The Influence of Mysticism on Early Abstract Painting: An Introduction
Throughout history, there have been many reasons why craftsmen and creators have made artworks. As an artist I often wonder what the purpose of art is, and what is it that drives me to make objects and images without utilitarian function. No one tells you to make art, it is something one feels within themselves that they need to do, something illogical and intuitive. It comes as a surprise that some pursue these urges even when it takes great effort and struggle to create art, sometimes it can even threaten one’s economic and social wellbeing, and yet those who have caught the bug must continue.
It is true that human beings have always questioned reality, tried to reason with the metaphysical and experiment with matter. We have found multiple ways to probe our surroundings, whether that be through rational questioning, in science and methodical study, or through unconscious and creative exploration: in religious worship and artistic practice.
Over time, throughout western society, the role of rationality and science has grown, and the place for mystery and things of an open-ended nature has narrowed. This has been reflected in the arts, with the age of religious art consigned to the history books and the fusion of science and art championed. Many thinkers have warned of the damage to art that may come to pass if the spiritual aspects of it are ignored. Many have proclaimed that artmaking itself is a spiritual thing, whether practitioners and patrons choose to acknowledge it or not. But what makes art spiritual?
A casual discussion about the similarities between spiritual and art practices begins with simple comparisons. Many practices which the contemporary artist carries out today are very similar to those which ancient peoples practiced in spiritual rituals and worship. The artist crafts sculptures like totems and drawings like sacred symbols. He spends long periods of time alone and in silence, in a deep state of focus, much like a form of mindfulness meditation. Some call this thoughtless and intuitive condition the state of ‘flow’.
This state isn’t far from one that has been the goal of many spiritual practices within Buddhism and Taoism. The artist mixes pigments like potions and aims to create messages which speak directly and without words. The image and the object are made with the aim to stir something within another that is complex and personal and might never occur in ordinary conversation. He makes many sacrifices in order to receive the satisfaction that he believes will come from creation. He often tries to imitate and recreate the beauty of nature but knows deep down that his offering will never be as perfect as the original. Sometimes this process is a solitary affair and sometimes it must be shared with as many as possible.
The critics, philosophers and theologians that argued that the spiritual in art shouldn’t be lost or ignored contributed to a long conversation that has traversed ages. This form of thinking culminated in the 20th Century, with many artists deciding to approach spirituality via art in a new manner. This short series of articles will name some of the thinkers that held those beliefs and will take a closer look at how artists applied them in the building of new genres in art.
Many of these artists in the 20th Century chose to focus on areas of spirituality separate from organised religion such as the occult, mysticism and other forms of western esotericism, in order to create a new relationship between art and spirituality that was wholly different from the hundreds of years of religious art that came before. In no area can this be seen more clearly than in early abstract painting and that is where we will focus our study.
Many people, and indeed even many artists reading this might completely disagree with the sentiment of art practice being analogous to spirituality and this is understandable. For some, spirituality is of no interest; some ardent atheists would even argue that feelings of spirituality, even if divorced from the dogma of secularism, is the result of misunderstanding complex emotions and chemical reactions in the brain. Those on the other end of the spectrum: very religious people, may have issue with the discussion and possible celebration of occultist practices, as some subgroups of religions see these practices as sacrilegious and dangerous. These views must always be respected and involved in the great conversation about what art is and what purpose it serves, and in the same way we understand, listen and engage with those views, we expect the same respect towards some of the ideas put forward by the thinkers mentioned in these articles.
Finding a way to discuss spirituality in the arts of the 21st Century without the dogma of organised religion allows us to reconsider the most basic elements of fine art with fresh and renewed interest. The creation of Modernism in the 20th Century allowed progress in spiritual art experimentation without the shackles of traditional religious art. If we can reconsider some of the misread intentions of early abstract painting, then we might try to build on what was started and use it to create a truly open and progressive spiritual movement in contemporary art that could reconnect us with early craftsmen and explore the universal ideas that cultures throughout history have attempted to understand through various forms.
Written by Louis Loveless
Louis Loveless is a fine artist from London, specialising in painting and collage. When not making art, Loveless works at the Barbican Centre in the box office and has held various positions in hospitality.
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