Amanda McGregor on Karen L. French’s 2012 Book ‘The Hidden Geometry of Life’
The creative path of being, as the archetypal ‘Alchemist’ is rarely mentioned in the art schools as the binding aspect of bringing creative expression, philosophy, psychology of expression, science and the art of communication in to being. When I did my M.A., ten years ago at Goldsmiths University my philosophy and psychology interests were frowned on, I was told I should be doing a research degree instead of art degree.
I therefore felt the limits of art talk and questioned ‘art speak’ with the focus on the lecturers psychological aspects, I took on the responsibility of building this knowledge module by module and five years later I completed my training as a therapist, a spiritual healer and in understanding energy and consciousness. Having already gained my M.A. in art, my therapy practice accreditation I was set up to professionally redefine the nature of existential thinking beyond the art object. However through my practice as a creative development therapist over the years I had teams of artists pass through my doors claiming of the judgements and limits that they had had projected on by lecturers and staff unable to understand the depth of their ‘being’ and nature of expression. Over time, I re-integrated these approaches as I had wanted them whilst at art school and they were key to my artistic vision.
We have six senses, all of which can become extra sensory and develop on a level of sophisticated artistic practice through perception and consciousness, all of which were an area of fascination to me in my artistic practice. However, how little stress is there on the nature of consciousness and the journey of enlightenment, as a philosophical awakening. The key to ‘true’ perception and seeing through the ‘all seeing eye’.
Therefore, I felt the art schools were setting off students in a futile direction. Without the acknowledgement of consciousness and the journey into ‘seeing’ in ‘truth’ we are all simply pawns to an out dated perception and art system, we need new glasses.
I had to ask myself, what went wrong in all this. Why was it all so misunderstood, the path of Alchemy and Co-creation?
Recently Karen L. French, Watkins Publishing 2012 ‘The Hidden Geometry of Life’. was published. Reading through I welcomed the information, edited to give a full span of dynamics in to accessing the science, art and creation of life. However I couldn’t help noticing a tiresome sense of authoring from Karen; A frustration with the need to list and make available the information of understanding the foundations of ‘seeing’ life, when its obvious her consciousness exists and operates on an advanced level of development, this foundation is a necessity in art school reading. A feeling I share as I put together my own book, The True Nature of Being Human’. Karen’s book is very good at opening portals and sharing the multi dimensions of life from a place of perception and being. So we can look at science, art and philosophy in its complexity. Begin to take our journey in to consciousness with full awareness of the different components needed in mastering the art of life, ‘Seeing’ and ‘Creation’.
So why has it taken so long to have a foundation of research put together in such a concise way? Well, the answer came to me at the Susan Hiller Exhibition of 2011 at Tate Britain. Susan Hiller was active as an artist emerging in the 70’s twenty years after it became legal to have tools surrounding consciousness in sight. She does not work with the ‘craft’ as an art but simply ‘played’ with concepts surrounding the art of understanding universal consciousness and psychic phenomena. We have to remember that Churchill only legalised the practice of being and working ‘psychically’ in 1950. Which means all tools, which could act as evidence and incriminate a psychic were destroyed. Which means very few books lived and became visible through the centuries. The craft or art of alchemy was passed down through the generations and by those wise enough to use the benefits in helping others and creatively working with Creation and Creativity.
2012 is bringing in a more specific definition of the role of an artist, as one who works along side Creation, and dialogues, debates in ‘communion’ with ‘Creation’ the true Alchemist is an Artist, expert in the art of transformation, ‘one whom makes something out of nothing’.
To become an alchemist is a journey of inner transformation and enlightenment, of which their are many paths and many philosophical doorways and dimensions. The most important aspect to look at is the true nature of the universe; the matrix, the void, the holographic world we live in. Mathematics can be a creative process and mixed with science can create new and exciting evolutions. To embrace the energetic frequencies of the palettes of creation we have to know where to look to enable our selves to manifest change and to Create.
Karen L. French, provides the key into the doorways of that understanding, so as to empower artists in their ability to find their true calling and begin their journey in to truly ‘Seeing’.
Illustration: Alister Crowley Divine Feminine Chasing The Holy Grail