A Walk to See Carl Jung's Red Book: A Journey Into the Psyche

The exhibit at the Rubin Museum of Art, The Red Book of C.G. Jung
Jung believed mandalas must have originated in dreams and visions and were not the human invention of a church father. He drew his first one in 1916. Furthermore, the images were among the oldest symbols of humanity and could be found all over the world. The squaring of the circle represents the archetype of wholeness. Outside of Tibet, healing circles can be found in Native American sand paintings, in the geometry of the Kabbalah, and even in the stained glass rose windows of Gothic cathedrals. Mandalas formed the core of Jung's philosophies of the self. He writes in Concerning Mandala Symbolism (Zurich, 1950), "Their basic motif is the premonition of a centre of personality, a kind of central point within the psyche, to which everything is related, by which everything is arranged, and which is itself a source of energy."
The Rubin Museum of Art, with its collection of Himalayan art and specifically the mandalas

View Rubin Museum of Art and Surrounding Area in a larger map
Located on W. 17th Street just off 7th Ave., the museum is set in an older section of Chelsea that's worth exploring. The day I visited the Rubin Museum, I walked from Washington Square to 7th Avenue via Greenwich Avenue and then north to W. 17th. From there I walked up to W. 19th Street, stopping in at Idlewild Books at 12 W. 19th, a store specializing in travel books. Journeys within and without were a topic on my mind. From there it's a short trip to the Flatiron Building and Madison Square. Or walk back around to City Bakery at 3 W. 18th Street for some hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows. Jung, being a native of Zurich, would have had a good choice of chocolates himself.
The museum is hosting special lectures about the Red Book, "The Red Book Dialogues," with well-known figures from different walks of life. Recent participants have included Sarah Silverman (shows the power of creative programming), Charlie Kaufman, Alice Walker, John Boorman, and Gloria Vanderbilt. Upcoming talks will feature Andre Gregory, David Byrne, Cornel West, Jonathan Demme and many others. Visit the museum website for more information.
"The Holy Grail of the Unconscious" by Sara Corbett in the September 20, 2009 The New York Times Magazine is a fascinating look at the circumstances behind the Red Book and the efforts to make it public. The article also describes the importance of the book among Jungian scholars, a few of whom you'll likely encounter visiting the museum's exhibit. A facsimile has now been published.
Rubin Museum of Art, 150 West 17th Street, New York 10011
Images by Walking Off the Big Apple. I've represented the location of the museum in Google maps as a blank mandala on which you can inscribe your own journey.
Good post; it makes me want to check out Jung's exhibit.
ReplyDeleteI tell my neighbors that The Rubin Museum is a rare place of calm in Chelsea. You can just step into the cafe at ground level and decompress from Manhattan.
Thanks, Rob.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right about the peace and calm of the museum. I've made a mental note to frequent the Rubin for afternoon tea.