Integral Naked 06.04.07 - Michael Bergt: Crossing Lines: States, Structures, and the I of the Beholder

Crossing Lines: States, Structures, and the I of the Beholder (37:00)
Michael Bergt and Ken Wilber

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The creator of some of the most original and striking contemporary artworks-of-depth
engages Ken Wilber on why some viewers "get it," why some viewers don’t, and how an Integral Approach can help make sense of it all.

Who: Michael Bergt, acclaimed creator of some of the most original and superbly executed artworks-of-depth in our time, and Ken Wilber, founder of Integral Naked and author of Integral Art landmark contributions "Integral Art and Literary Theory" and "To See a World," among others.

Relevance: As stated in Ken’s "To See a World": It is not the object expressed, but the depth of the subject expressing it, that most defines art. A merely postmodern view cannot recognize this, but a post-postmodern or Integral view can. The depth of Michael’s subjectivity is deep indeed, and his technical skill is breathtaking—a fantastic example of what an integral artist can be, and an ideal person to converse with.

Summary: Without question, Michael’s work draws you in (see below to view the gallery). But what exactly is happening to those captivated by these visions, and why also do so many people simply get that blank-stare look on their face? As Ken comments, artwork infused with a certain depth of consciousness by its creator can actually be "deep" in two distinct ways, each of which the "I of the beholder" must resonate with (what the physical eye sees is one thing, what the unique "I" in each of us sees is another). An artist who is transmitting various profound states of consciousness through his or her work at least has a chance of evoking that same state in the viewer—because states of consciousness (such as waking, dreaming, and deep-sleep) are available to anyone. However, an artist who is transmitting a higher structure of consciousness will have a necessarily smaller pool of individuals who have the potential to resonate with the full spectrum of meaning the artist intended (it’s a smaller group of people because the higher you go on any developmental scale, the fewer individuals there are actually living there).

In the Crossing Lines catalogue retrospective of Michael’s work, John D. O’Hern states: "Bergt’s integral growth in body, mind, and spirit are revealed in his art as a vehicle for the viewer to cross his or her own lines and to rejoin the oneness they once were." Here we see reference to both states (realizing your ultimate Oneness is an ever-present potential state) and structures (Michael’s growth to an integral level of development). Nearly everyone has the ability, or at least possibility, of getting a taste of their own ever-present Oneness through Michael’s work, but as Ken points out, only about 0.5% of the population can see and appreciate the integral wave of growth that is informing everything Michael does—hence the blank-stare look of the other 99.5% (it’s literally "over their heads," although further development can remove this gap). Of course, part of what makes Michael such a skilled artist is that, as he explains, he tries to make each piece engaging on several levels: even if the higher significance of a sculpture like "Spirit and Flesh" escapes a particular viewer, one can’t help but appreciate its physical beauty and craftsmanship.

As Michael and Ken conclude, there is something about art that inspires and brings forth the best in us—Ken’s written works on this topic are some of his favorite writings, and Michael’s catalogue of drawings, paintings, and sculptures speaks for itself. But what’s even better is hearing it straight from the artist himself, and we invite you to listen in to exactly that….

(To get the complete audio-visual experience, check out Michael’s Crossing Lines gallery—and be sure to listen to the special extended-play bonus audio, located on the same page, in which Michael and Ken discuss more than a dozen individual pieces in detail.)

keywords: states and stages, Integral Art, Hakuin, Zen Buddhism, calligraphy, Ernst Fuchs, surrealism, Philip Rubinov-Jacobson, Foreword to Eyes of the Soul, Anselm Kiefer, Andrew Wyeth, Alex Grey, altitude of consciousness (magenta, red, amber, orange, green, teal, turquoise, indigo, violet, ultraviolet), "What Is Integral?," A Theory of Everything.

most memorable moment:"How do I convey non-duality, with a bunch of dualistic forms on my hands? That’s one of the challenges…."

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