Info Artist

Eyes of Soul - artist statment

Art is a human domain which leads one to self-knowledge. Just as true humor is laughter at onself, true humanity is knowledge of oneself.
Since early childhood I was interested in unknown territories of the human psyche. In the mid-1980's, I migrated to the U.S. where I continued my pursuit of the "unknown". In the 1990's, I spent 2 years in the east. My interest expanded to eastern thought -- Mahayana Buddism, Vedanta, Taoism, Zen. Discovering that there never was, is or will be any experience other than present experience totally changed my attitude towards my life, my paintings, my reality.
Now "my way" to paint is to enter a process without preconceived ideas. A lot of directions come from the
painting itself -- that is, if I fail to strangle them with my ego. The art of painting to me is an art of seeing. On the level of sensitive "tuning into the present moment", the visual journey begins. I developed a method which allows me to alter my regular state of consciousness. This method combines meditation with the painting process, and it is possible via music or sound. I listen to particular types of music (experimental, nature-like sounds (such as water, the sound of crickets, etc.), organic, quiet and hypnotizing sounds in general. This type of music effectively helps me to leave behind my wandering mind and open hidden channels of my inner self, as well as removing me from events in my immediate reality. The closest to me is the music of Alio Die which resonates within me at very high frequencies. It triggers to enhance my visual perception to the point that it
becomes an effortless creative process. The painting is then virtually "painted by itself". Alio's music strongly relates to feelings, and the essence of art is to feel. So I put the music on (usually looping it), and I start listening. During that process, my eye and hand "tune" into the sound. I do not focus on creating a well rendered composition, I just stay in
the present sound of the moment and follow the sound with my intuition. I respond to the sound as it happens, and I do not interpret it. I call this process VTS -- Visual Transmission of Sound. This allows me to empty myself from my mind's content. I begin to merge with the sound, and time seems to disappear. Sometimes my VTS session lasts up to 12 straight hours. During this time period, I experience myself being in different spaces -- ones that are not familiar to me but which seem to appear like micro or
macrocosmic patterns, coupled with a profound feeling
of a mutual interconnectedness of all things and events in the universe.
The way in which one perceives the universe is always reflected in one's art or creation. Art is the form of the ultimate inquiry into truth and self knowledge.
I am constantly aware that there is much unknown territory which I have not yet explored. I become totally absorbed, patient and receptive to the most subtle energies coming through my body, and I rely on the power of intuitive insight. I use my body as a flute between a higher energy and the medium. In this state, I am able to lose myself into the present moment. The famous ballet dancer Nuriejev physically transformed himself from dancer to the dance -- there was no separation between dancer, music and the dance: dance and dancer became one. And so the Painter and the Painting become one.

I feel deep gratitude to all those artists, scientists, thinkers and poets in my life who continuously inspire and enlighten me with their pursuit in the search for the unknown and expansion of human imagination and consciousness.

Yanusz Gilewicz