Vintage hairstyles

ART vs DESIGN (thesis)

Most people of modern popular culture confuse Design with Art.

Both have different origins and purposes.

Design is born out of need to make things better, to improve or make them more comfortable in use (via first craftsmen). It has a local quality.

Art, on the other hand, is born out of need to communicate deeper meaning of existence (via 'accidental' shamans). Its purpose is to transcend the mundane perception of the world and it has a non-local quality.

Here's my thesis: 

The fundamental difference between Art and Design lies in the lack of spiritual mystery of the latter. 

I believe that the first artist was a shaman. Also, visual Art was created out of need to communicate something ‘unusual’ and long before people developed a fully comprehensive speech.

 

This is how I see it happened.

Imagine a person in the ancient world who accidentally experiences an altered state of consciousness through the use of psychoactive plants (i.e. try and error in discovering new foods). Suddenly he experiences a world that is very different from common reality. The experience is so dramatic that this person now wants to communicate it to other persons in his tribe. 

How can he do that? 

Pointing at the cause of it (the plant) is obviously not enough to communicate the inner experience. And so, this person takes a stick (or whatever) and starts drawing! He draws dots and lines that are similar to entoptic patterns caused by ingestion of psychoactive plants. Thus a new spiritual world has been introduced to the consciousness of early humans. And also it gave birth to Art.

Many people think that some form of Art pre-existed the discovery of psychedelics. In my opinion it is not so. And here’s why:

As we know, the difference between animals and homo sapiens lies in the degree of cognition of the outside world (consciousness). Terence McKenna’s theory of Stoned Ape postulates that the transition from ape man to a more conscious being was kick-started by accidental consumption of a psychedelic plant.

In other words, it provided an alternative (supernatural) reference to their mundane perception of reality.

My point is that without this second reference point Art couldn’t have existed. Of course, before the discovery of the 'supernatural' primitive people had made and used some kind of tools and instruments for survival. Craft predates Art.

I also contest that prior the discovery of alternative state of consciousness and the ‘supernatural’  no religious ideas could have been formed in the mind of a primitive man.  i.e. the perception of thunder and lightening was similar to how animals react to it - power, danger, run for life!

In fact, one needs that second reference point to form even superstition.

So, without early psychedelic experience there couldn't have been Art, a religious view or even an abstract thought.

...

If you see beauty in everything, you're a designer. A sunrise is beautiful, so are mountains, but it's not yet Art. It's a beautiful design (of nature). People can make beautiful things too, I call them designers. But Art is more than just about 'beautiful'. Art is about a beautiful mystery.

(Children can see a mystery. Most adults just see a beautiful thing.)

Brief history of art

Our process of cognition of any sort of reality consists of two main parts:

1. Imitation (study)
2. Manipulation (mastery)

What we call ‘evolution’ follows the same pattern.

BRIEF HISTORY OF ART

1. A shaman draws the first picture: imitation with spiritual (internal) point of reference.
Example: entoptic patterns of early paleolithic cave art, aboriginal art, etc.

2. Followed by imitation with physical (external) point of reference.
Example: realistic forms in classical art

3. Followed by manipulation with physical point of reference
Example: free forms, cubism, impressionism, expressionism, etc.

4. Followed by revived interest in imitation with spiritual point of reference
Example: psychedelic art, abstract, etc.

5. Followed by manipulation with spiritual point of reference
Example: kaos magick art, spiritually conceptual art, etc.


note: # 5  is an extension of # 1

Magickal Alphabet of Desire

Automatic drawing, 22 sigils, done using ‘light drawing’ technique of long exposure. How to do: 1. switch off lights and achieve gnosis, 2. focus on your SOI (statement of intent), 3. automatically draw a sigil with your camera pointing at a point of light (i used green LED light of my laptop) while chanting your desire.

Idea: Generative music Tarot bot

There are 78 cards in a standard deck of Tarot made up of two arcana which are the major arcana and the minor arcana. Each card is assigned a corresponding note, i.e. The Magician = E; High Priestess = G#; The Empress = F#; The Emperor = C; The Hierophant = C#, Four of Wands = C / F# and so on.

When you make a spread, for example a classic Celtic Cross that consists of 10 cards, the app would generate musical sequence based on notes of each card in the spread. Thus each Tarot spread combination would acquire a unique sound signature.

For example:

Additionally for each individual pattern users can choose instruments, ambience, drones, etc. The app would also try to automatically generate the most harmoniously sounding combinations (out of the 10 given notes).

Alt idea: Measures of Happiness

I really like the idea of measuring happiness across countries in an attempt to spark interest in using the emotion as metric for public policy. Here's an article about NYU's graduate student who set about baking the happy Index into cupcakes:

What i don't like is the medium chosen as it doesn't accurately reflect the country's data.

A better way to conduct the experiment would be to use a special app that would allow people to rate their daily moods using their mobile phones, i.e. sliding a bar between "plus" and "minus".

The ratings then would be automatically uploaded to a special website where the data is analysed and displayed in a personal timeline (a graph). Also, people could enter tags and upload pics. When online they can easily access any day of their life by simply clicking on the graph.

The app should be freely available in every country of the world.

The future of advertising: Undercover

Coincidence or not?

This idea apparently has won Bronze Lion @ Cannes this year. It was submitted by DDB BRASIL São Paulo. What's curious is that I have posted an identical idea 2 years ago here on my blog.

 And here's a screenshot from my Google Analytics page that shows viewing traffic of my blog from  São Paulo:

 

Coincidence or not, you can make up your mind.

Concept: Postcards as magick talismans

There are 7 cards. Each card is designed as a planetary talisman corresponding to a particular day of a week. Each talismanic card focuses on a particular spiritual force that, when ‘activated’, can help in achieving personal dreams and goals.

Concept of mandala design:

A sacred name of planetary intelligence is spun around with a precise number of divisions to create a dynamic ‘vortex’ with a centre. (example above: Moon mandala with 81 divisions.) A word placed in the centre of this vortex automatically acquires its dynamic properties.

Graphics of the talisman include:

1. Name and glyph of the planet.
2. Glyph of the intelligence.
3. Mandala of the intelligence’s glyph with corresponding number of divisions.
4. Sacred numbers corresponding to the planet.
5. Planetary seal.
6. Space inside the mandala to write your wish.

How to use talismanic cards:

1. Make a wish.
2. Choose a card with talismanic properties related to your wish. For example, Venus properties are helpful in matters of the heart; Mars is useful when you need aggressive energy boost; Mercury helps in matters of communication and business, and so on. (see the full list below)
3. Print the card and write a wish in the centre of mandala. 
4. Put the card in an envelope, write down your own postal address on it and post it to yourself on the day of the week corresponding to the card. For example, Moon is for Monday, Mars is for Tuesday, etc. (If your post office is not open on Sunday, just drop it in the letter box.) 
5. Once you receive your post card back, the talisman would be officially ‘activated’ on the date indicated on the post office stamp. 


Talismanic properties of the planets: 


1. Sunday. Ruled by intelligence of the Sun: Michael 
Helps in matters of: Intelligence, Healing, Motion, Loftiness, Fortune, Public reputation, Authority over the masses, Fatherhood, Friendship, Honors, Wisdom, Happiness and Purification. 


2. Monday. Ruled by intelligence of the Moon: Gabriel Helps in matters of: Instincts, Conception, Emotions, Marriage, Nurture, Motherhood, Dreams, Psychic Powers and Intuition. 


3. Tuesday. Ruled by intelligence of Mars: Camael Helps in matters of: Forcefulness, Vitality, Endurance, Aggression, Self-Defense, Power, Strength and Courage. 


4. Wednesday. Ruled by intelligence of Mercury: Raphael 
Helps in matters of: Intelligence, Communication, Business, Judgment, Travel, Skills, Memory, Transportation, Education and Arts. 


5. Thursday. Ruled by intelligence of Jupiter: Sachiel 
Helps in matters of: Expansiveness, Abundance, Luck, Wealth, Health, Honor, Wisdom, High Position and Authority. 


6. Friday. Ruled by intelligence of Venus: Anael 
Helps in matters of: Love, Pleasure, Beauty, Growth, Social Graces, Harmony, Emotions, Inspiration, Art and Friendship. 


7. Saturday. Ruled by intelligence of Saturn: Cassiel 
Helps in matters of: Responsibility, Patience, Steadfastness, Fate, Time, Limitations, Self-Control and Work.


The full set of cards here.

Concept: Magick Maps

1. Map of inner alchemical magick, acrylics on canvas, 86 x 86 cm
Vis: Fire (instinctive nature) burns Water (emotional) to activate Air (mental) to manifest desire (expressed in the sigils)



2. Map of Sacred Union, acrylics on canvas, 86 x 86 cm
Vis: Sun and Moon, representing dualistic forces of nature, united to produce Life. The Sun stands for male, active, light, mental, electric. The moon stands for female, passive, water, emotions, magnetic.



3. Map of inner human cosmoses, acrylics on canvas, 86 x 86 cm
Vis: Cosmoses within a human body: Fire (cellular plane, red), Water (molecular plane, blue), Air (electronic plane, yellow), inside a physical body - Earth element (shape, black) and animated by the Spirit element (quantum plane, white). The visual is surrounded by corresponding Holy Names for each element.



4. Map of voodoo healing ritual, acrylics on canvas, 86 x 86 cm
Vis:  Shaman uses a voodoo doll representing a patient and is aided by a spiritual being, on his body is drawn the process and the desired outcome of the operation.



5. Map of contacting Holy Guardian Angel, acrylics on canvas, 112 x 86 cm
Vis: Magus in gnosis (trance) stands inside a magick circle and communicates with his HGA. In the circle we see his message to HGA written in magick alphabet.



6. Map of Mars and Venus, acrylics on canvas, 80 x 50 cm
Vis: Magus playing with the planetary spirits, with corresponding  planetary magick squares (cameas) and seals.

Original canvases and high quality prints available to buy at http://www.saatchionline.com/profiles/portfolio/id/310784

Idea: Alternative football game

From Nobel to Flamel

A headline I'd like to see in the near future:

In an effort to promote unselfish human gene, a secret society of alchemists openly admits its possession of Life Elixir - a substance with  mystical powers to induce immortality.

The society firmly states that Elixir of Life will never be offered for sale,  but instead given for free to the most unselfish people of the world,  for example, to publicly nominated candidates at a special annual Unselfish Gene Flamel Prize event, named after the acclaimed medieval alchemist Nicolas Flamel.

Flamel Prize. 
Unselfish people deserve to live longer.

Random fish experiment

What would happen if we take 3 common types of fish, put them in 3 different aquariums interconnected by tubes and introduce a border control?

 

Sigils

Artwork empowered by personal magick

tal·is·man/ˈtalismən/

Noun:

An object, typically an inscribed ring or stone, thought to have magic powers and to bring good luck.

Why not have a special painting (at home or office) that would work just like a talisman? 

How?

Buy one of my paintings I have designed as talismanic template and inscribe on it your own sigil. 

Why?
Because adding your energy to the painting would make it truly personal as well as atone it to your more specific needs.

A talismanic template consists of a main theme image, supporting symbols and a special area for the customer’s personal sigil to be added to the painting after the purchase:

Template's title: Shaman instructing spirit. (acrylics on canvas, unframed)
Qualities: Earth and planet Saturn.

See more templates as well as already 'sigilised' examples here

If you are interested to buy one for yourself or have any questions, drop me a line.

theory of light + sigils

Idea: Soft drink gives magic tips

video example:

Concept: Future drugs

A selection of pills that change personal perception of reality and allows to see oneself from other person's point of view, i.e.:

Post Modern Banking

At the moment banks make profit from playing with customer’s savings as well as charging them with different sorts of fees related to the accounts.
Thus bankers make a double-kill: they ‘milk’ people and the people’s money. This might be acceptable in the past but is increasingly seen as unethical and greedy. Especially in the light of Occupy Wall Street movement which sends a clear message: Greed is bad for business!

I’d like to see a bank with honest strategy: PEOPLE BEFORE PROFIT. 

1. The bankers should realize that when customers give their money/savings to a bank, it’s the bank’s privilege and not the customer’s.

2. Practically it means that a bank should treat its private account holders as equal partners and make all their accounts activity absolutely FREE (no annual fees for credit cards, any money transactions or any other hidden or unhidden costs.)

3. The bank makes money only from outside business investments!

Idea: mob app Soundville

Here's an idea for mobile app that can be called “Soundville”.

When you look at any object through the screen of a smart phone, these objects would start producing unique music. Each object is assigned an individual music note, i.e. a tree plays # Do, a house # C, a person # Sol Major or Minor), etc.
If you are looking at a picture that contains say 15 objects, they together will produce a self-harmonizing tune consisting of 15 individual sounds.
On the other hand if you point the camera on a single object, you will hear only one tune. Also, for instance, when you point at a tree and then quickly sweep across to a pond with a duck, you’ll hear the tree, the pond with a duck and everything else that was captured in between.