Welcome to the brand new Arthive! Discover a full list of new features here.

Psychedelic

104 artworks, 20 artists
Psychedelic art includes works of art, in which the author conveys his experience and sensations after taking psychoactive drugs: alkaloids, hallucinogens, drugs. Psychedelic artists go into the world of dreams, give free rein to their fantasy, plunge into dreams and hallucinations, draw their visions and reveal the secrets of the human psyche. Works of art use lines, colours, bright and moving images to show the viewer the work of the brain.
The term psychedelia was coined in 1956 by the English psychiatrist Humphrey Osmond. He said the word meant “mind manifesting”. The means for freeing the subconscious was the hallucinogenic substance named LSD-25 synthesized of the Mexican plant Ska Maria Pastora, or salvia divinorum. The drug was banned in all countries, but managed to “serve as a tool to help people become who they are meant to be”. (Swiss chemist, philosopher and writer, “father of LSD”, Albert Hofmann). In the 1970s, the psychedelic artists announced themselves to be followers of the artists of surrealism and modernism. They claimed that they were able to combine the principles of the two styles in their art: objects and patterns, beauty and ugliness, bright aesthetic forms and dark impulses of the subconscious. In the 1990s, the painters of dreams and hallucinations supplemented their painting techniques with the achievements of new technologies: 3D pictures of light shows and the boundless universe of computer graphics afflicted the audience.
Psychedelic artworks stand out clearly against the paintings of other pictorial styles of the 20th century. The canvases abound in bright contrasting colours and ornate lines, familiar and fictitious images, and fancy ornaments. The complex performance technique and the abundance of visual effects fascinate the viewer and cause dizziness. Volumetric drawings and magical characters seem to be about to come to life and leave the picture frame. The density of the picture space, compositional depth and repetition of motives are striking: spirals, concentric circles, decorative symbols form a shimmering kaleidoscope of clearly traced details. An artist conveys his/her experience of physical, emotional and spiritual “contact” with religion, pagan and shamanic rituals, national traditions and beliefs. Contemplation of the psychedelic artworks arouses both curiosity and delight, as well as a feeling of fear and rejection.
Psychedelic paintings: Kiss 1983, Prayer 1984, Sophia 1989, Insomnia 1995, Ohio Song 2001 by Alex Gray; Quillochirapa (Sol Dorado) 2002, Spirit of the Cougar, Ghost Ship 2006 by Pablo Amaringo; Dragon Dharma, Primal Scream 2012 by Andrew (Android) Jones.
Artists: Andrew (Android) Jones, Adam Miller, Pablo Amaringo, Hiroshi Yoshii, Robert Connet, Alex Gray, Peter Max.

Feed