Phantasmaphile

The Collective Tarot

I am lucky to be the owner of the super rare and spectacular Collective Tarot.  It's designed by a group of 25 artists, including comics phenom Annie Murphy, whose work can currently be seen in my Sigils & Signs show.  It also has some truly inspired variations on some of the cards (e.g. "The Code" and "Intermission") and has suits of bottles, feathers, bones, and keys instead of the usual cups, wands, pentacles, swords.  Full info:

What is the Collective Tarot?

The Collective Tarot is a collaborative publishing project/magical art-spell consisting of: 5 core collective members; 25 contributing artists/co-collaborators; 78 full-color cards; a 275-page accompanying booklet; hundreds of supporters, fans, and Collective Tarot magic-makers.

At the onset of this project in 2007, we had no idea how big it would get, nor how long we'd be at it. We self-published a print-run of 500 in 2008 (printed by Eberhardt Press) and quickly sold out through word of mouth only. Then in 2010, Eberhardt Press published a second round of 750 copies (printed at Eberhardt Press and Brown Printing in Portland, OR).

Now, back by popular demand, we bring you the Collective Tarot 2012. Self-published by the Tarot Collective, funded by our wonderful community, printed at always-solid Brown Printing in Portland, this time around we are shooting for a print run of 2000. We are trying to pre-sell at least 666 decks in order to fund the printing of this project at a whopping $20,000. 

We plan to keep the price of decks as low as possible at $25. Support your local witch/artist/publishers!! Spread the word!

Yes, now you, too, can own this special deck, as it's going into its 3rd printing.  All you have to do is donate to their Kickstarter, which is going until June 27th and is already almost fully funded.  

Magick Mags

Cover art by Hanna Tuulikki

We were away in Hudson for the long weekend, staying at our friends' lovely country house.  It was sheer heaven, especially lying on a picnic blanket beneath a shady maple tree, drinking rosy cava, and getting some long overdue time to read and breathe.  It was a perfect setting to read the latest issue of Magpie Magazine, a beautifully crafted, 96 page full-color publication that focuses on folk culture.  This issue's theme is Metamorphosis, and features short stories, poems, and artwork with whimsical nature-magick elements, as well as articles about visionaries like Leonora Carrington and the founder of the Museum of British Folklore.  There are also music reviews and a bonus compilation CD with tracks by Larkin Grimm, Julia Kent (formerly of Rasputina), and many more.  Highly recommended.

On a related note, I just learned of another intriguing sounding magazine out of France called Sciences Occultes.  It's described as "...a quarterly magazine about photography, fashion and Arts in general who tries to offer a view on the invisible side of things. (112 pages)," and the first issue will feature an interview with Ellen Rogers, art by Cendrine Rovini, fashion editorials, and much more.  Looks gorgeous: 

I pre-ordered my copy, and suggest you do the same soon, as they're selling out fast.

Sigils & Signs, oh my!

Just a reminder that my group art show, Sigils & Signs is only up for a couple more weeks at Observatory.  I will be at the gallery myself all day on this Saturday, June 2nd and on Sunday, June 17th for its closing day (and will be serving wine on that day, too!).  Please come by if you'd like to chat with me about the show, or anything else your heart desires.

Also, don't forget that there will be two events happening at Observatory in conjunction with the show:

 

Magic Circles in the Grimoire Tradition

An illustrated lecture with William Kiesel of Ouroboros Press
Date: Friday, June 1
Time: 8pm
Admission: $8
Presented by Phantasmaphile

‘With the center of the circle as a starting point, orientation can take on precise meaning in the context of its ritual, which was designed to secure spiritual knowledge and material dominion in the world through the agency of spirits, stars and cabalistic arcana.’

Magic Circles have been depicted in popular expressions of magic and witchcraft as well as detailed with full rubrics in traditional manuals of magic such as the Clavicula Solomonis or Liber Juratus.  Using narrative, visual and textual material available from European grimoires and manuscripts, William Kiesel will discuss the various forms and functions of this important piece of apparatus employed by magicians in the Western Esoteric Tradition, including their role in providing authority and protection to the operator, as well as examples of their use in divination and treasure finding.

WILLIAM KIESEL is an independent scholar researching occultism and western esotericism in practical and historical contexts.  He is particularly interested in esoteric symbol systems and their use as manifested in alchemical, hermetic and occult traditions.  In addition to giving presentations on these topics in the United States and abroad, Kiesel has also collaborated in avant garde music circles concerned with the esoteric use of music.  It was the later context which led to his contribution in John Zorn’s acclaimed ARCANA series with an essay titled Musings on the Hermetic Lyre.  His first book ‘Magic Circles in the Grimoire Tradition‘ is part of the Three Hands Press monograph series. William is the director of Ouroboros Press and editor at CLAVIS: Journal of Occult Arts.

 

Symbols & Spells

A Workshop with Judika Illes
Date: Sunday, June 10th
Time: 2-4pm
Admission: $40 ***You must RSVP to phantasmaphile [at] gmail.com, as class size is limited.  You will then be sent a Paypal payment request.
Presented by Phantasmaphile

Symbols reverberate with power. They are not just mere markings. Instead they convey and radiate magical forces. Because of this, symbols are among our oldest and most potent magical tools. Their use spans the globe, as well as a vast spectrum of spiritual and esoteric traditions.

Magical symbols include seals and sigils– Kabbalistic and otherwise, Egyptian symbols, such as the ankh and the “girdle” of Isis, the Congo Cross, glyphs, runes, vèvè, alchemical, Masonic, fertility, Adinkra, and hex signs.

Symbols serve virtually unlimited magical uses. They are incorporated into amulets, talismans, and mojo bags and used in divination, spirit summoning, and magic spells. The most accessible manner of working with symbols is candle magic.

In this class, we will explore the esoteric power of symbols and how this power is transmitted through candles. The class will begin with a lecture about symbols and will then evolve into a hands-on workshop. Each attendee will have the opportunity to create a magic candle.

Attendees will receive a hand-out of symbols. We will also discuss how to create your own magic symbols to serve your own personal needs and desires.

PLEASE BRING a notebook or paper and something to write with, so that you can take notes.

PLEASE ALSO BRING a candle. The size is up to you, but the larger and more substantial the candle, the more surface space is available for carving symbols into it. Birthday candles and tea lights are too small and tapers tend to break. Pillar and round votive candles are best.

Colors, like symbols, radiate power and a candle’s color is chosen to coordinate with a spell-caster’s goal. Here is a list of traditional color associations, but if you possess your own associations, please trust your intuition:

Black: protection; banishing; fertility; regeneration; healing chronic illness.

Blue: protection; peace; healing emotional, mental or psychic illness; terminating addictions, including smoking.

Brown: justice; legal issues; grounding.

Green: fertility; prosperity; money; healing physical illness and conditions.

Purple: power; sex; erotic love spells.

Red: luck; good fortune; love; fertility; healing blood ailments.

Pink: love; spells benefiting children.

White: ancestral work; contacting those in the Next Realm.

***White candles possess the power of the blank slate and may be substituted for any other color. If in doubt or unsure, bring a white candle.

Judika Illes is an independent scholar, international speaker, educator, and author of books of folklore, folkways, and mythology about the subjects of magic, the occult, divination, diverse spiritual traditions, witchcraft, and the paranormal.  She is the author of four popular encyclopedias: The Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, The Encyclopedia of Spirits, and the new Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints, and Sages. Her other books include Pure Magic: A Complete Course in Spellcasting, Magic When You Need It and The Weiser Field Guide to Witches. Her website is: www.judikailles.com

 

And here's the show info again:

Sigils & Signs, a group art show

Opening reception: Friday, April 27th, 7-10pm, FREE!

Show on view April 28th - June 17th, 2012

Gallery Hours: Thursdays & Fridays 3-6pm, Saturdays & Sundays 12-6pm

The fibers of art and magic are woven so tightly together, it’s often said that they are one and the same.  Images are imaginal pictures.  When we see something, a constellation of synapses fires, associations swirl, and new thoughts are born.  We are altered - and what is magic, if not this?

That said, there is a long lineage of artists who, quite literally, created spells via drawings on the floor, scrawls in books, lines cut into wood or stone.  Though the featured players of this story are often English magicians from John Dee to Austin Osman Spare to Alan Moore, symbol-based magic can be traced back through the ages and across cultures.  Germanic runes were carved into objects and later used as vehicles of divination.  Hindu yantras and Buddhist mandalas are meditative, microcosmic diagrams meant to elevate the mind to the spiritual plane, and Kabbalistic letters are infinite layer-cakes of mystic meaning.  The well-placed glyph can bless a birth, or curdle mother’s milk.  A ring of certain characters can summon a demon, and the right number-grid can allow communion with the angels.  Excavated from grimoires, handed down from teachers both living and dead, these are powerful emblems that act upon the fabric of the universe.

As such, the works in Sigils & Signs are agents of change.  By using occult symbols from various traditions and times, each artist explores what it means to be a magician in the modern age: to emblazon sigils upon the energy field; to make magic marks.  While these artworks may be appreciated for their aesthetic value – and oh how valuable they are – the viewer is invited to engage with each piece on the immaterial level.  Whether protective or contemplative, refueling or revealing, these “wall spells” are cast with careful beauty and the intention to transform.

Participating Artists

Andreco
Jesse Bransford
Derrick Cruz
Adela Leibowitz
Jason Leinwand
Tamalyn Miller
Deborah Mills
Annie Murphy
Ouroboros Press
Daniel Rabuzzi
Michael Robinson
David Chaim Smith
Fredrik Söderberg
Hilary White

About the Curator

Pam Grossman is an independent curator and lifelong student of magical practice and history.  She is the creator of Phantasmaphile, a blog which specializes in art and culture with an esoteric or fantastical bent, and the Associate Editor of Abraxas International Journal of Esoteric Studies.  As co-founder of Observatory, her programming aims to explore mysticism via a scholarly yet accessible approach.  Her group art shows, Fata Morgana: The New Female Fantasists, VISION QUEST, and Alchemically Yours have been featured by such outlets as Boing Boing, CREATIVE TIME, Time Out New York, Juxtapoz, Arthur, 20×200, UrbanOutfitters.com, and Neil Gaiman’s Twitter.  She lectures on such topics as The Occult in Modern Art 101, and teaches classes on herbalism and ritual. She is a graduate of New York University, where she studied anthropology, art history, and religious studies. A resident of Brooklyn, she lives with her playwright husband, Matt, and their two cat familiars, Albee and Remedios “Remy” Varo.

Show image: Jesse Bransford, “Every Man and Woman is a Star” detail, 2008

Pierre-Paul Pariseau

Pierre-Paul Pariseau is a Canadian illustrator who creates vivid mixed-media works.  Like Tadanori Yokoo or Gilbert & George, his pictures have bold lines and flat color fields, but the layering of surreal imagery (e.g.fish on top of lady on top of mandala!) give his work a dreamy, headshoppy flair. 

Phantasmaphile in your ears!

I've been featured on a few podcasts recently, talking about art and magic and my current group show, Sigils & Signs.  It's been a blast to get to wax lyrical with some of the finest minds in esoteric culture, and I'm thankful to all my hosts for inviting me.

First up was Expanding Mind on the Progessive Radio Network.  This show was recorded live, and is hosted by the brilliant tech-gnostic, Erik Davis, and the bewitching Maja D'Aoust.  You can listen to our episode, "Art and the Occult," here.

I was also a guest on two of KMO and Olga K's podcasts, alongside "sober psychedelic" author, Peter Bebergal.  The conversation was pre-recorded, then sliced and interwoven throughout the two episodes.  Their first show, C-Realm, focuses on consciousness, and you can listen to my "Gooey Ritual and Prickly Magic" episode here.  Their second show, Psychonautica, focuses on psychedelic culture, and you can listen to me talk about ritual as an alternative to drugs here.

On a related note, Sigils and Signs is up through June 17th, so do check it out.  Please note that this weekend, it will be open on Saturday, but closed on Sunday.  Also, I plan on being at the show myself all day on Saturday, June 2nd, so do pop by that day if you'd like a personal tour of the show by me, or would like to simply say hello.  It would be wonderful to see you there.  (And for those who are far away, a gallery of show images can be viewed here.)

Elizabeth Marruffo

Elizabeth Marruffo  "the death of the party: saving the universe" 2012

I just was alerted about Elizabeth Marruffo's recent show, "the death of the party" up at Turner Galleries in Perth.  Though it just closed on the 12th, her contemplative dreamscapes are too special not to share.  Her work is apparently about being about a Mexican ex-pat in Australia, and one definitely gets a sense of alienation and otherwordliness from it.  I'm impressed by the sense of control she has, creating minature women, delicate rainbow ribbons, and angular webs amongst the looser cloudy canyons.  Lovely.

(And thanks to Campbell White for the heads up.)

Nino Japaridze's "The Master and Margarita" Folio

Nino Japaridze "Seul en compagnie de La Lune (Alone with the Moon)" 2012

The Gallery of Surrealism has just announced their new folio of four signed and numbered etchings by Nino Japaridze, based upon the devilish Russian novel, The Master and Margarita.  Each piece is more lavish and lovely than the last, though of course I'm partial to this prismatic, witchy one.  Full info here:

It is with great pleasure that we announce a new publication, The Master and Margarita,
a limited edition portfolio of four hand signed and numbered etchings by Nino Japaridze.
This is our second etching project with this artist, following Japaridze's auspicious debut,
L'Eternel Retour, which premiered in 2010 at Paris' Palais de Tokyo to great acclaim.

Inspired by Mikhail Bulgakov's masterpiece novel, The Master and Margarita consists
of four signed and numbered etchings on Arches paper accompanied by one signed and
numbered colophon sheet all housed in a sumptuous purple fabric covered portfolio with
gold stamping and gold lace ribbon tie.  The etchings are published in a limited edition of 25
with Arabic numerals printed in black and a deluxe edition of XXV with Roman numerals.  Each impression in the deluxe edition has been elaborately hand painted by the artist.

Confess Your Bubble by Matthew Freeman

I interrupt your regularly scheduled esoterica to bring word of Confess Your Bubble, a wicked and hilarious new play by the very tall and very handsome, Matthew Freeman, which will be performed at the Brick Theatre's Democracy Festival.  It's a one-man show starring Steve Burns as Senator Corpuscle, a man with terrible ideas and a podium to bellow them from.  It is directed by Kyle Ancowitz, thus completing this trifecta of talent and unsound judgement.  The play was also just called out by Time Out New York in their list of best summer plays to look forward to.  You'd best be buying your tickets early, in other words:

Confess Your Bubble

The Theater Accident, in association with Blue Coyote Theater Group

June 21 – 30, 2012

Written by Matthew Freeman, directed by Kyle Ancowitz, starring Steve Burns

Due to a plea bargain, Senator Carl Corpuscle, a Democratic Senator from the Great State of Washington (not D.C.) is delivering a speech about his life and views on the government to students at a local high school. Attendance is not mandatory, and only students over 17 may attend. Senator Corpuscle talks about his role in the Democratic Administration, delivers a civics lesson, and offers dire warnings—with slides to illustrate his points.

60 minutes

Thu 6/21 @ 8pm, Fri 6/22 @ 7pm, Sat 6/23 @ 5pm, Sun 6/24 @ 8pm, Tue 6/26 @ 8pm, & Sat 6/30 @ 8pm

$15

 

I also highly encourage you all to visit Confess Your Bubble's digital moodboard of sorts here.  Shock.  Awe. 

Diela Maharanie

Diela Maharanie

Some more colorlust on a rainy day.  Diela Maharanie has improved my mood by at least 4 points, thanks to her dazzling paintings of chromatically drenched ladies in ritualistic scenes.  I'm going to try and carry these images with me today, as a sort of inner umbrella.

Via

Mark Golding

Mark Golding  "Enneagram"

Oh man, if I had known about Mark Golding's work, you can bet I would've tried to have included some of it in my Sigils & Signs show.  He creates meticulous mandalas and colorful diagrams of his own spiritual experiences.  In some cases, as with his Practical Magic series, they are intended to be used as tools of visualization and manifestation.  Plus, they look awesome.  You can see more at his website, Healing Magic, or on his Facebook page.

Lionel Williams

Lionel Williams  "Hermetic Color Magic"

I'm needing a shot of color on this dreary day.  Enter the work of Lionel Williams.  He makes psychedelic collages that look like Time-Life book pages as viewed through a kaleidoscope.  It all feels a bit 70s and sun-bleached, a bit sci-fi, and very far out.

William Lateef Yoder

William Lateef Yoder  "Observing Our Own Emotions"

When I was growing up, I used to come into the city a lot to see bands, indie films, poetry readings, art shows - basically all the good and vital stuff I couldn't find in the suburbs.  One of my usual stops on the circuit was to Tower Records, may it rest in piece.  It was more than just a music store, though I certainly forked over plenty of my allowance to buy import CDs and obscure albums I couldn't find elsewhere.  It also had a great inventory of offbeat zines and postcards and stickers, perfect fodder for decorating my hyper-ornamented teenage bedroom.

One such postcard which found its way to my walls is shown above.  I adored its strange psycho-logic and the beguiling innocence of the girl in the pink dress who is obviously having an intense and strange interior experience.  And I loved its retro-surrealistic style - a little bit Dick and Jane on LSD.  This postcard lived in my room for years in middle school and high school, eventually migrated to my various college dorm rooms, all the while getting beat up and tattered and then, sadly, lost. 

Thanks to the wonders of the digiweb, I have joyously found it again, as well as 4 other postcards by the artist, whose name I learned is William Lateef Yoder.  I had trouble finding out much about him beyond this on the SilverCrow Creations website:

This odd artwork by artist William Lateef Yoder, 1987 features so many symbols, we're not sure if they are to be taken at face value and literally translated or to jump into the interpretation head first...

...The only information we found on the artist himself was his residence in CORE in 1986/1987, a residential school at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Still, I'm over the moon to have reconnected with this curious, imaginal work, and to learn even this little bit more about its maker.

Corey Cocoran

Corey Cocoran  "Echo"  2012

Corey Cocoran describes his work as depicting "visual ecosystems."  When I look at his paintings, I'm reminded of the micro/macrocosmic diagrams of old alchemical engravings.  I love how he nests the spheres of self and nature inside one another, making a new sort of mystic map.  Beautiful.

Observatory goings-on

Lots going on at Observatory these days.  My group show, Sigils & Signs is up now through June 17th.  You can view show images and prices here.  Big thanks to those who made it out to the opening party!

I've also got three great events coming up, so be sure to check them out:

Terrarium Making Workshop

 

With Twig Terrariums
Date: Tuesday, May 22nd
Time: 7:30-9pm
Admission: $60 ***You must RSVP to phantasmaphile [at] gmail.com, as class size is limited.  You will then be sent a Paypal payment request.
Presented by Phantasmaphile

Learn to create a Twig Terrarium with the Twig chicks, Michelle and Katy, of Brooklyn’s famed Gowanus neighborhood. They’ll provide hands-on guidance and offer tips and tricks to miniscape your own little green world out of moss. All the ingredients are provided, including little tiny people to populate your world! They’ll go over the steps to making a healthy terrarium, how to maintain it, and the different types of mosses we use.

Katy and Michelle are the creators behind Twig Terrariums. Their living sculptures have been featured in The New York Times, NPR’s Niche NYC Series, the Museum of Arts & Design, as well as the magazines Entrepreneur, Real Simple, Everyday with Rachael Ray, and Country Living. In Twig’s Brooklyn studio,  they create moss terrariums and other small worlds to intrigue and delight. They use a variety of glass vessels, from antique and vintage to repurposed and recycled. Each terrarium comes complete with a tiny scene that ranges from naughty to nice and everything in between - Central Park muggings, crime scene investigations, fantasy lands full of fairies and unicorns, as well as the more bucolic scenes of waterfalls and hikers, forest scenes, and lovers in the park. Anything goes in a Twig Terrarium! Visit www.twigterrariums.com for more information on our very verdant venture.

Magic Circles in the Grimoire Tradition

 

An illustrated lecture with William Kiesel of Ouroboros Press
Date: Friday, June 1
Time: 8pm
Admission: $8
Presented by Phantasmaphile

‘With the center of the circle as a starting point, orientation can take on precise meaning in the context of its ritual, which was designed to secure spiritual knowledge and material dominion in the world through the agency of spirits, stars and cabalistic arcana.’

Magic Circles have been depicted in popular expressions of magic and witchcraft as well as detailed with full rubrics in traditional manuals of magic such as the Clavicula Solomonis or Liber Juratus.  Using narrative, visual and textual material available from European grimoires and manuscripts, William Kiesel will discuss the various forms and functions of this important piece of apparatus employed by magicians in the Western Esoteric Tradition, including their role in providing authority and protection to the operator, as well as examples of their use in divination and treasure finding.

WILLIAM KIESEL is an independent scholar researching occultism and western esotericism in practical and historical contexts.  He is particularly interested in esoteric symbol systems and their use as manifested in alchemical, hermetic and occult traditions.  In addition to giving presentations on these topics in the United States and abroad, Kiesel has also collaborated in avant garde music circles concerned with the esoteric use of music.  It was the later context which led to his contribution in John Zorn’s acclaimed ARCANA series with an essay titled Musings on the Hermetic Lyre.  His first book ‘Magic Circles in the Grimoire Tradition‘ is part of the Three Hands Press monograph series. William is the director of Ouroboros Press and editor at CLAVIS: Journal of Occult Arts.

This event is in conjunction with Observatory’s Sigils & Signs group art show.

 

Symbols & Spells

 

A Workshop with Judika Illes
Date: Sunday, June 10th
Time: 2-4pm
Admission: $40 ***You must RSVP to phantasmaphile [at] gmail.com, as class size is limited.  You will then be sent a Paypal payment request.
Presented by Phantasmaphile

Symbols reverberate with power. They are not just mere markings. Instead they convey and radiate magical forces. Because of this, symbols are among our oldest and most potent magical tools. Their use spans the globe, as well as a vast spectrum of spiritual and esoteric traditions.

Magical symbols include seals and sigils– Kabbalistic and otherwise, Egyptian symbols, such as the ankh and the “girdle” of Isis, the Congo Cross, glyphs, runes, vèvè, alchemical, Masonic, fertility, Adinkra, and hex signs.

Symbols serve virtually unlimited magical uses. They are incorporated into amulets, talismans, and mojo bags and used in divination, spirit summoning, and magic spells. The most accessible manner of working with symbols is candle magic.

In this class, we will explore the esoteric power of symbols and how this power is transmitted through candles. The class will begin with a lecture about symbols and will then evolve into a hands-on workshop. Each attendee will have the opportunity to create a magic candle.

Attendees will receive a hand-out of symbols. We will also discuss how to create your own magic symbols to serve your own personal needs and desires.

PLEASE BRING a notebook or paper and something to write with, so that you can take notes.

PLEASE ALSO BRING a candle. The size is up to you, but the larger and more substantial the candle, the more surface space is available for carving symbols into it. Birthday candles and tea lights are too small and tapers tend to break. Pillar and round votive candles are best.

Colors, like symbols, radiate power and a candle’s color is chosen to coordinate with a spell-caster’s goal. Here is a list of traditional color associations, but if you possess your own associations, please trust your intuition:

Black: protection; banishing; fertility; regeneration; healing chronic illness.

Blue: protection; peace; healing emotional, mental or psychic illness; terminating addictions, including smoking.

Brown: justice; legal issues; grounding.

Green: fertility; prosperity; money; healing physical illness and conditions.

Purple: power; sex; erotic love spells.

Red: luck; good fortune; love; fertility; healing blood ailments.

Pink: love; spells benefiting children.

White: ancestral work; contacting those in the Next Realm.

***White candles possess the power of the blank slate and may be substituted for any other color. If in doubt or unsure, bring a white candle.

Judika Illes is an independent scholar, international speaker, educator, and author of books of folklore, folkways, and mythology about the subjects of magic, the occult, divination, diverse spiritual traditions, witchcraft, and the paranormal.  She is the author of four popular encyclopedias: The Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells, The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft, The Encyclopedia of Spirits, and the new Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints, and Sages. Her other books include Pure Magic: A Complete Course in Spellcasting, Magic When You Need It and The Weiser Field Guide to Witches. Her website is: www.judikailles.com

This event is in conjunction with Observatory’s Sigils & Signs group art show.

TONIGHT: Sigils & Signs opening party!

Yes, yes, it's finally here!  My group art show, Sigils & Signs, opens TONIGHT at Observatory.  Hope to see you at the party this evening:

Sigils & Signs, a group art show

Opening reception: Friday, April 27th, 7-10pm, FREE!

Show on view April 28th - June 17th, 2012

Gallery Hours: Thursdays & Fridays 3-6pm, Saturdays & Sundays 12-6pm

The fibers of art and magic are woven so tightly together, it’s often said that they are one and the same.  Images are imaginal pictures.  When we see something, a constellation of synapses fires, associations swirl, and new thoughts are born.  We are altered - and what is magic, if not this?

That said, there is a long lineage of artists who, quite literally, created spells via drawings on the floor, scrawls in books, lines cut into wood or stone.  Though the featured players of this story are often English magicians from John Dee to Austin Osman Spare to Alan Moore, symbol-based magic can be traced back through the ages and across cultures.  Germanic runes were carved into objects and later used as vehicles of divination.  Hindu yantras and Buddhist mandalas are meditative, microcosmic diagrams meant to elevate the mind to the spiritual plane, and Kabbalistic letters are infinite layer-cakes of mystic meaning.  The well-placed glyph can bless a birth, or curdle mother’s milk.  A ring of certain characters can summon a demon, and the right number-grid can allow communion with the angels.  Excavated from grimoires, handed down from teachers both living and dead, these are powerful emblems that act upon the fabric of the universe.

As such, the works in Sigils & Signs are agents of change.  By using occult symbols from various traditions and times, each artist explores what it means to be a magician in the modern age: to emblazon sigils upon the energy field; to make magic marks.  While these artworks may be appreciated for their aesthetic value – and oh how valuable they are – the viewer is invited to engage with each piece on the immaterial level.  Whether protective or contemplative, refueling or revealing, these “wall spells” are cast with careful beauty and the intention to transform.

Participating Artists

Andreco
Jesse Bransford
Derrick Cruz
Adela Leibowitz
Jason Leinwand
Tamalyn Miller
Deborah Mills
Annie Murphy
Ouroboros Press
Daniel Rabuzzi
Michael Robinson
David Chaim Smith
Fredrik Söderberg
Hilary White

About the Curator

Pam Grossman is an independent curator and lifelong student of magical practice and history.  She is the creator of Phantasmaphile, a blog which specializes in art and culture with an esoteric or fantastical bent, and the Associate Editor of Abraxas International Journal of Esoteric Studies.  As co-founder of Observatory, her programming aims to explore mysticism via a scholarly yet accessible approach.  Her group art shows, Fata Morgana: The New Female Fantasists, VISION QUEST, and Alchemically Yours have been featured by such outlets as Boing Boing, CREATIVE TIME, Time Out New York, Juxtapoz, Arthur, 20×200, UrbanOutfitters.com, and Neil Gaiman’s Twitter.  She lectures on such topics as The Occult in Modern Art 101, and teaches classes on herbalism and ritual. She is a graduate of New York University, where she studied anthropology, art history, and religious studies. A resident of Brooklyn, she lives with her playwright husband, Matt, and their two cat familiars, Albee and Remedios “Remy” Varo.

Show image: Jesse Bransford, “Every Man and Woman is a Star” detail, 2008

Dr. Dee Opera album

I've been seething with Anglo-envy ever since I heard that Damon Albarn and Alan Moore were working on an opera about alchemist extraordinaire, Dr. Dee.  Though Moore dropped out of the project, the opera went up last summer at the Manchester international festival, to much acclaim.  Happily, it will be released in album form on May 8th, and can pre-ordered now.  It's also streaming on the Guardian blog, for your aural, "strange pastoral folk" pleasure.

(Thank you, Ian Gould for the heads up.)

"Sigils & Signs" show opening party on Friday at Observatory!

My group art show, Sigils & Signs, opens on Friday at Observatory.  Hope to see you at the party on Friday night!

Sigils & Signs, a group art show

Opening reception: Friday, April 27th, 7-10pm, FREE!

Show on view April 28th - June 17th, 2012

Gallery Hours: Thursdays & Fridays 3-6pm, Saturdays & Sundays 12-6pm

The fibers of art and magic are woven so tightly together, it’s often said that they are one and the same.  Images are imaginal pictures.  When we see something, a constellation of synapses fires, associations swirl, and new thoughts are born.  We are altered - and what is magic, if not this?

That said, there is a long lineage of artists who, quite literally, created spells via drawings on the floor, scrawls in books, lines cut into wood or stone.  Though the featured players of this story are often English magicians from John Dee to Austin Osman Spare to Alan Moore, symbol-based magic can be traced back through the ages and across cultures.  Germanic runes were carved into objects and later used as vehicles of divination.  Hindu yantras and Buddhist mandalas are meditative, microcosmic diagrams meant to elevate the mind to the spiritual plane, and Kabbalistic letters are infinite layer-cakes of mystic meaning.  The well-placed glyph can bless a birth, or curdle mother’s milk.  A ring of certain characters can summon a demon, and the right number-grid can allow communion with the angels.  Excavated from grimoires, handed down from teachers both living and dead, these are powerful emblems that act upon the fabric of the universe.

As such, the works in Sigils & Signs are agents of change.  By using occult symbols from various traditions and times, each artist explores what it means to be a magician in the modern age: to emblazon sigils upon the energy field; to make magic marks.  While these artworks may be appreciated for their aesthetic value – and oh how valuable they are – the viewer is invited to engage with each piece on the immaterial level.  Whether protective or contemplative, refueling or revealing, these “wall spells” are cast with careful beauty and the intention to transform.

Participating Artists

Andreco
Jesse Bransford
Derrick Cruz
Adela Leibowitz
Jason Leinwand
Tamalyn Miller
Deborah Mills
Annie Murphy
Ouroboros Press
Daniel Rabuzzi
Michael Robinson
David Chaim Smith
Fredrik Söderberg
Hilary White

About the Curator

Pam Grossman is an independent curator and lifelong student of magical practice and history.  She is the creator of Phantasmaphile, a blog which specializes in art and culture with an esoteric or fantastical bent, and the Associate Editor of Abraxas International Journal of Esoteric Studies.  As co-founder of Observatory, her programming aims to explore mysticism via a scholarly yet accessible approach.  Her group art shows, Fata Morgana: The New Female Fantasists, VISION QUEST, and Alchemically Yours have been featured by such outlets as Boing Boing, CREATIVE TIME, Time Out New York, Juxtapoz, Arthur, 20×200, UrbanOutfitters.com, and Neil Gaiman’s Twitter.  She lectures on such topics as The Occult in Modern Art 101, and teaches classes on herbalism and ritual. She is a graduate of New York University, where she studied anthropology, art history, and religious studies. A resident of Brooklyn, she lives with her playwright husband, Matt, and their two cat familiars, Albee and Remedios “Remy” Varo.

Show image: Jesse Bransford, “Every Man and Woman is a Star” detail, 2008

The Congress for Curious People!

The Congress for Curious People is back this weekend at the Coney Island Museum!  So sayeth its organizer, Joanna Ebenstein, below:

This weekend at Coney Island! Hope very much to see you there.

SYMPOSIUM: THE 2012 CONGRESS FOR CURIOUS PEOPLE
Saturday and Sunday, April 21st and 22nd

SATURDAY APRIL 21st

11:00 – 12:00: Keynote Addresses

• Joanna Ebenstein, Morbid Anatomy Library
• Aaron Beebe, Coney Island Museum

12:00 – 1:00: Lunch

1:00 – 3:30: Immersive Amusements: Cosmoramas, Cycloramas and Panoramic Illusions: Panel discussion moderated and introduced by Aaron Beebe, The Coney Island Museum

• Suzanne Wray
• Sara Velas, The Velaslavasay Panorama
• Jessica Routhier, The Saco Museum
• Russell Potter, Rhode Island College
• Denise Blake Oleksijczuk, Simon Fraser University

4:00 – 5:00: The Business of the Dead: Frederik Ruysch as an Entrepreneurial Anatomist, Lecture by Daniel Margocsy, Hunter College

5:00: Christmas in America: Miss Velma and the Evangelist Spectacle: Screening of “Christmas in America,” an early 1970s television special by Miss Velma, early TV evangelist, introduced by Daniel Paul

SUNDAY APRIL 22

11:00 – 1:00: Religion and Spectacle: A panel with discussion moderated and introduced by Joanna Ebenstein, Morbid Anatomy Library

• Paul Koudounaris, author of Empire of Death
• Shannon Taggart, Photographer
  
• The Venerable Tsering Phunstok
• Colin Dickey, author of Cranioklepty and Afterlives of the Saints
• Salvador Olguin, Borderline Projects

1:00 – 2:30: Lunch and Sideshow Visit

2:30 – 3:30: Traveling Ethnographic Shows and Human Zoos, a lecture by Elizabeth Bradley

3:30 – 5:30: Theater Rethunk: An Alternative History of the Theatrical: A panel with discussion moderated and introduced by Chris Muller

• Amy Herzog, Queens College
• Colin Nightingale, Senior Producer of Punchdrunk, Sleep No More
• Alex Harvey, Freelance Director/Adapter
• Chris Muller, New York University
• Dick Zigun, Founder of Coney Island USA

Tickets for the symposium are available here; for tickets to individual events and lectures, click here; 10-day Congressional Passes--which provide access to all events!--are available here. All events take place at 1208 Surf Avenue in Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York; you can map it here. See you there!!!

Lindsey Bull

Lindsey Bull  "Wise Witch"

I'm loving Lindsey Bull's loose, Munchian paintings of people and their supernatural experiences.  And her artist's statement is fantastic, too:

Most importantly, my work is an exploration around reality and illusion. In particular the sensation of a fractured reality; the paintings depict figures within, and enveloped by spaces that feel simultaneously familiar and unreal. The idea of the moment is imperative to the process of making the paintings; they have to create tension in a moment in time.

My works are often small, the size offering a dynamic, intimate relationship. Absence and fragmentation is played with, coupled with heightened areas of patterning and layers of paint. Areas of the canvas are left unpainted, others are built up over a period of time. I utilise a lexicon of imagery drawn from various sources, from books on witchcraft and cults to boxing magazines and Kung Fu journals. The figures that I choose and which interest me the most, are usually performing or engaged in some unknown ritual.

The interest in rituals and performances formed, when I was looking at boxing magazines from the 1950's and 1960's visual psychedelic experiments. During a residency in China, this research into performative behaviour deepened and expanded, in connection to rituals within Taoism and Buddhism and formed a new body of work. Consequently, mythological behaviour in connection to rites and rituals is the framework of much of my current work. It is an investigation into a language exploring the mystery of rituals.

I like to think of my paintings as interpreting a kind of ‘gothic psychedelia’. They are the juncture where psychedelic patterning and colours meet darker forces driven by an interest in ritualistic performances and the ‘freak out’ of the acid trip.

Via

Magic Circles in the Grimoire Tradition with William Kiesel at Observatory

I'm very excited to announce that William Kiesel from Ouroboros Press will be coming to Observatory on June 1st to present about magic circles.  Info below:

Magic Circles in the Grimoire Tradition
An illustrated lecture with William Kiesel of Ouroboros Press
Date: Friday, June 1
Time: 8pm
Admission: $8
Presented by Phantasmaphile

‘With the center of the circle as a starting point, orientation can take on precise meaning in the context of its ritual, which was designed to secure spiritual knowledge and material dominion in the world through the agency of spirits, stars and cabalistic arcana.’

Magic Circles have been depicted in popular expressions of magic and witchcraft as well as detailed with full rubrics in traditional manuals of magic such as the Clavicula Solomonis or Liber Juratus.  Using narrative, visual and textual material available from European grimoires and manuscripts, William Kiesel will discuss the various forms and functions of this important piece of apparatus employed by magicians in the Western Esoteric Tradition, including their role in providing authority and protection to the operator, as well as examples of their use in divination and treasure finding.

WILLIAM KIESEL is an independent scholar researching occultism and western esotericism in practical and historical contexts.  He is particularly interested in esoteric symbol systems and their use as manifested in alchemical, hermetic and occult traditions.  In addition to giving presentations on these topics in the United States and abroad, Kiesel has also collaborated in avant garde music circles concerned with the esoteric use of music.  It was the later context which led to his contribution in John Zorn’s acclaimed ARCANA series with an essay titled Musings on the Hermetic Lyre.  His first book ‘Magic Circles in the Grimoire Tradition‘ is part of the Three Hands Press monograph series. William is the director of Ouroboros Press and editor at CLAVIS: Journal of Occult Arts.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Matt Rota

Matt Rota  "The Angel of the Hearth"  2012

Matt Rota somehow manages to make the delicate art of watercolor feel visceral and fresh.  It was really difficult to decide which piece from his new show "City of the Dead" at Last Rites Gallery to feature here, as they all have such ominous beauty.  The show opens on Saturday, and will be up through May 21st, alongside Billy Norrby's awesome looking "The Fury."

Please help the Morbid Anatomy Library!

Joanna Ebenstein

As some of you may know, my friend and Observatory founder, Joanna Ebenstein, also runs our incredible sister space, The Morbid Anatomy Library.  Unfortunately, due to a fire in the building and subsequent sprinklers going off, much of her amazing collection of books and curios has been damaged.  Please read her note below to find out how you can help her restore this unique and important NYC treasure:

As some of you might already have already heard, last Friday night, the building which houses my open-to-the-public Morbid Anatomy Library suffered a small artwork-related fire. The fire was quickly extinguished, but not before The Library suffered severe water damage from the building's fire sprinklers. The damage could have been much, much worse, and I am very grateful that we got off as easy as we did, but there is still much to be cleaned up and many books and artifacts to be replaced.

If you are interested in aiding our rebuilding efforts, here are some things you can do:

• Make a monetary donation; to do so, simply click here and then click on the black "Donate Here" button on the top right hand side of the blog
• Sponsor a book; Click here to see a list of damaged books; books purchased here will automatically ship directly to The Library and populate our sadly empty shelves.
• Donate new books or artifacts for the collection: Mailing Address: Joanna Ebenstein, c/o The Morbid Anatomy Library, 543 Union Street #1E, Brooklyn, NY 11215
• Donate time, talent, product, or artwork for our soon to be announced Benefit Party, taking place Saturday May 12; if interested, simply email me back
• Attend our benefit party taking place on May 12; stay tuned for more on that; it is sure to be a great one!
• Help spread the word: feel free to pass on this plea! More on the disaster can be found here

Thanks so much! And hope to see you soon at a bigger, better Morbid Anatomy Library very very soon!

Joanna

Thanks in advance for any assistance you may give her.

Danielle de Picciotto

Danielle de Picciotto  "Pairidaeza"  2012

Just when you thought Gold Week was over, I bring you this!  Do click on the above image by Danielle de Picciotto to see its fine detailing.  It's part of her Mobile Homes series, currently on display at Charles de Picciotto's architectural space.  I'd love to live in a terraced, unicorn-drawn house myself.  Who wouldn't?

Rick Beerhorst

Rick Beerhorst  "Humming Bird Girl"

I want to highlight Rick Beerhorst's work for 2 reasons: his wonderful Americana-meets-Belgian-surrealist style; and this awesome press release his people sent out, which I have no choice but to paste here verbatim:

Hey Phantasmaphile team, 

 

If there's one thing you should know about Rick Beerhorst, it's that - well wait, there are a bunch of holy-what-the-that's-awesome things about Rick and his family. Like how Rick, his wife, and six children all make art together as the Beerhorst Studio. They're an art collective, a family art collective, an urban family art collective in Grand Rapids, Michigan. 

 

Or what about how they manage to combine their individual creative pursuits without tearing each other to pieces? Or how they put on group shows, promote their work through a Wonder Wagon (that got top 50 in ArtPrize 2009), raise bees and chickens, and do so in a house inspired by what the world will look like post-fossil fuels?

 

It lends some meaty meaning to Rick's works, like the ones with with a loving eye towards children and the effort behind family harmony. Then there are the pieces that taste a little bit like Magritte, like the one above, that you can get lost in for hours and show Rick's technical skill. They're painted by someone for whom, art is, totally, a way of life.

 

So good, right?

Mitch Horowitz's "Ouija" Episode of the Midnight Archive

Friend and frequent collaborator, Mitch Horowitz, is featured newest episode of Ronni Thomas' exceptional Midnight Archive web series, and he gives an insightful and entertaining summary of the history of Ouija boards.  It's a truncated adaptation of the Ouija talk Mitch gave at Observatory last year, so those that missed it can now watch this elegant, multi-media version.  Bravo to Mitch & Ronni!