Transpersonal: Gilda Williams

The Tao of Warhol, and Other Tales

This talk by Gilda Williams is an experiment in examining the art and life of artists from a spiritual perspective, from Andy Warhol to Amalia Ulman. The lecture is the second in a series of responses to the theme ‘transpersonal’, which relays states of consciousness that go beyond the limits of personal identity. This may include peak and spiritual experiences such as near death phenomena and the expansion of awareness beyond the usual remits of individuality, which may be brought on by experiences of crisis related to the spiritual, ethical and relational extremes of contemporary life.

Gilda Williams is a writer and art critic who teaches on the MFA Curating programme, Goldsmiths. Her most recent book is ON&BY Andy Warhol (MIT/Whitechapel Press, 2016). She has also authored How to Write about Contemporary Art (Thames & Hudson, 2014). Williams is a London correspondent for Artforum magazine and a member of the International Association of Art Critics. She was Editor and Commissioning Editor (from 1997) for Contemporary Art at Phaidon Press 1994-2005, where she commissioned the ‘Contemporary Artists’ monographs, ‘Themes and Movements’ series of anthologies, and other books including Salon to Biennale: Exhibitions that Made Art History (2008).

Transpersonal: art and life directives is a lecture series on the theory and application of art and design, curated and convened by Dr. Stephen Wilson. It is staged in collaboration with the ICA and the Chelsea, Camberwell and Wimbledon College of Arts postgraduate community at the University of the Arts London.