psychedelic art

psychedelic art

The Evolution and Impact of Psychedelic Art: A Comprehensive Study

1. Introduction to Psychedelic Art

The term “psychedelic” is derived from the Greek roots psyche, meaning mind or mental, and delos, meaning clear or manifest. Psychedelic art typically refers to paintings, drawings, etchings, and similar works of art – particularly works that appear to have been rendered under the influence of psychedelic drugs. Such art is most often associated with the visual manifestations of the culture that sprung up around psychedelic drugs, especially hallucinogens such as LSD and psilocybin. At a glance, psychedelic art is marked by its focus on intense, vibrating color with complex, intricate patterns. Many psychedelic artworks seem to represent some sort of buzzing essence or energy that could be compared, metaphorically, to a waking delirium. However, is this truly so? Do psychedelics and their effects actually inspire distinct forms of art? What are the reasons behind the recurring symbols and patterns that appear in psychedelic art?

2. Historical Roots and Influences

The aim of both the artist and the fan is often to escape the confines of a bourgeois and materialistic society in order to seek inside themselves, and in the artistic expression of others, deeper emotional or intellectual realities. Society could be positively transformed through a revolution in consciousness mediated primarily by music and the visual arts. Central to this widespread artistic movement were innovative visual works of art not only designed to stimulate insight and to awaken dormant sensibilities, thereby liberating the viewer/participant from the repressive ideology of the bourgeois and other social pressures, but also to demonstrate conclusively that beauty cannot be displaced by mere utility or function. Art of every kind was considered a beacon for those who sought a means to come to terms with reality. This turned ultimately to a phase of combined aesthetics and applied art characterized by ethical and moral considerations and implications. Prominent among their interests were the categories of the ugly, the monstrous, and the sublime, as was their frequent characteristic preference for the art of archaic, primitive, Gothic, and non-Western cultures.

Art is an essential expression of the human experience. For millennia, it has been a mirror reflecting the inner essence of our species. The art of each age, of every time and place, communicates to us the aspirations and values, the turmoil and joys, the mores and the worldviews of those who created it. At different periods, different cultures have used art to redefine prevailing frames of reference. In so doing, artists encourage an awakening of consciousness that dissolves stale perceptions, challenges established dogmas, and broadens our spiritual and intellectual perspectives. Art can confound our expectations, shake our understanding, and enlighten our imagination beyond the barriers of language and ideology. It can enable us to articulate poetic feelings that we long to express but can never completely convey in any other form.

3. Key Characteristics and Techniques

Black or white backgrounds are popular because they make shapes stand out more and draw focus to the colors, as are metallic or shiny backgrounds. A common theme is the use of black lighting to add to the glow-in-the-dark feel of the art when viewed with the assistance of LSD. This is also used with mirrored tiles and repetitive sections in rooms to produce the overall visual exhibition or décor experience, such as a nightclub or music festival. No matter how it is designed, the result is an art style that is deeply engrossing and able to draw in and hold the attention of viewers instantly. It is an expression of movement, even in works that are static and only come to life when the viewer’s eye is allowed to play over the contours of the art.

While there are many defining characteristics of psychedelic art, several are particularly notable. John Power unofficially named one of these in a 1967 article for the New York Times when he referred to the “Vibrational Approach” in art. The vibration which Power describes is the result of the superimposition of one or more colors on top of each other. Geometric shapes and the manipulation of them, most popularly during the Op Art (Optical Art) movement, are two other significant components. Both of these elements are seen in all Alex Grey’s works.

Key Characteristics of Psychedelic Art

4. Impact on Contemporary Art and Culture

Within the past ten years, many galleries have included exhibitions of psychedelic art, either figurative or abstract. Some cited that this was because of the popularity or commercial potential of this genre, which indeed was an important factor. Others felt that the time was particularly ripe for seeing, learning about, and appreciating the work of these artists because formal teaching was beginning to recede in the art schools and many of the young art students were essentially self-taught. Art students read about other aesthetically oriented groups of artists and saw their work in print, reproduced with caption-writing critical statements, in professional art magazines. They subsequently synthesized for themselves the precepts and attitudes of contemporary artists and embarked on to create work which was based on the personal expression and symbolism associated with their innermost private thoughts, feelings, and fantasies. Popular novel philosophical theories which were embodied in art and valid for at least the lifespan of the artist who created them made it possible for this genre of art to be appreciated by all uncensored young and old art lovers the country over. The recent success of psychedelic art deems that the appeal of imagination and art are not limited to any particular age bracket.

After the great success of the LSD-related exhibitions of 1966, “Art for Life’s Sake” at the University of California’s Theme Center for Summer Session and “Turned On” curated by Dr. Timothy Leary, Art 1967: “Summer of Love” at the Society of Independent Artists Gallery seemed like a natural next step. With the help of promoter Jolly Joyce, Rubin and Valler had the opportunity to bring together a combination of art and entertainment that perfectly captured the cultural spirit of San Francisco’s artistic and Summer of Love communities. The art displayed for this exhibition tended to be colorful, eccentric, and light in content, often dealing with mystical and futuristic themes. Most pieces were done by artists who lived or were visitors in the San Francisco Bay area.

5. Future Directions and Trends

One of the contributing factors to the deliquescence of psychedelia’s aura is the overuse of its visual imagery – a countless number of times since Timothy Leary exhorted the land to turn on, tune in, and drop out to the present, without cease. The soundbite goes on, and the images continue to induce trances rather than inspire profound, independent interpretations. In terms of their intended psycho-therapeutic, introspective qualities, the visual tenets of psychedelic art have been assimilated, appropriated, co-opted, overextended, and now surpassed by other, more potent modes, mainly assistive cognitive-behavioral therapeutic techniques and their real-world impact.

According to anthropologist Jeremy Narby, the alien-like figures commonly “revealed” during the altered state of consciousness experienced in shamanic trance throughout indigenous cultures are also present on an inner level. Such figures can be found in some restrictive areas of the brain accessible only by hallucinogens, which he experienced himself while under the influence of DMT. In addition to figurative content related to the biological structure of our bodies and functioning of our brains, additional engine thought-forms on mathematical and technological matters could also be involved. These tribal emissaries open the door to Jung’s “collective unconscious” suggesting that certain symbolic figures may indeed reside deeply embedded within our DNA, waiting to be revealed through altered states of consciousness.