Sacred Mirrors: The Visionary Art of Alex Grey

Includes essays on the significance of Grey's work by Ken Wilber, the eminent transpersonal psychologist, and by the noted New York art critic, Carlo McCormick.

With that said, back to the book at hand. Sacred Mirrors is probably the book most people who want to get an idea of Grey's art should buy first. I find it slightly more accessible than Transfigurations, and it does not demand any knowledge of Grey's previous work. For those unfamiliar with his work, he paints almost all of the systems of the body in a transparent fashion, layered on top of each other. In his paintings you will see bones, nerves, blood vessels, chakras, and auras all at once. It can be overwhelming, but careful study of the paintings can make you see ordinary processes like kissing in a whole new way. And if you keep looking deeply at his paintings, things will keep revealing themselves. He also paints deities, from Avalokiteshvara to Jesus, with loving detail. This is definitely a great coffee-table book (and so much more!) for anyone interested in how transcendental theories of energy would manifest themselves visually. Grey's book also makes delightful entertainment for any kind of trip. Overall a sound buy for almost anyone who gets that feeling, sometimes, that there may be things going on in our physical reality that we just can't percieve. Grey can see them, and he has shared them with us.


I only wish you could see the paintings in this book to know   July 9, 2000
seeker (cincinnati, ohio United States)
26 out of 27 found this review helpful

If you never read one word of this book the images alone are so rich, and tell thier own story. As you leaf through the book page by page an understanding of who we were and who we will become emerges giving hope to the viewer that he is more than he thought. I feel this work came from a higher place. As a Nurse, I know this artist is exact when drawing the body, and as a spiritual person, I feel he is exact in depicting the spirit. This is a great reference for people doing 'Reiki" or "Healing Touch" because you shows you in images, what your feeling in your work. I highly recommend this to anyone in the healing arts. (I hope Amazon.com will print some pictures here for the public) thanks :-)


Beautifully realized..   May 29, 2001
Charles Pinney (Boone, NC)
12 out of 13 found this review helpful

I'll be the first to admit I had never heard of Alex Grey before. However, I am a fan of the music group Tool. The artwork on their new CD was done by Alex Grey. I never paid this much mind until I was in a book store a couple weeks ago and passed right by "Sacred Mirrors". I stopped, turned around, snatched it up and ran to the counter. Upon further reading I must say it is phenomenal..

The essays presented talk about Alex and his work. They provide an indepth look at his philosophies on transcendence. While enjoyable to read the real reason to buy the book is the art. I have never seen anything quite like Grey's work. It is bold and bright. His use of colors and their correspondence in the human body are simply amazing.

This book is definitely recommended for anyone who wants to view the human body; our physical, mental, and most importantly, our spiritual side, in a whole new light.


We Are the Dreams of God   July 1, 2000
John Patrick Morgan (Glendora, California)
9 out of 12 found this review helpful

This book is an absolute blast to read as well as to look at. Everytime I look at it, I overflow with joy at being both a human being as well as a spiritual being. It uplifts me, it inspires me, it comforts me, it gives me so many reasons why this journey of life is the greatest journey we can ever take. I teach courses in Spirituality and I am a licensed Spiritual counselor, as well. And I use this book to show people that Life is simply awesome. That sure we have problems and difficulties. Yes, sometimes being human is painful, but it is also a delight to be alive. We were created to live and to live well and there is always at the center of our being the One Dancing God that connects each one of us to each other as well as to everything in this vast and incredible universe. Buy this beautiful book. It's a trip into life itself!


He's been there and back, definitely...   October 11, 1999
aiwass@escape.com (aiwass@escape.com) (NYC)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful

Not only is his representation of all the "bodies" immanent in the human being superb , but his telling of the story, in a series of pictures, of the individual's vision quest and subsequent return to society to share betrays his own apparent intimate knowledge of the visionary experience. Of course I could also merely say that this is trippy stuff. Indeed.