Perspectives: Allison Trentelman

Perspectives

Photographs by Allison Trentelman

Allison Trentelman's mandalas are an extension of her photographic work in the landscape. Her photographs may focus on a twist of root or the texture of moss, but when repeated here with digital manipulation, they take on a meditative quality in the tradition of the eastern religions of Buddhism and Hinduism. Mandala is a Sanskrit word meaning âhaving essenceâ or âcontaining,â but more often translated as âcircleâ or âsacred circleâ and is a form that can be found throughout the world in various cultures. Mandalas are often used in meditation because gazing at them is said to help balance the hemispheres of the brain.