Ludger Philips. Image Work
Most of the image work took place in the invisible. For a long time it was part of the parallel existence alongside the external professional identity and combined with the search of the essence. What became visible was mostly dissolved again later. Some came back from the invisible into the visible. The images are only slowly beginning to manifest themselves in a solid form and embark upon their own paths.
Biographical Keywords:
Childhood
Experiments with mystic visual worlds during worship in churches, generating eidetic images, at the border between inside and outside, generated by physical pressure on the eyes; later tried to paint them
Youth and early adolescence
Rigorous art education at the Urban High School Ahlen (Germany) by Herrmann Schweizer. Fascinated by Vasareli and Dali. Geometric paper works. Dreamy yearnings
Adolescence
Psychedelic journeys, visual explosions generated by substances, trying to realize them in the form of drawings, watercolor, oil paintings. Light projection installations and wall paintings in the parents' basement, woodwork
Years of study
Beginning to meditate, deepening the experience of inner images.
Wall and window paintings in a flat sharing community on a farm, partly done with fluorescent dyes and UV light. Watercolour and oil paintings with influences of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism (Fuchs, Hundertwasser), pop culture, and JE Millais' Ophelia.
1974
Application to the Art Academy Münster, interview and withdrawal.
until 1980
Semi-transparent images in A6 format with UHU glue as "colour", some done with gold paint on paper and glass. Zen-inspired art / Hokusai Meditation seminars lasting several months / travels into inner visual worlds, some "travel sketches"
1980
Self-published poetry book: "The song of silence. Condensed thoughts and illustrations", Freiburg, with images in gold print on marbled paper (preserved)
From September 1981
After a profound spiritual experience intensive painting activity with "Fiery Paintings" / liquid glazing paint on A4, some with gold paint / fast glue
1981-2
Presentation of the images at meditation seminars, little understanding and resonance with friends. Start of the early trips to India, intensifying the internal journeys through the study of Eastern and Western spiritual philosophies
1983-4, -1990
Anthroposophic art classes during the training as a Waldorf teacher, Witten-Annen (Germany) until 1990 Paintings on silk, with acryl, liquid glazing paint and panel pictures
1990
Stopping to paint, under the influence of a spiritual group. Beginning of a 19-year break.
1997
Destruction of almost all images (about 100 works) as a detachment from past influences. Most of the images were photographed and conserved in a book, partly as slides. 2003: giving away the photo-book to a friend
2000
Beginning of spiritual photographic works and online works
2009
First restoration and PowerPoint presentation of a selection of the "Fiery Paintings" as "The Song of Fire" to a meditation seminar in Engelberg, Switzerland
Autumn 2009
Online versions (German) (PPS) poems: "Shades of Yous" in 4 parts (Dense Thoughts / Fiery Trails - Encounters / Contours of Encounters / Autumn Light under the Moon Node)
from November 2009
Inner breakthrough in a deep crisis, new start regular working with images (digital and analog) after 19-year break, "Images of Synthesis", publication online and in ink printing, circulation among friends and spiritual network
2010
Online publication of "The Song of Silence" (1980)
October 2011 - March 2012
Digital restoration of all the remaining available photos of the "Fiery Paintings". Online publication with explanatory texts
Autumn 2012
Print of a selection of the "Images of Synthesis" at A2 / A 3
April 2013
Online publication of the images and poems on this website
April 2014
Online publication of "Shades of Yous. Poems", English version
November 2015
Publication of the French and Spanish pages of the website
December 2015 - June 2016
First public exposition of the Images of Synthesis" in the Art Café "Café Bilderbuch", Berlin
February 2020
A photo book (here PDF) on the occasion of ten years of "Spiritual Astrology Paintings"
Summer 2020
A little constant exposition of some "Images of Synthesis" paintings in the garden of a Belgian friend
2023 -
"Aquarian Salon": Open online group exchanges on contemplative art, astrology and wisdom teachings 4 times a year, one salon per season. Artwork from the "Images of Synthesis" is presented and discussed as per the topics. Further information (PDF)
Summer 2024
"The Gallery of Synthesis": the physical paintings, related albums and digital artwork found a home near Murcia, Southern Spain for the creation of a permanent exposition at the WTT Vamsi centre.
