Aperture 93. Esalen Arts Symposium.

Photography 1982. Includes Robert Adams; Raymond Depardon; Frank Goehlke; William Christenberry; Ray Metzker; Jerome Liebling; Siegfried Halus; Linda Connor; John Grimes; Thomas Ockerse; Brewster Ghiselin; Michael E. Hoffman; Richard Price; Ingrid Sischy; Alison Knowles; Carole Kismaric; et al. Rear cover with color photo by Linda Connor from 20 x 24 Polaroid. Summary:

The Winter 1983 issue of Aperture (No. 93), titled "Esalen Arts Symposium," serves as a curated transcript of the philosophical and spiritual inquiries born from a historic gathering at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur. The issue moves beyond the technical mechanics of the medium to explore photography as a vehicle for the "Human Potential Movement," focusing on the psychological and transpersonal dimensions of the creative act.

Thematic Focus: The Creative Process

The volume is structured around the dialogues and visual contributions of a diverse group of artists and critics who met to discuss the "internal landscape" of the creator. The core inquiry is whether art can serve as a transformative tool for both the practitioner and the viewer, transcending the ego to reach a collective or spiritual truth.

Integrated Portfolios and Essays

The contributors presented a wide spectrum of photographic philosophies, ranging from social landscape to abstract mysticism:

• The Changing Landscape: The issue features significant work exploring the human relationship to the environment, from the stark, critical views of the "New Topographics" to the culturally rich, decaying structures of the American South.

• The Urban and the Abstract: High-contrast street studies and urban patterns are juxtaposed with innovative experiments in light and movement, emphasizing the camera’s ability to find order in the chaotic modern world.

• Intimacy and the Body: Several portfolios delve into the visceral and the personal, using the human form and ritualistic settings to explore the boundaries between the physical and the metaphysical.

• Editorial and Theoretical Critique: Leading editors and critics of the era provide a framework for these images, questioning the role of photography in the broader art market and its capacity for social and spiritual influence.

Core Philosophical Pillars

• Art as Transformation: A recurring theme throughout the symposium was the idea that the creative process is a form of self-actualization—a way to map the psyche through the lens.

• The Collaborative Dialogue: Unlike typical monographs, this issue emphasizes the "symposium" aspect, blending poetry, transcripts of discussions, and visual sequences to create a multi-layered intellectual experience.

• The Sacred in the Mundane: Whether documenting a rural storefront or a forest floor, the featured work consistently seeks to find a "sacred" quality in the everyday, reflecting the Esalen ethos of mindfulness and expanded consciousness.

Historical Significance

Aperture 93 remains a landmark edition for its attempt to codify the "spiritual" trend in 1980s photography. It captured a moment when the medium was being used not just to report on the world, but to investigate the very nature of human perception and the "inner light" that drives the artist.

Copies available:

• Very good with moderate wear on spine and small chip bottom edge rear cover near spine.
• Fine.