Integral art
Encyclopedia
Integral art can be variously defined as art that reaches across multiple quadrants and levels, that transcends and includes all limited forms, interpretations, or perspectives, as the belief that every human being is creative and that art is integral to all human endeavours, or simply as art that was created by someone who thinks or acts in an integral way.
context, it is in no way limited to that paradigm or organisation. Integral art may equally derive from integral teachers like Sri Aurobindo
and the Mother
, or other integral thinkers
, or simply developed integral art independently.
A problem of definition
There is no one form of integral art, and although the term is most commonly applied in the WilberianKen Wilber
Kenneth Earl Wilber II is an American author who has written about mysticism, philosophy, ecology, and developmental psychology. His work formulates what he calls Integral Theory. In 1998, he founded the Integral Institute, for teaching and applications of Integral theory.-Biography:Ken Wilber was...
context, it is in no way limited to that paradigm or organisation. Integral art may equally derive from integral teachers like Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo , born Aurobindo Ghosh or Ghose , was an Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, philosopher, yogi, guru, and poet. He joined the Indian movement for freedom from British rule and for a duration became one of its most important leaders, before developing his own vision of human progress...
and the Mother
Mirra Alfassa
-Early life:Mirra Alfassa was born in Paris in 1878, of a Turkish Jewish father, Maurice, and an Egyptian Jewish mother, Mathilde. She had an elder brother named Matteo. The family migrated to France the year before she was born. For the first eight years of her life she lived at 62 boulevard...
, or other integral thinkers
Integral thought
Integral is a term applied to a wide-ranging set of developments in philosophy, psychology, spirituality, and many other areas regarding a comprehensive synthesizing transdisciplinary framework or multidimensional perspective to a given field...
, or simply developed integral art independently.
Integral artists
As with Integral thought in general, any list of Integral artists will be controversial.Integral artists influenced by Ken Wilber
- Alex GreyAlex GreyAlex Grey is an American artist specializing in spiritual and psychedelic art that is sometimes associated with the New Age movement. Grey is a Vajrayana practitioner. His body of work spans a variety of forms including performance art, process art, installation art, sculpture, visionary art, and...
(b. 1953) is a psychedelicPsychedelicThe term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
visual artist whose works have been admired by Wilber and others. He painted a famous illustration of Wilber as the bodhisattvaBodhisattvaIn Buddhism, a bodhisattva is either an enlightened existence or an enlightenment-being or, given the variant Sanskrit spelling satva rather than sattva, "heroic-minded one for enlightenment ." The Pali term has sometimes been translated as "wisdom-being," although in modern publications, and...
Manjushri.
- Stuart DavisStuart Davis (musician)Stuart Davis is an American contemporary musician and songwriter. He has been performing throughout the United States and Europe since 1993...
(b. 1971) is an eclectic musician whose works include the concept album Bright ApocalypseBright ApocalypseBright Apocalypse: 13 Songs About God is a 1999 album by Stuart Davis. It deals heavily with religion and God from multiple points of view.-Track listing:#"Only Echoes"#"Whisper"#"WWIII"#"Garden"#"Caravan"#"Your House"#"Eclipse"#"Alms"...
. Mystical and integral themes feature prominently in his lyrics. He is influenced by Ken WilberKen WilberKenneth Earl Wilber II is an American author who has written about mysticism, philosophy, ecology, and developmental psychology. His work formulates what he calls Integral Theory. In 1998, he founded the Integral Institute, for teaching and applications of Integral theory.-Biography:Ken Wilber was...
, Teilhard de Chardin, and Ramana MaharshiRamana MaharshiSri Ramana Maharshi , born Venkataraman Iyer, was a Hindu spiritual master . He was born to a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in Tiruchuzhi, Tamil Nadu. After experiencing at age 16 what he later described as liberation , he left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus...
.
- Saul WilliamsSaul WilliamsSaul Stacey Williams is an American poet, writer, actor and musician known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop and for his leading role in the 1998 independent film Slam.-Biography:...
(b. 1972) is a hip-hopHip hop musicHip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artist associated with the Integral InstituteIntegral InstituteThe Integral Institute is a think-tank founded in 1998 by American author Ken Wilber. The purpose of the Institute is to gather and attempt to integrate the various viewpoints found in a number of major fields of knowledge...
.
- Wilber considers the Wachowski brothers' (b. 1965, 1967) Matrix films to convey important spiritual and philosophical truths. With philosopher Cornel WestCornel WestCornel Ronald West is an American philosopher, author, critic, actor, civil rights activist and prominent member of the Democratic Socialists of America....
, Wilber created a DVD commentary track on the series, which is available in The Ultimate Matrix CollectionThe Ultimate Matrix CollectionThe Ultimate Matrix Collection is a multi-format release featuring all the titles in the Matrix series, as well as several hours of special features, spread over 10 discs on standard-def DVD, 5 discs on HD DVD, and 7 discs on Blu-ray....
.
- Paul Lonely (b. 1978) is a mystical poet/artist (author of Suicide Dictionary) associated with Integral InstituteIntegral InstituteThe Integral Institute is a think-tank founded in 1998 by American author Ken Wilber. The purpose of the Institute is to gather and attempt to integrate the various viewpoints found in a number of major fields of knowledge...
.
- Adam Scott Miller (b. 1984) is a painter commonly categorized in the genres visionary, surreal, and fantastic realism. His work is strongly informed by integral aesthetics to embody characteristics of mystery, awe, and inspiration. Adam is a featured artist at Integral Naked.
- Michael Garfield (b. 1984) is a songwriter, painter, and essayist once associated with Integral InstituteIntegral InstituteThe Integral Institute is a think-tank founded in 1998 by American author Ken Wilber. The purpose of the Institute is to gather and attempt to integrate the various viewpoints found in a number of major fields of knowledge...
as a member of Ken Wilber's editorial team and as a featured performer at Integral Naked. Multi-perspectivism characterizes his work in all media. He has interviewed Ken at length about integral art.
- Joe PerezJoe PerezJoe Perez is an American writer in the fields of spirituality and Integral theory.- Life :Born as Joseph Perez in 1969 in Moses Lake Washington, Perez attended public schools until beginning his academic career at Harvard University, where he earned a Bachelor's degree in The Comparative Study of...
(b. 1969) is a writer/poet whose literary spiritual memoir, Soulfully Gay (2007) was published with a Foreword by Ken WilberKen WilberKenneth Earl Wilber II is an American author who has written about mysticism, philosophy, ecology, and developmental psychology. His work formulates what he calls Integral Theory. In 1998, he founded the Integral Institute, for teaching and applications of Integral theory.-Biography:Ken Wilber was...
.
- Donna Willard-Moore (b. 1954) is a fine artist whose work includes the collection Angels & Demons (2008) focuses on Integral Archetypes.
Other Integral artists
- H. Johannes Wallmann (b. 1952) is a composer and integral musician
- Brian Transeau, musician.
External links
- Integral Art - Johannes Wallmann
- Alchemies of the TransVisible - Elle Nicolai
- School of Integral Art
- Integrally-inspired paintings by Adam Scott Miller
- 75-minute interview with Ken Wilber on Integral Art
- http://www.spiritualdirection.org/Meditation-Art-Paintings.htm - Integral Art by Ariosto Coelho