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*1974, gouache, ink and varnish on cardboard, 61.2 x 41.1 cm, private collection, Amsterdan

Figure 5 *1974, gouache, ink and varnish on cardboard, 61.2 x 41.1 cm, private collection, Amsterdan

Related Figures (10)

(McClay & Guttmann 1941: 136). Apparently then—and in line with the idea of demoniac possession—they thought that the drug had somehow “taken over,” steering the artist's hand against his will. actions (Hartmann 1974: 15, 48-52). He distinguished three levels of intensity in this process.
(McClay & Guttmann 1941: 136). Apparently then—and in line with the idea of demoniac possession—they thought that the drug had somehow “taken over,” steering the artist's hand against his will. actions (Hartmann 1974: 15, 48-52). He distinguished three levels of intensity in this process.
middle or late 1950s on, a new generation abandoned the psychiatric approach to drugs like LSD. Instead the newly coined adjective “psychedelic” was adopted, describing the same drugs but implying a very different—though not at all new—view of their effects. In essence, the psychedelic model was an updated version of the old in vino veritas lore, just like the earlier psychiatric view can be seen as a modernization of the idea of demoniac possession. Instead of changing the user into something other than himself, drugs like LSD were now thought to reveal a “true” inner self that supposedly lay buried behind a lifetime of social and psychological programming: LSD became the “acid” to burn this patina off.
middle or late 1950s on, a new generation abandoned the psychiatric approach to drugs like LSD. Instead the newly coined adjective “psychedelic” was adopted, describing the same drugs but implying a very different—though not at all new—view of their effects. In essence, the psychedelic model was an updated version of the old in vino veritas lore, just like the earlier psychiatric view can be seen as a modernization of the idea of demoniac possession. Instead of changing the user into something other than himself, drugs like LSD were now thought to reveal a “true” inner self that supposedly lay buried behind a lifetime of social and psychological programming: LSD became the “acid” to burn this patina off.
nonsense, Volmat and Robert and their subjects believed the drug effected disinhibition and the disclosure of some- thing true and basic and of great personal and artistic value. In fact, several participants were later observed trying to draw or paint “as if under drugs,” and their work often showed a lasting change of character, as if the experiment had triggered a new period in their artistic career (Robert 1962: 88-89). But when the artist didn’t cling to his old ideals and accepted the new circumstances in which he had to work, all would be well. An inevitable “discovery of speed” would take place, with the artists working much faster than usual, sometimes leaving their brushes behind to work directly with their hands or even throwing their paint (Figure 6). Statements like “I feel liberated” and “I always wanted to paint like this, but never dared,” made Volmat and Robert conclude that “from the impossibilities new possibilities might arise that are welcomed by the painter as ‘a libera- tion’ and in which he claims and believes to recognize his true ‘nature’ (Volmat & Robert 1961: 21). Because the ability to look ahead or plan into the future was lost, they considered the work an “instantaneous inscription” of the painter’s experience, and spoke of “fertile moments” in which barriers and inhibitions were lifted, enabling the art- ist to discover his “elementary expressive faculties” (Volmat & Robert 1961: 21-23),
nonsense, Volmat and Robert and their subjects believed the drug effected disinhibition and the disclosure of some- thing true and basic and of great personal and artistic value. In fact, several participants were later observed trying to draw or paint “as if under drugs,” and their work often showed a lasting change of character, as if the experiment had triggered a new period in their artistic career (Robert 1962: 88-89). But when the artist didn’t cling to his old ideals and accepted the new circumstances in which he had to work, all would be well. An inevitable “discovery of speed” would take place, with the artists working much faster than usual, sometimes leaving their brushes behind to work directly with their hands or even throwing their paint (Figure 6). Statements like “I feel liberated” and “I always wanted to paint like this, but never dared,” made Volmat and Robert conclude that “from the impossibilities new possibilities might arise that are welcomed by the painter as ‘a libera- tion’ and in which he claims and believes to recognize his true ‘nature’ (Volmat & Robert 1961: 21). Because the ability to look ahead or plan into the future was lost, they considered the work an “instantaneous inscription” of the painter’s experience, and spoke of “fertile moments” in which barriers and inhibitions were lifted, enabling the art- ist to discover his “elementary expressive faculties” (Volmat & Robert 1961: 21-23),
One such protocol was published in 1954, discussing an experiment that took place three years previously in Basle, Switzerland. In order to establish the exact patho- logical nature of both LSD and mescalin intoxication, the physician and amateur painter Laszl6 Matéfi would take one of these drugs and then draw, before (Figure 7a), after and every hour during intoxication and as realistically as he possibly could, a series of portraits of a present super- visor. This, he believed, would provide him with “objective” visual protocols for each drug to be diagnosed later on. (At the time it was still widely believed among psychiatrists that the style of a drawing or painting
One such protocol was published in 1954, discussing an experiment that took place three years previously in Basle, Switzerland. In order to establish the exact patho- logical nature of both LSD and mescalin intoxication, the physician and amateur painter Laszl6 Matéfi would take one of these drugs and then draw, before (Figure 7a), after and every hour during intoxication and as realistically as he possibly could, a series of portraits of a present super- visor. This, he believed, would provide him with “objective” visual protocols for each drug to be diagnosed later on. (At the time it was still widely believed among psychiatrists that the style of a drawing or painting
betrayed the mental state of its author; see ten Berge 2001: 78-31, for a critique of this notion.) Apparently Matéfi ex- pected the two drugs, as a kind of demons, to show their ugly heads in his drawings. the format of his paper (Figure 7c-e), and in the increasir speed of execution and growing lack of motor control (Fi, ure 7d-e). ee ew ERED Peeps AS CE Fe GEES ALE WEY EVEL speed of execution and growing lack of motor control (Fig- ure 7d-e). Then, quite suddenly, Matéfi decided to give up his attempts at a realistic portrait. Forfeiting the aim of the ex- periment, he decided to “let himself go,” threw away his charcoal, picked up a piece of cardboard and some tem- pera paint and created, very quickly, a drawing in which all the features of his model seem to be lost in one explo- sive configuration (Figure 7f). He felt euphoric, thought he might create a fantastic work if only he could paint bet- ter technically at the moment, and found every piece of paper too small for his liking. When asked if his drawings meant anything to him, he answered: “Yes, when I let go, very much, because it is the expression of my feelings— thev aren’t visions. but feelings.” (M4téfi 1959: 157)
betrayed the mental state of its author; see ten Berge 2001: 78-31, for a critique of this notion.) Apparently Matéfi ex- pected the two drugs, as a kind of demons, to show their ugly heads in his drawings. the format of his paper (Figure 7c-e), and in the increasir speed of execution and growing lack of motor control (Fi, ure 7d-e). ee ew ERED Peeps AS CE Fe GEES ALE WEY EVEL speed of execution and growing lack of motor control (Fig- ure 7d-e). Then, quite suddenly, Matéfi decided to give up his attempts at a realistic portrait. Forfeiting the aim of the ex- periment, he decided to “let himself go,” threw away his charcoal, picked up a piece of cardboard and some tem- pera paint and created, very quickly, a drawing in which all the features of his model seem to be lost in one explo- sive configuration (Figure 7f). He felt euphoric, thought he might create a fantastic work if only he could paint bet- ter technically at the moment, and found every piece of paper too small for his liking. When asked if his drawings meant anything to him, he answered: “Yes, when I let go, very much, because it is the expression of my feelings— thev aren’t visions. but feelings.” (M4téfi 1959: 157)
*1968, Indian ink on paper, 35 x 56 cm, published in a leaflet on occasion of the exhibition Psychedelic Art by Galerie ischofberger, Ziirich 1968. I wouldn’t want to rule out the possibility of them occurring simultaneously, other examples of art made during LSD trips seem to indicate that a more or less fluent alternation is at least more common, just as mediumistic artists seem to alter- nate between “pedantic accumulation” and profligate “explosions” of form, in the words of Cardinal (1989/1990). ynclusion seems to fit: we are dealing with a Janus-faced sychological phenomenon that becomes divided in two nly in the cultural sphere.
*1968, Indian ink on paper, 35 x 56 cm, published in a leaflet on occasion of the exhibition Psychedelic Art by Galerie ischofberger, Ziirich 1968. I wouldn’t want to rule out the possibility of them occurring simultaneously, other examples of art made during LSD trips seem to indicate that a more or less fluent alternation is at least more common, just as mediumistic artists seem to alter- nate between “pedantic accumulation” and profligate “explosions” of form, in the words of Cardinal (1989/1990). ynclusion seems to fit: we are dealing with a Janus-faced sychological phenomenon that becomes divided in two nly in the cultural sphere.
becomes part of my brain. With the psychedelics, you learn to think outside of your head” (Krippner 1968: 177-78). movements of the arm or hand. With this he created a space with many empty areas divided by thin lines. In the next phase, he moved much closer to the paper and added hatch- ings, decorative patterns and doodles resulting not so much from movements of the arm or hand but from the fingers, creating (like Lamy and Kervezee) sometimes flat, deco- rative patterns and sometimes three-dimensional spaces with figurative forms (Figure 8).
becomes part of my brain. With the psychedelics, you learn to think outside of your head” (Krippner 1968: 177-78). movements of the arm or hand. With this he created a space with many empty areas divided by thin lines. In the next phase, he moved much closer to the paper and added hatch- ings, decorative patterns and doodles resulting not so much from movements of the arm or hand but from the fingers, creating (like Lamy and Kervezee) sometimes flat, deco- rative patterns and sometimes three-dimensional spaces with figurative forms (Figure 8).
Related topics:
Cultural HistoryPsychologySocial PsychologyPhilosophy of AgencyArtCreativityMedicinePsychoactive DrugsPublic health systems and services researchPsychoanalytic Interpretation
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