Shola Birgitt Star: Lecture and Exhibition

Celica –Metelkova, Ljubljana, Slovenia

March 2004

"The Artist - Channel of Consciousness or God's Fool?"

Artists, within the living organism of human kind, may constitute that vital organ of perception and elaboration, which with the sophistication of a seismograph gives the necessary impulses to this organism for constant re-orientation, in a world subject to incessant change. Maybe the artists are even agents of that change...

The village idiot, the king's Jester, Joker, or Jolly, the Fool in the tarot cards, the trickster or Hayoka - it is an intriguing set of associations coming with these designations. Who is the Fool? According to whom? In the tarot deck, he is the innocent and trusting person who in spite of being betrayed (being 'fooled'...) continues trusting, and thereby unintentionally invites Providence to care for him in unprecedented ways, unimaginable to those 'sensible' folks trying to dissuade him from his idealism. The fools, in many original traditions, are held in high regard, with an aura of sacredness. With us, they are degraded and derided, with no respect for their unprotected sincerity. The ego as the rational image of oneself, and identification with plans and goals for personal material benefit only, leaves no room for the irrational, trust, selfless service, and what seems 'useless' and unproductive.

The King's Jester was balancing on the sword's edge: he was to remind the most powerful man of the land that he, too, was an erring human being, and by teasing and joking kept the king in touch with his shadow that he might stay humble in his service and not let his male ego take over, becoming a tyrant instead of the caretaker of the nation. The irreverence of the jester, however, could cost him his neck when his derision of the mighty hit too sore a spot, and his immunity was not respected....

Sufis regard the Mystic as "God's Fool" - so devoted to his inner voice and higher guidance, that he does not care in the least if he "makes a fool of himself" in the eyes of others. In India, the Baul tradition of storytellers and musicians survives through the affluence from all social ranks, casts and religions. The members of this anti-cast group disavow all conventional rules, and base their nomadic lives and community entirely on poetic inspiration and divine intoxication, sharing their artistic prowess with others in great festivals, moving from village to village...

The Trickster, in Amerindian tradition, is the one who, subject to basic instinct, puts upheaval in the all-too rational set-up of life and forces one to stoop and listen to repressed areas of vital impulses which, if not heeded, become destructive. Navaho tradition has it that their people studied all that was right, and became a virtuous people - but incapable of integrating what seemed to be opposite of virtue. They became prey to the energies of 'wrong', of their own shadow...so their wise elders devised a member of the clan to become Hayoka: the trickster, the jester, who would at all times represent the fears, weaknesses and disregarded aspects of the humans and of life. With elaborate costume, surprise attacks, and fear-inspiring noises, seemingly senseless discourses and rituals all of his own, the Hayoka is kept in high regard as the unpredictable and untamed aspect of civilization...

The Greek nature-God Pan, when earthly instinct, unbridled sexuality and connection with the 'baser' Chtonic energies were banned from Christian tradition, re-appeared with the same face, horns, goat's hoofs, as the Devil...

-The image that I received during school in Denmark relative to the identity of artists was that they constitute a species with a certain handicap regarding normal social functioning, which forbade them to communicate in common language. Therefore, they were relegated to express themselves through a reduced gamma of human potential, through obscure matter - colour and the like. At most they would visually execute intellectual, metaphysical or religious concepts elaborated by others, with the technical dexterity peculiar to them, developed to balance their reduced intellect - a kind of prodigious apes. "An artist can only represent autobiographical material, which is poor since he is cut off from the efficient social function of normal human beings", was said. So, then, I did not even attempt any official road of artistic formation - that would have meant to admit to being incapable of living a broader, more "adult" spectrum so to speak, of human potential, - and I tried to take the roads of "common" life in stead, to make my experiences and promote my intellectual, artistic and spiritual evolution by sheer living.

My research on the identity of the artist as component of the human social body brought me to perceive that the apparent dis-adaptation of the artists - even considering that art moves along vastly differing routes - is a direct consequence of their need to remain in unisono with what I would call the "source of truth". Such a source generally is concealed to the average individuals by cultural convention, behaviour patterns, erroneous assumptions surreptitiously repeated by everybody, mental and emotional manipulations suffered in family, school, military, working environment, and by their own material speculations and intents on profit.

Their particular addiction, and dependence on what is "true", forbids the artists to suffer negative physical, emotional or mental interference - whether they manifest from their own past and inner life or come from outer causes. They often enact certain practices which allow them to experience happiness, hence opening to the Divine and ecstasy. From here, images reach them less distorted than those coming from conventional perception of daily reality, from their own personal inner realm, or from religious tradition.

Thus, the artists may break the schemes and patterns of present fancy and fashion with unusual images, forcing their onlookers to a re-elaboration of common assumptions, and sensual perception, about what is "truth".

Usually, these manifestations of art that bring novelty, provocation and unsettlement, socially at first pass through the process of refusal (at times even to the extent of persecution and destruction), then goes through derision, later will meet with interest, and finally will become integrated in the general level of consciousness.

By hindsight it is difficult to imagine to which extent certain artistic manifestations may have affected the common Western consciousness level in the course of history:

The simple blue background to the Bible scenes in the frescoes by Giotto, after the Byzantine heavily gilded illustrations of biblical stories in the churches.

The architectonic perspective in painting by Leonardo da Vinci, after Gothic frontal representation mixed with lateral view, and the size of the painted figures relative to their importance, not to their position in the field of vision.

The human body modelled according to exact anatomic criteria, in Michelangelo Buonarotti's sculptures - studies on dead bodies were forbidden by the church till then.

The chiaro-scuro conception of biblical scenes, with models from the common populace, by Caravaggio - often before, saints were idealized figures, depicted in rich princely robes.

The subjective perception of colours and light in the landscapes, painted on site by the Impressionists, whilst academic art was romanticized and unrelated to direct nature experience.

The introduction of African art in the paintings of Picasso, scorning the average opinion that nothing but Western art was art...

In my view and experience, artists constitute a specific organ of perception and elaboration, which with seismographic sophistication and timing gives to the entire living organism of human kind the necessary vital impulses for constant re-orientation, in a world subject to incessant change. With this in mind, the personae of shaman, priest, soothsayer, magician, charlatan, healer, inventor and arteficer of sacred images, traditionally fused into one and the same person, gives us a clue as to the variety of levels and employment of art even today. If we try to reduce art to a conventional formula, this constant interaction of fact on artist, artist on other people's perception and interpretation of reality (and of ourselves) eludes our understanding. Art is a flowing process, and not characterised merely by isolated phenomena of individual fates outside of regular social contexts, at the limit of folly - if not openly riding under its banner -, nor by the art market and its networks of apparently oversized economic speculations.

It comes natural here to ask one self - where does the artist's service towards the elevation of the human consciousness end, and where does an attitude of parassitism towards society begin, of which artists are often accused? What real service does art provide in society, in its thousands of manners of manifestation? As a matter of fact, it covers such areas as commercial design, fashion, wall decoration, glorification of power, provocation of power, publicity, storytelling, bridge between different cultures, bridge between male and female, bridge between spiritual and mundane, recorder of daily life, dreamer of Utopia, transmitter of inspiration, visionary, pioneer in unexplored territory, or even inventor of new territory -

The urgency with which the artist incessantly must train himself, to sustain his line dancing activity, in order to keep his mind alert and all his senses agape, may persuade him to practice short cuts, so as to experience the instant ecstatic union with the Genius of Truth Revealed: excess of alcohol, sex, drugs and irregular life style are commonplace to describe artists - stereotypes, but with some reason. That these self-destructive rituals contribute to accelerate his mental and physical decay art history shows at every turn of the page. The need to bypass those painful personal discrepancies and mental fetters which most other people shape their lives on, in order to penetrate to the uncharted waters of pure contemplation and consciousness where the non-human truth and beauty lie, exposes the artist to great inner pressure, and often economic anxiety too, since his time and energy are "wasted" on fuelling his machinery into other levels of mental and spiritual frequencies instead of "earning a regular living".

If, on the other hand, he recognizes his real underlying "thirst for God" and makes of his life a manifest and explicit path of spiritual research, he will become part of the long row of Mystics who have given unique legacies to the world, that testify of sublime beauty and intriguing visions. Russian icons, images of Oriental divinities, pictures of the "Dreams" in Australian Aboriginal art, Gothic sculptures are all luminous examples of these - often anonymous - destinies.

Such a choice of life will surround the artist who practices the paths of spiritual elevation with the same halo of folly as the 'ordinary' commercial artist - since the delicate sphere of union with the Celestial Realm needs to be protected, and offered to the public in such a way that he may "recharge his batteries" undisturbed between one mystic excursion and the next, in stead of letting more banal daily chores exploit his highly strung sensitivity.

The artist, in my view, represents the one who has "eyes to see, ears to hear, a voice to speak"...

More than any official priest who holds an institutional social function, a public role in a hierarchy of established power, in my view it is the artist who is a mystic, in direct union with the Divine, beyond form and convention, and is therefore the fore-runner, the "voice that cries in the desert" - and as Saint John before us, he might risk to fall victim of any champion of mundane power allergic to truth.

The mystic artist, anyhow, follows values of quite another kind than ordinary men, and his life is paced by different rhythms, so his apparent sacrifice really represents the kind of price he is capable of paying in order to obtain the agonized nectar of Divine Revelation, and the daily blessing that feeds him. He acts directly from within the Law of Divine Creation - as conscious co-creator, so to speak.

From these extreme experiences of certain artistic destinies a special flavour may impregnate the daily reality lived within the wider social organism, intent on other, practical, priorities - and by and by elevate its goals, educate its aesthetics, rouse its curiosity, and open up its capacity to capture other visions, of other possible worlds, of new paradises of the soul and on Earth.

Thus, the artist devoted to serve truth develops a high degree of consciousness, capacity of pitiless introspection, unswerving concentration, unclouded view on human genius and folly - including his own -, and of seeing the universe in a dewdrop. The miracle concealed in the ordinary is revealed to him, and the capacity is bestowed upon him to convey to others this sense of marvel that comes with enthusiastic contemplation of life in its uncounted variations and ways of manifesting.

Consciousness as developed by an artist is not, as the clever merchant may wish for himself, turned towards bettering his skills for the sake of major economic profit; on the contrary, quite often it even seems to be directed towards utter contradiction with "successful endeavour". Nevertheless, those merchants probably will be forgotten, whilst we still draw magic also from artists who notoriously failed to gain economic wealth in exchange for their gigantic efforts. After their deaths, however, merchants did reap gigantic economic harvest from these artists...

William Blake turned consciousness towards the soul of history, of nations; towards the presence of angels; towards a world not perceived by outer human senses. He lived and died in close to absolute poverty, having produced thousands of magical mystical etchings and poems, and inspired generations of other artists and visionaries.

Van Gogh introduced consciousness to the rhythm of nature, the colours of the sun, the motion of the wind in his celebrated paintings of a starry night, of his bedroom chair, of sunflowers, of the faces of simple farmers - and he escaped the cunning art market thanks to his brother, art merchant of the best level. Van Gogh's folly is history; he died poor, in a sanatorium. The paintings he never sold in his life time are now legendary investments only multi-millionaires can afford.

Joseph Bueys taught consciousness about the power of the single individuals to be creators and sculptors of their own sculpture-life, sculpture-society - and was expelled from his career as academic professor. His famous installations changed art fruition to include display of innermost life experiences and creative thought processes as such.

Frida Kahlo revealed to consciousness the power and poetry of the feelings of love and suffering in the female heart and body, and remained confined to the shadow of her famous artist husband Diego Rivera, till 40 years after her premature death. Now she inspires female artists and a large public with her compassionate introspection.

Ligabue displayed to consciousness the intelligent power of nature, and was simultaneously derided and exploited for his genial symbiosis with it and insights gained in his fearless alliance with seeming folly.

Michelangelo directed consciousness towards the divine even in the 'sinful' human body, and was promptly 'corrected' by a minor artist who piously veiled the intimate parts of those bodies, in the Sixtine Chapel painted by Michelangelo. He died famous, but harassed by the powergames of the changing popes - his employers and censors. His sculptures of the "Slaves" may give a hint to his real condition...

Georgia O'Keefe opened the road to conscious contemplation of flowers, natural forms and landscapes, as interchangeable ingredients of a composition - and perception - in the same manner as Still Life paintings. The luminous carefully moulded shapes in her pictures bear an extraordinary poetic resemblance to the female intimate parts. Fore-runner of Modern painting, she died old and fully realized as artist and human being, after a pioneer life challenging the male lobby and esthetic dictate in the art world.

Hieronimus Bosch exposed consciousness to a delicious-horrid world of codified fantasies, with esoteric-exotic lessons incorporated. His artistic and spiritual legacy is still largely un-deciphered, and his life in the Flemish middle ages quite veiled by mystic.

Francisco de Goya awoke consciousness to the aberrations of human kind when bereft of the light of reason, with his depiction of the war crimes, and in his later nightmare-murals. He died forgotten, exiled and deaf after a career as Spanish court painter.

Pablo Picasso showed consciousness how to deliberately decompose the ingredients which constitute our vision of reality, and to re-compose them according to other criteria that decree the work of art as phenomenon of its own kind, not mirror or description of an image recognized thanks to one's own experience. Described as a heartless genius exploiting the love and energy of his different companions, he nevertheless provided a fabulous training ground for those who stood firm against his attempts of abuse.

Salvador Dalě illuminated for consciousness what was concealed in the subconscious, the surreal dream-world, and mind-scapes. His eccentricity and genius were often described as hysterical or depraved, but he opened the road to excellency in depicting fantasy as real, for contemporary art.

Louise Bourgois, famous only as ageing lady, liberates herself from family nightmares by opening consciousness to impalpable violence perpetrated in ordinary childhood, with her installations "Rooms of Memory". Her formerly silent life-work has now become a major landmark in contemporary art.

Certainly this consciousness training of the more or less mystic artist has other flavours than the inexorable discipline imposed by a master of life like Gourdjieff, to obtain the ultimate state of crystallized consciousness: he substituted the interplay between reason, emotion, intuition, contemplation and interaction with matter, peculiar to the artist, with the impersonal attitude of a Deus ex machina. Similarly, we may ask where to place the path of Carlos Castaneda, on the tracks of consciousness about an infinite, pre-existing life web, in which both what is human and our idea of the 'divine' are irrelevant.

The effort of the artist, Mystic or not, by now exiled from such cultural traditions that anticipated and comprehended the complexity of preparation for the execution of an art work, today rarely is considered an act of magic or as being indispensable for the survival of his people.

The Russian, Byzantine, Greek and Balkan artists who painted the Orthodox icons, prepared themselves with fasting and prayers in order to become worthy of acting as vehicles of the Holy Spirit, Mother Mary, the saints to be portrayed, so that these would allow the painting to be imbued with divine vibrations.

African artists who sculpt the ceremonial masks of secret male or female societies would allow themselves to be possessed, in dances and particular rituals, by the spirit of the mask they intended to produce. They were considered to belong to both genders, as special emissaries of the spirit world.

Indian murtis, sculptures of divine powers posed on altars, are executed according to rituals and with codified measures and colours, to ensure that the divine energy depicted will correspond with the energy emanated by the sculpture.

Magicians of Hermetic tradition similarly invoked propitiatory powers with special rites, robes of certain colours, calling on associate forces with appropriate prayers who all concertedly contributed to charge a statue or a jewel with miraculous properties of specific characteristics.

Thus, the consciousness for which the artist renders himself a vehicle, to some extent tends to transcend reality perceived in a daily-day's state of mind, and eludes employment for the sake of 'living of bread alone'. Therefore, the artist will move in perpetual oscillation, personifying in turn the enfant terrible, the naive, the mystic, the mocker, the persecuted, the derided, the celebrated, the instrument of power, and the jolly that cries that the Emperor is without clothes.

Whether the artist is the drunkard of God, the voice in the desert, the ascetic purist, the inflated ego, the regular 'worker in the vineyard' or the depraved genius - in the end, what survives a culture is its art, and it is the artistic manifestations that render witness about the level of consciousness achieved by this culture.

We spoke about the artist as a "he"; but female artists at all times have a solid cultural soil under their feet, daily refinements in all their chores, and no ego hang-up about their contribution to human consciousness: maybe that's why they do not appear in true proportion in the art anthologies, written by men about their fellow men. But this is another issue...

My working mode, both in art and teaching self-healing, developed from my research in origin, archetypes, female life and expression. I trained in painting, sculpture, ceramics, writing and photography, and worked free lance with translations, besides studying self-healing techniques with meditation, breathing, energy transmission and Tantra yoga.

My spiritual connection and experiences in nature since early childhood gave me a special feeling for the spirits active in natural elements, and deep reverence for our Mother Earth. My art work over the past 20 years lead me through thorough investigation of history, mythology, anthropology, female archetypes, female identities and "rites of passage", which also are themes of my seminars and workshops.