Nothing New; Cannabis And ArtNothing New; Cannabis And Art
The history of cannabis use is long and often confusing. The use of hemp dates back thousands of years, in Japan for example, it started during the Jomon period (8000-300 BC) where it was used to make clothes and many other things. As a spiritual practice, the use of cannabis is also ancient, with its origins dating back to Asia, and its use as a spiritual or shamanic tool appears to have originated in ancient China. If cannabis was used to create visions of wise rulers or spiritual beings in ancient history, perhaps this can help us understand why in modern times, cannabis has developed a strong relationship and art, supporting writers, artists, artists, actors. or artists. musicians as a powerful tool of motivation.
This relationship is not so obvious in the recent past. In South Africa, forensic scientists discovered cannabis in pipes found in Shakespeare’s garden, suggesting that the famous poet in the English language took pot himself for inspiration. In the Netherlands, the famous artist Adriaen Brouwer (who lived between 1606 and 1638) was a famous cannabis user, or “back-drinker”, a common term for stone, even showing it in his drawing. This practice is popular in Brouwers art circles. Modern examples of the relationship between cannabis and art are recorded with more confidence. Baudelaire, the famous French writer, wrote about the effect of the drug: “The most ordinary words, the simplest thoughts take on a new and wonderful aspect. »
Baudelaire got into cannabis, in a roundabout way, after Napoleon invaded Egypt. This act of colonialism will bring the plant back to Europe from Egypt (where smoking hashish is popular, since cannabis pollen was found in the mummy of Ramses II) and begin its dissemination to the public and the king of Europe in 1800. The plant is used as medicine as it is popular in France with artists, bohemians and intellectuals. Its use is well known (perhaps due to the nature of the medium) in the Baudelaire literary community, since Dumas, Victor Hugo, (philosopher) Gautier and others had a great influence on French literature. Not only in French literature, writers around the world seem to be interested in cannabis, including the famous Irish poet Yeats and the American writer Louisa May Alcott (author of Little Women) who wrote “Heaven is bless the hashish, if his dreams end. like that!”
In the 20th century, the use of cannabis and its inspiration in radical art movements were well documented and open. Salvador Dali could say, “I don’t drink drugs, I’m a drug,” but the paintings of the surrealist movement he godfathered are psychedelic staples, posters that still adorn the walls of major stores today. In the Roaring Twenties, weed or “tea” became a popular drug in some parts of America. Pot became and continues to be the drug of choice for musicians, especially jazz musicians.
Dr. James Munch, a pharmacologist who studied marijuana’s effects on the racist man who, along with Harry Anslinger, helped pioneer its prohibition, said of its effects: “If you are someone who -singer, you have to play this. how to print it on paper. And if you use marijuana, you will work about twice as much music between the first and second books. This is what happened to jazz musicians. The idea that they can make things shine, make them come alive, you know. Ironically, he saw it as a bad thing, but that’s why it was popular as a motivational tool for “vipers,” or people who – jazz artists who use cannabis.
Louis Armstrong appreciated the drug for the “burn it always produces from someone else’s hand.” Especially those who light a good stick of that ‘shuzzit’ or gage…” And Dizzy Gillespie was quoted as saying, “Jazz musicians, old and young, almost If everyone I know smokes weed, I will. I don’t call it an addiction. A look at Dizzy will show the truth: it is difficult to find an important musician of the 20th century who did not find inspiration in smoke. Pot will find its way into any genre of music, making it hard to ignore his work in popular music, period.
The quality of this medicine seems impossible to ignore among the new artists’ machines emerging throughout the 20th century. During the Tory War and after the war, drugs were used behind closed doors, but in 1948, when Robert Mitchum was stopped by the traffic police and arrested for possession of cannabis, it was only in ‘ young, marks a big change and. public opinion. Then, in the 1960s, the counterculture movement exploded. In the film, Dennis Hopper and Peter Fonda reportedly spent a lot of money on Easy Rider on Pot, which featured a famous scene where the actors shared a joint and discussed its effects. In art, psychedelia and pop are fashionable, like the work of Peter Max or Andy Warhol who is said to have said “I smoke weed because I want to go to heaven before I die.” This movement is shown in popular fashion styles on the streets of London or San Francisco.
A new generation has contributed to the reduction of cannabis, looking at cannabis for its medicinal properties and its value as a tool for creativity. I will end the brief history of cannabis here, although cannabis has continued, and continues to do so, influencing art forms across the world, from the hip hop to modern art. It would be a long task to determine the full impact of cannabis on art and this article ignores much of its history around the world, so consider it a quick review. Come back to this blog in the future for more research on cannabis’ relationship with the rich history of art.
At High Art, we strongly believe in the power of pottery as a creative tool. Our Ceci n’est pas un bong series is a (successful) attempt to connect established and emerging Montreal artists, bringing them into the fast-paced world of cannabis. Everyone’s relationship with this plant is different. For some it calms them down and for others it is stimulating, for some it allows them to see clearly and for others it makes the mind run from one subject to another. and the other. Whether a tool for introspection or performance, weed has clearly had a long-lasting influence on all of our modern art forms. So, get out your pipe, bong or good old joint and see if you can find some inspiration for yourself.