Self Portrait
“Fantasy is a universal human trait, and art is the principal means of expressing it.”
STEVEN ARNOLD
The Master
Robert Musselman and Angie Bowie
“I was photographed by Steven Arnold from 1982-90. he was called “the MASTER” by many of the top photographers of his time (Herb Ritts, Greg Gorman, Albert Watson and many more). The photo here is of my girlfriend at that time (1984), the vivacious Angie Bowie. To be photographed by Steven was an event of extravagent surrealism and… high art. His studio was decorated in way that transported you into another world entirely and you didn’t ever want to leave. It was an extravaganza. . Steven was such a sweet and gentle soul and he was a joy to create with, I miss him so very much but I’m thankful to have been able to collaborate with him, it was heavenly.”
ROBERT MUSSELMAN
Death of Simplicity
“Isn’t [God] the ultimate artist? Look how the skies have been painted, the mountains formed, and look at the people he made. We’re all just reflections of his great creativity.”
STEVEN ARNOLD
Ascending Angel
“Creativity is the furthest extension of the highest in man – GIVE. Don’t be tied down to daily consciousness. Yoga, dance, creative friends and amorphic change develop inner strength. Force your planets to move!”STEVEN ARNOLD
Bowl of Boys
“Sexuality is a major preoccupation of the mind. It’s natural outlets and rhythms are trapped in grand illusions, and subconscious thought. Identifying and harnessing these thoughts leads to growing out, and into a totally clear and productive poetry of mind/soul love, and a deep confidence in your own abilities.”
STEVEN ARNOLD
Imitation of Illusion
“No one gets more excited by these pictures than I do. I just admire everything about them. They’re exactly what I love. The flatitude, the fake, the shapes and details. I use the same props over and over, and the same models over and over because I love them – I can’t get enough of them. I love Hollywood. It’s the capitol of glamor and illusion, the most beautiful people on earth are all here, and you can rent anything. Anything! I had three live poodles dyed to match a pink dress for a client in my studio.
My studio is so beautiful. It looks like the backstage of a Chinese circus, inside a Venetian villa, which has been turned into a temple by visitors from another planet. I collect masks, mannequins, Chinese lanterns, jewelry, hats, art books – my studio is crammed full of all of the stuff in my pictures. I never throw anything away.
I dream a lot – day and night – and look at lots of art books and European magazines, collective ideas spark, and then I draw – the drawings are very, very automatic. They zoom through from my right brain, and all of this great stuff reveals itself in religious visions. I pray.
My work is so valid for me because it is my life. These are the people I love and worship, this is my religion, and the process of creating is a mirror through which I learn, grow, and love. I’m having such a great time – I hope it shows. Most of all, I hope my creativity is contagious.”
STEVEN ARNOLD
Evocation of Dalia
Featuring Stephanie Farago and her Art Doll collection.
“Give me all the light in your soul for this shot! Let your face melt into the warmth of the lights. Clear your mind, and look at me with no thoughts whatsoever. Become lost in your thoughts and stare off into the darkness, all the accumulated creative heights preceding this – one must multiply into a vast dazzling explosion of huge visionaryism.”
STEVEN ARNOLD
Heal-a-zation Swathe ‘a la Glob Ba
“Recognition of our brother angels comes from an intuitive vibration. Odd how levels vary, yet instinctually we tune into our circles and form our famlilies. This ability is ultra-precious, and those of us who know it, cherish this wisdom. It is the core of reason for our being here on this plane.”
“The healer inside of us is the wisest, most complex, integrated entity in the universe.”
STEVEN ARNOLD
The Higher Order of Art
Steven Arnold's self portrait as Leonardo daVinci
“In every period, right back to the ancients -beyond naivete – artists have tuned in to the the higher orders. It’s beyond accumulative knowledge, what’s been communicated, It’s a mystery, a force-field of wisdom from the other side – like Leonardo, who still inspires us with his visual wisdom. These secrets are timeless, and will always electrify. This is the root of art, and why it is the ultimate teacher. This veil of riches we have ever to learn from, tuning into all orders, spans all civilization.
People are drawn to creative manifestors – it’s an energy field.”
STEVEN ARNOLD
