'Squaring the Circle' closing event and panel discussion

About the event:

Squaring the Circle is on view at the Hansell Gallery until Saturday, February 26th. Join us as we celebrate the life and work of Burton Kopelow at this closing reception. Curator David Orr will moderate a panel discussion with Nancy Blumstein, author of the stunning retrospective book, Burton Kopelow: Paths of Discovery, and Sandra del Castillo, PhD., ritual artist and doctorate in Depth Psychology with a specialization in Jungian and Archetypal Studies from Pacifica Graduate Institute. A reception will follow in the courtyard. This event was presented at the opening reception and is being offered again to those who were unable to attend.

Gallery Opens for Preview: 1 pm

Panel Discussion: 3-4:30 pm

Closing Reception: 4-5 pm

About the exhibition:

Wholeness mattered to Burton Kopelow. Showing this work at the Hansell Gallery at PRS is fitting, as he corresponded with Manly Hall, and researched archetypes via alchemy and theosophy in the PRS Library. These influences quickly become apparent when contemplating these two mandalas (I - Dissolution - Green, N° 2 Yellow [Ritual Dance of the Four Directions], and I - Dissolution - Green, N° 5 Red [Solar Flare Tropical]). Both works integrate asymmetrical, yet balanced forms with powerful color resulting in a vivid, kinetic geometry.

A mandala (Sanskrit for ‘circle’) is most often employed as a portrait of the universe, and Kopelow’s intent for these pieces (from his Chromorphism series) is just that. In a description of Chromporphism Kopelow said: “What may at first seem to be irrational is a dimension of consciousness-expanded awareness resulting in visions that turn on colors and forms.”–from the Curator Statement by David Orr

PRS is excited to present both an exhibition of paintings by visionary California colorist, Burton Kopelow, as well as a book launch for a new full-color publication about his life and work. Kopelow's catalogue ranges from abstract, mystical mandalas reflecting his interest in Jung, alchemy, consciousness, and personal transformation, to figurative works with mythological and Dionysian themes. On view will be two large-scale (81” x 81”) mandala paintings—vibrant representatives of Kopelow’s seminal abstract series, Chromorphism. Chromorphism codified the artist’s philosophical vision centered on Theosophy, Tibetan thangka paintings, and the thought of C. G. Jung, especially his psychology of mandalas, which Jung considered expressions of the total Self.

Burton Kopelow (1924-2015) was a Brooklyn-born, self-taught artist and early resident of the Downtown LA Loft scene in the 1980s. He discovered his artistic calling and dedication to color when, as a teen, a shade of ultramarine blue sang to him from a Titian painting while wandering New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. Kopelow received a Purple Heart after being wounded in World War II and thereafter studied literature and philosophy at NYU under the GI Bill. His interest in philosophy expanded upon moving to Los Angeles and frequenting institutions like the Philosophical Research Society, where he encountered metaphysics and Theosophy’s influence on early 20th century art. // burtonkopelow.com​

David Orr, an LA-based artist and curator, is the founder of the Hansell Gallery and the contemporary arts program at PRS. // david-orr.com

Nancy Blumstein, who has been writing and publishing since 1991, is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University where she studied Theatrical Production and Design. After graduation she worked in theatre, film, and television for many years, before making a career change to work in administration at UCLA, which gave her more time to concentrate on writing, photography and beginning in 2014, working to mount, or assist in mounting, four gallery shows of Burton Kopelow’s work. She now works full time on her own and Kopelow’s work, including preparation and installation of: Burton Kopelow: Circling the Square at The Philosophical Research Society, curated by David Orr. Burton Kopelow: Paths of Discovery, is her first major publication.

Sandra del Castillo is a teacher, storyteller, and ritual artist. She received her doctorate degree in Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, with a specialization in Jungian and Archetypal Studies. Sandra lived in Mexico with her children for fifteen years. A deeply transformative experience, she lived in four different states, studying, teaching, and learning. Her dissertation on the Mexican Day of the Dead was inspired by her experience living in Michoacán, in a region of Mexico renowned for its celebration of the Day of the Dead, and her ancestral heritage. Sandra brings a Jungian lens to Mesoamerica, gleaning the archetypal wisdom of their cosmovisions, philosophy, poetry, and mythology, and delves into their significance in this Kairos moment, as humanity faces our Sixth Great Extinction. As a ritual artist, her art is inspired by the images of dreams, mythology, and active imagination, in other words, the language of the soul. Her ritual art honors the image as psyche in Jungian understanding. By giving expression to the numinous images, the art form becomes a mythopoetic vessel for healing and transformation, for both the individual and the viewer/participant. Sandra has facilitated ritual for almost 30 years throughout California, Oregon, and at pyramid sites throughout Mexico. She mentors and teaches classes and workshops on Jungian studies as well as “The Art of Living Ritual: Re-animating an Ensouled Worldview.” ©

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