Pages and pages and pages

 framework for - Her Aphelion in Endlessness (Vacuum, 2:33)

framework for - The Sable Seraphic Afterglow (Splendour Unto Ritual, 1:13)

"Charged" or frantic/burst writings

Other things in progress.

I've started taking screen-caps from my favourite Godard movies and painting scenes from them on wood panels.  It's a little bit of a lighter exercise to buffer myself in between my larger painting endeavors, they've been fun and an excuse to keep a little loose while painting.  More to come!

These two oval canvases have been painted with a pink -> purple gradient, and will be painted with profile views of two figures.  They will both incorporate symbolism similar to that of It is My Will to Cross the Void, and will be positioned around that painting, each figure on one side, looking away from it.  These will carry on with my concept of a Gnostic State, or a break in human cognitive process and consciousness.

I'm still collecting references from friends for these paintings, here are the ones I'm picking from so far-

 

 

It is My Will to Cross the Void (Call to Nuit, 1:26)
30"x40"
Oil and graphite on canvas.

Progress shots of "It is My Will to Cross the Void"

The beginning of a collaborative effort with Jeremy

Before reading this blog entry, I suggest the viewer read the one previously posted to be able to more accurately understand all ideas presented here.

Today Jeremy and I started the framework on our collaborative piece.  We met up and talked about this idea of working in sigils that I've been experimenting with, discussed the basics of it, and then the more elaborate history and thoughts contained in them.   We found a connecting thread and followed it through other inspirations that we both draw from, such as eastern/western religion, spiritual imagery and human consciousness.  

We then discussed ideas we've both been thinking about such as conflict/contrast in life and images, duality, cycle, and invocation/summoning of meaning through subconscious thought rather than direct representation.  We brought up the artist Hiroshi Sugimoto that we saw at the JMOCA and looked up some pictures of his landscapes.  We really liked this idea of an almost abstracted landscape where the horizon fades, or where you question the surfaces you're viewing.  They could be water, fields, deserts or ice.  

After discussing all these ideas, Jeremy and I took turns writing sentences down, and responding to each other's sentences for the framework of sigil creation, we wound up with these four phrases-

BLACK SAND STILL WAVES

SNAKING PATTERNS SEPARATE WAYS

CONTRAST PATH SUN IN SHADE

ANGELS MIGHT BAPHOMET'S GAZE

Then, working at the same time, Jeremy created an ink wash that would be the foundation of our drawing, and I created sigils based on the writing we did together.

Jeremy's ink wash

My sigils, and ideas of a layout for the drawing.

We decided that we'd continue this process in turns, letting each other respond only from what was on the paper at each step.  We felt it best to leave the idea and discussion where it was, push that into the back of our brains, and let our own personal processes take over, just having what was on the paper to respond to.  

The next immediate step is for me to sketch out these sigil symbols in larger and more intricate forms over the ink wash.  Then, responding to what I put down on the paper, Jeremy will continue the process of building onto what I have already there.  We will do this until we feel the piece is complete.

Working with Sigils, and an overview of Gnosis.

The process of creating Sigils to be used in an upcoming painting, incorporating writing inspired by the concept of the work.

A sigil is a symbol created for a specific magical purpose. A sigil is usually made up of a complex combination of several specific symbols or geometric figures, each with a specific meaning or intent. In medieval ceremonial magic, the term sigil was commonly used to refer to occult signs which represented various angels and demons which the magician might summon.






The concept of "Gnosis" or the "Gnostic state" and using a sigil

"Gnosis is an intense state of no-mind, or one-pointedness, involving seeking out an altered state of brain consciousness.  'The direct perception of the Void' for all intents and purposes.  It might be thought of as the state when the discursive mind shuts down, leaving an unfiltered access to the subconscious. At the point when the mind has ceased “moving” – movement is the sign of the psychic censor struggling to maintain control – the will (in sigil form, for example) is quietly dragged into the void, along with the surroundings."

Basically, when a point of complete tranquility and trance occurs, or, a complete overload of sensory occurs, the conscious thought process collapses, giving way to a moment of total stillness or nothingness in conscious brain activity; basically a void in the human thought process.  At this point, in working with sigils, when the gostic state is achieved, one would direct all focus on the form of the sigil, taking it into the sub-conscious.  Then, when the fleeting state ends and normal cognitive thought process returns, all thought of the sigil is cast away, and is not thought of again, letting the sigil only exist in the subconscious.  If for example, the statement "It is my Will to run a marathon in my best time yet" is turned into a sigil, and then submitted to the subconscious through a Gnostic ritual, the idea will go to work in your subconscious, driving you to achieve this goal without you necessarily thinking about it in your waking life. And in this way, the motivation and ambition to carry out such a Will will be stronger and more successful than if you were just considering such goals consciously.


A few different methods of achieving Gnosis
Inhibitory gnosis is a form of deep meditation into a trance state of mind. This type of gnosis uses slow and regular breathing techniques, absent thought processes, progressive muscular relaxation, self-induction and self-hypnosis techniques. Means employed may also include fasting, sleeplessness, sensory deprivation and hypnotic or trance inducing drugs.

Excitatory gnosis describes a mindlessness reached through intense arousal. It is aimed to be reached through sexual excitation, intense emotions, flagellation, dance, drumming, chanting, sensory overload, hyperventilation and the use of dis-inhibitory, stimulative, or hallucinogenic drugs.

This is now finished and has been proved difficult to photograph because of the glare I keep getting off the black, but here it is.



I worked on this last night, and can't decide if it's finished or not. Overall I don't feel very successful about it, and I'm not very interested in it anymore. The figure on the left was a struggle and I ended up scraping out details from the face last night, and covering up others. I'll probably at least go back and fix/finish the eye.

More experimental figurative panels.

I continued what I was doing last week and made 3 more of these wood panel painting/drawings. I think as a series these are complete now, and I'm pretty happy with how they've turned out.

Mini Series

Decided yesterday to do try out an idea I've had for a little while, made these three little experimental figurative paintings. Clear gessoed the panels, then put down some white acrylic gesso for a bit of background, then combined graphite and oil to create the figures. Ended up being really enjoyable, I might do a few more.

The Shining progress.

Drawing Progress

Personal Work

These are some examples of my personal work I've done recently that I feel I connect the most with.

Her Birth in Grief and Ashes

40"x30" - Oil on canvas, 2011

 Archuleta II

40"x30" - Oil and graphite on canvas, 2011

Untitled
30"x40" - Oil on canvas, 2011.

 

I Ache For You

Pencil on paper, 17"x12", 2011



Other assorted drawings.