chemical paradises

The Britt, Oliver Sacks felt that the brain was the "most incredible thing in the universe" and that it should be studied. So, imagine my surprise when I read his essay Altered States in the New Yorker, instead of a deep insight to the working human brain, he went on a drug rant on why we, as a species need drugs; not crave, or how we fall victim to chems. He did go into the social Perhaps the individual nature behind the use of drugs.

He explained that, every culture has found chemical means of transcendence, and at some point the use of such intoxicants becomes institutionalized at a magical or sacramental level. The sacramental use of psychoactive plant substances has a long history and continues to the present day in various shamanic and religious rites around the world. The way he romanticizes addiction makes it seem as if there is a need of something bigger than oneself, something beyond faith that should keep our train of thought on track.

He did digress on a humbler level that, drugs are used not so much to illuminate or expand or concentrate the mind but for the sense of pleasure and euphoria they can provide. Just as he is on the picture above on a bike, he can connect with a drug user since the biker is in search of a small burst of an adrenaline rush, which in itself is a type of drug with its own set of addiction.

Apparently in Sacks twisted mind he believes every culture has its own chemical dependence. 

Even thou, at some point in history all drugs reach a point that need to be evaluated for safety by big brother. Sacks kindly remind us about the pioneer Mormons, forbidden to use tea or coffee, on their long march to Utah found by the roadside a simple herb, Mormon tea, whose infusions refreshed and stimulated the weary pilgrims. This was ephedra, which contains ephedrine, chemically and pharmacologically akin to the amphetamines.

What culture can you associate the following drugs with?

• Peyote

• Hash

• Alcohol

• Coca

• Mescaline

In Sync

A person that has not traveled is unaware of the different religions that habit our planet and how culture affects religion just as much as their location does. cultures cling on drugs in a religious fashion and have as much variety from one to the next. your average person doesn't understand the concept of syncretization (links work) and simply assume that the level of showmanship in religions other than his/her own are not real when in reality all have their similarities and if one has a little knowledge can understand these variances. all across the world people worship the same deities with different names which are adjusted by location and specific beliefs. The subtext that needs to be taken from emotions of lower comprehension, such as when people are lonely, feel cheated or misunderstood, they balance in the thin line between drugs and religion, only one thing is stronger than all their insecurities combined: faith.

Blonk performs Ursonate with real-time typography

Art has a Special place in my heart for different reasons. It not only demonstrates superhuman ability when it comes to eye-motor skill coordination with the dexterity of a brain surgeon, but it allows me to look at the world through another set of eyes, with a wholly unique perspective on life than the one I might have on that specified day. I love the way art possesses a level of ambiguousness that it can represent what you wish to see, you become the art critic and you can and will send a colossus sized screw you to the biggest art critics the world has to offer.

   Normally, as a couple, my wife and myself have very distinct and individual tastes when it comes to art. We have traveled the world, visited museums in all continents and seen some insane sculptures in Europe. But what seemed interesting is that we were both equally perplexed at Mr. Blonk's artistic interpretation. Not because of the uniqueness of the piece, but because we were trying to understand it from our point of view along with each of our specific expertises which (we understand) neither of us was in his area: the sound choreography.

  Our date night, however, was a success. We spent the some free time enjoying art (even some weird one) in the Gallery and had plenty to talk about for the next few days. Nothing compares to the respite art can provide. Our audience experience built new knowledge on what to experience and perhaps how to confront it in the future.           

Vowels

Vowels

A Black, E white, I red, U green, O blue : vowels, I shall tell, one day, of your mysterious origins: A, black velvety jacket of brilliant flies Which buzz around cruel smells, Gulfs of shadow; E, whiteness of vapours and of tents, Lances of proud glaciers, white kings, shivers of cow-parsley; I, purples, spat blood, smile of beautiful lips In anger or in the raptures of penitence; U, waves, divine shudderings of viridian seas, The peace of pastures dotted with animals, the peace of the furrows Which alchemy prints on broad studious foreheads; O, sublime Trumpet full of strange piercing sounds, Silences crossed by Worlds and by Angels: O the Omega, the violet ray of Her Eyes!

                                                                                                            by Rimbaud

    In the opening line, which gives the sonnet its name, Rimbaud simply names the five vowels, linking each to a color: “A black, E white, I red, U green, O blue: vowels.” Why does he links certain vowels to certain colors? Why does he add a texture and a picture to each of his colorful vowel?

By assigning a color to each vowel along with a word, he is also assigning said color to said word. But he takes it a step forward by adding a texture, and finalized it with an element of life. If we break down the "A" line what would we find?
A = Vowel
Black = color
Velvety = Texture
Jacket = word/ item
Brilliant = Sight/ Visual
Flies = Life
Buzz = Action/ sound
Around = Location
Crude smells = odor

As we can see every word in the line is essential to the development of the poem. Each vowel has a synesthetic effect combining different elements for a desired effect. break down the other vowel what can you find?  

Travel + Writer = Travel writer

   “The Drunken Boat”

      hands on all available exploration literature. When a story touches you, dissect it and find out why.
     Arthur Rimbaud was a French national treasure, a fascinating poet that lived during the second half of the XIX century. Rimbaud lived an extraordinary life as a traveler. As a young man the French poet composed a most phenomenal prose poem by the name of “The Drunken Boat” a poem full of amazing color and intoxicating views. In it Rimbaud used his imagination to present landscapes in a mesmerizing fashion that enhances the way the reader perceives nature's godliness. However, Rimbaud created his grand voyage expositions before stepping a single foot in a boat. The poet had to find inspiration from somewhere, from exploration literature perhaps. The amazingly flowery descriptions Rimbaud provided do not just convert from light and morph into ripe emotion ready to tantalize tourist's taste buds without experiencing the world and forced to evolve. In a more simple phrase, he was inspired. However, the real question should be, where did his inspiration come from? Was it a muse, a man, or a woman?

Confessions

Contemporary readers, do not be afraid of this kind of book!

After avoiding this book for weeks, I must confess to whoever is reading, that today I was able to finish Thomas De Quincey's book Confessions of an English Opium-eater. I was intrigued as to what the book would contain. I expected an old school, British version of The Hangover. Instead, I received something slightly different. The book was a hard read, but appealing. There was an essence of debauchery I so craved but not explicit; it was mostly implicit. I kept asking myself: why would I continue to read this? And just when I was about to give up something beautiful happened. Karma smacked the annoyingly stiff main character in the face, and it was beautiful. The main character was completely dynamic; his shift was as if he was turned inside out and upside down at the same time.

 In this society, heavy drug use is normally shunned, but in the case of the main character in De Quincey's book it made him more human, more pleasant and a riot to be with. By toning down his stuffiness, he became a more reliable character with an easier to follow narrative. It is as if he kind of retold his story from a different perspective.

Confessions of an English Opium-eater

Drunk Art

Drunk Art



The Absinthe Drinker, Édouard Manet , 1859




     The image above was Manet's final interpretation of the absinthe drinker. But by no means was how this masterpiece started. For the sake of argument lets present the beginning stage along with Manet's supposed inspiration.





     Here we see stage one. Nothing but bare bones, there is barely a background and little to no detail. However, the has been special attention given to the Hat and the shoal. this stage of the picture shows a remarkable resemblance to one of Raphael's representations.




     Here we see Manet's stage one against Raphael in a Cloak, C.1520 (engraving) By Marcantonio Raimondi. We can see the similarities but also the differences in an all out war between engravers vs. painters.




     Manet's final adaptation kept the shoal and the hat. Also extended the the body of the character making him longer stronger, more dignified in every single way. both characters seem to have the same expression of content, but the war of engravers vs. painters take on a deeper meaning. The engraving has engraving plates and tools on the left, risen as if on a pedestal, while the painting has a cup in the same position, said cup has the very tricky resemblance  of a paint brush or spatula (a close up can be seen below) ready to be used by the character.  





   Manet seem to have a fixation with placing out of character things in his paintings. the placing mechanism he learned from his master Delacroix. here we can see a close up of one of Liberty Leading the People. Notice the top hat. in order to realize how out of place the Hat actually is we need to look at the whole work below.





Art is intoxicating!!!!