Jon Ohia - Media

14/10/2024

Here is a video I shot and produced of an event we had this summer at The Chambers Project with Erik Davis and Mark Mc Cloud featuring their recent book release of "Blotter: The Untold Story of an Acid Medium."

The book is a great historical account of the evolution of the mediums that the magical molecule would travel upon to reach the intended consumer, and ultimately twist and illuminate the minds of many intrepid travelers.

Blotter Book release event at The Chambers Project / PACT featuring author Erik Davis, and contributor Mark McCloud

21/07/2022

“If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency and vibration” - Nikola Tesla

24/06/2022

Mount Shasta 🏔🏔🏔

07/06/2022

Throwback to March with Mars-1 & Oliver Vernon painting at the opening of the Furtherrr Collective’s “Togetherrr” show at The Chambers Project Art Gallery in Grass Valley, CA.
📸.ohia

29/05/2022

Recently visited the California Capitol building in Sacramento. Last time I went the interior was closed, so I was happy to get access this time and get some shots under the dome.

26/05/2022

Incredible sonic wizardry and scratch mastery thrown down for hours at the Furtherrr Collective show by & .
📸 by .ohia

26/05/2022

Some of my pics from the Futtherrr Collective Closing Party at gallery in Grass Valley, CA.


arts

09/05/2022

“The Water Nymph”
by Francois Martin-Kavel

François Martin-Kavel was a French genre painter. Best known for his idealized portraits of women, his work often depicts them in exoticized costumes or in titillating states of undress. Martin-Kavel notably often painted his figures in centered compositions surrounded by dark fabric backgrounds, theatrically lit as though by spotlight. In addition to his popular portrairts, he was also known for his still lifes and landscapes. Born on May 25, 1846, Martin-Kavel was a regular exhibitor at the Salon des Artistes Français. As a member of the salon, he was awarded a medal for his work in 1881. The artist died in 1909.

08/05/2022

Freija

07/05/2022

View of the golden hour at the Frost Amphitheater for the Planet Drum reunion show at Stanford University near the city of Palo Alto, California.

The crew hadn’t performed live together in 15 years. Last time I saw them was in Poughkeepsie, NY at the Bardavon Theater playing as “The Global Drum Project” in 2007. That was the first tour without Babatunde Olatunji.

This was my first time at the Frost and I really enjoyed the vibe of the venue. The Hoover Tower seen behind the stage was said to be based on the tower from the New Cathedral of Salamanca in Spain.

The Spanish cathedral was constructed in both Gothic & Baroque styles. The presence of the tower looming over the stage definitely creates a sort of timeless, mythic atmosphere.

24/04/2022

“The Finding of Moses” by Frederick Goodall (1885)

24/02/2022

Does the state of the world ever make you feel like this? Reality is filled with so much intensity and pressure right now. It’s good to find a place of peace within the madness, but it’s only natural to feel the insanity of the world ripping through us at times. The global initiation is upon us.

All the world’s a stage. It’s good to remember that and not let the dark forces gain sway over our mind and emotions. We are eternal. All things must pass.

22/02/2022

Church of Our Lady Before Tyn
Prague, Czech Republic
📸 Vlad Bezden

19/02/2022

🎯🎯🎯🎯

19/02/2022

“Eternity isn’t some later time. Eternity isn’t a long time. Eternity has nothing to do with time. Eternity is that dimension of here and now that thinking and time cuts out. This it is. If you don’t get it here, you won’t get it anywhere, and the experience of eternity right here and now is the function of life.”
- Joseph Campbell

18/02/2022

Today I went on a hike and was pondering the Game of Life.

It has been said that there is a 99.9% chance that we are in a simulation. The idea being that the level of technological advancement we have achieved is quickly pushing us towards creating a virtual reality experience indistinguishable from the ‘organic’ reality. That most likely this already happened, and we’re potentially layers deep. ‘The Matrix’ being one of the best examples of this theory, exemplified in a Hollywood movie of a potential future where A.I. takes over.

As much as we love drama, uncertainty, plot twists, and the underdog triumphing against all odds in a movie, we are wired in a similar way, and this is most likely why we respond emotionally to this type of stimuli. Because it resonates deeply with the reality we are currently residing in. This makes the game of life more dynamic and seem more real.

The original Star Wars trilogy is a good example to discuss this concept. The Heroes Journey personified, also the inspiration for the series.

You have the Light side of the Force, the Jedis and the Rebel Alliance, and the dark side, the Sith Lords and the Empire. Few end up truly becoming Jedi and gain the power of the Force. Many are just living their lives in the system, oblivious the the greater domination agenda of the Empire.

We see a similar scenario playing out on Earth now. The Empire has become covertly unified, amassing and consolidating great wealth & power over generations through the capitalist model.

More money allows the ability to own more land, more businesses, more lobbyists and more lawyers, who can make adjustments to allow you to gain more power and control. Money to create and merge media corporations, the educational & medical systems, the entertainment industry.

Doing independent research and thinking critically is imperative in these times. Our leaders have failed us. The war is now them against us. The nightly news will not inform anyone of this. What a time to be alive. Wishing you all safe passage through this global initiation.

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.”
- Joseph Campbell

05/02/2022

“The laws of nature are but the mathematical thoughts of God.”
- Euclid
repost

04/02/2022

We have now entered the Lunar year of the Water Tiger in the Chinese Zodiacal system. This system is very detailed any fascinating to look into to get a view into what this old world culture had developed as a sort of guidance system for their actions and way of life.

‘Tigers are majestic, strong, and brave. They roam the forest without fear or worry, doing as they please in their jungle habitat.
The Tiger embodies the qualities of courage, fortitude, resilience. Within humans, this energy can inspire us to push past limitations, overcome obstacles, and create change in our lives. If there’s anything you want to accomplish, the year of the Tiger is a great time to put ideas into action.

The qualities of the Tiger can apply to all aspects of life, including work, relationships, or personal goals.
Within work, Tiger energy can help us find passion and motivation in what we do. It can drive us to overcome barriers and achieve new levels of success and fulfillment. This is true whether we’re seeking to grow in our current career, or change paths altogether.

In relationships, Tiger energy can help rekindle passion, as well as break free from unhealthy patterns.

For personal aspirations, the Tiger can help us take action and strive to reach our goals. This can help us in areas of health, financial matters, or overall ‘life-management.’

In honor of this symbolic image of a powerful archetype and the wisdom of the this system which dates back to antiquity, I wanted to share a painting by an artist who continually inspires my imagination with his incredibly colorful and majestically beautiful, magical visions materialized in pigments.

Check out Jon’s work

Definitely some mind and soul candy to inspire the imagination.

03/02/2022

I’m super grateful to have grown up with the Star Wars original trilogy to inspire my growing brain into a sense of mysticism and mystery, through the model of mythologist Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey model.

For those that don’t know, George Lucas (the creator of Star Wars) by reading Campbell’s book, The Hero With A Thousand Faces, was inspired to create the saga many of us all known and love.

It was powerful as a child to be introduced to the ideas of the Force, the Jedi, the Empire. Even if I did not fully register it in an intellectual way, I picked up a lot through osmosis.

Watching Luke train with Yoda, and go through identity issues with his father, and how to interact with the immense power of the force he was able to access.

I have met many people that can’t get into Star Wars, but wonder if they would find more value in it if they understood the archetypal themes inherent in the legendary epic tale.

Boba Fett was always one of my favorite characters. He didn’t have that much screen time, but he brought a certain element as a bounty hunter who worked on his own terms solo. His costume design, helmet, ship, etc, created a unique and compelling character that many Star Wars heads appreciate.

There is a show on Disney based on Boba Fett now that isn’t bad. The latest episode had an interesting throw back from the original trilogy, and also linked in with the Mandolorian series. Somehow this nostalgia lit me up to share my thoughts on this.

We are all the heroes in our own stories. We are in our avatar bodies, playing a game on the world stage.

We can do our best to create our own myths and live in an incredibly complex and dynamic, infinite reality, or we can be automatons indoctrinated and programmed by the system to be carbon copies of the status quo. I find it a worthy quest to attempt to create a mythical reality for oneself. Maybe you end up somewhere in the middle.

Wishing you all well in this wild, spiraling world of love and chaos ⚡️♥️⚡️🗽🗽🗽

03/02/2022

One day I hope to be able to do an extended trip to Europe to explore the endless mind blowing creations of the old world.

Wishing you all well my friends ⚡️♥️⚡️
📸

01/02/2022

The old world was advanced beyond our comprehension. Academia has led us away from the ultimate truths of our past. Amazing wonders and mysteries abound throughout the remains of the old world.
Image:

01/02/2022

Back in 2012 in early April after the Psybient Soirée party in Monticello, NY, I invited a band of my CoSM brothers to go on a mystical adventure with me to the Egyptian Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, NYC. It’s a day I never will forget.

After we left, we cruised to Central Park where I snapped this pic of with some old world architecture behind him. They sure don’t make them like they used to. Nice to have these castle-like structures, fountains, bridges, sculptures, etc. all over the park. I love NYC. Really miss it. Been on the west coast for almost 3 years now and haven’t been back yet due to the restrictions.

Someday I’ll share more of the story and some pics from the journey with the band of brothers intrepidly traveling through the remnants of the once mighty culture of Egypt.

01/02/2022

This is a piece called “Phonecall from God,” a graphite drawing from 1998 by my brilliantly talented friend Maura Holden Art]

In my last life, one of my roles was as the Media & Program Director at a psychedelic art retreat center in ‘Upstate’ New York. Amongst other things, I was in charge of booking and running somewhere around 100 different events, workshops, parties, etc. every year for about 6 years.

I was given a lot of freedom to come up with ideas, artists, presenters, musicians, concepts, formats, that I was interested in, and thought would be a good fit for our community.

After working in professional event production for 7 years before that, and being an active member of the underground psychedelic art & music culture for well over a decade at the time, I was really well trained, networked and primed for that role. It was a novel opportunity which I am grateful for.

Sometime around 2013 I had the honor of inviting Maura out to work on a huge collaboration mural of close to 30 artists that was a tribute to the mushroom kingdom: Gourmet, Medicinal & Psychedelic. Maybe I’ll share some images I took of Maura painting the mural in the future.

All of the artists in the cafe except for a few were artists I presented, got approved and was able to pitch the idea of a structure to have workshops and evening presentations with the artists, which gave us more time to be together and witness the teachings and unique creative gifts of these cosmic superheroes.

I have always admired her work, and been fascinated by her imagination and technical skill. She is definitely one of my favorite artists of our time. I still have some amazing signed prints she gifted me that I’ll always cherish. Love you Maura! 🏆♥️🏆 Follow her page and check out her incredible body of work 💫 Maura Holden Art]
*d

31/01/2022

Our ancient cities were massive circuitboards, just as our modern cities still are today.
Repost from

31/01/2022

Throwback to the Cliff House by the Sutro Baths on the coast of San Francisco up the Great Highway. This building burned down like so many other beautiful old world buildings.

What a magnificent environment filled with amazing views, beautiful sculptures, and an interestingly designed bath/pool house. It’s such a gift to have photos of the beauty now lost to the sands of time.