Ultrafeel.tv interviewed the intriguing visionary artist J. Myztico Campo from Cuba.
Myztico, what is your background and how did it all start?
It all started a few decades ago as my earthbound parental units sperm and egg collided together to combine their DNA and their molecular genetics to allow for my evolving space travelling spirit to inhabit a humanoid body to experience life as a human within the earth realm as part of what is called the “milky way galaxy”.
Ever since arriving here, I’ve been fascinated by the saving graces of creativity through various forms of expression.
I am a self taught creative explorer, my father inspired me as a child by opening up my eyes to art at the age of 5. He used to draw various characters and I recall that the idea of combining lines together to form figures and abstractions intrigued me.
Ever since then I’ve explored creativity through acting in Improv Theatre in NYC and touring the states with "The Family Life Theatre" sponsored by the NY Medical College. Then through painting and having several group shows in the NYC area as well as solo art exhibits throughout the states. Painting murals at several recording studios in NYC , nightclubs, office spaces and private residences.
My love of music from a very young age inspired me to play guitar during my late teens and I’ve been playing with a variety of bands over the years. You can hear samples of my work at my website.
I also studied digital filmmaking at the Digital Film Academy in NYC where I wrote & directed an experimental philosophical sci-fi film called 'The StarSeed Incident' in 2004 which won an 'Independent Light' award from the HBO sponsored NY Latino International Film Festival.
I am currently holding down guitar duties for the UK Nu-Acoustic World Fusion quintet 'OFF the GRID' playing various dates throughout the UK.
How long have you been involved in art already?
I would say close to 30 earth years now, as far as a creative soul time scale I would say at least 1'600+ earth years exploring creativity within different realms.
Our spirits contain the essence of divine creativity. There are many evolved sentient beings that are able to express it a bit better than others, ultimately I would say that 95% of humans have that creative essence within them waiting to be explored through a child like type of wonder and awe.
As humans lose touch with their child like nature a lot of that creativity is lost because of the boxes they allow themselves to be placed in. Further constricting their imagination and allowing for more of a spectator mindset that allows apathy to settle in slowly but surely.
How would you describe your art, is it psychedelic, visionary or otherwise?
Categories and tags are typically created by the society in which we inhabit or the individual experiencing the art. Although my site is indeed titled 'Visionary Psychedelic Surrealism by Myztico' these descriptions are used for search engine optimization purposes. Ideally, on a personal level I tend to think of my work as "InterDimensional" for the simple reason that a lot of the inspiration for the imagery is absorbed through a combination of dreams, vision quests, meditations and entheogenic explorations.
These "InterDimensional" realms reveal worlds that exist parallel to our limited five sense existence. These alternate dimensions can be incredibly beautiful and deeply inspiring, while others can be extremely haunting and dark. It is the balance of the cosmos in action, sort of like the Yin-Yang energies that are at play on an infinite cosmic level. William Blake had said that, "The Eternal body of Man is the IMAGINATION" and it is a quote that I wholeheartedly agree with. We can very well be experiencing a three dimensional hologram that our collective psyche projects as our lives unfold???
Have you had experiences with psychedelic substances or have you ever had spontaneous visionary experiences? In the spirit of being candid, I will say that yes I have explored the properties of entheogenic plants over the years. The plant kingdom has a lot to teach humanity and the so called "leaders" of the world could seriously benefit from shamanic cleansing through ayahuasca ceremonies or Native American peyote rituals. I strongly believe that it was through the assistance of entheogens over millions of years that humanity has been able to evolve. The problem with corporate government "leaders" is their disturbing addiction to power, war, control and money, it is a toxic addiction that destroys more lives and harms the environment on a mass scale than any "illegal drug or entheogen" can ever accomplish. |
My experiences have been for the most part extremely positive as my intent to explore these realms have always been of a sacred respectful nature and rarely for frivolous purposes. I find it hard to accept the arrogance of "governmental controllers" to deem our Divine Creators plants as "illegal"! What a farce and a truly sad ignorant one, that these close minded power hungry individuals who play the roles of "leaders" fear that adults who want to explore their inner space can cause harm to society! My humble theory is that they don’t want a mass population with open expanded minds to see beyond the illusion of a New World Order control grid. But it’s ok to sell tobacco/alcohol/prozac/ritalin/lithium, etc… to numb and dumb down the masses so they are easier to control and manipulate!
Yes I’ve also had several spontaneous visionary experiences as well, sort of like creative epiphanies that come out of no where! We are each receivers of psychic energy waves that are transmitted from a deeper source of infinite wisdom and love. Some of us are able to tune into these frequencies a bit more intuitively than others. It's just a matter of switching the mental channels and allowing the psychic flow to inform your DNA or Chakra vibrations. In two of my experimental videos 'A day in Amsterdam' & 'Psychonaut' (see above) I superficially explore some of these realms due to minimal budgets. I would welcome a real budget to more effectively explore these realms in a meaningful interdimensional manner that combines art, music, spiritual and philosophical elements to help break down the illusion that we are all currently experiencing within this earth realm.
Are your paintings a reflection of the visionary worlds that can be accessed with the help of psychedelics and/or meditation? Yes it is a reflection of personal experiences and visions I’ve had over the years whether it be in dreamtime states, meditation or entheogenic journeys. I’ve also done quite a bit of work without the aid of any of the above, just by tuning the brain frequencies to a different channel whilst in the creative 5th dimensional zone. You know the old saying, "Seeing is Believing", well if that’s the case I TRULY Believe as I’ve witnessed thus far some rather interesting visions. Obviously when it’s translated onto canvas there is only so much I can technically translate onto canvas. I can give an impression of the experience yet there is so much more to it that is better left to the imagination as it is difficult to translate into a 2 dimensional realm of a canvas. Once again I never formally studied art, all I know is that I enjoyed being part of it since I was a child. It is a blessing that I have some ability to express this creativity within a human realm, and for that simple reason I am thankful to our Divine Creator on a daily basis. "Creativity is my Religion"!
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One finds lots of 'symbols of death' in your paintings, why is that?
I believe that in any of the arts, the "great mystery of death" and the afterlife has intrigued all ancient cultures simply because of the great unknown and the human mind trying to analyze and cope with mortality. Therefore by exploring some of these symbols it is rather cathartic to the human mind and allows us some comfort that one of the greatest joys of being alive within this realm is the ability to create. Look at the history of art, from the most ancient of cave/rock art to the present, the symbolism of death is present everywhere.
Death is a great pre-occupier of the human species and it is only natural that art reflects this curiousity. After all when you think of it humanity has been at war with itself since the very beginning, the human species is hell bent on self destruction unfortunately. What is the force behind this dark energy that is pulling the strings here? The great veil of perceptions hides so much from our limited 5 sense minds. We use such a small fraction of our mind, our DNA strands and our Chakra systems are not fully switched on as of yet. Perhaps the Mayans interpretations of 2012 was to be the ascending evolution of the human spirit as we are introduced to our cosmic family, food for thought here…hmmm…
What is the relationship between life and death?
We can discuss this topic for many days perhaps many weeks and still only be speculating. In my humble opinion the relationship between life and death allows for the continued renewable evolution of all that is the divine, all that is ONE within the GOD nature. The vast connection to the cosmic web of Infinite Love, Wisdom, Beauty, Creativity, Freedom and life energies in all of its interdimensional shapes & forms is simply beyond our comprehension.
Through meditation, visualizations and the power of positive intent as well as exploration of the Dreamtime and Entheogenic rituals we can have a small glimpse into this eternal "Oneness". Just knowing that "death" is a transition of energies and a continued experience of unspeakable realms is rather comforting to say the least. I’ve always embraced the thought "To Live is to Dream, to Die is to awaken".
This thought alone is truly inspiring as we continue to ask ourselves the big questions of Life…Who Am I? Where did I come from? What is the purpose and meaning of my life? What can I learn while I am here? What can I do to leave behind a better world? We can each respond to these questions within our own instincts and minds as our experiences will shape those answers accordingly…
So what do you think happens after death?
Once again it is truly speculative and so many ancient cultures and world religions will provide their viewpoints or dogma to answer this question.
Personally based on some of the visionary experiences I’ve encountered my instincts tell me that our spirit leaves the physical realm to re-connect with the infinite luminous vibrational energy that binds the cosmic infinite of inner and outer space.
This allows our spirit a chance to further evolve into further interdimensional realms that may mirror some of our human experiences or completely attain a higher state of evolutionary consciousness that words just cannot describe. We’ve all died before and we are here at present to experience this moment in human history.
There are also many evolved beings here that will help humanity towards its next evolutionary stage. These are certainly fascinating times to be alive as we witness the unfolding of a controlling police state matrix that is happening internationally. Scientific fascism, technological tyranny, fear mongering within a surveillance society further erodes the liberty of we the people as more power is consolidated in the hands of just a few corrupt power addicted eugenecists to enslave humanity. Is this the death of liberty evolving into a U.N dictated militaristic police state? I hope not as more and more people internationally wake up to the agenda of this "Illuminati Madness"! Are you awake?
How has the general public reaction as well as your friends reaction been towards your art? Are there also critical voices?
I will honestly say that I’ve had a high percentage of positive feedback of my work whether it be my paintings, music or my experimental videos. I don’t consciously create art for "mass consumption" as my intent was never to be a "pop artist". I create without analysing or questioning the process, I am only a humble medium and these energies flow through me.
Sometimes I’m not even aware of the meaning of what flows through me, it is the subconscious at play coming from a higher source. It’s difficult for me to follow "art trends" as I can only create with honest intent and what I resonate with as a sentient being. I create to help keep me sane in this insane world. It will be interesting to get feedback from the Ultrafeel audience, good, bad or indifferent.
What about movies, which ones do you like?
There are so many great inspired films and so many genres that I enjoy, in order to keep this as brief as possible I will attempt to name 20 films/directors that I never get bored of watching, and in no particular order here we go:
2001: A Space Odyssey, Blueberry, Frida, America: Freedom to Fascism, Enter the Dragon, A Clockwork Orange, Apocalypse Now, Close Encounters of the third kind, all films by Akira Kurosawa, Martin Scorcese & Alejandro Jodorwosky, Spirited Away, The Excorcist, District 9, Alien, Fall of the Republic, Caligula, Apocalypto, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Easy Rider, Blue Velvet, Matrix Trilogy, Star Wars episode 4 & 5, Trainspotting, Motorcycle Diaries, Che parts 1 & 2, Braveheart…
So many great directors I am sure I missed quite a few…I am looking forward to checking out James Cameron’s "Avatar" as well…
As you mentioned you play music as well; tell us more about it. I’ve been playing guitar for several years now and music is a deep passion of mine as well, once again you can listen to samples of my work on the links shown above. Music, art and film are all passions of mine that work well together. My current band OFF the GRID is touring England and are proud to be associated with Onedifference.org foundation. We contribute £1 for each CD sold to help build play pumps throughout Africa that supplies clean drinking water to villages that otherwise would not have access to it. The video to the right was an improvisational jam we did in honour of the "One Water" cause. |
Do you currently exhibit your art? Where can we see you in the future? Any vernissage in the pipeline?
I have had several private exhibits in Yorkshire and my work is on display at several local galleries in the UK.
My website will have updates of gallery exhibits for 2010. I also just set up a shop as well of artwear and other goodies at: Zazzle.co.uk/LucidShaman (there are international versions of this site available upon request.)
Recently I designed a cover for a novel called 'Gone Hallucinogen Freeway' by Craig J. Moore. It can be found at Amazon.com
What do you think is the meaning of art?
On a personal level it is a release valve for all that is positive, sacred and cosmically spiritual. On a larger scale the meaning of art is to remind humans what it feels like to be ALIVE. Art shatters all boundaries and dogmas, art is the "heart of humanity". Can you imagine this world without any of the arts? It would be a very grey and oppressive existence, and wherever there is tyranny against humanity there is censorship of art in whatever form it may be.
Art informs, it inspires the human spirit. In the worst of cases it can be used as propaganda to brainwash the masses. In the best examples it can inspire a nation to revolt and unite against oppression as well. Art can be a religious experience as well as a healing experience. Art has many meanings, ultimately it is the expression of the human spirit at it’s best… Make ART, not war!!!
I’ve also noticed political themes in your work, can you tell us how this informs your art?
Good question, questioning authority throughout art history whether it be through satire, serious fine art, music, cinema, opera, etc….is the peoples way of exposing government oppression, or bring down monarchies whose tyranny the people can no longer bear. I’ve been interested in the cause and effect of government upon people for many years now.
Alternative journalism helps to spread the truth of what is going on within the framework of society beyond the mass media version of what is passed nowadays as "journalism". Mass media journalism is controlled by corporate fascist governments, they are there to only spread the government message and propaganda, a major tool of mass deception. When you visit my website there are two gallery sections that are dedicated to documentaries that will help all sentient beings wake up from their slumber and I urge your readers to check these out and share with their friends and families.
I like to frequent sites such as Infowars.com, Whatreallyhappened.com, Realitysandwich.com & of course Ultrafeel.tv to have a more direct channel of truth perspectives. It is important for ALL artists to mirror the society in which they live to expose corruption, fraud and madness by an elite few. Culture jammers are modern day art heroes that expose this dark aspect of society to the many that are asleep. Artists like Ron English (Propaganda.com) & Alex Grey (Alexgrey.com) expose these elements with two very extremely different and unique styles.
Lastly, what is the meaning of life…?
Are we here for a very limited amount of time to experience the "samsara" of the earth realm and continue our spiritual evolution? Or better yet to try and leave a positive impact while we are visiting, to raise human consciousness by whatever means necessary.
To battle oppression and tyranny whilst we are here, to ignite and keep alive the spirit of liberty at all costs for future generations. To create timeless art that can also inspire future generations…the meaning of life is to spread love and compassion as best as possible. Then once you have achieved some of these dreams you can let go of your physical body and know that you tried your best in a positive compassionate way whilst here and prepare for the next stage of evolution.
Namaste to Ultrafeel and to ALL sentient beings. Feel free to contact me through my website with any thoughts and comments…
Myztico
Publication of the paintings need expressed written permission of J. Myztico Campo.
Publication of this interview needs setting a link to ultrafeel.tv with the keywords "Myztico Campo's Visionary Psychedelic Surrealism Art".
J. Myztico Campo was born in Cuba, raised in Hell's Kitchen, New York City, and now resides with his family in Yorkshire, England. He is a visionary psychedelic artist, painter and musician.
His painting to the left titled 'Shamanizing' has become part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Native Americans in Washington, DC. His works are mostly acrylic on canvas based as well as recent digital realm explorations.
Myztico is also exploring the parallel creative dimensions by his love of filmmaking and photography.
More of Myztico Campo's visionary psychedelic art and music on his site:
Myzticocampo.com
Truly beautiful beyond boundaries sacred and spiritual..:)
I stumbled upon this interview by accident and I am so glad I did. What wonderful art and deep thoughts presented here that has now sent me on a tangent to research more about what Myztico has mentioned. I also visited his website and there is so much there to explore it boggles my mind, I also have been looking through UltraFeel and there is so much great stuff here as well, definitely bookmarked as a favorite…Thanks so much!
Simply put: I love it!
Intensive and creative. Good to know this exists in our times…
I really enjoyed this interview, very insightful and thought provoking. The artwork presented here is stunning and actually altered my perception. Also visited your websites and WOW! It’s certainly going to take some time to get through it all. Wishing you a succesful 2010! Love Tara
Looks and feels like mexican art! Sehen aus wie Bilder aus Tiefenmeditationen. Das zeigt doch wieder, wie es viele Wege gibt die nach Rom führen!
Guter Artikel.
Hey man…! Freeway to nirvana… with holy medicine! Like our ancestors who has used it for many many thousands of years..! Hey Myztico, go for it and wish you the best! D-Kali
wowww..what a nice story and sooo amazing picture!!! full of colour and mystic world…
crazy and phantastic I LIKE IT