"Enchanted Forest: a visionary art experience."
 |
| Photography by Marie Dietlin. Model: Levanna Prud'homme. Photo editing, backdrop painting, body painting, & props by April-Anna. |
Visionary Art at the Open Mind Eco Festival is any art that:
- Is influenced by philosophical or spiritual thoughts, and/or experiences.
- Influenced by nature (flora/fauna), ecology, surrealism, imagination and/or mythology.
- Art that seeks to influence or create positive social change, or to convey a thought provoking message that is intended to create positive social change; a vision or mirror of a healthier world.
- Is an expression of your inner sight; your personal view of a “window into the soul”.
Curator's Statement:
"The role of a curator is not an easy one. It is hard to put a limitation on personal expression & interpretation of a theme or genre. But it is the role of the curator to interpret the theme of an art gallery."
Defining Visionary Art: There are arguments within the artistic communities about who qualifies as a "visionary artist".
Visionary art as a genre is new, not really well defined, & is ambiguous. But art history shows that it is not new, but is just an offshoot of surrealism, and or of fantasy art. Those who would call Alex Grey a visionary artist would also call Salvador Dali & Frida Kahlo a visionary artist. Salvador Dali is clearly a surrealistic artist who was involved in the Dada movement. Frida is a folk artist, expressing in ways that are traditional to
her people.
Is it possible that maybe all artists of all genres are visionary? After all, it is inspiration & inner vision that creates all art, music & theatre. Is "visionary" the artist telling stories about the times we live in? Our personal experiences? Or spiritual experiences? Is it realizations about the world at large?
To conclude; I cannot give you a clear defination of what is visionary art. I personally feel it is just another label & another box trying to box us artists in, instead of just allowing us to flow. I think what people are looking for in "Visionary Art" is really an energy and visual stimuli that help the viewer to connect with their inner self, their higher self and is an expression of the modern seeker who seeks enlightment.
Art History:
"The role of a curator is not an easy one. It is hard to put a limitation on personal expression & interpretation of a theme or genre. But it is the role of the curator to interpret the theme of an art gallery."
Defining Visionary Art: There are arguments within the artistic communities about who qualifies as a "visionary artist".
Visionary art as a genre is new, not really well defined, & is ambiguous. But art history shows that it is not new, but is just an offshoot of surrealism, and or of fantasy art. Those who would call Alex Grey a visionary artist would also call Salvador Dali & Frida Kahlo a visionary artist. Salvador Dali is clearly a surrealistic artist who was involved in the Dada movement. Frida is a folk artist, expressing in ways that are traditional to
her people.
Is it possible that maybe all artists of all genres are visionary? After all, it is inspiration & inner vision that creates all art, music & theatre. Is "visionary" the artist telling stories about the times we live in? Our personal experiences? Or spiritual experiences? Is it realizations about the world at large?
To conclude; I cannot give you a clear defination of what is visionary art. I personally feel it is just another label & another box trying to box us artists in, instead of just allowing us to flow. I think what people are looking for in "Visionary Art" is really an energy and visual stimuli that help the viewer to connect with their inner self, their higher self and is an expression of the modern seeker who seeks enlightment.
Art History:
Visionary Art, what is it?
Diatribe by April-Anna Bremers
Defining Visionary Art:
There are arguments within the artistic communities about who qualifies as a "visionary artist". If you look at the literal meaning, it really could encompass most art in the sense that inspiration for the creation of art is coming from either a personal vision, revelation about something, or one "may see images in the mind's eye", accompanied with inspiration. Or it is telling stories about the times we live in, or our personal experiences, or realizations about the world at large.
Visionary art as a genre is new and not really well defined, it's rather ambiguous. But some would argue that it is not new, but is just an offshoot of surrealism, and or of fantasy art. Which I would personally tend to agree considering that those who would call Alex Grey a visionary artist would also call Salvador Dali or Freida Kahlo a visionary artist. Salvador Dali is clearly a surrealistic artist, and Freida is a folk artist, expressing in ways that are traditional to her people.
My interpretation of visionary art is that it has a messge, sometimes involving using actual symbology or the symbology might be more subtle. Sometimes it is a spiritual experience that influences a piece, sometimes it's just highly inspired imagintive works that have an intention to bring hope or inspire the viewers to feel good or do good things in life. Thought provoking is something art always is regardless of genre (or at least that is the hope of the artist). Artists through out history have often sought to influence or create social change through art; this would be an attribute I would say is especially true about those who call themselves visionary artists.
Many well loved historical artists from surrealism, such as Salvador Dali are considered visionary artists, as are other artists such as Frida Kahlo (who in her time was considered a folk artist), or Remedios Varo, John Pitre, Brigid Marlin, Then there are those that might be less obvious, such as Morris Graves, Edward Burne Jones, Edward Burne-Jones, Samuel Palmer, et cetera.
To me I don't want to call myself as an artist, by a genre, as I find that limiting. Personally I create art when I am inspired. Life is beautiful and I love to remind people of that; if you really look around, it isn't hard to find reasons worth being inspired.
The American Visionary Art Museumdefines Visionary art as "....art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself."[1]It goes on to say that visionary art is a product of an inner process... Visionary Artists Podcast, has proposed an alternative definition, suggesting that "Visionary Art is any art that seeks to represent or explore mystical experience.
Both trained and self-taught (or outsider) artists have, and continue to create visionary works. Many visionary artists are actively engaged in spiritual practices...
Walter Schurian, professor at the University of Münster, is quick to point out the difficulties in describing visionary art as if it were a discrete genre, since "it is difficult to know where to start and where to stop. Recognized trends have all had their fantastic component, so demarcation is apt to be fuzzy." Symbolism, Surrealism and Psychedelic artare also direct precursors to contemporary visionary art.
Both trained and self-taught (or outsider) artists have, and continue to create visionary works. Many visionary artists are actively engaged in spiritual practices...
Walter Schurian, professor at the University of Münster, is quick to point out the difficulties in describing visionary art as if it were a discrete genre, since "it is difficult to know where to start and where to stop. Recognized trends have all had their fantastic component, so demarcation is apt to be fuzzy." Symbolism, Surrealism and Psychedelic artare also direct precursors to contemporary visionary art.
