Magic Carpet Ride Painting

This painting was created while in residence in Kathmandu, Nepal. It was inspired by threads found between culture, spirituality, and personal experience. Psychedelic art evolved from Surrealism and Art Nouveau. it carried on their investigations of the subconscious while finding its footing in modern culture. made popular by the music of the era, psychedelic art leaned in detail, color, and style to reflect the collective consciousness of its viewers. around the same time, westerners began a continuous pilgrimage by bus from Istanbul to Kathmandu. the route became known as the Hippie Trail, a one-way ticket was only $75. passengers traveled through Turkey, Iran, and Afghanistan to reach what they believed to be Nirvana. ultimately, the trail closed in the late 70s. historians cite two main causes. one, the Iranian Revolution and Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan physically closed the Middle Eastern leg of the trail. and two, Nixon pressured the Nepali government to ban cannabis nationwide. the second reason typically gets more attention than the first. while there was a brief decline in tourism, did that really stop hippies from seeking out Nepal? fantasies of eastern culture pervade hippie communities still, to the point of fetishization. there is something here, something magical and intangible and enthralling. I may not know what it is, but she might.