ROBERT MAPPLETHORPE – AS ABOVE, SO BELOW
2014-02-17The phrase “as above, so below” refers to a Hermetic principle, which suggests that whatever happens on one level of reality also occurs on a separate level. The idea relates to the ancient Greek concept of microcosm and macrocosm, which recognized that patterns reproduce on small and large scales. Whether understood as reflection or repetition, the philosophy provided a rational explanation of a unifying theory, and the Greeks devised a way to measure it: the golden ratio. Approximated within many works of art, artists would use this equation to achieve aesthetic perfection.
The “as above, so below” concept posits humankind as a midpoint of the cosmos. The characteristics of an individual who embodies this maxim epitomize one who transcends duality by bringing things out of the darkness into the light, exploring the world in order to master it. Commonly misconceived as esoteric, the true purpose of the message is to communicate a collective unconscious and mutual accord, not to deliver judgment or affirm dogma.
Considered from this perspective, Robert Mapplethorpe’s work and his artistic motivations suggest that he employed a particular method; the symmetry and compositions achieve a sort of proportional perfection, as outlined by the golden ratio theory, but they also translate unification between ideologically opposing subjects. Attempting to persuade that a shared aesthetic exists between photographs of what some consider obscene and what most agree to be beautiful – that they both embody visual perfection – may only resonate to others as a viable argument if geometry is considered.
Opposite – Lisa Lyon, 1982
Exhibition runs through from February 28th to March 29th, 2014
OHWOW
937 N. La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles
CA
90069
