Upon my trip to the Albuquerque Museum, I was ecstatic to hear about their Psychedelic Art exhibition. The exhibition is open until October 17, 2015 and features work that is "mind-manifesting." The reason why this exhibition was so appealing to me was because of the culture associated with psychedelic art. The title implies the fact that mind-altering substances were used to create pieces of art during a time of cultural movement, more specifically the 1970's. However, the psychedelic influence goes beyond the cliches of Woodstock, Jimi Hendrix and the Hippie Movement. The ultimate reason for creating art using mind-altering substances is to depict the human psyche. All in all, it is this particular meaning behind "Homage to Schroder-Sonnenstern" that made the piece the top choice for my gallery report. .
At first glance, the piece is appealing because of the bright green colors and the depiction of a decapitated woman hanging upside down. However, certain visual elements give this piece something worth studying. For example, the use of line in the piece is spiraled, a technique Friedenstreich Hundertwasser trademarked during his early work. The spiraled line technique gives the piece a psychedelic feel, as if it was created in a dream. Additionally, the images and shapes used in the piece are intentional and symbolic, despite the fact that the exact meaning cannot be determined easily. Values found within the piece are dramatic, changing tones frequently throughout. .
Ultimately, this piece stood out to me mostly because of the subject matter of the exhibition. Personally, I enjoy studying the culture of America in the 1960s-70s mostly because of the artistic and political uprisings occurring at the time. Hundertwasser's piece is a classic example of the upcoming art movements during this time period-using the influence of mind-altering substances to define what lies inside the human psyche.
