Spirit and Art

Pictures of the Transformation of Consciousness

Van James author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:Rudolf Steiner Press

Published:6th Mar '02

Should be back in stock very soon

Spirit and Art cover

"As an art student in the late sixties, I recall how painfully dry and intellectual my art history classes were. I thought to myself, or rather felt to myself, 'There must be something more'" (Van James). Artist Van James offers that something more. This is a richly readable and lavishly illustrated text that reveals how, at every stage, human consciousness has evolved through the medium of art. It makes the case for a hidden stream that has put forth art works and art movements throughout history, in an ongoing visible revelation of invisible spiritual currents. Art, originally a part of the secret Mystery cults of the ancient world, has become an expression of the individual creative intuition. At every stage, Albert Einstein's comment applies: "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science."

This coffee-table book on sacred art has a rather unique twist: It concentrates on art that reveals "the transformation of consciousness," narrowing in particularly on images from ancient mystery cults and cave drawings from Paleolithic times. James has selected art from ancient Greece, Egypt, Africa, and parts of Asia, explicating what he sees as its spiritual themes. This is in some ways a personal book, as its selections are eclectic and highly individual, but the text is also rigorous, informed by theorists such as Mircea Eliade, Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell and especially Rudolf Steiner. One wishes that the 300-plus illustrations were larger and in color, but an eight-page color tip-in helps to stimulate visual interest.

ISBN: 9780880104975

Dimensions: 240mm x 198mm x 25mm

Weight: 635g

288 pages