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Moon Over Half Dome by Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams’ photograph of the moon floating above Half Dome in Yosemite National Park is simple but has a spiritual impression to it. His choice to frame the picture like he does closely connects the space of the moon and the monolithic element of the rock formation. The shading also provides a depth of character that really accentuates the great divide between camera, the rock face, and the moon: This really exposes the vastness of the world and the universe and the minuteness of humankind. -
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
One of the most aesthetically redeeming qualities of Kesey’s novel is the descriptive language he uses while describing the psych ward. The influence for the novel and the main character was a combination of his work as a nighttime aide at a mental hospital and the use of LSD. This particular text reveals many flaws and attributes of the human condition: The Chief perceives the hospital as a Combine working on the machines and preparing them for the world, giving a voice to the disenfranchised. -
The Burning Monk by Malcolm Browne
Browne’s photograph does seem violent on the surface, but with a closer analysis, the viewer will realize the power in the monk’s protestation. There is a semblance of peacefulness in the monk’s attempt to call attention to the growing conflict in Southeast Asia. The greatest thing a human being can give to the world is his/her/their life, and Browne captures the tenets of Buddhism and the human condition in one captivating image. The element of fire surrounds the vision of purity in the monk. -
8 1/2 by Federico Fellini
8 ½ is the most recognized work of the European Art Cinema movement in film. In the film, Federico Fellini deeply analyzes the mind and the soul of the artist: It is a semi-autobiographical work that encompasses some of the most beautiful cinematography in film history. This film is one of the best examples of the mastery of the craft, and Fellini is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time because of his impeccable taste and ability to convey much of the human condition through his medium. -
Shot Marylins by Andy Warhol
This quintessential pop art piece by Andy Warhol conveys beauty and emotion through its alluring subject Marylin Monroe. Warhol utilizes color in a way that conveys Marylin’s persona. He simplifies her unique beauty and shows her innocence in a way that captivates one of the most recognized sex symbols in American history. Warhol does not sexualize her in a distasteful way: He challenges what it means to be beautiful. All four shots tell different narratives about the many layers of Marylin. -
Soy Cuba by Mikhail Kalatozov
This visually stunning cinematic masterpiece was commissioned by the Castro Regime. Told in four vignettes, the film exposes the American imperialism under the direction of General Batista and poetically explains how the Castro Regime took control of Cuba and liberated the people. The cinematography is one of the most unique in film history. The use of Russian infrared film to beautifully accent the contrast of black and white and the mesmerizing camera movements defy most films produced today. -
A Love Supreme by John Coltrane
Coltrane’s album is one of the most important musical compositions regarding spirituality. The four parts of the album (Acknowledgement, Resolution, Pursuance, and Psalm) expose Coltrane’s belief in a Higher Power. The album is a love letter to God: Coltrane is examining how God is a part of his life and his musical talent. He is expressing his immense love for God. At 33 minutes, this album places the listener in a trance of serenity and spirituality. This is pure aesthetical bliss. -
Woman Descending the Staircase by Gerhard Richter
This photo painting examines the connection between the actual world and the supernatural. Richter’s explorative medium takes a photograph and blurs it with paint, thus creating an image of elegance into an apparition. The woman seems to be miraculously hovering above the stairs as she descends to an unknown world. This artwork steps outside of the boundaries to question any normative understanding of how one creates art. The hues accent the delicateness what it means to be a human being. -
The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley and Malcolm X
X’s autobiography as told by Alex Haley is one of the most influential pieces of literature regarding the oppression of Black Americans. The story of X’s life is one of adversity and spiritual realizations. The way in which he turns his life around and follows a calling based in his connection to God is immensely inspirational. One of the most important realizations in his life is when he does his pilgrimage to Mecca and then comes back a changed man as far as his ideologies concerning race. -
The Stranger Song by Leonard Cohen
Leonard Cohen is one of the best poets of the 20th century. This song is immaculately beautiful both musically and lyrically. Cohen is attempting to expose the relationship between a man and woman and the frustration of seeing a woman deciding to fall for men that do not care for her, and he does so allegorically while using a poker game as a symbol. The strumming of the guitar and Cohen’s voice accompany the lyrical narrative in ways that position the composition in the spiritual realm. -
2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick
Kubrick’s translation of Arthur C. Clarke’s novel is without parallel with regard to its spectacularly innovative production. The way the film explores humanity and its place among a vast and uncharted space is flawless. No other filmmaker is as meticulous as Kubrick, and his shot composition is near perfect; also, the use of space metaphorically and literally makes this film a cinematic work of genius: Filmmakers continue to pay homage to Kubrick’s mastery of cinema. -
The Hallucinogenic Toreador by Salvador Dalí
The Hallucinogenic Toreador weaves a massive amount of the human element and the modalities of art into one stunning painting. Dalí’s attempt to be among the contemporary artists of the 1960s is experimental and does not relinquish his style in any way. He continued to defy the art world and explores a more spiritual side of the questions of the Divive with this piece. It is more explosive than many of his earlier works and challenges the changing consciousness of the time. -
Cathedral of Brasília by Oscar Niemeyer
This religious structure is both a conversation with God and a reflection of His mighty love. The cross sits atop an emulation of the love going up to heaven from the place of service; the panes of glass allow for both the congregation and the Divine to communicate. The interior opens up the chapel to the sky above, reminding us that the relationship we have is a two-way street. The colors and lines of the building are simple but serve a symbolic purpose redolent of serenity and love. -
Beautiful Jam by Grateful Dead
This jam is from a show at The Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY. It came to fruition when the Dead was transitioning from “Wharf Rat” back into “Dark Star.” The guitar playing by Jerry Garcia is like angles singing in heaven, and it is one of the best improvisational jams in rock history. The jam lifts you up into the stratosphere and then gently lays you back down just in time for the Dark Star>Wharf Rat>Dark Star medley to finish up. There is no other improvisational composition like it. -
Imagine by John Lennon
John Lennon’s song is one of the most important protests of the 20th century. The musical composition is beautiful, but it is the lyrical poetry that really sums up what needs to happen between humans for the world to rise to its potential. Not only does he call on us to imagine a world without war, but he also instructs us as to how it could be done. There is an imperativeness of the song that really exposes the issues of the human condition that still have not been adjusted and amended. -
Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Webber’s musical combines the story of Jesus with the musical innovations of the time. He contemporizes the life of Christ in a way that spoke to that generation and still does to later generations. The production also humanizes Jesus in a way that is not sacrilegious but helps people to connect to Christ in ways that they may not have before. Webber and Rice communicate Christ’s story to people who may be afraid or hurt by the church, which is so important to do when spreading the Gospel. -
Harold and Maude by Hal Ashby
Hal Ashby’s film tells of the narratives of life and death. Both Harold and Maude are searching for what it means to be human. An unusual relationship unfolds between two people who differ in age by around 60 years. Collin Higgins’s screenplay asks existential questions and provides lovely maxims by Maude. Ashby’s shot composition metaphorically exposes the juxtapositions between life and death (e.g., field of flowers cuts to field of gravestones). The film is the best love story of all time. -
Sydney Opera House by Jørn Utzon
Utzon’s building is one of architectural perfection, and the building is one of the most iconic and recognizable structures in the world. It sits perfectly next to the water. It is truly a piece of art that also houses artistic expressions. The concrete shells symbolize band shells but also connect beautifully to the water below. It is a metaphorical sea vessel floating freely in the wind. When it is lit up at night, it is one of the most beautiful structural scenes in the contemporary world. -
Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
Angelou’s poem discusses the adversities she faces, and it is a mouthpiece for Black women in America. She shows the oppressive world that she has the confidence to fight back and has no qualms about doing that. It is unapologetic and revolutionary in stature. There are several different deliveries of the poem by her. Sometimes her tone is aggressive and sometimes it is playful. Either way, she is telling the man to let her be because she is not going to take any shit anymore. -
Stalker by Andrei Tarkovsky
Tarkovsky’s film is aesthetically beautiful and poetically philosophical. It is a story about a stalker who takes three men to a room in The Zone. It is more about the journey than it is the destination, and Tarkovsky uses the camera to convey the environment as metaphor. It is considered by many critics to be one of the most beautiful films ever shot. Tarkovsky does not rely on many special effects and lets the shot composition, camera movement, and narrative provide the allegorical exposé.