Linking Communities to the Stars

CREATOR:

Aidan Shingler was born in London and now lives in Derbyshire. He is married to dancer, writer, Tricia Durdey. He has worked as an artist, writer and activist for almost four decades. He conceived and organised the Kissit! XX Campaign – a series of national protests to expose human rights violations in the psychiatric system. He co-authored On the Receiving End which was published to highlight the emotional and psychological impact of psychiatric assault and call for radical reform of the mental health system. His art questions and challenges common preconceptions and misconceptions, inviting all to see the world anew.

Aidan Shingler's art is included in permanent collections:
■ Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art 
■ The University of Nottingham, School of Medicine
■ County Hall, Derbyshire
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INSPIRATION:

 ​     1962 aged four: I sat in the back of a small transit van driven by Roy White, a warm hearted Caribbean  painter and decorator and family friend. We were travelling through Dartmoor during the hours of darkness in the vicinity of Tavistock where my parents, having moved from London, had recently set up home. At some point during our journey my companion glanced up at the night sky and exclaimed:
 
“Look Aidan! Look up at the stars!”
 
I gazed skyward and was immediately entranced; awed by the dazzling beauty of starlight witnessed for the very first time.. I deluged Roy with a series of ‘whys?’ His patient answers awakened a wide-eyed child’s imagination and triggered a lifelong quest to understand humanity’s place amongst the stars.                  
 
Roy switched on radio and was thrilled to find he'd tuned directly into the unforgettable sound of The Tornado’s  newly released 45rpm single ‘Telstar’. It was explained that the music had a connection with our conversation and the sparkling diamonds in the sky, and I experienced yet another first – synchronicity.
 
Throughout my life I have been enchanted by the mystery and magic of the stars. My interest in the stars lies with our emotional response to them - their power to ignite our imagination and sense of wonder. The inspiration for StarDisc stems from a vision to create environments where people from all walks of life can gather, contemplate and connect with whatever resides beyond the sphere of our world. ​I describe StarDisc as a temple without walls. I envisage the sparkling stars as neurons ablaze with intelligence in the vastness of space, illuminating the infinite Universe . . . the Mind of God.
 
I hope that StarDisc will intrigue and fascinate future generations in the same way that we are captivated by the ancient stone circles our ancestors built.
Aidan Shingler 2011

PSYCHE: The visionary potential of unusual states of consciousness.

​PSYCHE is Aidan Shingler's mind-blowing account of the visionary potential of unusual states of consciousness. One person in every hundred is diagnosed schizophrenic. With striking imagery and compelling narrative, the author explores the spiritual and creative aspects of schizophrenia; the way people so labelled are treated by the psychiatric system, and how the senses of those experiencing psychosis are opened to paranormal stimuli. The book validates ‘Psyche-sensitivity’ as evidence of humankind evolving before us, here and now, and emphasises its positive and transforming potential. 

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Click here to buy PSYCHE

​Reviews: 
“A shaft of light into the darkness”  Arts Journal
“Inexplicably beautiful”  The Guardian
“Sharp, witty and in places very funny”  Northern Review
“Beyond categorisation”  Artesian
​“Sheer brilliance”  Mail-Out

Special price from Blackwell’s UK: £10.22 + £2.80 UK delivery
Reduced by £5.73 (36%) from RRP £15.95

First published in 2016 by Thorntree Press 
ISBN 978-1-9538821-7-2
Paper pack/perfect bound
40 original colour images