Chemical Rainbows and Liquid Crystal Souls: The Spirit of Alchemy in the History of Art

January 18, 2017, The Getty Center
Lecture by David Brafman
Introductory remarks by Marcia Reed
In medieval Europe, alchemy was known as the Great Art; in Islam, it was simply "the Art." In this lecture, David Brafman, associate curator of rare books at the Getty Research Institute and curator of the exhibition “The Art of Alchemy,” explores this mysterious and misunderstood subject and its influence on artistic practice and expression from antiquity to the present day. From the seeds of its practice in Greco-Egyptian and Chinese antiquity, alchemical knowledge and techniques developed along the medieval "silk routes" of Central Asia, India, and the Middle East. Eventually filtering into Europe, the "Great Art of Alchemy" made an indelible impact on the art, science, and creative culture that flourished in the Renaissance and well into the Enlightenment. Materials invented in alchemical laboratories throughout the world include oil paints, dyes, and inks; cements and ceramic glazing; and dazzling effects in metalwork and glass. The legacy of alchemy persisted through the Industrial Age, yielding the modern media that claim to be the ultimate chemical mirrors of nature: photography and the liquid crystal displays of the digital world.
This lecture complemented the exhibition “The Art of Alchemy." Learn more about this exhibition: www.getty.edu/r...
Learn more about this event: www.getty.edu/r...

[@anitapeura3517]

It's a pity that the screens the presenter shows are not put up full screen on the video - given this is about art, would be nice to see the art he discusses! Which cannot be seen at an angle in poor light from such a distance. I had to spend some time looking up original images afterwards, those I could find. Fascinating lecture otherwise.

[@aimeewhiteford6844]

Where is Avery Hopkins?🤨 lord … good grief. Oratory arts

[@Visigoth_]

Love the topic... it's to bad about the personalities of these Academics... *Cringe*

[@supercatalyst333]

Good thanks

[@kuwaitdate2010]

of course the real question is why do I feel abandoned by what ever the fuck?

[@kuwaitdate2010]

apparently no body cares about the incomprehensible question. How did Phi and Pi find its self built into the model design of the Great Pyramid of Giza. 1.0; 1.272 1.618. the Golden right triangle.

[@deathstarHQ]

It's far from incomprehensible it's basic math, to build a pyramid you need to use the geometry of a circle a square and triangles, the size of the square decides the angles in order to meet perfectly at the apex. And by doing that the constants of pi and phi will always be present, it doesn't matter whether they used pi and phi, if they worked out the ratio's in a different manner, and measured everything in a super sonic megafoot, it would be 3.14159 of that measure, hence the word constant.

[@supercatalyst333]

Beetles good eating on hot days

[@WhoIsJohnblack]

What the hell are yall on about in the comment section? Be the salt of the world, was that bible verse regarding alchemy?

[@kuwaitdate2010]

then what if therefore. logic is natural and its implementation is star crowned Ones in whom I'm fully immersed.

[@kuwaitdate2010]

the mile /7 aka 5280 ft. /7 the base of The Great Pyramid. of who ever the fuck.

[@kuwaitdate2010]

what this world needs is an enigma. hahahaha fucking ha

[@firstmaster279]

And what does this world need, what remains a mystery?

[@kuwaitdate2010]

forget actual visual alleged experience of the watchers of moral support of the Gnostic Jesus who I'm clearly an initiate.