Modern Art Meets LSD: Alex Grey

I was trying to think of a clever way to write this blog post but it’s kind of gotten away from me a bit so it’ll be short and sweet.  Sorry.

Meet Alex Grey.

Grey is a world-renowned artist known for his “glowing,” anatomically-correct body paintings that details the skeleton, nervous system, cardiovascular system and lymphatic system.  His works always have a multidimensional aspect to them: not only the physical side of the body, but also the spiritual side, showing bodies as “universal beings.” 

If you have a spare minute, I really recommend viewing the Sacred Mirrors, a series of 21 life sized paintings.  According to Alex Grey’s website, “the series takes the viewer on a journey toward their own divine nature by examining, in detail, the body, mind, and spirit. Begun in 1979, the series took a period of ten years to complete.”

Grey’s artwork has also appeared in the albums of Tool, Nirvana, Beastie Boys, and String Cheese Incident. 

I love his biography on how he got to where he is today* (in a nutshell):

1. Dropped out of art school.
2. Met his wife.
3. Worked at Harvard Medical School prepping cadavers for med students.
4. Tripped on way more LSD than should be even possible.
5. Started creating “a blend of sacred, visionary art, and postmodern art.”

*Obviously there are a few more steps involved to where he is today but these are my favorites.

NOTE: All of Alex Grey’s pictures are from his website alexgrey.com

Alex Grey’s work has been featured in many different venues across the world so obviously the next logical step would be to see fan tattoos.  One tattoo artist who is well-known for recreating Grey’s work, among other things, is James Kern out of No Hope No Fear Tattoo Art Studio in Portland, Oregon.

Looking at Kern’s work kind of makes you want to give up tattooing, curl up in a corner and cry, doesn’t it?

NOTE: All James Kern’s pictures are from his website nohopenofeartattoo.com

What’s really interesting, as I was trying to find a picture of Alex Grey and James Kern, I stumbled across this picture of Grey with H.R. Geiger!  What a small world.