OBSERVATORY and Phantasmaphile proudly present:
Layered Orders: Crowley's Thoth Deck and the Tarot
(a personal narrative by Jesse Bransford)
Date: Friday, July 17th
Time: 7:30pm
Admission: Free
A
deck given to his brother by his mother in 1986 sat in Jesse
Bransford’s childhood bedroom from the early 90’s until recently,
delivering itself into Bransford’s possession at an opportune moment...
The
Tarot in general and Aleister Crowley's Thoth Tarot
in particular
represent a miasmic confluence of image and thought into a single
structure that is both liberating and overwhelming in its scope. In
creating the deck, Crowley (in collaboration with painter Lady Frieda
Harris) sought to integrate the mythological structures of the major
mystical systems of both Western and Eastern occult traditions and to
bring them into line with contemporary scientific thinking. The
symbolism of the cards blends Kabbalah, Alchemy, Astrology, Egyptian
mythology, quantum physics and even the I-Ching in ways that are at the
same time clear and utterly confounding.
In
an image-soaked personal narration Bransford, whose research-based
artwork has delved into many of the territories Crowley sought to
unify, will discuss some of the basic concepts of Tarot symbolism,
returning to Crowley’s deck as among the most total example of the
cards’ syncretism and as the most controversial.
Jesse
Bransford is a Brooklyn/Queens-based artist whose work has been
exhibited internationally. He received a B.A. from the New School for
Social Research, a B.F.A. from Parsons School of Design, both in 1996,
and an M.F.A. from Columbia University in 2000. He is currently a
Master Teacher with the post of Undergraduate Director at New York
University where he has been teaching since 2001, as well as a member
of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism. His work
is represented by Feature Inc. in New York, Kevin Bruk Gallery in
Miami, Galerie Schmidt Maczollek in Köln, and Shaheen Modern and
Contemporary Art in Cleveland. Images of his work, a complete bio and
related articles can be seen at www.sevenseven.com/, a website he has continuously maintained since 1997.
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Directions: ***PLEASE USE NEW ENTRANCE (see below)***
Please enter Observatory via doorway on 543 Union St.
R or M train to Union Street in Brooklyn: Walk two long blocks on Union (towards the Gowanus Canal) to Nevins Street. 543 Union Street is the large red brick building on right.
F or G train
to Carroll Street: Walk one block to Union. Turn right, walk two long
blocks on Union towards the Gowanus Canal, cross the bridge. 543 Union Street is the large red brick building on the left.
For more information, see observatoryroom.org
Hope to see you all there!
o i am so excited for this! i'm going to try everything in my powers to be there!
xoxoox
Posted by: JLS | July 07, 2009 at 04:39 PM
I would love to make this lecture but I will not be in NY at this time. Will there be any future lectures like this one? I am extremely interested in participating in any event like this when I'm back in NY.
Posted by: Jenne | July 08, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Yes, there will be! Not sure what yet, but I will be announcing them both here and on observatoryroom.org as they come up.
Posted by: Pam | July 08, 2009 at 12:23 PM