If you could change the world, what would you do? How would you do it? What does it take to make the world a better place?
Meet Angela Latchkey, an American contemporary surreal artist based in the West, who is on the right path to unravel these enduring mysteries. Her tool of choice is art. Subliminal, surreal art and her paintings with hidden meanings. Because the truth is definitely out there, and art can help in finding it. She tries to find a purpose, to heal and bring peace of mind using art while dealing with the everyday pressures of life. She explores the subconscious mind, conscious thoughts and feelings. She listens to inspiration and gathers ideas expressing them within her life’s work. Angela’s paintings are a breath of fresh air which helps us to stay balanced in this superficial world we live in. She aims to alter the worldview by expressing universal human truths while combining the best of both surreal and real world.
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The same as her art, her website is a fruitful combination of visual art and writing. The basic idea is not just to “enliven your walls” with her paintings, but to enrich your mind and soul, as well. One is for sure; once you experience Latchkey art, nothing will be the same, including your walls.
The website appeals to anyone regardless of their technical background because the layout is simple, yet really effective. It’s clean looking, and it promises you’ll be able to find anything you need quite easily. You can breeze through it since there isn’t too much text on the first page. The basic links are all at the top right-hand corner of the first page, and with just one click you can learn more about Angela and her idea, contact her, and most importantly, enjoy her work. As for the “writing part,” it’s also just one click away. By clicking on “Enter the Latchkey” you are basically diving into the quite interesting and appealing “Huge Art Lovers Guide to Surrealism,” where she breaks it down to the basics while explaining in simple terms, what surrealism is all about.
So, she starts with Salvador Dali, as we all expected. However, instead of just laying down the “fun facts,” Angela questions his work and asks both herself and us “what is memory, what is time, what is our place in time?” She teaches us how to understand a piece of art and what can paintings tell us.
Pixabay/Public Domain
Up next Angela writes about pioneers of surrealism and about what it takes to understand this movement. The bottom line is — everything starts with imagination. Speaking of imagination, you can test yours by trying out some of the 30 fun surrealism techniques. She is continuing with psychology and mind-tickling Sigmund Freud’s and Carl Jung’s theories while explaining the way they shaped the work of surrealist artists. After all, unconsciousness, dreams, visions, and symbols are the fundamentals of Angela’s work as well.
Next, she talks about art therapy, what’s somewhat natural after all the talk about Freud and Jung. The best part, when it comes to this technique, is that it uses creative process in order to improve someone’s mental, emotional and physical well-being. Meaning, the purpose of art is not just to “be created,” but to “get those innermost parts of ourselves out,” as Angela says. Parts of us we are not aware of. It is when personal transformation happens, which is one of the preconditions of the transformation of one society; what is indeed the whole and the main purpose of Angela’s art.
Pixabay/Public Domain
While explaining the Visionary Art, she talks about the driving forces behind the (surreal) art — the motivation and inspiration. Using Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of (human) needs (from the basic ones such as food, water, shelter, etc., on the bottom and self-aware to the personal growth and finally transcendence beyond the self on the top) she underlines the main goals of visionary art, which are “giving oneself to a higher goal” in order to “bring truths into the world that can benefit a culture.” Finally, she talks about Alex Grey and ways to access the visionary realm while figuring out how art changes society.
It’s where (when) the magic happens. It is where we (she) realize(s) that everything is possible if we try hard enough. If we figure out how to channel our energy into something that is worthy enough. Because we are “all made of stardust,” and the sky’s the limit. She found her place in the Universe by exploring and enjoying the common themes that make a human feel alive, and she encourages us to do the same.
Explore surrealism and visionary art with Angela, follow her on Instagram and Facebook and check out her professional profile on Linkedin.
And please, wait no more — start your journey today.
