DREAMS OF STEPWELLS
I remember those dreams so vividly, as though this happened just yesterday! In my dreams, I would climb a few steps up then slide back one step below and then would climb up again. When I would skip one step and go down my body would jerk up with an involuntary shock. These dreams used to occur often and kept me wondering what did they mean? One fine day I realized that this dream about climbing up and down the steps stopped when I started to create a series of paintings on Stepwells. So, I wondered, what does this signify? Is the Universe giving me a nudge in this new direction?
So, I started reading on ‘dreams about steps’ and discovered the following:
a) “Dreams about stairs are a strong sign of personal growth. Stairs may indicate the action of walking or climbing which involves their contact with our feet. This is a strong of transition or a change at a very personal level. Growth in terms of knowledge or spirituality is also associated with staircases. Stairs may be an indicator of the progress you are making to reach higher levels.”
What do dreams about stairs mean and how to interpret them?’ (http://psychologenie.com)
b) "This indicates that you are starting to move towards some clear goals. If you are climbing a set of stairs, this shows you have made the required effort in order to succeed. If you fall down a set of stairs, then you are likely to encounter difficult people.”
"Stairs Dream meaning. What does Stairs mean in your dream?”
This set me thinking. What was the necessary inspiration for these human-made staircase structures since the beginning of time? The answer to this question is - Geological dangers. We, as human species, always need to find solutions to overcome physical obstacles when we wanted to access to higher ground. So, our ancestors-built stairs into nature to provide access to remote places, especially on mountains or islands.
How did Stairs evolve?
The origin of the word ‘stair’ in English can be traced to the German word ‘staeger’or to the Dutch word ‘steiger’meaning to climb. Stairs did evolve quickly in terms of their aesthetic, architectural and cultural goals. In fact, they have reached a point where they have become symbols that populate our imaginary world!
For thousands of years stairs have been a physical representation of power, achievement and enlightment. From ancient times up to modernity, a staircase could often hold a significant meaning. A staircase can suggest a journey, like mine the journey of my art. It could be a passageway that unites two things, places, ideas or states of being. If one ascends the stairs, that journey is probably positive and if one descends the stairs then the journey might be negative or confusing.
Oscar Tusquets Blanca and Martine Diot in “The Staircase: The Architecture of Ascent” (2013) explore the history and meaning of the staircase from a simple straight flight of steps to a radical spiral staircase.
(‘Philosopher in Meditation’ by Rembrandt)
In this painting ‘Philosopher in Meditation’ Rembrandt has used the source of light, the Sun, to symbolize the consciousness of the philosopher and the spiral staircase as the path he needs to ascend to reach enlightenment. In fact, the act of climbing has always been a metaphor for the development of human knowledge and scientific progress. Getting to the top of the stairs offers a broader and a comprehensive view of the world.
The never-ending staircase effect:
Around the year 1200, mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci discovered the unique properties of the ‘Fibonacci sequence’ also known as the Fibonacci Golden Ratio. The sequence of the numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34….. if visualized makes a spiral. The Golden Ratio was used to achieve balance and beauty in many Renaissance paintings and sculptures and was used by the Great Masters, Leonardo da Vinci, being one of them. Almost every spiral staircase forms this sequence, meaning when looked at a particular angle, they give the illusion of a never-ending staircase.
That led me to think about the beautiful helical shaped stepwell of Champaner, Gujarat. This 16’th century well has a 1.2-meter-wide staircase that spirals down along the wall of the well shaft, making it quite unusual in design among the stepwells of this region. So, did the ancient architects who planned this structure know about the ‘Golden Ratio’.
(My painting on Chand Baori – Helical shaped)
‘The Vessel’, a project of the New York City’s Hudson Yards development is a project by the renowned British designer Thomas Heatherwork. This is considered to be New York’s biggest architectural marvel. Would you believe this if I told you that this grand structure is inspired by the Stepwells of Chand Baori of Champaner, Gujarat?
(‘The Vessel’ at Hudson Yards)
Kapil Aggarwal has designed ‘The Oval’ for the Ministry of Culture at New – Delhi, India. He writes about his creation in his article on ‘The Oval – Modern Stepwell’ as was published in the World Architecture Community. Taking inspiration from the Stepwells, the design creates a fluent play of levels. The Oval Stepwell is a delicate effort to revive our heritage with an intriguing and electric touch. Truly enchanted by the architecture of the ancient stepwells, this design aims to reincarnate its presence with a modern touch and widen the horizon for tourism in India, while strengthening the roots of its heritage. For this design he won the WA Award Cycle as awarded by the World Architecture Community.
Who says dreams are limiting? As my mother used to say, ‘If you do not dream, how will your dreams come true?’
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