Ramblings of a Feverish Mind
by Charles Csuri, 1993    [ go to part 2 ]

"This is what happens when I'm bored or nothing is working
on the computer.  I begin writing notes to myself. "
-- email from Charles Csuri

The Poetic Myth

Mythology helps me to look at how myths affect my beliefs, particularily my perception of reality. I see in them an imaginative tradition about how we look at nature, art, history and destiny of the world, the gods, man and society. I tend to view myths as poetry rather than literal truth, either historical or scientific. As a symbolic way of thinking.

Mythology represents a poetic way of communication as I search for meanings beneath the surface. I have an interest in the similarities and parallels between myths from different cultures. The patterns that offer the explanations about the origins of life and the forces that influence the way we all look at reality. In many respects myths are virtual realities which enter our consciousness and shape our perceptions of existence. Human beings have always invented virtual realities to give their lives meaning and purpose. Instead of a scientific explanation of phenomena, i.e., thunder and lighting or a hurricane force, I prefer a God of Thunder and Lightning or a God of the Winds. As an artist this has great appeal to my imagination. I love the idea that man was formed on a potter's wheel from clay or emerged from a cosmic egg.

Mythical Muses

The Egyptian God Khnum told me that he actually created the entire human race on his potter's wheel. He advised me to distrust much about scientific explanations because they do not truly offer a meaningful explanation about the origins of the Universe or the appearance of human- kind on this earth. To me it is an awesome notion to even conceive that there was once nothing but darkness or at what stage light appeared? Is it possible that matter emerged from light or space from water?

There are many Gods who have influenced me in my work and who have offered me guidance on my presentation of reality. The Hindu Deity, Prajapati or Brahma, who is the Lord of Creatures, creator of the universe, father of gods, dreams and creatures--he encouraged me to present a reality which has a dream-like quality where I see strange distorted figures, monsters and even hybrid beings. They change their shapes and possess magical powers.

The Japanese Buddha Amida (Boundless Light) has taught me how to use color, which is not bounded by the geometry of objects in our world, but where color functions more as light in a boundless three-dimensional space. He said it is necessary to have an aura of infinity in my presentation of reality.

The Hindu God Varuna also talked to me about a spiritual image of an infinity that embraces and illumines. I am not sure I understand what he means but he has encouraged me to think about reality enveloped in light. Varuna suggested I consider an ethereal purity of space against a background of nothingness.

Uranus the Greek God of the Sky invited me to leave the earth and live in his domain. The Egyptian Goddess, Nut, Goddess of the Sky also told me to forget about gravity or that we are located on a physical plane. Shadows are meaningless because they simply keep us on the earth, besides shadows represent the evil spirit of an underworld. I have been advised to avoid Persephone the Greek Queen of the Underworld or Osiris the Egyptian God of Death, at all costs.

   [ go to part 2 ]