Chapel of Sacred Mirrors
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The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, aka CoSM, is a not for profit art gallery in New York City displaying the visionary art of artist Alex Grey. The works on display often depict the human form in conjunction with higher power beings, with references to many different religious traditions. Alex Grey has said that he sees the CoSM as a place where people can hopefully come and see themselves and others reflected in the divine. He hopes that his works will "plant a seed of liberation" in the mind of the viewer. The CoSM was started due to a vision from himself and his wife Allyson Grey.
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[edit] Before and Upon Entering
Before entering the CoSM, the first thing that viewers will notice are the doors. Painted on the doors, are two images of the human form, one male one female, and they are superimposed with divine dimensions and sacred geometry. This is to show that life, stems from a higher being. Upon entering, the first work that the viewer should see is a painting of a person prostrating before a divine being. It shows the viewer that you must surrender yourself to a higher being before continuing on in the CoSM. To the right of this painting, are a few drawings that depict how Alex Grey believes he receives divine inspiration for his works as well as the medium for any particular piece. On the opposite wall are two paintings done by his wife Allyson Grey. They are highly detailed colorful works that contain characters of a language made up by Allyson. The language is comprised of 20 characters and it has been said that it is a secret, non spoken language which is a way to communicate ideas with a higher being.
[edit] Sacred Mirrors Collection
The Sacred Mirrors collection is a long hallway to the right just after entering the CoSM. They are life sized paintings depicting the human form in different "layers" some including the skeletal system, the nervous system, the cardiovascular system, and the lymphatic system. As the viewer progresses through this section, they are welcomed to see themselves in these paintings in their most basic anatomical form. A good point to keep in mind here is that all of humanity is exactly the same on this level; i.e. there are no prejudices or judgments that can be made.
The next section is the human form, but now it can be seen with "psychic" systems. These systems are taken from various western and eastern wisdom traditions. A cornerstone in these images is a chakra system which is a basic teaching in yoga which says that the human body has 7 energy centers in which the kundalini can be channeled. These chakras go from a material world, up through the spine and out from the top of the head in a spiritual world. These works are important because they invite us to see ourselves in the divine light.
The next 4 images in the series depict different figures from different religious traditions including Buddha, Christ, and Sophia. These are very important because these show us what we should be seeing when we think of "divine beings."
The last, and maybe most important painting in the collection, is a simple mirror. In the center of the mirror is a sun with lines of light extending in all directions with the word "GOD" in the middle of it. This is to remind us exactly what is the source of the light in our lives.
[edit] The Yellow Room
The yellow room is where the paintings that are inspired by his family are kept. In these paintings, there are many depictions of him and his wife and child in various every day routine. There are images of them kissing, praying, copulating, and even one of his wife giving birth. This room may be the most important to Alex because he feels as though the entire CoSM was inspired by his wife and family and indeed none of the paintings in this room would exist if it weren't for them. There are also a few paintings that show how caring for someone can be very important. The last painting is about someone dying and it shows their soul rising out of the human form, and rising up to a higher being.
[edit] The White Room
The white room is the next room in the CoSM. This room is all about getting humanity to realize that we are all the same species working toward a united goal; ultimately, survival. The room is also about realizing that all of humanity is connected through their consciousness with all the rest of humanity as well as the cosmos. Some of the paintings in this room include "Theologue", "Net of Being", "Bardo Being", and "Oversoul".
[edit] The Black Room
The black room is where the journey through the CoSM comes to an end. This is a small room, but perhaps one of the most important. This room is home to three very large, very influential works. The first painting is "Nuclear Crucifixion." The idea for this painting came to Alex in a vision. He was staring out at the horizon over a balcony, and he was blinded by a brilliantly bright light and a mushroom cloud. Just then, an image of the Christ on his cross flashed in front of him. He thought that vision to be important because he thought of it as saying that only the same ignorance that would crucify a saint, would be able to cause that much destruction to so many innocent people. Nuclear annihilation is a potential human-made problem that humanity faces and must try to avoid if we are to continue to survive as a species.
The next painting in this room is "Gaia" and it is a depiction of mother earth as a very large tree. On the branches of the tree, are all the archetypes that are associated with things in this world. On the left side of the tree, are all the things worth preserving in our world such as animals of all kinds, beautiful mountain ranges, running water, and clean air. On the right side of the tree, is a scene of destruction where a city scape is on fire and it is being destroyed. The tree is also on fire as well as all the creatures in it. This side of the painting is showing that humanity is slowly draining the earth of all its resources and this must be changed.
The last painting in this room is called "Cosmic Christ." It is a very intricately detailed work which includes the bronze framework that Alex created specifically for this piece. The idea behind this painting, is that humanity has ultimately arisen due to a divine being. We have been placed on this earth because of this divine being. We need to realize that something has to change about the way we treat each other because we are not being unified right now. Some of the images in this work include slavery, nazi concentration camps, breakthroughs in science, and aliens. It is a very involved painting with an inscription on the bottom that sums it all up: "You can never be lost. When have you ever been apart from me? You can never depart and never return. For we are continuous, indistinguishable."
[edit] References
- CoSM: The Movie (2006)
