I think that initial feeling of moving into a 'position', in which the pay is considered appropriate to intellectual value to goals and lifestyle, in managing time and expertise can feel exciting and embracing to security, giving a sense of control over living standards and an ability to work in partnership with personal needs in family, creative, wellness ambitions.
One can feel one has a certain amount of power in the palm of one's hand. The disappointment of reading through the contract, can however over-rule these initial feelings and take one to a place of - 'How can they do that?'. That sinking of feeling, when you realise the contract is set up for the company, fully covering their expenses and putting all liability back on your shoulders, the realisation can be like a stone sinking in the pit of your stomach.
The process can then take you back to the other personnel. I normally check Glassdoor and reach out to an employee and ask them the reality of their working conditions. The eagerness of onboarding the new and seemingly open applicant can then often over-ride the reality, many employees do not realise they are living on a hugely reduced income in which much of their working time and intellectual value is side lined through casual processses in which working on Sunday afternoons, late evenings and often paid far less than the full working day in hours, even though they give more provision, intelligence and time, this is not honoured in their time, energy, intellectual property or experience.
I think we have to look at ownership to deal with this and to share a common understanding. A person's time, intellectual property, energy, strategy, peace, planning, developed understanding are all owned by the self. If a company wants to buy 'human resources' they need to look at those units and the accounting of them beyond finance; I mention peace, as many aspects of a job can disturb harmony and health of self, there may not be good stress management in processes, the power dynamics may not be based on equality, causing levels of anxiety in employees. There maybe an undermining and unsettling usage of your human experience that is not even safe to your wellbeing and puts huge impact in yourself.
The exhaustion of working in these ways, on the front line, is finally being looked at by our government, zero hour contracts are being banned but the culture of working in this way and the underminding of persons on the frontline is really stuck in 'Victorian' times, a lot of the contracts I have looked at appear to 'gas light' and pass off responsibilities to employees when a company carries an objective that should cover expenses and impact. A frontline member of staff, therapist or consultant should be seen in their power on the ground level without seeking status in elevated ways. Their career should enable a move forward in which there is an expansion of value seen in wealth, time and respect, based on experience.
Three times in my career I have been effected by these types of contracts, I have been forced to remain self - employed or take a hugely underminding contract on but then in being self employed they have found ways to take over involcing and in one extreme situation, they took 60 % of my self employed income, I had to give the government 25%, which left me with 15% even though I was seeing over 40 people a week, helping them in meaningful and far reaching ways, this left me without a mortage and with acute tonsilitus and extreme burnout. Over twenty years I have truly been humbled by this approach, in fact it is responsible for a huge part of my simple life, in which I can live on a very basic level, a bit a kin to a monk.
When I was studying philosophy and art at my Masters in Creative Curating at Goldsmiths, University of London 2000-2002, I was bringing thesis and academia, to my already entered state of enlightenment, I had an awakening before this time, at the age of 21, after two years of temporary paralysis following salmonella poisoning and full blown M.E., I was young but all the academic and spiritual guidance led me to undertanding the new state of awareness I was in, I had naturally studied philosphy thruogh my teenage years and was in fact a truth seeker, having mirrored Socrates journey of 'radical doubt' in the cave, finding enlightenment.
The years of temporary paralysis gave a monastic experience in which I could work with existential questioning and form a deeper relationship with my soul. I was desperate to recover from the illness and did find a way of raising my energy and vibration beyond the illness making a full recovery, A few years after the awakening, I did a Curating course at Goldsmiths, University of London with the intention to deep dive in to the academic side of philosophy and art, to work with the theory of art movements using philosophy and curating. To me a deep philosophy was the foundation of good art practice, I had the foundations in place but needed a narrative that connected with main stream thinking, I was able to work with human behaviour on an extreme level, all the informaltion was at my finger tips, I just had to 'plug in'. What happened next in the place of my research, at the University was counter productive, disabling and shocking, this attitude to the mystical qualities of enlightenment has followed me for decades.
Occasionally, I have had moments of full support in my career, but in the most part, I have been carelessly side lined, de-valued and hushed. On my Masters I was thought to have some thing wrong with me, i was origionally failed for my final papers. I was made to rewrite all my work and re-engage with the processes I had already gone through. I passed a year later, the University blamed dyslexia even though this answered for very little of my voice or the profound knowledge I could engage with just through a deep attunement to universal consciouseness and Source.
I have worked super hard at the depth of understanding, bringing narrative to philosophy, enlightenment and art, yet I have been rejected for being too elevated, too high brow, told I have something wrong with me and in fact a truth seeker is now considered under the umbrella of trauma A.D.H.D., this maybe so and just a term, but at what point will the public understanding the value of the application of philosophical vision from a state of developed philosophy that embraces enlightenment? With enlightenment comes a responsibility to people, ‘we’ vibrate an energy of consciousness that allows people inspiration, respite, healing, deep inner peace, love, creative vision, the ability to operate on a worldly level to develop bring vision, apply vision is highly impactful in positive effect and long lasting experience.
I had a developed ability to profoundly help people with trauma, with their inner conflicts, acute illnesses, with their sense of navigation in a world full of dominant and harsh demands, that are often coercive and often undermining to a true sense of purpose and vision.
When we look back at the active philosophies in our society we find them to be the fabric of life, the canvas in which life can fluctuate, I particularly found interest with jewish philosophy, it was like finding the academic key to a missing link in the steam of my consciousness, all my work going forward with people and art, went on to link back to the tree of life, the soul and the matrix’s used to enable symbolic value with ‘creation’. The Tree of Life is said to be the lived in experience of enlightenment, working with thousands of people I found this to be so. When philosophy becomes enlightenment it is seen as mysticism and then there is a certain level of undermining in intellectual value, Kabbalah allows experiential enlightenment as an everyday way of being.
I would immerse myself amongst Jungian psychology and the collective consciousness, downplaying my relationship to God and Source, Jungian psychology looks at archetypal identities and does link in to kabbalah thinking enabling a visual interpretation of these two understandings through the Tarot. A philosophical narrative I have found to empower many through working with collective consciousness with visual symbolic depictions that bring clear understandings to the unconsciousness and visibility to processes, giving deep support to those that are going through cycles of severity and harshness. Jungian understanding embraces the human condition, the constant changing experiences and allows space to breath, to reflect and to grow., I have developed processes that are accessible to children and adults based on these highly detailed understandings.
Over time, I began to highlight Churchill's interest in witchcraft and 'tomfoolery", following his 1951 law change that allowed mysticism to become a part of our culture. He recognised a woman named Helen Duncan (more in link), a lady that had advised many through war time Britain but who was seen as a security threat. The power dynamic in consulting can be beneficial; I have advised many courageous and receptive individuals, offering insight, growth, communication, inspired wisdom, and intellect to assist in navigating complex paths of development in society, business, and personal relationships. Unfortunately, the artistic realm has inadequately portrayed this aspect, as during my early days as an artist and curator, there was a prevailing trend of rationalism and materialism that aimed to suppress the voices of the enlightened.
In retrospective I think the seed of this was probably formed thorugh Andy Warhol, however Warhol had a wonderful philosphy that was clearly thought out and designed to bring great reflection especially with his work in repetition and 'The Factory'. However this olive branch was taken advantage of...
The Young British Artists supported in the 1990’s by Charles Saatchi, developed a large movement, Saatchi himself a professional advertiser; branding to promote sensationalism through shock and spectacle, not through philsophy and sensory perception. Artists became an ‘absurdity’ in which they were promoted as show pieces with high levels of branding and consumer value. This in turn reduced philosophical voice and value, imprinting and sidelining those with developed sensory perception and an ability to work with consciousness beyond any level of doubt. Artist's with philosophical understanding moved in to a space of base line, embracing their ‘sensitivity’, moving towards ‘retreat’ like experiences, letting go of all, to live simply and be of service, waiting out the time frames in which the over arching presence of these powers stopped dumbing or quietening them down, causing great impact financially and in livelihood.
We are now at a point in which consciousness is being raised as a collective and our needs around understanding when authority, or power impacts the good of all, we are addressing these concerns.
Philosophy has a long tradition of seeking truth through reason and narrative. However, post-Enlightenment, a shift towards mysticism, is seen, which can feel more abstract and experiential, this has less academic thesis to interract with, however it is the essence of life. This shift often gets undervalued in a culture that supports rationality, leading to the gross marginalisation of mystical and enlightened voices.
How do we create space for enlightened individuals to share their insights, and how can these perspectives be re-integrated into mainstream culture?
The next part of this can be seen and used for reference:
The unmet needs that are being marginalised form this understanding -
1. The Need for Authenticity
Unmet Need: In a materialistic art world driven by status, the pursuit of authenticity is often sidelined in favour of creating work that appeals to market forces or current trends. Artists may feel pressured to create pieces that sell rather than those that express their true, deeply personal visions. This can lead to art that feels disconnected from the human experience and lacks the emotional or philosophical depth needed to resonate with viewers.
Impact on Culture: When authenticity is lost, art becomes more about conforming to external expectations than about personal or communal expression. This can erode trust in the cultural value of art, reducing it to a commodity rather than a source of meaning. People may become more skeptical of art’s capacity to communicate genuine emotion, experience, or truth.
Impact on Community and Lifestyle: Communities that engage with art primarily as a status symbol may lose out on the bonding experiences that authentic art can provide. Art that reflects real human struggles, joys, or philosophical questions can foster deeper connections between individuals, creating more cohesive, empathetic communities. Without this, lifestyles may become more focused on individual success and appearance, rather than shared experiences and emotional bonds.
2. The Need for Meaning and Purpose
Unmet Need: Art has historically been a way for people to explore and express their sense of purpose in life. However, materialism in the art world often shifts focus from meaning to superficial aesthetics or financial success. This leaves both creators and audiences searching for deeper purpose in a world that elevates status and wealth over philosophical or spiritual exploration.
Impact on Culture: When the art that dominates culture is primarily about material success, people may feel that their own lives should revolve around these values. This can lead to a cultural void, where meaning and purpose are increasingly defined by external achievements rather than inner fulfilment, existential inquiry, or community contribution.
Impact on Community and Lifestyle: Individuals and communities that lack a shared sense of meaning may feel increasingly alienated. Lifestyle choices may revolve around accumulating wealth or status rather than engaging in practices that foster personal growth or communal well-being. This can lead to a sense of isolation and an unfulfilled life, as deeper existential needs remain unaddressed.
3. The Need for Connection and Belonging
Unmet Need: The focus on individualism and status in the art world often prioritises the success of a few “star” artists, while marginalising others. This dynamic can create a sense of exclusivity, leaving many artists and communities feeling disconnected from the larger cultural conversation. Art’s potential to build connections between people is diminished when it is primarily seen as a marker of individual or commercial success.
Impact on Culture: A culture that values art for its material worth may unintentionally promote isolation, as it celebrates individual success over collective experience. Art’s ability to bring people together—through shared meaning, emotions, or ideas—becomes weakened when it is framed as a luxury commodity rather than as a communal experience.
Impact on Community and Lifestyle: Communities that revolve around art driven by materialism may foster a sense of competition rather than connection. People may feel a need to accumulate or display status symbols, rather than participating in shared cultural or artistic experiences that bring them closer together. This can result in lifestyles that prioritise external validation over genuine human connections.
4. The Need for Emotional and Spiritual Fulfilment
Unmet Need: In a highly materialistic art world, the emotional and spiritual aspects of art are often neglected. Art has the power to heal, inspire, and provoke deep emotional responses, but when its value is determined by market forces, its capacity to fulfill these emotional and spiritual needs is diminished. Art may become emotionally sterile or spiritually disconnected, serving more as decoration or status symbol than a source of inner growth.
Impact on Culture: Without art that addresses emotional and spiritual needs, culture may become emotionally impoverished. The focus shifts away from exploring the full range of human experiences—joy, grief, transcendence—and toward maintaining appearances. This can lead to a collective numbness or a lack of emotional depth in cultural expression.
Impact on Community and Lifestyle: On an individual and community level, people may struggle to find emotional or spiritual nourishment in their daily lives. Lifestyles focused on accumulating wealth or status offer little in terms of personal fulfillment or emotional growth, leading to a widespread feeling of emptiness or dissatisfaction.
5. The Need for Play and Creativity
Unmet Need: Creativity and play are fundamental to human expression, and art is one of the most direct forms of these experiences. However, when art is treated purely as a commercial commodity, the space for play and experimentation is reduced. Artists may feel constrained by market demands, which can stifle creativity and innovation. The need for spontaneous, non-goal-oriented creation is sacrificed in favor of creating work that sells.
Impact on Culture: A culture that stifles creativity becomes less dynamic and more predictable. The pressure to conform to market-driven trends results in a homogenized art scene, where new ideas or experimental approaches are devalued. This can lead to cultural stagnation, as creativity is essential for pushing boundaries and developing new ways of thinking.
Impact on Community and Lifestyle: Communities that lack creative outlets may become rigid and less open to new ideas or ways of being. Individuals may adopt lifestyles focused on efficiency and productivity rather than allowing space for creative exploration. This can lead to a decrease in overall well-being, as creativity and play are essential for mental and emotional health.
6. The Need for Empathy and Compassion
Unmet Need: Art has the power to foster empathy by allowing people to experience the world through someone else’s perspective. However, when art is commodified, it often loses this potential. Art that appeals to a materialistic or status-driven mindset may reinforce individualism and competition, rather than encouraging empathy and compassion.
Impact on Culture: A materialistic approach to art can contribute to a culture of indifference or superficial engagement with others. The deeper emotional and ethical messages that art can convey are drowned out by the focus on luxury, wealth, and success. This diminishes art’s potential to create more empathetic and compassionate societies.
Impact on Community and Lifestyle: In a community where empathy is devalued, relationships may become transactional or competitive. Lifestyles centered on status rather than mutual understanding may foster alienation, as people become more focused on their own success than on the well-being of others.
Addressing These Unmet Needs
To address the unmet primary needs caused by the focus on materialism and status in art, a shift is needed in how we engage with art and culture. Here are a few ways this shift can happen:
Promoting Art that Addresses Deeper Human Needs:
Support movements or initiatives that prioritise authenticity, emotional depth, and spiritual exploration in art. This includes funding for artists who explore existential, philosophical, or ethical themes, rather than just those who produce commercially viable work.
Creating Community-Based Art Initiatives:
Art that is made within and for communities can meet the need for connection and belonging. Public art projects, community exhibitions, and collaborative art-making can help create a sense of shared experience and empathy.
Encouraging Educational Reforms:
Art education should focus not just on technical skills or marketability, but also on fostering creativity, authenticity, and philosophical inquiry. By training artists to engage with these deeper questions, we can help create a culture that values art’s potential to meet primary human needs.
Fostering Spaces for Play and Creativity:
Providing artists with spaces—whether physical or digital—where they can experiment and play without the pressure of commercial success is essential. These spaces allow for more creative freedom, leading to art that is more authentic and fulfilling.
By addressing these unmet needs, we can help create a more balanced art world and a culture that values emotional, spiritual, and communal fulfilment over materialism and status. This shift could have profound effects on how people live, connect, and find meaning in their lives.
These are areas of Philosophy in which I hold great value and continue to use the understandings in all my work, as an artist, a therapist and in my mass help in the community.
Historical Movement: From Jewish Philosophy to Kabbalah-
Jewish Philosophy: Early Jewish philosophical thought, emphasises the deep ethical, metaphysical, and existential inquiries brought forward, exemplified by thinkers such as Maimonides.
Kabbalah: Kabbalah as a mystical extension of Jewish philosophy, the Tree of Life as a symbol of interconnectedness and divine wisdom. Kabbalah’s aim was not just intellectual understanding but a lived experience of spiritual enlightenment.
Mysticism as Evolution: Kabbalah represents the movement from logical, structured thought to a more mystical approach that seeks to bridge the known with the unknowable, shifting from a thesis-based approach to experiential enlightenment.
Jungian Psychology: Mysticism in the Modern Age
Jung and the Collective Unconscious: Introduce Jungian psychology as a modern framework that aligns with mystical traditions. Jung’s concept of the collective unconscious, archetypes, and the process of individuation shows how mystical traditions like Kabbalah can integrate with psychology. Jung also drew heavily on mysticism, including Kabbalistic, to explain the spiritual aspects of the human psyche.
Mysticism as Psychological Necessity: Jungian psychology reveals how mystical traditions satisfy psychological needs that are neglected by purely rational frameworks. Mysticism, in this light, is a vital tool for personal transformation and self-understanding.
The Misunderstanding of Mysticism in Modern Culture - Modern culture, particularly after a person expresses voice, as post-enlightened, has marginalised persons and mysticism.
Foolish or Enlightened?: How has mysticism been perceived as impractical or foolish, when in fact it represents a deeper, non-rational form of wisdom. Enlightened people today may struggle to find their place or voice in mainstream philosophy or society because their insights do not align with the dominant rationalist paradigm.
These understandings call for spiritual practice that is universal and not tied to one religion, enabling consciousness to raise and unity to be found.
The Need for Awareness: Reclaiming Mysticism’s Value in Society
A New Cultural Narrative: Propose that society needs to expand its philosophical narrative to include mysticism and the wisdom of enlightenment as valid and necessary. Cultivating a broader awareness of these traditions, and creating platforms for enlightened individuals to speak, will help reshape cultural values.
Integration with Rationality: Modern society must learn to balance rational, empirical thought with mystical and psychological wisdom. Both are necessary for a holistic understanding of reality and human experience.
Promoting the Voice of the Enlightened: Practical ideas for giving enlightened people a stronger voice.. Encouraging interdisciplinary dialogue between mysticism, philosophy, and psychology, promoting mystical thinkers and ideas in mainstream discourse, and creating educational spaces that honor mystical traditions alongside rational thought.
A Call to Action to recognise the importance of mystical wisdom in a rationalist culture. Emphasises the need to elevate enlightened voices and integrate the values of mysticism, psychology, and philosophy into a more inclusive and comprehensive worldview.
Summary of Philosophical Movement:
Jewish Philosophy: Rooted in rational exploration of ethics, metaphysics, and theology.
Kabbalah and Mysticism: The transcendence of rationality into experiential and esoteric wisdom, symbolised by the Tree of Life.
Jungian Psychology: A modern bridge between mysticism and psychological inquiry, offering a framework for understanding mystical experiences in terms of personal and collective unconscious processes.
By tracing this philosophical journey and advocating for the recognition of mysticism’s value, your article can help shift the perception of enlightenment in modern culture and open up new ways for enlightened individuals to contribute to societal discourse.
Rebalancing Art to Meet Human Needs
To address the silencing of philosophical voices in art, we must shift the power dynamics away from purely commercial, rational structures and toward spaces that allow for reflection, inspiration, and connection to deeper existential questions. By fostering an art world that meets these primary needs, we can help individuals and society find greater fulfilment, healing, and meaning in their engagement with art.
Primary Needs in Art and Philosophy
In this section, we can explore how the neglect of certain types of art reflects the failure to meet basic psychological and emotional needs in society.
The Need for Reflection: Art has historically been a vehicle for reflection, offering both creators and viewers a space to pause, question, and engage with deeper existential concerns. When this need is not met—when art is driven by commercial spectacle or sensationalism—there’s a loss of opportunities for reflection.
Consequences of Suppression: Without spaces for introspection, society becomes overly focused on external productivity and consumerism, leading to a lack of fulfillment. This unfulfilled need for reflection may manifest as stress, burnout, or a sense of meaninglessness.
The Need for Inspiration: Inspiration is another fundamental need. For centuries, artists have been inspired by their philosophical inquiries and mystical explorations. By marginalizing these deeper perspectives, the dominant art world stifles the potential for art to inspire viewers in a transformative way.
The Role of Mysticism and Philosophy in Inspiration: Mystical and philosophical art can inspire viewers to see beyond the material world, helping them explore inner dimensions of life and the universe. Without this, art risks becoming shallow, lacking the power to move or awaken people to new possibilities.
The Need for Space to Breathe: Modern society’s fast-paced, rational focus often leaves little room for stillness and contemplation—essential elements of both philosophical inquiry and art appreciation. Art should offer a space for people to "breathe" mentally and emotionally, providing relief from the constant pressures of modern life.
Unmet Need: In the current art world, dominated by spectacle and commercialism, this breathing space is often missing. As a result, people may feel overwhelmed and disconnected from art’s potential to serve as a space of calm, contemplation, and mental restoration.
Shifting the Power Dynamics to Meet Primary Needs
Reclaiming Power for Reflection and Inspiration: To shift the power dynamics, there needs to be a conscious effort to create spaces in the art world that prioritize reflection and inspiration over commercial value. This involves a reassessment of who holds the power in determining what art is seen, funded, and valued.
Supporting Alternative Voices: Galleries, museums, and public institutions can reclaim this space by actively supporting artists who explore deeper philosophical or mystical themes. Granting platforms to underrepresented voices allows for a diversification of narratives in the art world, creating room for art that addresses primary human needs.
Empowering Artists with Philosophical and Mystical Approaches: Artists who engage with philosophical themes should be given the resources and platforms to create work that speaks to these deeper human needs. This would entail fostering an environment where art isn’t judged solely on its commercial potential but also on its ability to engage with fundamental questions of existence, spirituality, and meaning.
Shifting Financial Models: By supporting artists through grants, residencies, or patronage systems that prioritise art with philosophical depth, we can enable the creation of work that meets people’s primary needs for reflection, connection, and inspiration.
Art as a Tool for Meeting Collective Needs: Art can be re-envisioned as a communal resource, one that serves collective psychological, emotional, and spiritual needs. This means creating spaces—whether physical galleries or digital platforms—where people can engage with art that encourages them to reflect, breathe, and find inspiration.
Art as Healing: In a world that often prioritises rationality and material success, art can serve as a counterbalance by offering spaces for healing and contemplation. Art that reconnects people with their inner lives and their place in the universe is essential for addressing the alienation and disconnection many feel in a hyper-rational society.
Education and Public Engagement: Public education plays a critical role in reshaping how we understand the relationship between art, philosophy, and power. By encouraging art education that values philosophical exploration, introspection, and mystical inquiry, we can foster a generation of artists and audiences who prioritize these values.
Raising Awareness: Initiatives that promote awareness of the power dynamics in the art world—and how they affect the availability of reflective, inspiring art—are crucial. Public discussions, exhibitions, and cultural criticism can help bring attention to the need for a more inclusive, balanced art world that meets the deeper needs of society.
Yes, many well-known individuals, especially those who explore mystical or unconventional spiritual ideas, have faced criticism or marginalisation because their insights don’t conform to dominant rationalist frameworks.
How Mysticism Helped Artists:
For many artists, embracing mysticism allowed them to break free from the limitations of rational, materialist art forms, leading to groundbreaking new styles like surrealism, abstract expressionism, and metaphysical art. While some faced marginalization or misunderstanding, others, like Dalí, Kandinsky, and Rothko, used their mystical insights to redefine art and expand the boundaries of what was considered possible.
The Power of the Mystical in Art
Mysticism often enabled artists to access deeper, more transformative ideas, though it sometimes came at the cost of mainstream acceptance during their lifetimes. These artists show that the tension between rationalism and mysticism can be a powerful creative force, helping them express the ineffable and challenge the status quo of their respective artistic traditions.
The Young British Artists (YBAs) movement, spearheaded by Charles Saatchi in the 1990s, significantly impacted contemporary art by emphasizing shock value, commercial appeal, and mass media strategies. While it undoubtedly revived interest in contemporary British art and created cultural icons like Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin, its close connection to advertising and mass consumption has left an enduring mark on how art is understood in terms of philosophy and cultural critique.
How the YBAs Impacted the Philosophy of Art:
Shift Toward Commodification: Saatchi’s background in advertising brought a sharp commercial focus to the YBAs, turning them into global brands. While this helped popularise contemporary art, it also reduced space for deeper philosophical explorations of art. Art became more about spectacle and less about engaging with profound existential or metaphysical questions, as seen in previous movements like surrealism or abstract expressionism.
Philosophical Void: In focusing on shock, irony, and materiality, much of the art lacked the introspective, mystical, or spiritual dimensions present in artists like Rothko, Blake, or Kandinsky. This absence has arguably created a vacuum in philosophical discourse around art.
Focus on Rationality and Materiality: The YBAs often approached art through a hyper-rational, materialist lens, focusing on the physicality of objects, consumer culture, and bodily experiences. The conceptual frameworks behind works like Damien Hirst’s formaldehyde animals are often rooted in critique or commentary on society but rarely venture into spiritual or mystical inquiries.
Loss of Mysticism: With this rational, often cynical approach, the YBAs distanced art from any engagement with deeper metaphysical questions. Unlike movements that sought to transcend the material world, like surrealism or Kandinsky's abstract art, the YBAs were largely preoccupied with the material, leaving little room for the mystical or transcendent aspects of art and life.
Advertising as Art: Saatchi’s influence emphasised the power of branding and presentation, borrowing from the logic of advertising to turn the YBAs into household names. While this brought enormous visibility, it shifted the focus toward how art is consumed rather than what it communicates philosophically.
Silencing Philosophical Voices: By prioritising visibility and commodification, the movement inadvertently sidelined artists whose work was rooted in deeper philosophical or mystical questions. Artists exploring spirituality, introspection, or existentialism found less space in the commercial, rational framework dominating the YBAs.
Dealing with the Silence of Philosophical Voices in Art:
Reclaiming Space for Philosophical Discourse:
Cultural Shift in Art Institutions: One way to address the dominance of commercialism and rationalism in art is to create institutional spaces—galleries, museums, and exhibitions—that prioritise philosophical inquiry. These institutions can emphasise the importance of existential, spiritual, and metaphysical questions in art, highlighting how these concepts contribute to a deeper understanding of the human experience.
Promote Interdisciplinary Dialogue: Encouraging dialogue between artists, philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual thinkers can help integrate philosophical voices back into the art world. Events, publications, or podcasts that explore the intersection of art, philosophy, and mysticism could provide a platform for marginalised voices.
Counter-Movements in Art:
Embrace of Spiritual and Mystical Art: Supporting movements that value mysticism, spiritual experiences, and philosophical depth is crucial. Contemporary artists who engage with these themes—drawing from movements like Jungian psychology, Kabbalah, or Eastern spirituality—can help restore a balance between rationality and spiritual inquiry.
Alternative Funding Models: Many philosophical or spiritual artists are marginalised because their work doesn’t fit commercial models. By creating alternative funding sources (grants, foundations, or patronage) that prioritise art with philosophical depth over commercial appeal, it’s possible to give these voices a stronger platform.
Public Education and Critique:
Reintroduce Philosophy into Art Education: Integrating philosophical and metaphysical studies into art education can train future artists to think more deeply about the meaning of their work beyond its aesthetic or commercial value. Artists like Rothko, Kandinsky, and af Klint, whose works were deeply philosophical, should be more prominently studied alongside more commercial art figures.
Critique of Commercial Art: It’s important to foster critical conversations about the dominance of commercialism in the art world, much like critics of the YBAs did. Philosophers and art critics need to challenge the commodification of art and propose alternative ways of engaging with it, reminding audiences of art’s potential to explore deeper existential or mystical questions.
Technology as a Tool for Philosophical Art:
Digital and Decentralised Art Spaces: The rise of digital platforms (like NFTs, online galleries, and decentralised art communities) offers new opportunities for artists who engage with philosophical and spiritual themes. These platforms can bypass the commercial art world’s gatekeepers and create spaces for underrepresented voices.
Artists Affected:
While the YBAs revitalised British contemporary art, their emphasis on rationality, commodification, and spectacle has silenced some of the deeper philosophical voices in art. To address this, the art world must reclaim space for metaphysical, spiritual, and existential inquiries, challenging the dominance of rational, materialist frameworks. By fostering alternative platforms, educational reform, and interdisciplinary dialogue, we can create a more inclusive and philosophically rich art culture that values both the rational and the mystical.
1. Salvador Dalí
Struggle and Embrace of Mysticism: Dalí’s work is infused with mystical themes, particularly later in his career when he moved toward religious mysticism and nuclear physics. His surrealist style often ventured into the exploration of dreams, the unconscious, and irrational imagery. Dalí embraced both mysticism and science, and his later works reflect a fascination with atomic theory and the idea of transcendence.
Helped or Hindered?: Rather than being marginalised, Dalí’s eccentric and mystical persona helped him gain fame. His ability to blend rational elements, such as mathematical concepts (like the golden ratio), with dreamlike, mystical imagery gave his work a unique appeal. While some in the art world found his overt commercialism and eccentricity problematic, his embrace of mysticism only added to his allure. Dalí was able to thrive within the tension between rationalism and mysticism, though his later religious mysticism did alienate some within the avant-garde art community.
2. William Blake
Struggle: William Blake, an English poet, painter, and printmaker, lived during the 18th century and is now considered a visionary artist who explored deep mystical themes. Blake’s work was deeply spiritual, drawing from his personal visions of angels, spirits, and the divine. His art was infused with symbolism and themes of cosmic struggle, creation, and redemption, which placed him outside of mainstream Enlightenment thinking that favored rationalism and empiricism.
Perception: Blake was largely misunderstood during his lifetime, seen as eccentric or even mad by many of his contemporaries. His mysticism and rejection of rationalist ideas made it difficult for him to gain widespread recognition in his era. However, his works are now seen as pioneering in their ability to fuse poetry, art, and mystical experience, and he is considered one of the greatest Romantic artists.
3. Wassily Kandinsky
Struggle: Kandinsky, one of the pioneers of abstract art, believed that art could transcend the material world and express spiritual truths. His interest in mysticism, theosophy, and Eastern philosophy deeply influenced his artistic theory, especially his idea of "inner necessity"—the spiritual impulse that drives true art. Kandinsky saw abstract art as a way to communicate spiritual realities that lie beyond the physical and rational realms.
Helped or Hindered?: Kandinsky’s mystical beliefs actually helped his art career, as he became a central figure in the development of abstract art. His theoretical writings on spirituality in art, such as Concerning the Spiritual in Art, became foundational for modern art movements. While his ideas were unconventional, they resonated with a growing avant-garde movement that sought to break free from rationalism and materialism in art.
4. Giorgio de Chirico
Struggle: De Chirico’s metaphysical paintings, which depict eerie, dreamlike cityscapes, reflect a deeply philosophical and mystical engagement with reality. His works are filled with enigmatic, symbolic imagery, often inspired by Nietzsche’s ideas of eternal recurrence and the deeper mysteries of existence. De Chirico's paintings question rational perception and invoke a sense of timelessness and metaphysical depth.
Perception: De Chirico was highly influential in the development of surrealism, but his mystical and metaphysical inclinations, along with his later rejection of modernist trends, led to a mixed legacy. While his early metaphysical works were celebrated, his later return to more traditional, classical styles was seen as a betrayal by some avant-garde artists. His interest in mysticism and metaphysical philosophy put him at odds with more rational, materialist interpretations of art.
5. Hilma af Klint
Struggle: Hilma af Klint, a Swedish painter, created some of the first abstract works in Western art history, long before artists like Kandinsky. Her work was deeply influenced by her involvement in spiritualism, theosophy, and her belief in the mystical dimensions of life. She saw her paintings as expressions of the spiritual world and often worked in a trance-like state, believing her art was guided by higher forces.
Perception: During her lifetime, af Klint’s work was largely unknown and dismissed. Her mystical and abstract works did not fit within the dominant rationalist and realist trends in art at the time. She kept much of her work hidden, convinced that the world wasn’t ready for it. It was only in recent decades that her work has been rediscovered and celebrated as groundbreaking, showing how her mystical approach was ahead of its time.
6. Kazimir Malevich
Struggle: Malevich, the creator of Suprematism, sought to transcend material reality and express pure feeling through abstract forms. His iconic painting Black Square symbolizes the abandonment of representational art for a purely spiritual expression. Malevich’s art is deeply mystical, aiming to reach a higher, non-material reality.
Perception: While Malevich was initially embraced by the Russian avant-garde, his mystical, anti-materialist philosophy put him at odds with the Soviet regime, which promoted socialist realism. His focus on spirituality and the non-material clashed with the political need for art that served the state’s rational, material goals. As a result, his work was suppressed, and he was marginalized during his later years.
7. Frida Kahlo
Struggle: Frida Kahlo’s art often incorporates mystical and spiritual elements, particularly in her self-portraits that depict her as a complex figure connected to nature, animals, and symbolic imagery. While her work is also deeply personal and political, there’s a mystical quality in her exploration of identity, pain, and transcendence.
Helped or Hindered?: Kahlo’s work, though initially overshadowed by her husband Diego Rivera’s fame, gained international recognition for its unique blend of surrealism, personal narrative, and mystical elements. Her symbolic and mystical approach to the self and suffering resonated deeply with later audiences, particularly in feminist and postcolonial art discourses. While her mystical elements may not have been fully understood during her lifetime, they contributed to her lasting legacy.
8. Mark Rothko
Struggle: Rothko’s color field paintings were not merely abstract but intended as spiritual experiences. Rothko sought to create transcendent, mystical experiences through his large canvases, which engulfed the viewer in vast fields of color. He believed his art could evoke the sublime and confront existential realities.
Helped or Hindered?: While Rothko became highly celebrated during his life, the deeply spiritual and emotional intent behind his work was not always fully understood. His focus on creating transcendent experiences through abstract forms challenged the more rational, materialist interpretations of art. His later life was marked by personal struggles, as his work’s intensity took a toll on his mental health, and he became disillusioned with the commercial art world.
1. Carl Jung
Struggle: Carl Jung, a pioneering figure in psychology, often faced skepticism and criticism from the scientific community for his exploration of the unconscious mind, dreams, spirituality, and mysticism. While Freud focused on more rational, empirical approaches to psychology, Jung ventured into areas like alchemy, the collective unconscious, and archetypes—concepts that have mystical undertones. His work on synchronicity, a concept that defies traditional scientific explanation, also put him at odds with rationalist thinkers.
Perception: Jung’s emphasis on the non-rational and mystical aspects of the human experience was often dismissed by the psychological establishment, which was more aligned with scientific materialism. Yet, his ideas have been deeply influential in fields like spirituality, art, and depth psychology.
2. Aldous Huxley
Struggle: Aldous Huxley, author of Brave New World and The Doors of Perception, delved deeply into mystical experiences, especially through his exploration of psychedelic substances as a way to access higher consciousness. Huxley’s interest in expanding human consciousness through non-traditional means often placed him outside of the rational, scientific community.
Perception: While celebrated for his literary contributions, his exploration of altered states of consciousness and mystical experiences through psychedelics was seen as eccentric or even irresponsible by some in more rationalist or conservative circles. His mystical writings, though insightful, have sometimes been overshadowed by the more controversial aspects of his work.
3. David Bohm
Struggle: David Bohm, a theoretical physicist, explored the intersection between quantum mechanics and consciousness, proposing the idea of an “implicate order” that suggests an underlying unity to reality, a concept with mystical undertones. His ideas about wholeness and interconnectedness were radical in the scientific community.
Perception: Bohm’s ideas were considered fringe by many of his contemporaries because they ventured into metaphysical territory, challenging the conventional, rationalist understanding of physics. He was interested in consciousness and even engaged in deep dialogues with mystics like Jiddu Krishnamurti. This blending of science and mysticism led to some isolation from the mainstream scientific community.
4. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Struggle: Emerson, a leader of the Transcendentalist movement in the 19th century, advocated for a direct, personal experience of the divine, emphasizing intuition and inner wisdom over formal religious doctrine or rationalist philosophy. His work blends spirituality, philosophy, and mysticism.
Perception: During his time, Emerson faced criticism from religious and academic communities who found his mystical, nature-centered philosophy to be out of line with traditional Christian or rationalist perspectives. Despite this, he became highly influential in American spiritual and philosophical thought, though not without encountering resistance.
5. Terence McKenna
Struggle: Terence McKenna, an ethnobotanist and advocate for the use of psychedelics to access higher states of consciousness, explored the mystical and spiritual dimensions of human experience. His work focused on the relationship between mind, nature, and the cosmos, often venturing into realms that were seen as too mystical or unscientific.
Perception: McKenna’s ideas were often dismissed by the scientific community, and he was marginalized as a countercultural figure. While many found his ideas about human consciousness, time, and the universe deeply compelling, his rejection of mainstream rationalist thought made it difficult for his ideas to gain broader academic acceptance.
6. Ken Wilber
Struggle: Ken Wilber is a contemporary philosopher who integrates spirituality, psychology, and mysticism in his work. His "integral theory" attempts to unify knowledge from different fields, but his heavy focus on the mystical, particularly in later works, has made him a controversial figure.
Perception: Wilber’s work has often been marginalized or criticized for being too abstract, spiritual, or not rooted enough in empirical science. Though he has a dedicated following, his emphasis on mystical states of consciousness and the evolution of human awareness has alienated him from more rationalist thinkers in philosophy and psychology.
7. Sri Aurobindo
Struggle: Sri Aurobindo was a philosopher, yogi, and spiritual leader who developed a comprehensive vision of spiritual evolution, where humanity would ascend to higher states of consciousness. His blend of mysticism and evolutionary theory was groundbreaking, but it positioned him outside of both traditional religious frameworks and rationalist academic circles.
Perception: Though influential in spiritual and philosophical circles, Sri Aurobindo’s work was often seen as too mystical or idealistic for the broader intellectual community. His synthesis of Eastern mysticism with Western evolutionary thought was considered by some as lacking practical or empirical grounding.
8. Nikola Tesla
Struggle: Tesla, while celebrated as an inventor and electrical engineer, also had deeply mystical views about energy, the universe, and the nature of reality. His ideas about harnessing energy from the universe and his visionary concepts often bordered on the mystical, which led some to view him as eccentric.
Perception: Tesla’s more mystical and visionary ideas about the universe were often dismissed by the scientific establishment, which favored Thomas Edison’s more grounded, practical approach. Tesla’s work, though foundational to modern technology, was often undervalued during his lifetime because of his non-rational, visionary tendencies.
How Society Can Help:
Interdisciplinary Platforms: Creating platforms where individuals who bridge rationalism and mysticism, through a deep understanding of philosophy and enlightenment, can dialogue—such as conferences, journals, or digital spaces—would help them reach broader audiences.
Educational Reform: Incorporating mystical traditions and non-rational ways of knowing into educational systems, alongside scientific rationalism, could help validate these perspectives.
Public Figures: Influential public figures advocating for the integration of mysticism and rationalism, much like what Carl Jung achieved with depth psychology, can help open the door to broader acceptance.
These individuals show how enlightenment often leads to isolation from mainstream culture, which tends to prioritise rational power over mystical or experiential wisdom.
Hopefully this gives you all the information you need to understand the call, visible and with voice, to help move us to a more meaningful place. We have all we need, we just need to promote the right perspectives and values.
The Goddess of Fortune Reflects on Losses - From series 'Divine Comedy' by Amanda McGregor, black ink on paper.
Given the magnitude of this issue, I have enlisted the assistance of ChatGPT to help refine ideas and offer perspectives on artists and thinkers who are impacted. I am solely responsible for shaping the direction of the narrative and bringing my personal story to it.
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