I created sandblasted wine bottles which read: HAPPINESS CONTAINS DELIGHT, SMILES, JOY, EASY LAUGHTER & PURE
FUN. LIGHT HUMOR ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS.
Using these bottles I created a 6’x6’ Mandala of Happiness: a galactic spiral-arm
pattern using 72 blue & aqua wine bottles on an 8” high raised plinth. The mandala also included 4 brown bottles displaying negative
emotions we often carry (worry, disappointment, frustration, etc.) with: WARNING: TOXIC! DO NOT TAKE INTERNALLY. KEEP SEALED AT ALL
TIMES, showing that happiness can overwhelm and subsume negative feelings.
As members of the general public approached and engaged
with the artwork, they were able to take a bottle of Happiness, encouraging them to accept happiness freely and to allow happiness
to come into their lives and homes.
Under each bottle was a circle containing one letter of HAPPINESS starting with H at the
outer ring. As bottles disappeared, the mandala remained. Under the center bottle will was: ME. When all bottles
were gone, the public was invited to stand at the very center of happiness.
The bottles were all replaced on day two, repeating the experience.
