On Contemporary Visionary Art: Origins, Meaning, Movement

and the New York Visionaries

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Welcome to our vibrant community of creators!

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For the past 30 years, I have had the privilege of teaching Mischtechnik, first in Austria and then across the globe. My partner, Mantra Cora, has co-taught alongside me for the last 15 years. I began my journey with Mischtechnik in 1978 and expanded my seminars to an international audience in 1997, starting in Austria. Early international students included notable figures such as Madeline Von Foster, Benjamin Vierling, Daniel Martin Diaz, Amanda Sage, and many others. Over the years, hundreds have joined us.

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Visionary Art is not a new phenomenon; throughout history, certain artists have woven visionary threads into the fabric of artistic expression. A comprehensive account of this global tradition could fill volumes, yet many attempts to define it tend to oversimplify its complexity. To me, a truly visionary work is what I call creatuitive—a harmonious blend of heightened creativity and acute intuition. It is a form of insight—a vision arising from a contemplative mind, the seat of spiritual imagination. Visionary Art transcends the physical world, revealing an expanded awareness often rooted in ecstatic or mystical experiences accessed through the deep, subjective realms of individual consciousness. What unites visionary artists is their intensely personal and often unconventional psychic imagination, allowing them to encapsulate "the infinite spectrum of consciousness and spirit," as Blake so eloquently put it, from shadow to light.

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The term Visionary Art was first coined by Carl Gustav Jung in 1933 in Modern Man in Search of a Soul. He described it as a revelation—a vision embodying beauty or profundity that resists verbal explanation, emerging not from superficial psychology but from the archetypal depths of the collective unconscious. Visionary works can astonish, disorient, disturb, or uplift; they are often mistakenly seen as inherently religious. However, visionary art transcends doctrine. I’ve witnessed powerful creations from atheists and agnostics—those who identify as "spiritual but not religious." These artists access visionary states through meditation, mysticism, dreams, entheogens, or other altered states of consciousness, free from the confines of institutional religion.

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Historically, before the 20th century, the terms religious and spiritual were nearly synonymous. Yet, with the rise of science and modern biblical scholarship, a shift occurred. Faith increasingly moved inward—toward personal experience and contemplation—as religion became more associated with public institutions and dogmas. Visionary Art reflects this shift, favoring personal insight and universal archetypes over rigid narratives.

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As a modern movement, 20th-century Visionary Art traces its roots to Metaphysical Art and Surrealism, particularly through the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism. Many artists from this lineage, including those who studied directly with Ernst Fuchs, developed diverse styles and visions. In New York, the contemporary Visionary Art movement began to take shape over 50 years ago, nurtured by a dedicated group of artists: Mati Klarwein, Brigid Marlin, De Es Schwertberger, Ingo Swann, Olga Spiegel, and myself, alongside others like Robert Venosa, Martina Hoffmann, H.R. Giger, Alex Grey, and Jose Arguelles. Most of us studied with Fuchs between 1964 and 1974, united by a common impulse to express the ineffable, the numinous, and the transformative inner worlds. Further afield, Brigid Marlin established a group in England focused on imaginal painting, while artists on the West Coast, such as Gage Taylor, Mark Henson, Cliff McReynolds, and Bill Martin, explored cosmic forces and natural mysticism. While separated by geography and style, we shared a drive to illuminate hidden realms. In the pre-internet era, discovering kindred spirits—like Johfra in Holland or Fabrizio Clerici in Italy—was a rare and cherished experience that reminded us of our shared visions.

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Today, the landscape has expanded dramatically. Thousands of artists worldwide now identify as visionary, influenced by figures such as Alex Grey, Android Jones, and the late Robert Venosa. The festival circuit has become a primary platform for this art, where live painting and commerce have supplanted the Happenings and countercultural gatherings of the ’60s and ’70s. As this movement evolves into a global phenomenon, I often reflect on its direction: Where is it headed? What is its true intention, and whom does it serve?

Since the early 1970s, we have grappled with labels. Visionary carries a certain gravity—perhaps even a hint of arrogance. We have explored terms like transformative, transcendental, psi art, and integral art. Bruce Rimmel astutely remarked, “Visionary is an honorific—one you should never apply to yourself.” I resonate with this sentiment; for me, it's not merely a label but a responsibility. Art, at its highest form, opens the door to the inner life—our true source of meaning and purpose.

Ultimately, this work arises not just from imagination, but from a creatuitive flow: a dynamic fusion of feeling, intellect, intuition, and spiritual insight. Our community delves into art as a pathway toward inner meaning and purpose, fostering a vibrant blend of imagination, intuition, and spiritual life. Join us on this journey of creativity and connection, reaching beyond the personal to inspire peace and unity.

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