New York, New York. If you can make it there you can make it anywhere.

Today we interview Barry Silver, traveling artist, explorer of the mystic and esoteric realms.

Although Barry is currently based in Mexico, we met him back in Mysore, India, as one of the “Cool Kids” from a thriving New York Ashtanga scene. At the time he was assistant to the revered Eddie Stern. And intimidatingly self-composed.

Looking back at those times in the quiet suburb of Gokulum, Barry has shared with us new insights into the trap of the “Super Cool.”

Now, with time and distance, he’s able to see his participation in it for what it was: A giant ego trip of self flattery and self flagellation, and opportunity to self masticate his own gloss.

Barry is astonishingly self aware of his own pursuit of cool, and seeking to be cool in the myriad communities he merged with.

Whether it was Disco, Kundalini Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, or the “Burner Community,” he has come back to being himself again and again, finding comfort in acknowledging who he is.

Like the Alchemist’s journey, he’s realized that there was nothing to strive for or become, and he oozed cool all along.

From altar building to cathartic scrapbook journaling, Barry Silver has traveled an interesting path to becoming a full-time artist.

It’s always super interesting to figure out who an audience is for a particular kind of art. How do you want them to react? What do you want them to perceive?

Do you want them to scrunch their eyes and stoop their shoulders as they peer closely at your surfaces?

Or do you want them to dance ecstatically, yoked in the embrace of a loving community?

Barry’s work seems to tie together the inter-connectedness of all the dynamic individuals and experiences he’s had within in his life. He is fascinated with these weird dudes and seeks to share his fascination with you.

His work is comic, genius, and generous in this wondrously mysterious way.

His dharma has led him to find the “Barry-ness” in all things. Whatever he creates, he does so with intention and spirit, drawing from his history, and a wide variety of very personal, spiritual experiences in different modalities.

His newest project is called: Nuestro Tarot. A Trip Towards the Self.

Pledge, support, participate, and take the trip.

“Like much of my art, I used this project as a vehicle to express and integrate the various aspects of myself. It has been an extremely healing and cathartic process.” - Barry Silver

LEARN MORE ABOUT BARRY SILVER

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Opening and closing music by Nick Evans.