Ayahuasca Visions of Pablo Amaringo

This very big book (11×14″) showcases the work of Pablo Amaringo (1938-2009)–extraordinarily colorful paintings displayed full-page depicting enigmatic flora, fauna, and people intertwined in fantastical designs. Facing pages have explanatory text, telling the stories depicted in the paintings and the feelings and beliefs behind those stories. Amaringo trained as a curandero in the Amazon then retired in 1977 to become a full-time painter and art teacher in his native Peru. Over time he attracted international attention. This book was conceived by his British friends Howard G. Charing, director of a center for shamanism in London, and Peter Cloudsley, a musicologist and founder of a retreat center in the Amazon; both men have studied and immersed themselves in Peruvian culture for many years. They provide prefaces describing their involvement with Amaringo, and several contributed essays thoroughly discuss his life, work, and the altered states of consciousness that the paintings express. Annotation √•¬©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)