Alcina, By Handel, Directed By Anda Tbcaru Hogea, set and stage design, Anca Albani

222 SCENOGRAPHIC INTERsections

ANCA ALBANI

SPACE AND PSIHIDELIC DYNAMICS

Do not worship art let t be... Truth is that art is just an experience. The way in which you feel at a happening, your way of being or taking part to it all that make your portrait and all this is the work of art. . Through its graphic schemes, such as drawings and arabesques, the psychedelic experience may be compared mystical art or o psychotically art. The psychotic drawing show disintegration when mystical art operates with integration. All these are possible if protagonists meet the audience. Space is waiting silently and empty to be conquered and transformed by its animators, in what Ming Cho Lee called a great arena where the : ethic, courage , humanism are reveal and suddenly melting as fights. The first interesting thing in the dialogue between the scenographic space and psychedelic revelations is the dynamic lively force, the spontaneous spring of colours and lights expressed by by one and received by the other, two opposed poles, a static and the other dynamic. Speaking about the scenographic space as a psychedelic experience, because no matter what type of performance will conquered it, the space is part of the scenographic language. That is the reason why I chose to speak about the space as a psychedelic experience. It is an artistic movement, which became coherent from an experience that may be qualify as evasion, addresses to world in an exuberant way . Appia considers the trinomial space light actors body as elements leading to the modern theatre renewal. The human body expresses by pure language more directly the intention and the state: The human body is not only mobile it is plastic as well. This plasticity put it n direct relationship with architecture and sculpture, with which it may never be identify, even if it is mobile. Relationship body music becomes a shape in the space, gets dynamism and uniqueness if integrated to psychedelic experience. It is a binomial of theatrical expressivity giving life and spontaneity because it is always live because it always and the audience takes part enchanted to the shape effervescence in Rythmic space. Corporality is the major characteristics of representation in a limited or non limited space. There is a theatre before luxurious world, but there is no a building of stones and bricks, it is an edifice built by the human body. A major characteristic of psychedelic art is its diversity from the plastic and technological point of view and the fact that the body movement is compulsory. The art of public representation is done by both, as well as the interpretation and its performance. Its option is obviously for painting, sculpture, film, light art, media, video, techniques used by the happening or performance , theatrical representations and other manifestation that make them psychedelic. There are four common possibilities in all those art forms: they may create rational situation, accepted illusions, modify conscious223 SCENOGRAPHIC INTERsections

ness lead to spontaneity. Theatre is the save refuge for a unexpected revolution; offering unlimitate possibilities to reveal spontaneity at the experimental level. There are just a few passive, static or contemplative elements. This art belongs to Dionysus, it is challenging and active, never static. It is an artistic trend operating with the famous mandale spreading and demonstrating that it always operates with geometrical space. It evokes the Supreme Being, who carries a bright light. It is an interaction between macrocosms and microcosms. This art is religious, mystical, Gods representation in All. Space dominated by the psychedelic experience identifies itself with dynamism the action being completed by the atmosphere. There are solid arguments in favour of a solid research of the scenographic space If the psychedelic experience identify itself with space and action. Harold Rosenberg said: Action is the sense of discovery on the stage and behind the stage. If somebody cares about the answer this would come from by brain. If I were be able to write the answer, to paint it, or to interpret it, that would change. What is supposed to be done is the key for the future thought. On this new field of psychedelic experience, opened to all possibilities, there are only researchers on unknown fields finding profound or superficial, treasure or junks, probably hardly different A selection was made among all these explorers among whom there are artists, philosophers and scholars. Some of them such as: Isaac Abrams, Arlene Sklar Weinstein and Allen Atwell have their style marked by the psychedelic consciousness Others like Mati Klarwein got clear surrealistic influences from the Fantastic Realism School of Vienna. So does Frederic Pardo whose work is also influenced by the surrealism and the occultism of their work. There are some of Peter Maxs works which shows the influence of the psychedelic art too. Arlene Aklar Weinstein offers lights birth (vision), mythological figures and the secret fire leit motiv. Abrams, paint in a personal manner The One versus the la Becoming Dance which in never ending numbers of shapes finds the Unit. Allen Atwell shows a strong organic mysticism suggesting human representations and shapes in Blakes style. If the gates of perception were be transparent, everything would show as it is, the infinite itself. For him everything is dark, since he would be able to discover everything, through his narrow cave A major step in psychedelic art can be discovered in Francis Lees cinemas concepts. In a major project experiment (film) the artist tries to explain a psychedelic meeting. During the film a icon with hardly understandable shapes appears, progressively it gains symbolic traces. He tries to suggest the deep consciousness steps, more and more complex, leading to attitudes similar to the drugs Cinema succded clear performances in showing such

224 SCENOGRAPHIC INTERsections

225 SCENOGRAPHIC INTERsections

experiences in Stern, Jud Yalkut or Cassen, work. Their movies offer a psychedelic experience over all other artistic events, with positive aesthetic feedback if everything is lead to enriching experience. Jud Yalkut offers un other vision of psychidelic experience, using a method to show the deepnes of feelings and senses, implicating the spectaor by a overstimulating his senses spe. The flim maker intention comes from a series of movies like Noi eram la Biverside, in which the public is bombed with a lot of noises, colours and lights, in a rapid succession, deforming time and space perception. Psychedelic art is the art of light and that is why a large number of artists are using light under different shapes and means, such as light projected on walls or screens. Having various colours which melts suggesting by video shows theatre performances opera, ballet or incoherent representations like those of beginning of psychedelic art Video projections used during the performance may induce a special feeling, one desired by the artist, no matter if a director or a stage designer. For example a video-projection with the image of the sea may create a hypnotic feeling. Reality break due to dreams because of music, text, visual show brings the spectators in a virtual space with simulated reality. This empirical parade of images indicates, as rituals and initiates steps, the infinity of spirit. Adolph Appia considers that light is the main element which combines all the elements of a show and he constantly tried to put together music, stage movement and drama, in order to create mystical aspects through light - design. The spectator sinks into those clichs as when watching the fire, hypnotic effect which may enchant certain persons. Despite cinema theories, those video projections have no end or beginning Those artists were called light artists the best being Thomas Wilfred and his coloured music.. Spatiality is connected to unconventional rituals and consists of masks parades, disguised characters, the joy and the drunkenness anticipating life after death. In Euripides play we have a testimony of great importance what could be the meeting between the Greek genius and Dionysus orgies. Psychedelic dynamism conquers a conventional space - scenographical space and an unknown territory - street parades. In both cases the public turns into a protagonist because the text and the actor induce a state of joy Dionysus himself became a protagonist for the first time in the Greek theatre. After all we are talking about a life experience, a psycho-drama as Jacob L. Moreno called it. In psycho drama the actor interprets an experience, by action, engering his body on the stage, as a group therapy, constituting the so called psycho-setting psihod. Psychodrama operates with the body, the space is an arena, both creating a visual live performance. The body is a simple object that a person may use independently to fulfil his aims and
226 SCENOGRAPHIC INTERsections

ANCA ALBANI

dreams. The theatre performance using directly the means of body expressivity, navigates on a conventional territory. The public take part in a direct way to the performers acts. When Robert Wilson, stage, Woyzeck by Georg Bchner, in Hamburg the characters became expressive due to the corporal expressivity. There are artists who have been used all the plastic and visual expression techniques to fulfil the psychedelic experience: Jachie Cassen, Rudie Stern, Don Snyder, USCO group , artists whose aim is to create feelings that make the public to live an intensive participation. They project movies, use in their musical expression dancers, stereoscope, oscilloscope, all type of sounds, heart beats, screaming, laughing breathing space is transformed, dominated as the arena All these are a proof of intense concentration on the concept The Bacchantes or Dionysus holidays are archaic ceremonies known all over the world. Phalophoria preceded Dionysus cult and can be assimilated to psychedelic experience. All this fact addresses mainly to psychic, central nervous system, because images used by those artists indicates their intention in addressing to public, because the images projected in movies are worlds in collision, wars, women giving birth, visual with high emotional potential, evocative in psycho dynamic terms. The modification of object from colour to shape, proportion, was a target, figurative (people) appear in senseless sequences, due to the artists desire to induce a psychedelic state. Intense interior state, without spiritual meaning may generate exclusively decorative and senseless motives. An excite artist may create sinuous drawings expressing his feelings of being lost or prisoner. Psychedelic artists drawing do not shaw any symptoms of disintegration, even if the drawings are without beginning or end and indicates obsession and restriction. Mary Bernard on a study about religious believes functions in secret societies said in The American Scholar: We may ask ourselves how a belief in a supreme being, when the soul apart of our body and free of the time and space limits should know the feeling of extreme happiness, is previous to the accidental discovery of hallucinogenic plants which give a feeling of euphoria, changes the notion of time and space, extending them to endless horizons (....) It may be said that it is a direct revelation New archetypes are look up in sacared science, one that suits the needs of modern society The psychedelic journey reaches a sacred art similar to ecstasy, revealing the rich multidimensional of consciousness . Allan Kaprow creates a type of happening which does not belong to the psychedelic zone, but defines itself as its own form of art working together. An art of happening is an experience of a group of people, a spectacular environment and the experience consists not in the event understanding but
227 SCENOGRAPHIC INTERsections

in taking part to it and creating a whole. A happening in which everything is integrated indicates a total freedom. The art of happening generates a permanent spontaneity and revels the artiss concept transforming him in a game leader and the scenographic space into a breath. Even if we are in the middle of a study about space and psychedelic experience, the fact that happening is away of living with or without narcotics. Because it is using a lot of new forms of expression, Happening may be considered way of enlarging the consciousness by multiplying the experience. Each of us may feel the change of his own way of perception, the important fact being to break the barrier of restriction, especially the mental ones. Allan Kaprows happening may not be considered as having psychedelic tendencies, because he determines the actors to enter in his game modifying the conditions around him, and the psychedelic experience creats the access to the consciousness inside. An artist creating a happening uses experience as a tool, and he may choose the psychidelic experience as well as a painter uses colour or a sculptor stone or wood. Besides artistic events such as happening or performance art, art mod, video art, painting, sculpture, drama etc. art in general takes it force from a general experience, which tries by all its intensity to transform and enrich the hum an personality Psychedelic experience develops freely without any difficulty due to objective or subjective factors exploiting deeper and deeper levels of consciousness, operating with sensorial, memory and analysis on a symbolic plan, concentrating on the body, any physical process is felt The most relevant thing offered by Allen Atwell is what we call today Art Mod . It is a form of art presenting psychedelic experience. Art Mod destroys completely the individual as any reference to the environment, making a confusion between him and the new reality he has to live, an imagination imposed by the artist as a spectator. The common part of happening and Art Mod, is due to their power to change the man idea about himself, a reaction to freedom and desinhibition. Both artistic branches have in common the power of inducing illusion as it is accepted by people as a mark of superior reactions compared to everyday life. All are generating critical states, complete breakings to daily experience. Light Art as mention previously is an art where artists exploit and light as a way of expression for shape creation and deep understanding of new human experiences There are artists as Jackie Cassen, Rudi Stern or Don Snyderwho consider light as a pychidelic experience, fact that made their art psychedelic. For this reason light become a new way of expression in performance, happening and Art Mod It is appropriate for it because it dymanic and uses colours and allows the artist to use different duration for any drawing. This

228 SCENOGRAPHIC INTERsections

229 SCENOGRAPHIC INTERsections

way of expressing developed in the second half of the XX, cannot replace traditional techniques as painting, graphics or sculpture, but is necessary for new experiences The movie can be considered as a way of expression for psychedelic experience and it was studied from this perspective by the surrealists The surrealist cinema start with Cocteau and Man Ray anticipating the contemporary movie evolution. At the beginning the film was but a filmed theatre, it evolved in surrealism as a dynamic means of transport for images, used by psychedelic artist if he is able to create an intimate space inside four walls. The tendency is to qualify any dynamic projection as psychedelic only if it belongs to avant-garde, a movie is considered good only if an avant-garde one. Such examples may be found at Tony Conrad in Flicker. Tony Conrad is an American video avant-garde film maker, musician, composer, sound artist, professor and writer The Flicker was included in the exhibition of Whitney Museum of American Arts, The American Century. The Flicker (1966), is his most important movie, which revolutionised the world of experimental filml as a landmark of structural film. It presents black and white images which as pointed in the title creates flashes when projected. When it was watched for the first time by a larger number of persons got sick because of the flashes. Since then Conrad started to work in video and performance Arts, and since 1970 as a professor at Antioch College, Ohio and at Media Centre for Media Studies, Buffalo University. Even if personal watching creates the impression of a relevant vision on a film a minimum description of this experimental move should be done. The film consists of five frames, a warrning frame, two frames as titles, a black frame and a white one.an important element is the the soundtrack-ul created by the artist in order to accompany this experimental film. The Flicker statrs with a warrning message d, WARNING, through for the public telling that it may produce epiileptical simptomes or shocks, so they should know that they may stay inside the theatre on their own . Psychidelic art is a success if it uses simultaneously more artistic means and the artist uses at the same time several artistic means creating a unity, if not the whole atempt is a failure. Combining several techniques does not always mean psychidelic art. The term refers to a description not to a jugement. The largest part of pychidelic work tries to recreate the effect of such an experience. They determin situations of sezorial overloading and symbolism, without logic , simultaneous image effects, giving to each one the sensation of being in his own body, watching the unknown nature. The experiment Electric Circus, New Yorker disco is a good example of gathering many technical means, a place where the stage design is made of a serie of some spontaneous images craeted in in the spectators own head and previous images.They are images induced by free plan with special projections special slides. They use the so called Ultramedia technique, created by Antony Martin for Electric Circus. They present abstract movements com230 SCENOGRAPHIC INTERsections

bined with images whose rithmis corelated with white lights of the stroboscoape. It is a relationship between visual and musical media. It may be said that at Electric Circus there is a psychidelic experience because the projections are always psychidelic due to their source of inspiration as long as they are molecular, celular or organic. The presentation of psychidelic art should be not complete without the presentation of psychidelic music because as long as the cinema had this experience , music used it. I qute John Cage who uses the new musical language and calls it a controlled distorsiune . His music take into consideration the following orgnising criteria : non-rational organisation and illogical structures. He created live electronic music for the coreographer Merce Cunningham. One thing is clear painting, sculpture, fine arts in general, mainly happening or performance art uses music as a working tool . I thought of the same thing in the project regressus ad uterum where the oject installation is accompanied by film images some of them unpleasant, taking the role of the ritual of regression ab origine as a mature charcater not as a fetus. Everything happens in very quick rithm of heartbeat and tribal sounds. Tristan Tzara said about psychidelic music that it is a music which translates and express the experiences of a psychidelic experience and it tries to show by sound the impression given by a psychidelic experience. Music as the psychidelic experience has the power to broke the rules of the daily life inducing a an overloaded senzorial effect by acclerating the way of thinking which creates a large number of images , impossible to take place in average time. The diversity of images cannot be compareed to anyhthing, not even dreams. Music and happening are real art and many critics consider them like that, even if their relationship with psychidelic art is not clearly defined. . Jean Jacques Lebel, visual artist , writers, and film-maker is the author of the most vivid and interesting happening-of Europa.He uses simple symbols to mirror the psychidelic experience .He used sugar lamps falling as avalances over undressed women. The artist himself considered these performances simlar to Dyonisus holidays, as manifestation of subconsiouness to which society is redundant even in contemporary times Those barriers were not broken but the performances were a shock, agreed by a small number of specialis, more or less initiated, considering that such a happening would have a high TV rating . In the same way the use of narcotics determined the creation of images impossible to be done with other means.n acelai Arlenei Sklar s and Isaac Abrams testimony are clear when describing that type of creative pocess. Both before having a LSD experience created a rational art. Abrams said that he swa the world only in a rational way. The halucinogen experiment helped him to discover another side of world, revealing its sacred aspets. Everything revealing the spirit, behaid or aside logic is part of the artists
231 SCENOGRAPHIC INTERsections

new tendences. Psychidelic Art was considered a surprise because drawings seem to come out of the paper as if they were hidden there. I do not think that the narrcotics are necessary but I think that is necessary to know other experience in the field, no matter which archaic paintings, tribal music dangerous initiating experiences There are artists familiar with such processes, recognising the value of creation, no matter if it is born of a psychidelic experience, a self controlled exercise or practice of tao and oriental painters . Narcotics may induce the spacial creation state only if the subject has a passed over a certain evolution and it may help him to get ridd of certain frustrations An unique example is that of Allen Atwell, who painted in an apartament in Est - New York, a psychidelic temple and the common space turned into a sacred one full of symbols . It is a wanderful work of art inspiring a marvelous atmosphere, covering all the walls, showing a mystical revelation according to his own testimony the artist worked in Orient and he uses the traditional tehniques of Tibet masters, mentaly projecting his visions on a surface in front of his eyes and re-painting them on canvas after that. His temple from East New York should be understood as a sacred palace evocative for an amplified consciousness. He uses sacred mandalas to crown the fire place as well as icons and other religious symbols. The whole rooms is turned into a spiritual organism. It may be said that psychedelic art is profound and superficial, rude and exquisite, simple and complex. All psychedelic works show a real unit and a deep signification in connection with the artists personality.Products which transform the artists mind such as peyotl, mescalina, LSD, are just activating mental processes. Among the most iportant psychedelic experiences the content of the unconsciousness may be quoted, thinking becomes more flexible and intense, symbols and myths interacts and determines fabulous concepts It may be asked if artists, even those without imagination would be able to creationist images in a unselfconscious state. A scientific answer is given by psychologists, other our own artistic experience, o matter the domanin. Personally I think that there is no need of narcotic experience to create unbelievable beautiful works of art . In any case artist experience should be mixed with the way in which psychedelic experience is perceived. The receiver would always be redundant to eccentric experiences based on symbolism of sacred and sign. Psychiatrists consider that under the effect of narcotics such as LSD, artists may perceive reality in a different way and then they will express it in their work. Certainly there is an experience in which the real experience cannot be recognised and that is why one may ask if it is not just a temporary one, because the artist when lucid is not able to use the same creation means It is a similar situation compared to that of archetypal secret societies The situation is a little bit similar to that of archaic secret societies were sacred herbs determine such stage, but the difference is that they use them to perform special rituals for passage and initiation in order to reach a superior life stage, previous to that experience. Gerald Heard wrote in Psychedelic Review: May LSD brings an important contribution to the creative process? Even if taken in best conditions it may not have other role then that to produce an experience (terminology used by Aristotle when studding the Greek Mysteries). As consequence the subject may himself exploit that reference field , this creative scheme. There is no annalist that can go further then his own complexions and inner frustrations Freud (1910) phD ANCA ALBANI
232 SCENOGRAPHIC INTERsections

233 SCENOGRAPHIC INTERsections