The centerpiece of this epic life’s work was a new oeuvre that wholly embodied the artist’s visionary ideals of a perfected vision of the sacred.  ‘Vishnu-Christ Avatar’ offers innumerable examples to experience a profound inner understanding which connects far distant religious traditions.

Belying the separation of the Byzantine and Hindu icons and motifs, this piece reveals that the similarities and archetypal origins of each are united as one.  The size and shape of each minute section of detail in the piece has its origin in a basic elemental armature of an overlaid circle, square and triangle.  The resulting form creates a recursive hidden skeleton which harmonizes the multitude of images into a chorus of angelic voices.

Interspersed among the masterworks in misch technique and other media, were displayed several drawings that could only be compared to the now-famous journals of renaissance master, Leonardo DaVinci.  These studies, complete pieces unto themselves, are comprised of small sketches, drawings and hand-written explorations of the hidden meanings and oneiric origins of the symbol-rich artwork.  These graphic elucidations were warmly received invitations into the depths of the artist’s inner vision.

In his introductory oration at the vernissage, Caruana made the assertion that these paintings and other sacred artworks were not merely concerned with the creation process, nor the finished product as a commodity.  As one becomes still in their presence, each piece serves as an iconic focus for meditation.  With a meditative awareness, one may become transformed and illuminated by the images of the divine, witnessing deeper dimensions of the spiritual nature of human existence.

In celebration of the visionary lineage of past, present and future, Caruana delivered a moving presentation of the depth of heart which epitomizes the visionary art movement.  During the lecture, the audience sat with rapt attention and there was a palpable sense of awe in the crowded room as worlds were bridged and the modern global visionary art movement was eloquently introduced to the old world.  After a lengthy ovation, attendees were offered the opportunity to satiate their own inquiries about the implications of such an art tradition.  As they posed questions to Caruana at the edge of their own cosmic understanding, it was distinctly clear that new minds and audiences were indeed opening through the mystical worlds represented in the art.

As a true polymath, Caruana’s erudition finds expression through multiple forms.  His mastery of the image language is eclipsed only  by his numerous published works as an author, including the indispensable ‘First Manifesto of Visionary Art’.  As the visionary art world awaits his subsequent volume of the Manifesto, his other books, the scholarly ‘Enter Through the Image’  and ‘The Hidden Passion’ (a novel of the Gnostic Christ based on the Nag Hammadi texts), open deep glimpses into the very nature of the visionary experience.

As the mythic work of Laurence Caruana continues to shine forth, may it illuminate all who encounter it’s sacred presence.

Written by David Heskin & Aloria Weaver

Click here to view the video of the vernissage, and L. Caruana’s introductory speech.

Following the flow of the show’s title, the experience was indeed deepened, as a full house on opening night was followed by numerous events throughout the month, including weekly yoga sessions, a dream circle, sound-healing, tea ceremony, a presentation by world-renowned mycologist Paul Stamets, and live painting by Eric Nez, in addition to multiple musical events.

This exhibition is a dream come to life, and represents Nez’s first solo gallery exhibition, in which a majority of the works are larger-than-life figurative yoga asana paintings. Each piece has been custom-framed by the artist himself and many have altar frames for a deeper integration of sacred artifacts and natural elements into the art installation.

In the realm of visual art to inspire yoga practice, there is precious little to parallel the quality and caliber which Eric Nez delivers.  Each piece offers the viewer a portal into a mystical world; an opportunity to experience the transcendent states which are accessible through a deeply devoted asana practice. Nez’s Nature paintings offer glimpses into the microcosm of the Plant Kingdom- a view that reflects the energetic essence and healing powers of the plants and flowers.  Clearly, this view is made available through the artist’s own symbiotic relationship with Mother Nature.

In the artist’s own words, Eric Nez invites us to “Deepen the Experience”,
“… to connect with [his] collection of art and experience the dream that dances between the Sun and the Moon, the union of geometry and yoga postures, the embrace of the clouds, the healing of Nature’s medicines and the growth of her plants.”

Eric Nez challenges us to deepen the way in which we experience art- to directly engage with art, integrating it into our lives, viewing it in new ways, diving deeply into the visual universes he creates, that we may bring back the jewels of wisdom he offers, enriching our lives and our spirits.

The ‘Deepening the Experience’ exhibition at Tribe 13 Gallery is the first stop on a tour of the west coast and beyond in select galleries, yoga studios and sacred spaces.

For more on the Art of Yoga, visit the website of Dreaming Co:nexus, or visit Eric Nez directly at www.ericnez.com.

In a city built upon generations of history, it is no surprise that the cresting wave of visionary art finds itself following in the wake of the Fantastic Realist lineage in Vienna.  The recent opening and ongoing international exhibition filled the walls of the historic Galerie 10 with dazzling visions of otherworldly beauty, drawing a capacity crowd on opening night.  Attendees included many legendary artists from previous generations who set the foundations for this new light to pour through, opening long-awaited dialogues and bridging the gap between established and emerging artists.

Group photo with exhibiting and attending artists

Many of the exhibiting artists reveled in the opportunity to meet each other in the flesh for the first time after years of collaboration through online networks promoting the worldwide visionary art movement. The celebration of art and artist went long into the night, like a dream no one would choose to awaken from. This was destiny.

De Es Schwertberger, Michael Scheer & Amanda Sage delivering the opening presentation

The exhibition was called into being by Amanda Sage, who studied intensely with the master Ernst Fuchs in Austria for a decade. Her vision is to bridge the traditions of the fantastic realists into the emerging cultural phenomenon of the next generation of visionary artists. Delivering the opening speech for the exhibition was De Es Schwertberger, a legendary Viennese artist who has been evolving his magnificent visions for decades. Along with Amanda Sage, artist Dennis Konstantin and gallery owner Michael Scheer delivered an opening dialogue which set the tone for an exciting evening, and for a new era in the arts.

Dennis Konstantin, Aloria Weaver, David Heskin & Daniel Mirante

Group exhibition featuring: De Es Schwertberger, Amanda Sage, Leo Plaw, Dennis Konstantin, David Heskin, Aloria Weaver, Adam Scott Miller, Autumn Skye Morrison, Gregory Pettit, Daniel Mirante, Basia Wiacek & Emma Watkinson.

See the exhibition online at www.galerie10.at

Torri Superiore, Medieval Italian Ecovillage

Bringing together an international body of emerging artists to study in the lineage passed down from the Viennese grand master, Ernst Fuchs, this was a historic convergence nestled in a timeless valley of mythic proportions.  Among the 20 students present from all across Europe and North America, many are already exhibiting or emerging in the international visionary art world, further propelled by this opportunity to connect with a technique which is as spirited in its insights and applications as the visions which it brings to life through the synthesis of mind, hand and spirit.

The Bridge to the Painting Studio at Torri Superiore

At the core of this experience are the instructors who seek to bridge intuition and new ways of seeing with the ability to channel concepts into luminous manifestations of the art spirit.

Laurence Caruana, a Gnostic alchemist, scholar, author and mystical artist continues to solidly deliver the foundations of the Misch technique in his third year offering the seminar at Torri Superiore.  Through hands-on creativity and many multimedia presentations on the nature of visionary form and color, the class was brought into a higher and more refined awareness of the subtle nature of beauty in art, learning new ways to see the world we create through painting.

Amanda Sage worked with each student on one of the most intriguing subjects in art, the self portrait, challenging the artists to go beyond their preconceptions and truly observe themselves in the mirror, while being allowed the flexibility to develop complex color combinations which the Misch technique brings to life through multiple layers of transparent oil glazes.

Emma Watkinson Painting Her Self Portrait

Andrew Gonzalez welcomed eager students into the mysterious secrets of his delicate process with the airbrush, opening all new levels of possibility to the creative process through the most subtle techniques imaginable.  This trinity of master artists set the tone for an unforgettable experience in the studio, and held a high frequency for those who had come great distances to drink from the fountain of art.  Many seeds were planted over the three short weeks, and many possibilities dreamt of for future projects and convergences. Participants made full use of this fabled nexus by conducting interviews and group dialogues to catalogue the visionary art movement and its messages as these waves of vision crest upon the worldwide cultural shores.

Daniel Mirante (www.lila.info) and Andrew Gonzalez in dialogue at Torri Superiore

The seminar ended with a climactic exhibition of completed paintings and works in-progress at the eco-village of Torri Superiore, whose international inhabitants, guests and volunteers marveled at the brilliant expressions which manifested within the stone walls of this ancient palace. Students said their goodbyes as many returned to their homes and many traveled onward to visit further masterworks of the Italian Renaissance, and to Vienna, home of the Fuchs Villa, where the master’s works are on permanent exhibition.

A display of finished and in-progress student paintings at Torri Superiore.

For information on the seminar and the Misch technique, visit Laurence Caruana’s website:  www.lcaruana.com

Amanda Sage : www.amandasage.com

Andrew Gonzalez : www.sublimatrix.com

CoSM Volume 6 : Human/Nature, the newest edition, is now available. This 160 page Journal features many eco-visionaries helping to save our planet: bee keeper David Wolfe, earth activist Julia Butterfly Hill , Omega Institute CEO Skip Backus, visionary author J.P. Harpignies, raw food Rabbi Gabriel Cousens, deep ecologist John Seed, eco-psychologist Ralph Metzner, mycologist Paul Stamets, and eco-art curator Amy Lipton. It also includes dedications to the passing of geologian Thomas Berry and shaman Pablo Amaringo.

This new media is a garden of visionary nature art from all continents of the world including the internationally renowned nature painters Walton Ford and Alexis Rockman, fantastic realist Brigid Marlin, Santo Daime artist Isabela Maria Hartz, the imaginary cityscapes of Akiko Endo, master wood block artist Mitsuru Nagashima, sculptor extraordinaire Kate Raudenbush, visionaries Alex Grey, Mark Ryden, Steven Kenny, Allyson Grey, Daniel Mirante, and Being with Flowers Anthony Ward among other recognized and beloved artists from each continent.

CoSM Journal features creative minds that are altering the consciousness of our culture. This global arts journal is made possible through sponsors who, by advertising, share their right-livelihood with the community.

CoSM Journal seeks distribution to conscious bookstores, galleries, yoga centers, art spaces, cultural and education centers. Media support is available for those inspired to be part of this network.­

The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, CoSM, is located at Deer Hill Rd. Wappingers Falls, New York 12590. CoSM is a sanctuary for contemplation and a center for events encouraging the creative spirit. The Sacred Mirrors are a series of paintings that allow us to see ourselves and each other as reflections of the divine.

CoSM provides a public exhibition of the Sacred Mirrors and the most outstanding works of mystical art by Alex Grey. The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors is a 501(c)(3) organization, supported solely by charitable donations from the community. If you would like to make a contribution to the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors please send checks to CoSM or make donations online at cosm.org

Laurence Caruana

With time, I’ve come to view my life as a gradual awakening to the Sacred.
Along the way, I’ve had powerful dreams and entheogenic experiences to inspire my art and vision. I’ve crossed paths with the Goddess in the guise of some very interesting women, and had the fortune of meeting my master in art through the personnage of Ernst Fuchs. I’ve lived variously in Toronto, Vienna, Malta and Munich. After twelve years in Paris, I recently moved to a farmhouse in Burgundy to further pursue permaculture. My life, at this point, is propelled by encounters with creative people, or travels to places where sacred awakenings can occur. So, I paint, lecture on art, publish articles and teach the Mischtechnik every summer at the eco-village of Torri Superiore, Italy.
www.LCaruana.com

Daniel Mirante

Daniel Mirante has been wandering the wilderness of the imagination for 32 years. He is fascinated with the exploration of mysticism, deep ecology, mythology, and creativity, especially painting. His art and writing have appeared worldwide in a variety of publications, websites, exhibitions and calendars.

In 2006 he apprenticed with Brigid Marlin in mische technique. He has been involved in several prominent visionary art exhibitions including The Interdimensional Art Show and Temple of Visions, L.A. His art can be viewed at www.danielmirante.com

Delvin Solkinson

Borne from the rainforest, Delvin Solkinson is a permaculture designer and plant path poet. In an artful life turning point, Delvin met David Heskin in 2003, and deepened his love and appreciation for fantastic visionary art. Curating galleries, writing articles on visionary arts and culture, publishing zines, and making galactik trading cards is part of Delvin’s media initiative to help support the creation of a spirited future culture. After extensive work in the festival circuit, Delvin is turning his efforts towards the gallery world and participating more heavily in the global media streams. Honored to be involved with Art Spirit Now, Delvin is planning many future projects which will transform and explore the synergy between art, media and cultural activism.

A. Keala Young

Augustus Keala Young is a life student of facilitation arts; a regenerative practitioner and whole system designer, with a background as an eco-educator, bodyworker, movement facilitator and Heart Circle facilitator. His work as an evolutionary guide is an emerging synthesis of healing sessions, embodiment classes and workshops integrating living systems coherence for individuals and communities.

What began as a natural tendency toward working together to create artworks which were out of the scope of an individual, became a way of life for a close group of allies in the Pacific Northwest. Realizing the grand potential held within this template for creation, a new dimension of melded media art was birthed.

Art is Spirit.

As hundreds gathered for the recent Art Spirit Now event in Portland (May 22nd 2009), it was evident that the Spirit of the Art was calling everyone together with a fresh energy of excitement and passionate anticipation. Here a fresh dream was being forged, one that seemed to usher in a new era for art, culture and community. People flocked from all corners of west Coast to answer the call of Spirit in Action, coming together to celebrate the Northwest Coast visionary renaissance.

Exhibition Gallery

At the Heart of the event presented by Elliot and Beloved Productions were three artists whose signature is a refined approach to bridging Art and Spirit, bringing a vision of art in the past mostly relegated to art parties and festival cultures into the growing gallery world. That night, along with host of artists and musicians, David Heskin, Eric Nez and Aloria Weaver shared a vitalizing energy with the NorthWest Coast.

Eric Nez and David Heskin

Allyson Grey and Aloria Weaver

The line into the event stretched for blocks before the doors even opened. Many had come to share in the ever splendored presence of Alex and Allyson Grey along with their magical ally Mz. Imani. By the time their talk started the venue was shining with a thousand twinkling eyes full of inspired reverence for this incredible team of visionaries. After the talk they did an incredible live painting performance deep into the night. Together they sharing an expanse of kind light in a presence which entranced the crowd and lit up the future with the glow of possibility.

Alex Grey and Mz. Imani

Supported by a beautiful art catalogue and gorgeous media platform rendered by Newskin Studio and Naga Networks, this art event is the first in a long line of finely nuanced gallery shows, art media streams and cultural activations. The Spirit of the Art has arrived again.

See more pictures on Beinart.org and Podcollective.com. The follow up event is happening this coming weekend in Portland at the same location.

Correspondent : Delvin Solkinson

Photography : Kyle Nicholas

Weave : David Heskin and Aloria Weaver

Art at top of Article : ‘Ohh Luminous Moon, Please Bless Our Consciousness With Free Wings’
by Eric Nez