Mind Meld 142 | THE GREAT “WHY?” with ANDROID JONES
For rewards and podcast extras, become a patron!
Visionary art legend Android Jones returns for another sprawling mind meld. We chat about the edges of the human mind, why great art requires suffering, why we’re so bad at loving ourselves, the epiphanies of parenthood and much more.
LISTEN | ITUNES YOUTUBE ARCHIVE STITCHER
Don’t miss a technodelic transmission– Review and Subscribe on iTunes
We’ve all had some version of the following thought– “This guy staring off into space in front of me at the grocery store is acting an awful lot like a non-playable character right now. Is the matrix glitching out?”
I don’t believe that of course. I’m at least 70% sure reality is nothing like that. I think it’s much more likely that everyone, even grocery store guy, is a unique, conscious being with some sort of jewel to offer the world. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying he’s got diamonds, but there’s something there.
The rarest of rare human jewels, on the other hand, have a special capacity. They shine so brightly that they are able to reflect wonder back toward the onlooker, waking them up to their own innate sparkle. That is how I’d describe the brilliance of Android Jones.
For that reason, Android Jones is one of the very first people who leaps to mind when I think of the phrase visionary art. He’s also pushing the distinction forward in a way that no one else is.
He and his team create Samskara, an absolutely mind-melting full-dome art show rife with polygonally derived digital deities. Android is also developing a revolutionary VR application called Microdose. On top of all of that, his two-dimensional art (whether digital or drawn) is truly consciousness caressing. It’s a style that has influenced many, yet has never quite been replicated.
Art aside, Andrew has some sparkly mind jewels to share as well. For that reason, as you may know, he was the first guest on this show (he was on again about a year ago). Just like the previous two occasions, this one is an absolute sprawler. We spoke for well over two and a half hours. I felt legitimately high by the end of it.
If I may be so bold, I think this is one you’ll want to come back to multiple times. Not just due to the length, but because there are so many wonderful novelty nuggets strewn about by Android and I really hope you catch em all.
We rap about so much— The epiphanies brought about by parenthood, the relationship between art and pain, why no one seems to have the ability to love themselves, the nature of happiness, and for that matter, the nature of god damn reality itself. With that, I’ll cease my ramble and encourage you to give Android’s website a nice meaty browse.
Musings in this mind meld include
- The unavoidable epiphanies of parenthood
- How creating humans has changed Androids art and mindset
- How technology is starting to extend the reach and capacities of our consciousness
- Why do things appear to us in the way they do?
- John C. Lilly’s “The Scientist”
- The John Lilly interview mentioned
- “If my entire life was a factory for just that moment, it would all be worth it.”
- What it’s like to stand on the edge of infinity
- The return to Plato’s cave
- The importance of stopping to embrace moments
- Does great art require pain?
- Why is it so hard to love ourselves and accept love?
- Alter your perspective, cut yourself some slack, calibrate your instruments
0 Comments