Art from ArcheanWeb: The Dreamscape Series
Dreams are the realm of human imagination where all things are possible. Raw creativity churns within the human mind, emerging in the surreal world of dreams.
The human imagination is a powerful force of nature. For what have we ever created that was not first imagined in the minds of artists or inventors? Our imaginations constantly rebuild the past and reach into the future, transcending time.
Art plays on the viewer’s senses. As artists, the aspects of art we share with the viewer represent a physical expression of something already created within our minds. The meaning a viewer derives from art is unique. Art engages the viewer, allowing the physical art to merge with his or her imagination, creating a unique experience that no one else can fully replicate.
The human imagination is not limited to realism or bound by the laws of physics. It can delve into the impossible and revel in the absurd.
Abstract art often tangles form and color into images unrecognizable in the real world. Yet, we relate to these images and derive meaning and aesthetic pleasure from viewing such works.
Surrealism takes what we recognize and presents it in an unreal and dream-like state. It is difficult to view the large collections of art by Salvador Dalí and not find works of beauty—scenes connecting with us on a raw emotional level, which lies below logical understanding.
Long before the term “surrealism” emerged, the fifteenth-century painter Hieronymus Bosch let his imagination pour out in his macabre depictions of hell. Fantasy creatures of all sorts tormented those unfortunate humans condemned to the underworld.
The power and beauty of art often rest on its ability to connect with our imaginations. The same imagination producing wild and wonderful dreams as we sleep also lets our unconscious mind surface from within as we create. Imagination lets us look with an inner eye and see things our physical eyes cannot.
People who cannot imagine a new future are destined to live in a frozen stasis, where the best vision of tomorrow they can muster, is an image of yesterday. Without the ability to imagine a future, humanity will stagnate.
Art is an incredible outlet for creativity and imagination. It often lets us communicate in a way words cannot. Messaging through art creates a connection between the artist and the viewer. Conscious and unconscious meaning passes between the two. Undoubtedly the artist and viewer will each have a unique subjective view of what the art says. Who can say whether the emotional or spiritual chord struck by the art is similar for both?
I remember, as a teenager, standing in the National Gallery of Art, viewing the Sacrament of the Last Supper by Salvador Dalí. The painting moved me in ways that defied description. The feeling was deep and visceral, tinged with a bit of awe.
Art is first created in the mind of the artist, and much of it stays there. Only small bits and pieces seem to escape into the physical world.
The Dreamscape Series explores the world of imagination and the images arising from an inner pool of creativity.
The Gazing Ball
The artwork, The Gazing Ball, provides a physically impossible scene. Resting in the palm of a hand, the gazing ball vibrates with light, life, and color. It reflects a scene that is not congruent with the dark muted background and stylized painting of a hand. The hand and the ball are disconnected by time and space in the real world. But the human imagination has no issues bringing them together as a unified image.
Contemplating the Jump
He watches and waits for the right time to jump.
More about Contemplating the Jump
Touch The Moon
The orb hangs against a darkening sky, like a polished opal lying on a velvet cushion. The mysterious impact of the moment reminds us of the reverence our ancient ancestors afforded this jewel of the night. It looks so tangibly beautiful. We reach out, and in our minds, we “Touch the Moon.”