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Sacred Mirrors: The Visionary Art of Alex Grey
This unique series of paintings takes the viewer on a graphic, visionary journey through the physical, metaphysical, and spiritual anatomy of the self. From anatomically correct rendering of the body systems, Grey moves to the spiritual/energetic systems with such images as "Universal Mind Lattice," envisioning the sacred and esoteric symbolism of the body and the forces that define its living field of energy.
Includes essays on the significance of Grey's work by Ken Wilber, the eminent transpersonal psychologist, and by the noted New York art critic, Carlo McCormick.
Includes essays on the significance of Grey's work by Ken Wilber, the eminent transpersonal psychologist, and by the noted New York art critic, Carlo McCormick.
96 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1990
35 people are currently reading
3129 people want to read
About the author
Alex Grey
155 books167 followersAlex Grey was born in Columbus, Ohio on November 29, 1953 (Sagittarius), the middle child of a gentle middle-class couple. His father was a graphic designer and encouraged his son’s drawing ability. Young Alex would collect insects and dead animals from the suburban neighborhood and bury them in the back yard. The themes of death and transcendence weave throughout his artworks, from the earliest drawings to later performances, paintings and sculpture. Alex went to the Columbus College of Art and Design on full scholarship from 1971-3. Grey dropped out of art school and painted billboards for Columbus Outdoor Advertising, 1973-4. Grey then moved to Boston to study with and work as studio assistant for conceptual artist, Jay Jaroslav, at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1974-5. At the Museum School, Alex met his life-long partner, the artist, Allyson Rymland Grey. At their meeting in 1975, an entheogenically induced mystical experience transformed his agnostic existentialism to a radical transcendentalism. The Grey couple continued to take “sacramental journeys” on LSD. For five years, Alex worked in the Anatomy department at Harvard Medical School preparing cadavers for dissection while he studied the body on his own. He later worked for Dr. Herbert Benson and Dr. Joan Borysenko as a research technologist at Harvard’s department of Mind/Body Medicine, conducting scientific experiments to investigate subtle healing energies. Alex’s anatomical training prepared him for painting the Sacred Mirrors (see below) and for working as a medical illustrator. Doctors at Harvard saw images of his Sacred Mirrors, and hired Alex for illustration work.
Grey instructed Artistic Anatomy and Figure Sculpture for ten years at New York University, and has taught the Visionary Art Intensive and other art workshops with Allyson at The New York Open Center, Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado, the California Institute of Integral Studies and Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York. The couple now teach MAGI workshops (Mystic Artists Guild International) at CoSM in Wappinger, New York. In 1972 Grey began a series of art actions that bear resemblance to rites of passage, in that they present stages of a developing psyche. The approximately fifty performance rites, conducted over the last thirty years move through transformations from an egocentric to more sociocentric and increasingly worldcentric and theocentric identity. In a major performance entitled WorldSpirit, spoken word poetry in musical collaboration with Kenji Williams was released in 2004 as a DVD.
Grey’s unique series of 21 life-sized paintings, the Sacred Mirrors, take the viewer on a journey toward their own divine nature by examining, in detail, the body, mind, and spirit. The Sacred Mirrors, present the physical and subtle anatomy of an individual in the context of cosmic, biological and technological evolution. Begun in 1979, the series took a period of ten years to complete. It was during this period that Alex developed depictions of the human body that “x-ray” the multiple layers of reality, and reveal the interplay of anatomical and spiritual forces. After painting the Sacred Mirrors, he applied this multidimensional perspective to such archetypal human experiences as praying, meditation, kissing, copulating, pregnancy, birth, nursing and dying. Grey’s recent work explores the subject of consciousness from the perspective of “universal beings” whose bodies are grids of fire, eyes and infinite galactic swirls.
Renowned healers Olga Worral and Rosalyn Bruyere express appreciation for the skillful portrayal of clairvoyant vision his paintings of translucent glowing bodies. Countless teachers and spiritual leaders, including Deepak Choprah, incorporate Alex’s art in their power point presentations. Grey’s paintings have been featured in venues as diverse as the album art of TOOL, SCI, the Beastie Boys and Nirvana, Time and Newsweek magazines, the Discovery Chan
Grey instructed Artistic Anatomy and Figure Sculpture for ten years at New York University, and has taught the Visionary Art Intensive and other art workshops with Allyson at The New York Open Center, Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado, the California Institute of Integral Studies and Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York. The couple now teach MAGI workshops (Mystic Artists Guild International) at CoSM in Wappinger, New York. In 1972 Grey began a series of art actions that bear resemblance to rites of passage, in that they present stages of a developing psyche. The approximately fifty performance rites, conducted over the last thirty years move through transformations from an egocentric to more sociocentric and increasingly worldcentric and theocentric identity. In a major performance entitled WorldSpirit, spoken word poetry in musical collaboration with Kenji Williams was released in 2004 as a DVD.
Grey’s unique series of 21 life-sized paintings, the Sacred Mirrors, take the viewer on a journey toward their own divine nature by examining, in detail, the body, mind, and spirit. The Sacred Mirrors, present the physical and subtle anatomy of an individual in the context of cosmic, biological and technological evolution. Begun in 1979, the series took a period of ten years to complete. It was during this period that Alex developed depictions of the human body that “x-ray” the multiple layers of reality, and reveal the interplay of anatomical and spiritual forces. After painting the Sacred Mirrors, he applied this multidimensional perspective to such archetypal human experiences as praying, meditation, kissing, copulating, pregnancy, birth, nursing and dying. Grey’s recent work explores the subject of consciousness from the perspective of “universal beings” whose bodies are grids of fire, eyes and infinite galactic swirls.
Renowned healers Olga Worral and Rosalyn Bruyere express appreciation for the skillful portrayal of clairvoyant vision his paintings of translucent glowing bodies. Countless teachers and spiritual leaders, including Deepak Choprah, incorporate Alex’s art in their power point presentations. Grey’s paintings have been featured in venues as diverse as the album art of TOOL, SCI, the Beastie Boys and Nirvana, Time and Newsweek magazines, the Discovery Chan
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
May 20, 2013
I thoroughly enjoy Alex Grey's work and would have given this 5 stars if not for one image in particular in which he seems to be hierarchically categorizing sexual acts, placing heteronormative acts near "godliness" and homosexual acts near "evil." This was deeply disturbing.
August 23, 2007
It turns out that the liminal space between spirituality and kitsch is guarded by that evil skinless man from the first Hellraiser movie. Beware!
September 3, 2011
Alex Grey (no relation) is absolutely my favorite modern artist. I, too, enjoyed Transfigurations slightly more, but only slightly. Sacred Mirrors is the perfect name though. His paintings are Eucharistic for me, and prismatic reflections of all of us. Truly spectacular.
January 20, 2024
The fantasy art of Alex Grey looks like he took a bunch of hallucinogenics and then painted his hallucinations. His art is good and his attention to details are amazing but I'm not a big fan and only like a few of his paintings. I gave this book a one star because I expected it to be a book of his art but the main focus is on art from an exhibit he did. Only at the end did he include other paintings from after the exhibit which is focused on the soul. He includes the spiritual meaning of the artwork and a few times he includes spiritual qoutes to help with his spiritual messages. Spiritual people will probably love this book more than I did.
May 10, 2014
Amazing! I have this book more than a two years, but for the first time I decided to read introduction and Alex's notes. And his marvelious pictures and art became more interesting and mysterious. Everyone knows Alex's art, but there's something important in description. Anyway, when you're reading a book - it's one experience, but when you're in museum at exhibition - it's absolutely other feelings.
January 3, 2009
Not as big or as broad as Transfigurations; Sacred Mirrors could be described as his exploration and reinterpretation of the human body. It's some pretty wild visual art, and worth checking out. Alex Grey has done a lot of artwork for the band Tool, which is where I found out about him. If you're into their artwork, check him out.
Want to read
July 21, 2016This is a fantastic look at Grey's work. Excellent background and explanations of the imagery. Previously, I had been unaware of his performance art, which brings his painting into sharper perspective.
November 3, 2015
Alex Grey
March 6, 2021
I found the book after I had read Variable Star by Heinlein & Spider Robinson. There is a scene where the protagonist is meditating in front of a screen that shows images from the Sacred Mirrors, describing several in turn. It piqued my curiosity, so I went looking online, starting with Spider's site. The site was easy enough to find, so I looked at the pictures online and decided along with hubby & Dad, that we should get the book, which came autographed! The book was reasonably priced as well.
Before the plates of Grey's paintings, which are splendidly detailed and eerily accurate anatomically, there are several essays, including the author's description of how he came to paint the Sacred Mirrors. Also included are pictures of other art, including his performance art. It's small for a coffee table book, but I would put it out there anyway for ease of access. (First, the guys need to clean our coffee table off. They made a real mess.)
Before the plates of Grey's paintings, which are splendidly detailed and eerily accurate anatomically, there are several essays, including the author's description of how he came to paint the Sacred Mirrors. Also included are pictures of other art, including his performance art. It's small for a coffee table book, but I would put it out there anyway for ease of access. (First, the guys need to clean our coffee table off. They made a real mess.)
May 11, 2023
Sacred Mirrors: The Visionary Art of Alex Grey by Ken Wilber and Carlo McCormick (Inner Traditions International 1990) (759.13) (3786).
This is a collection of prints from the artist Alex Grey, most of which revolve around studies of the human body.
I’m not sure what I expected, but this beautiful volume was not it.
I purchased a used oversized PB copy in good condition on 5/8/23 from Amazon for $11.36.
My rating: 7/10, finished 5/11/23 (3786).
PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP
May 19, 2020
Good pictures but filled with pagan, ideologico-artistic feet in the doors. He subtly inserts religious ideology into the meaning of the paintings while being overtly homophobic. It seems Alex Grey took Freud literally in this book, and then added some Bacchus mixed with ecstasy and acid. This... yet another... mythologization (albeit modern) of sexuality belongs in the dark ages. Good artistic work to look at if you're on acid or something... but quite dark seeing as how the psychedelic message has been tainted with preconceived ideologies and 'transfigurations' (Platonic nonsense).
This is what you call religious erotica. The fact of sex is replaced by an egocentric mythologization and hypostatization---the same thing that Freud wrote about in Totem and Taboo whereby human sexuality gets replaced and substituted for by representation, custom and emotional belief rooted in a fundamental narcissism and infantile impotence. Making this into some sort of divine image as Alex Grey has done is, quite frankly, a gross regression and the opposite of sexual liberation and freedom.
This is what you call religious erotica. The fact of sex is replaced by an egocentric mythologization and hypostatization---the same thing that Freud wrote about in Totem and Taboo whereby human sexuality gets replaced and substituted for by representation, custom and emotional belief rooted in a fundamental narcissism and infantile impotence. Making this into some sort of divine image as Alex Grey has done is, quite frankly, a gross regression and the opposite of sexual liberation and freedom.
March 17, 2021
Sacred Mirrors covers Grey's transcendental art series of the same name, a series of 21 panels or mirrors meant to stimulate reflection and contemplation about our inner selves, our outer bodies and our connection to and place within the universe
The world is a much better place with Alex and Allyson Grey, leading the spiritual revolution. There cannot be a societal revolution without a spiritual revolution at the individual level
The world is a much better place with Alex and Allyson Grey, leading the spiritual revolution. There cannot be a societal revolution without a spiritual revolution at the individual level
February 10, 2021
For fans of Alex Grey, this book is an excellent addition to the coffee table or shelf. It includes excellent background on Alex Grey’s earlier years as a performance artist as well as over 50 large color plates of his Sacred Mirrors collection as well as quite a few others from around that time. Truly a feast for the eyes and the soul.
November 19, 2025
As a longtime fan of Alex Grey's artwork, I got this book mainly for the pictures. While it certainly delivers in that regard, I also liked learning a bit about the author and the process(es) behind the art. I appreciated all the thought and detail that went into each piece. Alex Grey is a visionary artist who produces timeless works of art that can be enjoyed by anyone.
July 25, 2019
Credulous at best, your desire to believe in angels in the hearts of men.
Pull your head on out your hippy haze and give a listen.
Shouldn't have to say it all again.
The universe is hostile. so Impersonal. devour to survive.
So it is. So it's always been.
Pull your head on out your hippy haze and give a listen.
Shouldn't have to say it all again.
The universe is hostile. so Impersonal. devour to survive.
So it is. So it's always been.
September 5, 2018
I loved this guy untill his Obama portrait, how naive! I was greatly dissapointed, but his artwork is phainomenal
January 13, 2020
Fascinating works.
April 5, 2021
The art and the messages cointained on this precious book it's something that as an artist, I'll treasure it as long as there's a breath in me. Inspirational
August 28, 2023
sick art, looks good on the coffee table too. weird prophetic intros for the artist tho
April 7, 2025
The way you look at me makes my breath hitch. Let's rewrite the script for tonight, with a touch more passion in every glance.
March 15, 2017
Amazing! One of my favorite artist if not my all time favorite. The reading is just as good. This was a birthday gift from a great friend.
April 15, 2016
Simply and utterly amazing collection of paintings from one of the greatest contemporary artists still alive and working. With introductions by Ken Wilber, Carlo McCormick and Grey himself, in which the framework for the rest of the book is to be contextualized in, the paintings collected here show all human dimensions (namely, physical, psychological and spiritual) often at one glance, butrevealing a staggering amount of details to the patient and inquiring eye.
Seriously, this is one book to have. And to have it at the reach of your hand as often as possible. The possibilities for exploration and contemplation of what is in these pages are as vast as your willingness to dive into them.
Simple y llanamente, esta es una increíble colección de pinturas de uno de los más grandes artistas contemporáneos que todavía esté vivo y trabajando. Con introducciones de Ken Wilber, Carlo McCormick y el propio Grey, en las que se asienta el marco en el que contextualizar el resto del libro, las pinturas aquí recogidas muestran todas las dimensiones humanas (principalmente, la física, la psicológica y la espiritual), habitualmente visibles en una sola mirada, pero revelando una cantidad asombrosa the detalles al ojo curioso.
En serio, este es un libro para tener. Y para tenerlo a mano con la mayor frecuencia posible. Las posibilidades de exploración y contemplación de lo que hay en estas páginas son tan vastas como tu voluntad para sumergirte en ellas.
Seriously, this is one book to have. And to have it at the reach of your hand as often as possible. The possibilities for exploration and contemplation of what is in these pages are as vast as your willingness to dive into them.
Simple y llanamente, esta es una increíble colección de pinturas de uno de los más grandes artistas contemporáneos que todavía esté vivo y trabajando. Con introducciones de Ken Wilber, Carlo McCormick y el propio Grey, en las que se asienta el marco en el que contextualizar el resto del libro, las pinturas aquí recogidas muestran todas las dimensiones humanas (principalmente, la física, la psicológica y la espiritual), habitualmente visibles en una sola mirada, pero revelando una cantidad asombrosa the detalles al ojo curioso.
En serio, este es un libro para tener. Y para tenerlo a mano con la mayor frecuencia posible. Las posibilidades de exploración y contemplación de lo que hay en estas páginas son tan vastas como tu voluntad para sumergirte en ellas.
August 30, 2008
I remember first seeing this book at a pizza shop in Lake Mary that all my friends worked at. My friend Dean was emphatically explaining to me and my buddy Mat that, "This is how it all is, man!!" Alex Grey will one day be looked at in the same light as Picasso and Michelangelo if you ask me. Visiting the actual paintings in NY in this book was easily one of the most spiritual experiences of my life and I actually felt for the first time what they are actually ( I think) meant to do.
April 23, 2015
Es un libro que se tiene que leer con una mente abierta. Alex Grey es capaz de congeniar el arte, la ciencia y la religión en una sola imagen, leer este tipo de libros abren el panorama sobre lo que no vemos pero sentimos, y aunque no soy fiel creyente de todo lo que leí, pude aprender varias cosas históricas sobre el arte psicodélico. Lo recomiendo! A demás de que este libro tiene unas excelentes láminas, y podría decir que mi pintura favorita es Gaia!
March 17, 2015
This book is amazing, Alex Grey is amazing. I love the full page images of his paintings, they are so very detailed, especially the anatomical ones. Each of these works of art are inspired by some insight around spiritual enlightenment as you might say. There is also a lot of theory around the Sacred Mirrors visionary art, such as critically looking at art through perennial philosophy. Fascinating!
March 28, 2008
Classic!
Alex Grey is also one of the nicest people to meet!!!
Wow!
Alex Grey is also one of the nicest people to meet!!!
Wow!
July 29, 2008
my favorite modern artist and possibly my favorite artist of all time shows off his transcendental masterpieces in this captivating book.
October 13, 2008
Just Buy it.
October 26, 2008
the definitive coffee-table book, imo
March 30, 2012
01/15/2011
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews