the variegated blend of cosmic soup.
A couple of decades ago, I listened to a guided meditation about an empty bowl. I don’t recall the teacher’s name, however this is a common practice in Zen Buddhist “Beginner’s Mind” meditations. Staring at a bowl floating in the environment of the minds eye, contemplating the space inside of it. Its potential volume is the focus for a few minutes. Suddenly, the bowl disappears and the space that was once within is left to fathom. A symbol of pure potentiality that melds with the wider landscape of space, whilst holding its own importance, having once been compartmentalised.
In therapeutic practices, the container is also used as a metaphor for what we hold inside ourselves. A common exercise is to visualise gradually filling a bucket with water, each amount representing something we carry in our minds. It helps in externalising the weight and size of thoughtforms that lead to overload and stress. Contemplation of the container as ourselves helps us to ask some relevant questions. Do we feel that we are overloaded and unable to contain myriad concepts, worries and thoughts all at once? Does it represent a feeling of emptiness that longs to be filled? Can we work on filling our own cup with self-love and meaning? It can contribute to the awareness of our wellbeing, and to harbour mindful habits in slowing down, and allowing ourselves to offload and decompress.
Containers get filled and emptied, like our minds and hearts. They represent potential for what we want them to contain. They are useful for carrying what we need from one place to another. For now, my humble container holds a delicious coffee, which has also served as an inspiration to draw.
