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 Paris Drawings & Notebooks, 1962-63

In the late summer of 1963, I  took up residence at the  Centre Internationale Catholique, Cité Universitaire, Paris, where I maintained a modest studio in the church basement. Here I was  introduced to an innovative spiritual community lead by Pére Rogues.  This environment complemented my interest in automatic drawing as a procedure for investigating states of consciousness and spiritual experience. I  followed courses at the Louvre, worked at printmaking with Stanley William Hayter  at Atelier 17, and made several pilgrimages to medieval monastic sites in central and southern France.

left: Sanctuary, Thoronet Abbey, 12th Century (Southern France). Travel to medieval monastic sites and opportunities to view illuminated manuscripts resonated with my  search for spiritual enrichment. (Photo from L'art Cistercian, Zodiaque, 1962) 

    Click for personal account of departure from cloister

Click for larger image

Cover, private notebook of "experience" states.(81 kb)
Paris, 1962-63. 9.75" by 6.75".
Crayon, ink, cloth, paint. Notebook includes 

Paris Notebook, 1962 (187 kb)
Crayon and pencil Drawing ( 15” by 13”)

In my  church basement studio, referred to as "the cave",  I executed numerous drawings and  paintings. Through expressive gestural drawing  I pursued visual manifestations of inner experience that transcended rational observation. For many of these "automatic"  works I  maintained a private notebook of  "experience states"  related to their execution.  This notebook  allowed me clearto refer back to states of consciousness  related to specific drawings. Other  notebooks included drawings accompanied occasionally with "experience" texts. 

Cave Drawing, 1962 (186 kb)
Brush & ink on paper (23" by 29")
Cave Drawing, 1962 (82 kb)
Brush & ink on paper (23" by 29")
Cave Drawing 15, 1962 (143 kb)
Brush & ink on paper (23" by 29")

Paris exhibition statement, 1963

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