Phantasmaphile

Dorthea Tanning and Friends show!

Dorothea Tanning  "The Truth About Comets"  1945

Big thanks to Ken Brown who told me about this amazing sounding show up now at Kent Gallery.  "All in this Together: Dorothea Tanning and Friends" features work by one of my very favorites, Dorothea Tanning (obviously), plus pieces by such ingenious contemporaries as Cornell, Duchamp, and Arp.  From the release:

We are pleased to present an important historical exhibition encapsulating the friendships and associations of the surrealist artist, Dorothea Tanning. In collaboration with the artist, the exhibition will be comprised of both a salon style installation that reflect memories from the 1940's to the present, along with a selection of archival materials and vintage photography from the Dorothea Tanning Collection and Archive.

Tanning's career blossomed in the 40's with her solo exhibition at the Julian Levy Gallery along with her introduction to the man who would become her life partner for 34 years, Max Ernst. Exhibiting frequently, she would produce works in New York, Sedona, Arizona, Paris and Seillans, France, and back to New York from 1978 on following her Retrospective at the Centre National d'Art Contemporain in Paris curated by Pontus Hulten.

This being the fourth exhibition organized by Kent (1987, 1989, 2005, 2009) focusing on Tanning's oeuvre, it is with great affection that we present this ensemble overview of her luminous epoch.

The show is up until November 28th, so be sure to go.

REMINDER: Come to TONIGHT'S lecture on Wonder at Observatory!

Phantasmaphile presents an evening with Jeff Hoke, creator of The Museum of Lost Wonder and Clint Marsh, author of The Mentalist's Handbook at OBSERVATORY

Through the mediums of self-published pamphlets and the books they inspired, these artistic collaborators have devoted themselves to navigating the border between personal wonder and historical fact.

A writer and publisher of “practical esoterica,” Marsh will tell how childhood exposure to a private library of occult tomes sent him on a lifelong journey walking the line between skepticism and belief. The events leading to the creation of The Mentalist’s Handbook—and the letters Marsh receives from its readers—form the basis of an ongoing study of the crossroads of imagination and reality.  http://wonderella.org/ 

Hoke will discuss the alchemical structure of The Museum of Lost Wonder—an activity book whose projects bridge art, science, and personal enlightenment. These themes are explored further in Hoke’s latest work, Tomb of Illumination. Here, the final resting place of Christian Rosenkreutz is used as a metaphor for the historical separation of art and science, holding hopes for the reunification of fact with faith and consciousness with the worlds beyond.  http://www.lostwonder.org/ 

The Museum of Lost Wonder and The Mentalist’s Handbook (both published by Weiser Books) and Hoke’s Tomb of Illumination folio will be available for purchase.

Date:  Thursday, October 29th

Time:  8pm

Admission:  $5

DIRECTIONS TO OBSERVATORY:  ***PLEASE USE NEVINS ST./PROTEUS GOWANUS ENTRANCE***
 
Observatory is located at 543 Union Street at Nevins St., in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn.  The entrance is currently through Proteus Gowanus gallery, in the alley off Nevins St (see below for full details).

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. Go right on Nevins and left down alley through large black gates. Proteus Gowanus is the second door on the left.  

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, take left on Nevins, go down the alley to Proteus Gowanus, the second door on the left.

See you there!

The Dark Monarch exhibition

Someone pass the smelling salts, because the description of "The Dark Monarch: Magic & Modernity in British Art" at Tate St. Ives is making me positively light-headed:

This group exhibition takes its title from the infamous 1962 book by St Ives artist Sven Berlin. It will explore the influence of folklore, mysticism, mythology and the occult on the development of art in Britain. Focusing on works from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present day it will consider, in particular, the relationship they have to the landscape and legends of the British Isles.

Featuring major loans and works from the Tate Collection, it will examine the development of early Modernism, Surrealism and Neo-Romanticism in the UK, as well as the reappearance of esoteric and arcane references in a significant strand of contemporary art practice.

The exhibition will include a key work by Damien Hirst ­ the first time he has been shown at Tate St Ives ­ as well as works by important modernists and surrealists including Graham Sutherland, Paul Nash, Barbara Hepworth, Henry Moore and Ithell Colquhoun; Neo-Romantics such as Cecil Collins, John Piper, Leslie Hurry and John Craxton; as well as emerging and established contemporary artists including Cerith Wyn Evans, Mark Titchner, Eva Rothschild, Simon Periton, Clare Woods, Steven Claydon, John Stezeker and Derek Jarman.

Exploring the tension between progressive modernity and romantic knowledge, the show will focus on the way the British landscape is encoded with various histories - geological, mythical and magical. It will examine magic as a counterpoint to modernity’s transparency and rational progress, but will also draw out the links modernity has with notions such as fetishism, mana, totem, and the taboo. Often viewed as counter to Modernism, the careful juxtaposition and selection of works on display will suggest that these products of illusion and delusion in fact belong to modernity.

It's up until January 10th, 2010.  I am seriously considering a trip to the UK soon - there are so many fabulous things to see over there right now.

(Thank you, Samantha!)

This Thursday - Phantasmaphile presents BORDERS AND BRIDGES: GUIDED TOURS OF HUMAN WONDER with Jeff Hoke & Clint Marsh

Phantasmaphile presents an evening with Jeff Hoke, creator of The Museum of Lost Wonder and Clint Marsh, author of The Mentalist's Handbook at OBSERVATORY

Through the mediums of self-published pamphlets and the books they inspired, these artistic collaborators have devoted themselves to navigating the border between personal wonder and historical fact.

A writer and publisher of “practical esoterica,” Marsh will tell how childhood exposure to a private library of occult tomes sent him on a lifelong journey walking the line between skepticism and belief. The events leading to the creation of The Mentalist’s Handbook—and the letters Marsh receives from its readers—form the basis of an ongoing study of the crossroads of imagination and reality.  http://wonderella.org/ 

Hoke will discuss the alchemical structure of The Museum of Lost Wonder—an activity book whose projects bridge art, science, and personal enlightenment. These themes are explored further in Hoke’s latest work, Tomb of Illumination. Here, the final resting place of Christian Rosenkreutz is used as a metaphor for the historical separation of art and science, holding hopes for the reunification of fact with faith and consciousness with the worlds beyond.  http://www.lostwonder.org/ 

The Museum of Lost Wonder and The Mentalist’s Handbook (both published by Weiser Books) and Hoke’s Tomb of Illumination folio will be available for purchase.

Date:  Thursday, October 29th

Time:  8pm

Admission:  $5

DIRECTIONS TO OBSERVATORY:  ***PLEASE USE NEVINS ST./PROTEUS GOWANUS ENTRANCE***
 
Observatory is located at 543 Union Street at Nevins St., in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn.  The entrance is currently through Proteus Gowanus gallery, in the alley off Nevins St (see below for full details).

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. Go right on Nevins and left down alley through large black gates. Proteus Gowanus is the second door on the left.  

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, take left on Nevins, go down the alley to Proteus Gowanus, the second door on the left.

See you there!

REMINDER: Come to TONIGHT'S lecture on Alchemy, Art, and the Imagination at Observatory!

TONIGHT at Observatory:

Phantasmaphile presents a visual talk by Brian Cotnoir which will examine actual alchemical theory and practice and its use of image and symbol in creation and the creative process.  We will discuss the alchemical concept of the Imaginary and explore its application in the arts through concrete examples from the earliest alchemical imagery through to the surrealists.  There will also be a screening of an excerpt of a film in progress that plays with some of the ideas touched upon in the talk.  

Bio:  Brian Cotnoir is an independent researcher and author in the field of alchemy for over 35 years. He has given talks on alchemy and most recently he has presented papers on Arabic Alchemy at a conference in Granada, Spain and on Byzantine Alchemy in Istanbul, Turkey.  He is author of  Alchemy (The Weiser Concise Guide Series), an introduction to its theory and practice, and is currently working on his next book, Alchemy: The Poetry of Matter. He is also an award winning filmmaker and editor.

TONIGHT, Friday, October 23rd

8pm

Admission: $5

DIRECTIONS TO OBSERVATORY:  ***PLEASE USE NEVINS ST./PROTEUS GOWANUS ENTRANCE***
 
Observatory is located at 543 Union Street at Nevins St., in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn.  The entrance is currently through Proteus Gowanus gallery, in the alley off Nevins St (see below for full details).
 
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. Go right on Nevins and left down alley through large black gates. Proteus Gowanus is the second door on the left.  

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, take left on Nevins, go down the alley to Proteus Gowanus, the second door on the left.

For more information, see observatoryroom.org

Rachel Sumpter

Rachel Sumpter  "Ghosts"  2009

I've admired Rachel Sumpter's work from afar for a while now, but the pieces currently up on her site have pushed me over the edge into infatuation territory.  She is so skilled with color and is gifted at working on both the macro scale with her textured chromatic fields, and at the micro scale with her incredible detailing.  Plus, her pictures just make me feel good, and that counts for a lot, too.

Via

Rene Lynch show!

Rene Lynch  "Procession"  2009

A new body of work by Phantasmaphile fave Rene Lynch is always cause for celebration.  Her show, "Behind the Garden Gate" opens tomorrow at Jenkins Johnson Gallery here in NYC, and will be up through December 5th.  It features her signature depiction of adolescence in all its mystery and majesty.  There is nothing quite like standing in front of a giant Lynch painting -- it feels like stepping into another world, and yet one that feels entirely familiar and full of nature magic and memory.

John Graham

John Graham  "Venere Lucifera"  1951

Well, I still haven't found a good enough version of John Graham's "Apotheosis" to share with you all (I've been hunting since I fell in love with it during my Chicago trip).  But I encountered this other bit of glory by him during my digi-woods wanderings.  Check out all of those wonderful signs and sigils on her face - gorgeous.  It's funny, because I've always loved his piece "Two Sisters" at MoMA, but I never knew he had such interest in the esoteric.  Check out this little article about him in an October 1968 issue of LIFE for a bit more info about this fascinating artist.

THIS FRIDAY -- Phantasmaphile presents at OBSERVATORY: Alchemy, Art, and the Realm of the Imaginary

Phantasmaphile presents a visual talk at OBSERVATORY by Brian Cotnoir which will examine actual alchemical theory and practice and its use of image and symbol in creation and the creative process.  We will discuss the alchemical concept of the Imaginary and explore its application in the arts through concrete examples from the earliest alchemical imagery through to the surrealists.  There will also be a screening of an excerpt of a film in progress that plays with some of the ideas touched upon in the talk.  

Bio:  Brian Cotnoir is an independent researcher and author in the field of alchemy for over 35 years. He has given talks on alchemy and most recently he has presented papers on Arabic Alchemy at a conference in Granada, Spain and on Byzantine Alchemy in Istanbul, Turkey.  He is author of  Alchemy (The Weiser Concise Guide Series), an introduction to its theory and practice, and is currently working on his next book, Alchemy: The Poetry of Matter. He is also an award winning filmmaker and editor.

Friday, October 23rd

8pm

Admission: $5

DIRECTIONS TO OBSERVATORY:  ***PLEASE USE NEVINS ST./PROTEUS GOWANUS ENTRANCE***
 
Observatory is located at 543 Union Street at Nevins St., in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn.  The entrance is currently through Proteus Gowanus gallery, in the alley off Nevins St (see below for full details).
 
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. Go right on Nevins and left down alley through large black gates. Proteus Gowanus is the second door on the left.  

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, take left on Nevins, go down the alley to Proteus Gowanus, the second door on the left.

For more information, see observatoryroom.org

Wolfe von Lenkiewicz

Wolfe von Lenkiewicz  "The Fairy Queen"  2009

In keeping with yesterday's post, one of the artists represented by AVA is the brilliant Wolfe von Lenkiewicz.  It looks as though most of his work is done in graphite or charcoal - odd jewels of drawings featuring historical figures, natural wonders, and mythological beasts mashed together, hybrid-style.  This piece above is one of his few oil paintings, and I would give a set of ribs to own it. 

The Age of the Marvellous show

This show sounds like heaven on earth, doesn't it:

All Visual Arts (AVA) announces one of the most spectacular private
Contemporary art exhibitions opening at the magnificent former Holy Trinity Church designed by Sir John Soane at
One Marylebone in central London.
Over a year in planning and production, The Age of the Marvellous (14th - 22nd October) was inspired by the
Wunderkammer or Cabinet of Curiosities, popular in the late Renaissance through the Baroque period (ca. 1550–
ca. 1700). An era characterized by a revival of learning, the sum of all of man’s knowledge could be represented in
rooms filled with natural wonders, artificial exotica and relics or art works concerned with the supernatural.
The Wunderkammer ‘s particular ability to evoke the marvellous, to incite the emotions of awe, wonder, surprise
and astonishment leading to curiosity and then learning was based on its ability to draw parallels and unify
seemingly unrelated fields of human knowledge like Science and Art. The brilliant evolutionary biologist E.O.

Wilson considered the unification of knowledge – or what he labeled ‘Consilience’ in his eponymous book
published in 1998 - nothing short of imperative for the survival of the human species.

The Age of the Marvellous features over 60 works of art, most of them especially produced for the exhibition, that
display a new-found tendency for contemporary artists to look beyond the limitations of aesthetic conventions, to
a varied, more cross-disciplinary approach that integrates areas of human knowledge that exist outside the
boundaries of traditional art making.
Conceived and curated by All Visual Arts Director Joe La Placa, The Age of the Marvellous is the arts organization’s
third major exhibition since it was launched in 2008. The show will coincide with Frieze Art Fair 2009 held in
London’s Regents Park.

A fully-illustrated catalogue will be produced subsequent to the show.

Location: One Marylebone, Osnaburgh Terrace, London NW1 4GD

Public exhibition: October 14th 12-6pm; October 15th-22nd 10am-7pm

Londoners, you must report back on this one and let me know how it is.  Ultra bonus points if you snag me a catalog.

Margherita Manzelli

Margherita Manzelli  "Dopo la Fine"  2008

I was in Chicago this past weekend, and had the good fortune of getting some time at the stately Art Institute of Chicago.  I had been there once before many moons ago, and it was such a treat getting to go back, especially in light of the opening of their new Modern Wing.  One of the things I love best about visiting a big art institution like this one is that I am always bound to make a bunch of new discoveries.  I'll be posting about some of my Chicago art revelations over the next few days, though I'll have to do some digi-mining, as the AIC's site doesn't have high-res versions of most of the pieces I fell for.  (On that note, if anyone can help me find a full, uncropped high-res version of John D. Graham's Apotheosis, I would be eternally grateful!)

The painting above, by Margherita Manzelli, was hands-down my favorite new work.  First of all, this piece is absolutely huge in person at 118 x 77 inches.  The pattern and perspective totally swallow you up, and your whole field of vision is filled with blurred blooms of color.  And it is just so smart how the female subject is painted with such contrasting sharpness.  It makes her feel all the smaller and stranger and more real, as if the viewer is crossing a great emotional expanse to reach her in her dreamy, chrysalid solitude.

Surendran Nair

Surendran Nair  "pernoctation 2.the wounded majesty ,or, the anatomy of fate (cuckoonebulopolis)"  2008

Surendran Nair creates masterful paintings, with elaborate titles to match.  This piece in particular gives me the happy-shudders.  It's such a moving and rich depiction of the chakras, and of the experience of mystical transcendence.  I am particularly in awe of how brilliantly he captured the serpentine motion of flames.  Be sure to check out his terrific, Schiele-esque drawings as well.   

(Thanks, Ann!)

Samuli Heimonen

Samuli Heimonen  "With my own eyes"  2009

Samuli Heimonen paints animals, and yet his work is ultimately about the human experience.  There is a powerful force present in his paintings that feels deep and timeless.  If you are in Helsinki this month, you can be lucky enough to see his show that's currently at Galleria Heino, up until October 25th.

Ann McCoy show!

Ann McCoy  2009

Ann McCoy is one of my favorite living artists, which is an impressive feat considering I have yet to see any of her work in person.  And oh how I long to!  She creates massive drawings that riff on alchemical symbols in flowing phantasmagorias.  Wish I could get myself to Vermont to see her current show, "ANN MCCOY: ALCHEMICAL WORKS" which is up through November 30th.  Here's more information on that:

ANN MCCOY: ALCHEMICAL WORKS

Michael S. Currier Center

The Putney School

418 Houghton Brook Road

Putney,VT 05346

September 28 through Nov. 30, 2009

Statement:  For me, alchemical model is not antiquated and is much needed in our time.  In alchemy, the shadow, our dark partner we project onto others, must be acknowledged and integrated. The pairs of opposites are brought together and transformed into a new third element.  In our age of black and white thinking, with the shadow projected onto the Arab and others,  this model provides a welcome change. Alchemy has to do with transformation, transmutation, and changes in the inner life which become manifest in the outer world.  Without the transformation of the individual, there can be no transformation in the collective. Alchemy connects the inner transformation process through fantasy to the outer world.

Just marvelous.  Hmmm, maybe I need to arrange a leaf peeping, alchemical Vermont excursion.

Christopher Reiger show!

Christopher Reiger  "Further Murmuration"  2008

I've sung Christopher Reiger's praises here before, and with good reason.  He is to my mind one of the few people out there who is able to successfully explore the interstices of nature and spirit in endlessly surprising and beautiful new ways.  Be sure to check out his new show, "Some Species of Song," opening at Denise Bibro Fine Art on October 8th and up until November 7th.

Charlie Roberts

Charlie Roberts  "Clutterbug"  2009

I am flipping over the work of Charlie Roberts.  His paintings feel like home to me, probably because they look like a combination of my apartment, my cubicle, and my childhood bedroom all rolled into one.  Roberts and I obviously share a passion for bric-a-brac and the accumulation of treasures and images from infinite sources.  And decor aside, I love those mysterious figures lurking at the right side of the piece.  Who are they, and what are they doing?

Via

Paul Romano show!

Get thee to Philly on Saturday, October 10th for the opening of Paul Romano's solo show at the fabulous Toothless Cat gallery.  Romano is best known for his impressive oeuvre of album art, so it will be exciting to see him step out into the fine art realm: 

Romano will be exhibiting a collection of paintings on wood, canvas, and paper which are well known as groundbreaking images from his work with bands such as Mastodon, The Red Chord, Hate Eternal, Chiodos, and many more. Workhardened marks Romano’s debut solo fine art exhibition, marking a highly anticipated event for this remarkably accomplished artist.

Romano’s imaginative compositions are steeped in myth and allegory, illuminating the music for which they are made to represent. The works are not solely governed by this factor however, and remain ambiguous and haunting in their own right.

The show will be up until November 10th, so make sure you don't miss it.

Twitchers

Last night at East Williamsburg's diamond in the rough space House of Yes, I saw an absolutely enthralling and fanciful performance by my favorite theatrical dance company, Desert Sin.  They have joined forces with Lady Circus and The Mystery Bird Puppet Show to create "Twitchers," a stunning evening of performances about birds and flying, and I truly cannot recommend it highly enough.  Each piece is incredibly inventive, the performers have grace and skill in spades, and the costumes are an exquisite riot of glitter, lace, and - of course - feathers.  It is awe inspiring to see the imagination and talent that has gone into the show, especially in light of the fact that they are all relatively young troupes with presumably limited resources.  I sat there the entire time breathless, my jaw agape, and feeling that pure childlike wonder that is too often a rarity these days.  It's difficult for me to choose my favorite part, as there was so much variety and beauty throughout the night, but I will say I was entirely unprepared to feel not only delighted but totally moved by one piece in particular about a deer and a vulture - and that's all I'll say about that.  Anyway, get yourself tickets NOW, this is not to be missed.  And here are more details:

Twitchers…

A tour of birds, dreams, and women who take flight…

A theatrical immersion of dance, puppetry, aerial, live music, spectacle, and pure emotion.

The Desert Sin Dance Company, known internationally for their edgy and sensational fusion of dance is one of the most experimental, cutting-edge theatrical dance companies in North America.

Desert Sin will be teaming up with Mystery Bird Puppet Theater, Lady Circus, and The House of Yes Theater to create a Brooklyn bird-watching experience of a lifetime!

October 1,2,3 and 8,9,10

Doors open at 8pm, the show starts at 9pm:

Tickets:

$15 presale @ www.desertsin.com
$20 at the door

You will be in for a unique and totally unforgettable evening.  Trust me on this one.

Tonight: Little Dream installation at WeSC

OK, this event tonight in LA at WeSC sounds amazing.  It's a one night only art installation by Vanessa Prager and Lizzy Waronker called "Little Dream," and is described thusly:

Little Dream, will invite guests, for one night only, to immerse themselves
in an inside-out world of art and make-believe, entering an outdoor
terrarium, conceptualized and installed by Prager and Waronker. The largely
paper mache installation- inspired by Prager's dream life and Waronker's
childhood wanderings-is the third event hosted at WeSC Robertson location.
Join the artists in their magical ephemeral forest that envelopes paintings
by Prager and assemblage sculpture by Waronker in an otherworldly,
interactive, landscape.

If you go, let me know how it is, you lucky thing.

(Via.  And thanks, Johanna!)