People have, since antiquity, been aware of the essence of the spiritual, the presence of a higher power, and have been exploring their connection to something above themselves. Naturally, humanity's connection to dreams, emotional expression and prayers can be differently interpreted,— but throughout, art has been the favoured medium of conveying glimpses of the ultimate. Drury and Anna Voigt explore these connections in relation to spiritual art:

Spiritual art is finally about essence, about the intangible — and the sacred. It is about greater, and perhaps even ultimate, meaning. It is about a dimension of reality occasionally glimpsed and not always fully realised, but which nevertheless conveys to the artist that a deep sense of Oneness …show more content…
Symmetry and balance are dominant design elements, as the entire artwork is vertically subdivided by a thin strip of symbols. A spheral motif is used for Buddha's halo to the effect of glorification, but also—more importantly—in a circle surrounding his body, signifying simultaneously a detachment from the chaos of modern life, and—where the circle is broken—a connection to it. Like its classical influences (see appendix B), this artwork correlates to the topic of spiritual connections, portraying the moment where Siddhartha Gautama, despite material temptation from the demon Mara, attained enlightenment by touching the earth, becoming known as 'Buddha' (O'Brien, 2016). Gyatso's contemporary portrayal of Buddha's spiritual connection to the earth—despite appealing modern distractions—successfully reflects the artist's concerns towards the relevance of prayer in the twenty-first century (Behrendt, 2014). Furthermore, this scene perfectly encapsulates Drury and Voigt's idea that "a deep sense of Oneness ... underlies ephemeral physical appearances," as is evident in the effects of Buddha's meditation. The artwork is also applicable to the remainder of Drury and Voigt's quote: the artwork's theme is "sacred" to those of the faith, and the sacred paradox "of being and becoming" at the "very heart of Creation" is showcased in …show more content…
Mark Rothko's darker and later work is representative of his depressive tendencies (Negri, 1998). Black, brown on maroon is a composition of three distinct areas of colour —a black, horizontal third in the centre with a thinner strip of the same hue below, bordered on top by a dark maroon. Rothko's own interpretation of spiritual art does, however, relate to the quote by Drury and Voigt. By reducing his artwork to the depiction of only the purest human emotions (), something of universal and ultimate meaning, he unifies the world in a "deep sense of oneness" which "extends well beyond individual, ego-based perceptions." The strong emotions he illustrates are arguably about "essence, the intangible and the sacred"—the abstract and untouchable, though vitally important, nature of emotions attests to this. Finally, spiritual art is "embracing the Mystery ... at the very heart of creation itself," a concept Rothko illustrates through his mysterious, pure-abstraction style, leaving meaning to the audience's interpretation. Mark Rothko's still, ethereal world of contemplation, Black, brown on maroon can be justified in relation to the quote, proving how an artwork does not have to be doctrinally religious to be, in the words of Drury and Voigt, spiritual