Daniel Gautier is an artist working in the mediums of painting/drawing, music, and the written word. His art has roots in the traditions of Hermetic and Platonic philosophy, Symbolist art, Jungian psychology, and the gnostic/mystic disciplines, East and West. The whole of his art may be understood as an extended “Theme and variations,” with each creative work being part of a larger philosophical/ cosmological system and an original symbolic language which he has developed, as outlined in his book, The Illuminated Word: Cosmogenesis and the Symbolic Keys to Universal Understanding.
Mr. Gautier's paintings and drawings have been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums.
"By attuning to the harmonies of number & nature & art & music, one may experience the perfect, primal Order that unites all things."
- Aphorisms of Light
Eighteen of his books have been published, including novels, poetry, children's books, and scholarly works. There is much cross-pollination between his artworks. Daniel wrote a book, Songs of Creation, to accompany his Ideogram series of paintings, creating a poem and scholarly commentary to accompany each artwork. He released an album of original piano compositions that provides a musical interpretation of his illustrated book of poetry, The Sun’s Calendar. In addition to concerts, books, and art exhibitions, Mr. Gautier offers lectures on the subjects of art history, comparative religion, literature, and philosophy, A recent book, Grail of the Sun: Memoirs of a Hermetic Mystic, provides a spiritual autobiography, containing the artist’s personal recollections and reflections, as told in the context of Hermetic/Platonic philosophy, Jungian psychology, comparative religion, and the mystic/initiatory quest.
Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Mr. Gautier received his B.A. from Duke University and his M.F.A. from Florida State University. He has been living and working in the San Francisco Bay area for over 25 years