Description
Book SynopsisThe importance of spirituality in shaping contemporary visual culture has mostly been disregarded. Mentioning art and spirit in the same sentence was considered embarrassing. In contrast, most of the significant twentieth-century art movements developed in conjunction with spiritual inspiration. This book explores the topic through the lenses of media ecology, art history, and psychology. Media ecology is a theory that media shapes how messages are delivered. The non-commercial nature of spiritual concepts would prevent messages from being offered through commercial media. As a result, many respected artists whose works are familiar have escaped understanding because people haven't yet pierced the spiritual history of modern art. Images once considered devoid of meaning are now being re-examined in terms of their spiritual underpinnings. Kandinsky thought that he could correct nineteenth-century materialism by replacing it with twentieth-century spirituality. However, it was not until
Trade Review“Through her latest book on
Visual Spirituality, media and visual theorist Susan B. Barnes articulates the need to acknowledge the role of the spiritual in making and experiencing art in contemporary secular visual culture. She calls us to recognize art as intrinsically spiritual and the spiritual as intrinsically art. By balancing rational and intuitive ways of knowing and being (Omniphasism) and inclusively drawing on both rather than shutting out one or the other, humans can enhance their spiritual awareness and connect the spiritual to the art of living.” —Julianne H. Newton, Professor of Visual Communication, University of Oregon
“Spiritualism, spirituality and art are not normally terms which are written or spoken together. Historically, spiritualism, a religious practice since 1848, and spirituality, a concept thought of as a presence or spiritual 'immanence' within the self (Charlene Spretnak,
Spiritual Dynamic in Modern Art), and art have never been good bedfellows. Here Barnes's book notes the importance of spirituality in art through the lens of spiritualistic practice by rare spirit artists bringing a new vitality to the innermost core of art.” —Ann Bridge Davies, Spiritualist art historian, spirit artist and founder of the six classifications of Spiritualist art
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments – Introduction – Revealing the Spiritual in Visual Culture – Spiritual Crisis and Communication Theory – Spirituality and Modern Art – Abstract Spiritual Artists – Spirituality and Non- abstract Art – Spiritualism and Art – Outsider Art – Art, Psychology, and Spirituality – Changing Perspectives, Visual Culture in the Twenty-First Century – Creating Art: A Spiritual Path – Conclusion – Spirit Artists – Index.
