CORY REYNOLDS | DATE 6/27/2014

Ian Whittlesea: Becoming Invisible

Featured image, of the "seven clouds of color" described by London-based artist Ian Whittlesea in Becoming Invisible—his tiny and delightful manual for visualization and breathing exercises (based on Rosicrucianism, theosophy and esoteric yoga) that allow readers to split light into constituent parts and then recombine them to form a glowing white cloud that envelops its creator. He concludes the exercise, "Do not dissolve the indigo cloud. Allow it to float in place and move on to producing the violet cloud. Continue to breathe in for seven seconds and out for seven seconds then once more fill the space with a violet field. Focus your gaze on a central point within the color and condense the violet field until it forms a small cloud in the center of the space. When you have produced the violet cloud allow it to find its natural place. The seven clouds of color will tend to form a geometric shape, evenly spaced. The next step is to begin to bring the clouds together. Closer and closer. Finally they will merge, and as they do so will form the white cloud. Step into the cloud and you will become invisible."