The Guggenheim - Hilma af Klint

Paintings for the Future, Hilma af Klint. 1906.

Reflecting on the works of Hilma af Klint at the Guggenheim, spirituality plays a major role in my personal life. My mother and father weren’t religious people so I was raised half-assed Roman Catholic. I was baptized before I could speak, my grandmother had the Last Supper hung above the kitchen door, and when I lose something, I ask Saint Anthony for help. There has always been a higher power that I recognized but I cannot label

it God. By praying to God, I felt that I would have to consider myself as Catholic or Christian, but I don’t think I am religious and don’t go to church. The avoidance stems from the fact that I do not support the Roman Catholic church because in some instances they have been known to abuse power and can be easily influenced by dollar signs.

The Paintings for the Future exhibition submerses me the feeling of connectiveness. Af Klint describes human life and involvement with the universe from the molecular view of atoms interacting, to her interpretation of what the universe resembles on a macro perspective. I enjoyed that a few of her pieces are intricate with design, color, and symbolism, and other pieces take more of an abstract approach, only having one or two designs on the canvas. The incorporation of simple shapes with transcendent ideas creates a mesmerizing viewing experience. Reflecting on her work, it is easy to fall into deep thought about our purpose on this planet and in this universe.

Af Klint, just like myself, chose to avoid the traditional path of spiritual belief. By choosing to embrace and practice theosophy, she was able to create these elaborate, massive paintings that she believed were directly transmitted through her from a higher power. Similarly, I believe the universe is reactionary and delivers what is asked of it. The Law of Attraction is a major part of my life and the idea of “ask to receive” is the foundation of all that is. Through manifestation, people can will the energy needed to receive whatever they are asking for. From materialistic items, to financial gain, anything I can visualize and actualize in my mind, I can receive.

In the book, “You are the Universe,” Deepak Chopra and Menas C. Kafatos, reflect on where our place is in the world. The first chapter describes their ideology that, “…creating something out of nothing is a human process, not a faraway cosmic event.” Humans greatest ideas come from nothing, just like most of the universe. Matter and energies collide to create intangible thoughts and mega black holes. Similar to af Klint, Chopra and Kafatos try to identify our purpose in this lifetime and encourage people to think more broadly about their participation in the universe.