The Historical Context of my Art Practice (part 3)

Finally, I shall focus on an artist who died in 2009, yet whose work is in direct connection to pertinent aspects of my own practice; the esoteric and supernatural. Pablo Amaringo was born in Peru, 1938 and became a shaman, utilising the ibogaine plant as a means of accessing the spirit world (higher dimensions). This was achieved by drinking Ayahuasca, a potent, hallucinogenic brew that is said to bring one closer to departed ancestral spirits. Here, I present on the left an untitled artwork by Amaringo and on the right, a new work by myself, ‘Depth of Consciousness’. There are intriguing similarities between the two pieces. The use of pointillism, swirls, incandescent tones and evocative aesthetic designs are apparent in both works.

This ultimately links to ancient stone carvings and paintings that depict otherworldly phenomena through the entopic patterns preserved in South African tribal San rock art, an example seen here. Such mark making belong to the universal imagery of altered states of consciousness, being a means through which ancient healers and mystics have acquired great wisdom and understanding.

This subsequently expresses the depth of esoteric themes in my work, furthering the presentation of my art practice's connection to the ephemeral and ancient musings man has preserved since the beginning of tribal culture. Consequently, allowing the numerous studies of subjects expatiated in previous blogs to be brought to a cohesive conclusion and amalgamation, a process I feel my art practice successfully achieves.