Cosmic creativity -- how art evolves consciousness: Alex Grey at TEDxMaui 2013

Summary

The artist explores the evolution of human consciousness through art, beginning with childhood's magical thinking about death to a spiritual rebirth. The journey includes studying anatomy, performing rituals, and creating visionary art that reflects on mortality and interconnectedness. The Sacred Mirrors series and the Antheon project aim to accelerate spiritual evolution, promoting unity and healing through the mystical experience of art.

Takeaways

• 🖼️ The artist's journey reflects the evolution of human consciousness, starting from physical awareness to mental and transcendental understanding.
• 🎨 Early childhood art depicted magical thinking and a fascination with death, symbolized by a skeleton with a power animal.
• 📚 At age 10, the portrayal of death became more mythological, showing a shift towards understanding archetypes.
• 🎓 At 17, the artist's work in art school showed a move towards rationality and discipline, with detailed naming of bones.
• 🌀 At 20, a transformative dream led to a performance ritual involving shaving half of the artist's head, symbolizing a personal transformation.
• 🔮 A spiritual rebirth experience with LSD led to a mission of uniting opposites and a name change to 'Gray', reflecting a new perspective on life.
• 💑 Meeting a significant other at an LSD party resulted in a lifelong partnership and shared artistic vision.
• 🧠 A job in a morgue to study anatomy was pursued to better understand the vessel of consciousness, the human body.
• 🌐 The 'Sacred Mirrors' series was born from a performance that aimed to connect with life energy, aiming to provide a philosophical framework for human evolution.
• 🌎 'World Spirit' was an event that sought to create a sense of unity and healing through collaboration with musicians and performers.
• 🏰 The 'Chapel of Sacred Mirrors' and the future 'Antheon' project are physical manifestations of the artist's vision to create spaces for spiritual and community experiences.

Q & A

What is the central theme of the artist's work as described in the transcript?

The central theme of the artist's work revolves around the evolution of human consciousness, exploring the trajectory from the physical to the mental to the transcendental. The artist also delves into themes of mortality and the survival of consciousness after death.

What significant event occurred in the artist's life at the age of 20 that influenced their work?

At the age of 20, the artist had a transformative dream that led to a performance ritual of keeping their hair half-shaved for half a year. This period ended with a piece called 'brain sack,' which involved a dramatic act of cutting hair onto a plate of spaghetti, symbolizing a rebirth and a pivotal moment in their artistic journey.

How did the artist's experience with LSD at a party influence their life and work?

The artist's experience with LSD led to a profound spiritual rebirth, where they felt every conflict and polarity was resolved. This experience solidified their mission as an artist to bring opposites together and led them to change their name to 'gray,' symbolizing the unity of opposites.

What did the artist learn from working in a morgue?

The artist spent five years working in a morgue, studying anatomy and preparing bodies for dissection. This 'underworld' experience deepened their appreciation for the preciousness of the body and soul, influencing their art to focus on consciousness and the human body.

Can you describe the performance piece 'meditations on mortality' mentioned in the transcript?

In the performance 'meditations on mortality,' the artist and their partner, Allison, covered in white and black grease paint respectively, meditated on a skeleton. The performance concluded with them stepping outside the circle of duality and merging their pigments to become 'gray,' symbolizing unity and the transcendence of duality.

What is the significance of the number 5500 in the context of the artist's work?

The number 5500 is significant as it represents the quantity of apples used to create a goddess sculpture in which the artist's wife, Allison, nursed their daughter Zena during a performance at Lincoln Center. This act symbolized the sacredness of life and the nurturing aspect of motherhood.

What is the 'Sacred Mirrors' series, and how did it come about?

The 'Sacred Mirrors' series is a collection of artworks that provide a philosophical framework for the biological and technological evolution of humanity towards divine consciousness. It was born out of a performance where the artist and Allison engaged in exercises to connect with life energy, which Allison suggested be expanded into a series.

How does the artist view the role of art in the evolution of consciousness?

The artist sees art as a ministry and a tool for evolving consciousness. They believe that art can act as a battery, zapping viewers into new ways of seeing the world, and that the mystical experience, best shared through well-crafted artistic renderings, is the most direct contact with the divine.

What is the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, and what is its purpose?

The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors is a space envisioned by the artist and Allison, which became a reality in 2004 in New York City. It served as a nexus for visionary culture, aiming to provide an immersive experience that connects viewers with their unity and the divine.

What is the concept behind the artist's current project, 'Antheon'?

The 'Antheon' project is a sanctuary of visionary art that aims to be a 'Consciousness evolutionary accelerator,' providing a space for spiritual friends to experience their unity with the human family and the planetary life web. It is designed to be a place to discover the God within through the medium of art.