Phantasmaphile

SPELL short film from Lula + Topshop

Watching this short film called "Spell" from the folks at Lula Magazine and Topshop feels as if someone emptied out the contents of my head and put in on screen.  It's chock full of gauzy mystic images and lovely ladies in floral crowns and fluttering dresses.  Kind of like a mix of Valerie and Her Week of Wonders and Picnic at Hanging Rock.  Totally sublime.  It was directed by the dream duo Maximilla Lukacs and Sarah Sophie Flicker (aka The Belles of the Black Diamond Field), features all sorts of incredible muses like Melissa Auf der Maur, and beauteous music by sonic mages such as Glasser.  I'm swooning so hard I'm turning inside out.

Christin Couture + Poe

Christin Couture  "Voodoo Doll"  2009

I simply adore Christin Couture's precise and eerie work.  One is never sure exactly what story each piece is telling, but that unsettling mystery is what makes it all so delicious.  You can see her work in person in not one but two Poe-related group shows:

"A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM"
October 3-31

Mid 19th Century Memorials & Sandpaper Paintings,
Book Illustrations by Harry Clarke, and
works by Christin Couture

WHITE ROOM @ WHITEHALL
Shelburne Falls, MA 01370
www.redtidebluefire.com/poeshow.html

AND:

"POE/AFTER POE: Works of Mystery and Imagination"
October 1 - 28
Art Gallery, University of Maine, Farmington
http://poeafterpoe.wordpress.com/

Just in time for Halloween, ey?

Codex Seraphinianus

I was in the opulent Rizzoli bookshop on 57th street a few weeks back, where I encountered a most magnificent tome.  CODEX SERAPHINIANUS is a beautiful beast of a book.  It is giant and heavy and has all of the majesty of some sort of grimoire or encyclopedia of an alternative universe.  But I'm getting ahead of myself, and should tell you what it contains.

The book was written and illustrated by Luigi Serafini in the 1970s.  It is an imaginary record of a strange world written in an invented language, divvied up into 11 chapters, and organized thusly:

The first section appears to describe the natural world, dealing with flora, fauna, and physics. The second deals with the humanities, the various aspects of human life: clothing, history, cuisine, architecture and so on. Each chapter seems to treat a general encyclopedic topic. The topics of each separate chapter are as follows:

• The first chapter describes many alien types of flora: strange flowers, trees that uproot themselves and migrate, etc.
• The second chapter is devoted to the fauna of this alien world, depicting many animals that are surreal variations of the horse, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, birds, etc.
• The third chapter deals with what seems to be a separate kingdom of odd bipedal creatures, apparently engineered for various purposes.
• The fourth chapter deals with something that seems to be physics and chemistry, and is by far the most abstract and enigmatic.
• The fifth chapter deals with bizarre machines and vehicles.
• The sixth chapter explores the general humanities: biology, sexuality, various aboriginal peoples, and even shows examples of plant life and tools (such as pens and wrenches) grafted directly into the human body.
• The seventh chapter is historical. It shows many people (some only vaguely human) of unknown significance, giving their times of birth and death. It also depicts many scenes of historical (and possibly religious) significance. Also included are examples of burial and funereal customs.
• The eighth chapter depicts the history of the Codex's alien writing system.
• The ninth chapter deals with food, dining practices, and clothing.
• The tenth chapter describes bizarre games (including playing cards and board games) and athletic sports.
• The eleventh chapter is devoted entirely to architecture.

Thanks, wikipedia!  The drawings are every bit as surreal and riveting as one would hope.  Here are a few sample pages to wet your whistle:

Dan May

Dan May  "Covet"  2009

Dan May's velvety monsters and fey maidens are beyond endearing, and yet I would never call them cute.  It would be easy to think of his work as childlike, and yet the skill and complexity of messages are quite sophisticated.  Looks like his current show up at CoproGallery closes tomorrow.  So sorry for being late on this one.

Abraham Janssens

Abraham Janssens  "Inkonstanz, Allegorie der Unbeständigkeit"  1617

So here is a stunning and mysterious painting I would love to know more about.  The artist, Abraham Janssens, is Flemish (what is it about that crew that made them such fantastic painters?!), and his name is spelled differently all over the internet, and sometimes with a "van Nuyssen" at the end.  The title of the painting seems to translate to "Inconstancy, Allegory of Instability."  I must say I do find the title to be disappointing, considering the nature of the piece.  The moon, the crayfish, and the bat don't strike me as symbols of inconstancy at all.  In fact, I confess I've always hated that "O, swear not by the moon, the inconstant moon" line from Romeo & Juliet.  What could be more consistent than the lunar cycle?  The moon's shape transforms, sure, but I would hardly call it unpredictable!  Anyway, rant aside, I do think this painting is absolutely marvelous, and wish there was more information about its creation and deeper meaning.  

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Ekaterina Panikanova

Ekaterina Panikanova  "Il bacio"  2008

From the looks of it, Ekaterina Panikanova is quite the lepidopterophile.  Butterflies are standard icons in fine art, symbolizing everything from the psyche, the soul, dreams, and so on.  Yet these paintings feel completely unique to me what with their modernity and tense loveliness.  It was near impossible to choose which piece to showcase, so please have a look at all of them.

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The Lost Symbol

I always feel very sheepish when talking about Dan Brown's books.  As I wrote here, I realize The Da Vinci Code is hardly a great work of literature, and yet it was packed to bursting with topics I'm passionate about (art history, mysticism, the divine feminine, and so on), and was an addictive and easy read.  So it's with a bit of ambivalence that I confess that I already bought and read his new book, The Lost Symbol.  But you know what?  I loved every second of it.

If you are going to read it, you have to be prepared for the fact that yes, it is heavy-handed, written at a grade school reading level, and that his characters are two-dimensional to the point of absurdity.  But if you can get beyond that - and I sincerely believe you should - you will see that it is actually quite a revolutionary and fascinating piece of writing.  Once again, it features Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology, a - much like Indiana Jones - skeptical scholar who gets taken on life-or-death, gnostic thrill ride, this time in Washington DC.  He has to crack ancient codes, solve mystic puzzles, and just generally use his knowledge of cultures past and present to save the day/world.  Formulaic, sure.  But Brown's true genius lies in the way he is able to wrap up thousands of years of esoteric knowledge in a junky, delicious package, to be eagerly consumed by the masses.

I'm a big believer in no spoilers, so I can't say too much more about the plot.  But I will say that this book contains well-researched and highly revelatory information about the founding of America, Freemasonry, the occult, Egyptian history, noetics, and, to put it bluntly, most of the world's great religious traditions.  It can be (and will be) debated until the cows come home how much of the information is accurate.  In my opinion, that is besides the point.  The point is, Dan Brown's book is a catalyst for readers who I believe will be inspired to dig deeper and to do their own research into esoteric knowledge. 

It is strange that the veil of the great mysteries is being drawn back by a pop culture airport book.  And yet if you think about it, what better way to disseminate this information and inspire people to learn more about it, than to make it palatable and, dare I say, fun?  Change is definitely afoot.  This is currently the #1 book on Amazon.  The #2 and #8 most popular articles in today's New York Times are about Carl Jung and shamanism, respectively.  People are wanting to know more about alternative, and yes, so-called spiritual ways of being.  Some may call it a trend, I call it an evolution of consciousness.

Heather Nevay show!

Heather Nevay  "Mother and Child"  2009

Longtime Phantasmaphile favorite Heather Nevay has a brand new body of work, and I could not be more in love with it.  Here is her description:

In this series of paintings Nevay's familiar setting of Eden is changing.

Her children, inhabiting the characters of their animal namesakes, indulge in role play games to explore the many fears and dangers of the adult world. "The Savage Garden" is a playground with a constant threat of menace and of sudden, jarring shifts in power. For Mister Lambe it is only when they all lie down together in the Peaceable Kingdom - the final painting in this series - that you feel a sense of calm. For Madame Lyon, Miss Shepherd, Mistress Woolfe and Mister Lambe an innocent balance has, for the time being, re-emerged.

This show doesn't open until October 20th at London's Portal Gallery, but I had to post about it now, impatient as I am to get the word out. 

Ron Regé, Jr.

Please click on this image to see it in all its glory.  I recently discovered the comics of Ron Regé, Jr., and immediately fell head over heels in love with them.  His on-going series, Cartoon Utopia, explores tenants of esoteric philosophy and occult symbols in comic strip form, and they are a total joy to behold.  I just love their intricacy and exuberance.  He also sells originals of his drawings here, and some of his books are available here and here. 

More NYC Jungerie

C.G. Jung  Systema mundi totius 1916

It's a good time to be a Jung fan indeed.  First of all, run don't walk to read this NY Times magazine article they just put up about Jung and the decades-in-the-making publication of his personal mystic diary, The Red Book.  Secondly, get ready to view the book itself at this phenomenal sounding exhibition at the Rubin Museum:

This unprecedented exhibition marks the first public presentation of the preeminent psychologist C. G. Jung’s (1875-1961) famous Red Book. In the book Jung developed his principal theories of archetypes, collective unconscious, and the process of individuation. Many contemporary scholars regard the text as the most influential unpublished work in the history of psychology. More than two-thirds of the large, red, leather-bound manuscript’s pages are filled with Jung’s brightly hued and striking graphic forms paired with his thoughts written in a beautiful, illuminated style. Jung was fascinated by the mandala—an artistic representation of the inner and outer cosmos used in Tibetan Buddhism to help practitioners reach enlightenment—and used mandala structures in a number of his own works. Jung’s first known mandala-like work, Systema mundi totius (1916), will be on display. Created between 1914 and 1930, the Red Book has never before been seen in public, outside the circle of Jung’s family and very close friends. Alongside the 95-year-old volume will be a number of oil, chalk, and tempera paintings and preparatory sketches related to it and other original manuscripts, including the Black Books, which contain ideas and fantasies leading up to the Red Book. The exhibition coincides with W.W. Norton & Company’s publication of a facsimile and translation of the Red Book.

The exhibition will be up from October 7th through January 25th.  I am levitating with joy and anticipation!  Cannot wait.

Mon Petit Fantome

Mon Petit Fantome  "I Have Many Secrets"  2009

I just received my framed print of the above papercut by Chad Merritt of Mon Petit Fantome.  It is just the most elegant, magical thing, is it not?  All of Merritt's works strike a perfect balance between graphic boldness and an old-fashioned, often Victorian sensibility.  You can look at his pieces and order your own prints at his Etsy shop here.

Jung Exhibit

Since I'm a total Jung junkie (Jungkie?  Maybe not...) this exhibit opening tonight at the NYC Jung Center sounds neat:

C.G. Jung in Words, Art, and Pictures

Exhibition Open to the Public, Free of Charge

The C.G. Jung Foundation
28 East 39th Street
New York City

On Display in New York City Six Days Only:

Sep 16 – 17 & 21 – 24, 2009

2:00 – 4:00 pm and 6:00 – 8:00 pm

A hundred years ago, Carl Gustav Jung explored for the first time the depths of the human psyche. We are now reaping the benefits as we seek to become conscious of the inner working of our own minds. This September, a unique and impressive exhibition of his life and work will be on display at the C.G. Jung Foundation for Analytical Psychology in midtown Manhattan.

The exhibit has not been seen in New York for more than a quarter of a century. In 1975, on the centennial of his birth, Jung’s colleagues and the Pro Helvetia Foundation assembled a touring exhibition to celebrate his achievements. At the time, the Smithsonian Institution promoted it in the United States.

The opening is tonight at 6pm.  Wine, cheese, and archetypes - delicious!

Wilfried "Sätty" Podriech

Wilfried "Sätty" Podriech 

I'd never heard of Wilfried "Sätty" Podriech before, so I am grateful to J.L. Schnabel for posting about his work on her fabulous blog, Blood Milk.  Sätty's work is so intricate and eye-popping, I'm gonna go ahead and call it psychedelicate.  Now I'm tempted to buy his books, Visions of Frisco, Time Zone, and The Cosmic Bicycle.

Rasputina show!

Cello rockers Rasputina are playing a rare and wonderful "fan request recital" TONIGHT, Sunday, September 13th, 8pm, at the new Knitting Factory space in Williamsburg, and you should be there:

There will be a very special Rasputina recital on September 13, 2009 during the opening week of the new Knitting Factory club at 361 Metropolitan Avenue in Brooklyn. This will be the ONLY Rasputina recital from now until Spring 2010.
For this special event we have decided to have an all-request recital...Melora may also deign to play some new songs from the upcoming Rasputina album Sister Kinderhook.

It looks like the deadline to email them requests has passed, but for what it's worth, I hope they play:  "Rusty the Skatemaker," "Things I'm Gonna Do," "Watch TV," "State Fair," "Mama Was an Opium Smoker," "Green Finch/Johanna," and/or "We Stay Behind" - to name but a few of my favorites.

Book Fairs

There are two amazing book fairs coming up soon that I wanted to alert you all to.  The first is the Esoteric Book Conference in Seattle, on September 19th and 20th.  I wish wish wish I could go to this, it sounds like something I always dreamed about, but which I never knew actually existed:

The Esoteric Book Conference is an annual international event to bring together authors, artists, publishers and bookmakers working in the field of esotericism. In addition to presentations by notable authors and scholars, the conference opens it doors to publishers and booksellers showcasing new & used books as well as rare and hard-to-find esoteric texts. For two days the conference hosts the largest selection of esoteric books under one roof. Contemporary esoteric publishing, finepress book arts and antiquarian texts are offered to augment the libraries of readers, scholars and collectors alike.

This multi-disciplined conference will feature presentations by contemporary authorities researching and working in esoteric currents both East & West. Western Esotericism, Gnosticism, Theosophy, Mythology, Shamanism, Rosicrucianism, Sacred Sciences, Occulture and World Religions are among the subjects to be represented. An esoteric book fair and art show will also be on site allowing education, vending and networking in a unique field of literary, historical and cultural arts.

The second is the annual NY Art Book Fair from October 2-4, this year taking place at the marvelous P.S.1.:

Printed Matter's annual fair of contemporary art books, art catalogs, artists' books, art periodicals, and 'zines offered for sale by over 200 international publishers, booksellers, antiquarian dealers, and independent artist/publishers. Admission to the fair is FREE.

This one is in my fair city, so I will most likely be there myself. 

Coral Silverman show!

Coral Silverman  "Cell Phone and Deer"  2009

I love Coral Silverman's work, so I was delighted when she emailed me to let me know about her new show, "Real Life and Other Myths" which is up now.  There is something totally endearing (no pun intended) about her paintings.  At first glimpse, they feel almost childlike, what with their densely pigmented, creamy color palette and innocent captured moments.  And yet upon further inspection, they belie the artist's wry, wistful knowing.  You can check out this work in person at Portland's Fontanelle Gallery through September 26th.

Scott G. Brooks show!

Scott G. Brooks  "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do #12"  2009

'Tis the season for amazing art shows.  Scott G. Brooks has a brand new one called "Domestic Terror" going up at Last Rites on September 12th.  I am crazy about his warped and wonderful allegorical works.  They feel totally epic with their astounding detail and bizarro characters - like self-contained stories all taking place in the same giant alternaworld.  You have until October 11th to see 'em, so be sure to get to it.

Jesse Bransford show!

Jesse Bransford  "Hecterion"  2009

If you are lucky enough to be in Miami over the next month, be sure to check out Jesse Bransford's new show "IV = 369 (Luna)" up at Kevin Bruk Gallery from September 12th - October 17th.  Bransford's work is an astounding visual confluence of esoteric images and celestial iconography.  This body of work in particular has personal resonance for me, as it explores lunar themes, and, as an added bonus, features the above picture of one of my all-time favorite deities, Hecate.  My swoons are swooning.

As if that weren't enough, this all will be shown in conjunction with Juliet Jacobson's show "Earnest Corpse."  The content of the show is a mystery, but get a load of her amazing mission statement of sorts.  Intriguing, no?

Marina Korenfeld

Marina Korenfeld  "Eternal Game"  2001

So there I was last night, grabbing a slice of my favorite cake with my fella at our neighborhood chocolate cafe, Cocoabar, when I spied some beautiful framed works hanging on the wall.  They were these lovely, tea-colored etchings by Marina Korenfeld, featuring spindly ladies and mythical creatures in placeless, symbolic scenes.  I wandered from picture to picture, and marveled over their delicacy and imagination.  Chocolate peanut butter cake + surrealist art = one magical evening.

"The Self & Beyond" show in Philly

This show at Wexler Gallery sounds amazing:

Wexler Gallery is proud to present The Self & Beyond, a group show curated by Sienna Freeman, Associate Director of the Wexler Gallery.  The exhibition explores the idea of self as experienced through the body- an organic and temporary vessel in which the psyche is housed during life.  Featured artists include Kiki Smith, Dana Major Kanovitz, Monica Cook and Melanie Bilenker.  The exhibition will run from September 4th through October 31st, 2009.  An opening reception will take place on First Friday, September 4th, from 5 – 8pm.

Working in a variety of mediums, these four artists explore the idea of self as dualistic in nature: internal and external, physical and spiritual, private and public, cognizant and unaware.  Linked by a common desire to investigate the territories between these places, each creates work that often mirrors their own physical likeness while examining wider issues concerning identity, mortality, sexuality, and human nature. 

You know I love me some Kiki Smith, and the other artists are great as well.  Hope to get to PA to see this one in person.

Ryan McGinley show

Ryan McGinley  "Coco & India (Cascade)"  2008/2009

I have a long-standing love of caves, and take tours of them whenever the opportunity presents itself.  They have an ancient majesty about them which gives me a glittering, dark charge.  It's no wonder then why Ryan McGinley's new series, "Moon Milk" is making me positively giddy.  He captures their subterranean magic like no other.  The show opens at Alison Jacques Gallery in London on September 10th, and will be up until October 8th.

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