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, which I highly recommend. I also can't get enough of the video for the first single of the album, "Epilepsy is Dancing." With art direction by painters Tino Rodriguez and Virgo Paradiso, the video is a saucy, sparkling stew of colorful costumes and fanciful beings. Not to be missed.
Hernan Bas "The Hero Centaur" 2005
Hernan Bas' paintings are mythical and majestic and charged with so many different types of energy (sexual, spiritual, chromatic) they leave me delirious. I am counting down the days for his show at the Brooklyn Museum, which opens on February 27th.
Speaking of witches, I finally got around to watching Haxan (Witchcraft Through the Ages). This is one of the campiest, oddest films ever made - a sort of quasi-documentary about witchcraft and hysteria, complete with reenactments. This Criterion DVD has two versions. The first is the original Swedish silent film, made in 1922. The second (and my favorite) is a slight revamp done in 1967, that uses the same visuals with less coloration, a psychedelic jazz soundtrack, and none other than William Burroughs doing overdubbed narration. Yes, it's every bit as trippy and amusing and delicious as it sounds. Highly recommended for occult fans and film buffs alike.
I just finished reading The Enemy Within: 2,000 Years of Witch-hunting in the Western World
The book is divided helpfully into four sections. The first chronicles witch-hunting in Europe, which took place mainly in Germany and Sweden, and cost thousands of lives. The second section moves to the pre-Salem US colonies. The third section is dedicated entirely to the Salem Trials. And the fourth section looks at modern witch-hunts, which, while absent of any so-called "witches," nonetheless follow similar patterns of paranoia, exclusion, and punishment.
On the whole the book is a fascinating read. Though history is not a subject that comes easily to me, Demos does a fine job of being concise and linear, and his writing is peppered with narrative stories that illuminate the more factual material. It's a great play-by-play of the witch craze, and for me, at times, an emotional one. As Demos explains, though anyone could hypothetically be considered a "witch," it was almost always women who were singled out in an act of mass misogyny. Additionally, the accused often posed an unintentional threat through having at least one of the following elements: having too little or too much wealth; not exhibiting "womanly" traits and being bolder or rougher in personality than the ideal; mental instability; practicing folk magic or non-Christian, superstitious traditions; being a widow; and the list goes on. Later in the book, Demos' arguments for comparing classical witch-hunts to more recent incidents (Anti-Freemasonry, McCarthyism, school child abuse scandals, and so on) are impressively balanced, and show that every age has the potential for hysteria and demonization - though usually the demons are the accusers, not the accused.
Martin Wittfooth "Nocturne" 2008
What do you call a winged tarsier? I call it love. Martin Wittfooth's natural history (fantasy?) paintings are moody and sumptuous. I like to imagine they smell deliciously musty, and hope to see them in person some day to test my theory.
Tricia Cline "The Exile and the Manticore" 2007
I have been on a bit of a manticore kick lately, so you can understand why this sculpture by Tricia Cline is rocking my world. Her other work is superb as well, what with their frozen mythological vignettes. She is the King Midas of porcelain.
Joey Remmers "Leviathan Smiles"
If the word "ominous" doesn't sum up Joey Remmers' latest work, I don't know what does. Desolate snowscapes, icy rivers, sea beasts, and other perils await each painting's protagonist, and we the viewer can only look on in delicious suspense. His new show, "Tracking the Wounded" opens at Corey Helford Gallery this Saturday. While you're there, be sure to also check out Devin Crane's Disney influenced take on adult ennui.
2009 is off to a glorious start, wouldn't you say? Economics aside (and I actually believe that is a painful, yet ultimately very good thing in itself), there is much to celebrate. We've got an energizing, evolutionary new president. Numerology predicts lots of positive change this year. There is a petition going around on the internet asking Obama to establish a Secretary of the Arts position which is up to 166,792 signatures (and more if you sign).
As if that wasn't enough, here is some more personal stuff I'm excited about this year:
- Van Morrison is performing Astral Weeks live in NYC on Feb 27th and 28th, and I got tickets! He is also releasing an Astral Weeks Live CD
- My precious Promethea comics by Alan Moore got green-lit for a deluxe re-release, with the first volume dropping later this year. SWOON.
- Visionary artists Alex and Allyson Grey secured land to relocate and expand their amazing interfaith art center, The Chapel of Sacred Mirrors to a 40-acre plot of land in Wappinger Falls, NY. I truly believe this is going to be an unbelievably beautiful and important complex, and encourage you all to support their move and building by donating your time and money to the cause. Mark my words, this is will be a living masterpiece. (And the NY Times agrees).
- And on a very special note, I am thrilled to announce that I am curating a show this spring at Dabora Gallery in Brooklyn, featuring some of my absolute favorite female artists. I'll have many more details and news to share with you about this soon, but mark your calendars for March 14th - April 12th!
Alex Grey 2008
Thea Wolfe "And Yet I Love This Beast"
Artists who work primarily in marker will always have my dumbfounded admiration. How they keep the colors from bleeding and smearing all over the place will forever remain a mystery to me. One such magician is Thea Wolfe, whose work is an irresistible blend of fantasy, psychology, and rock n' roll. Her technique is impeccable, and her pictures are hallucinogenic and totally honest.
(Thanks, Bill!)
I just finished reading an absolute banquet of a book. MYTHTYM is so good and so unusual, I'm actually having trouble knowing how to begin talking about it. So I suppose I'll just dive in.
The book is in fact a collected anthology of three rather large zines Trinie Dalton (whose praises I have sung here before) put together over the years, each with a different magical theme: mirrors, unicorns, and werewolves, respectively. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? But that doesn't begin to do this justice. Because in addition to her own brilliant, exuberant writings, there are essays, stories, and artwork by her myriad creative friends and colleagues. And we're not talking any old pals here. We're talking Dennis Cooper, Sue De Beer, Matt Greene, Marnie Weber, and so on. In other words, some of the most imaginative, talented people around.
The thing about variations-on-a-theme projects is that the quality of the work therein tends to be sporadic at best. Not so the case with MYTHTYM. I can honestly say that though each contributor certainly has his or her own distinct point of view, each piece is impressive and interesting on its own. Some pieces are downright analytical, like Dalton's essay on mirrors, horror, and liminality. Some are personal, such as Alexandro Segade's piece about witches and homosexuality. Some made me squeal laughing, like Casey McKinney's letter to Isaac Asimov about lycanthropy. The visual art throughout is strange and swoonworthy. And there are Dalton's madcap treats nestled in the book as well, such as her ode to unicorn stickers, and her sweetly stalkerish Shelley Duvall Crossword.
Lastly, publisher PictureBox did, as always, a bang up job in the design and printing. You can't get a sense of this via jpeg, but this is a truly gorgeous 200+ page gem, with a gold foil lettered red cloth hardcover, and thick ink saturated pages. I'm even crazy about how this book smells, I kid you not.
So go ahead, and pick yourself up a copy. Pick up extras and give them as gifts. I truly believe anyone who digs Phantasmaphile would be over the moon about MYTHTYM.
*I've just been informed that PictureBox is having a massive sale on tons of books through the end of the month. Read about it here, and then buy something. MYTHYM is 50% off - WHOA! You need to get on that now.
Stacey Steers still from "Phantom Canyon" 2008
Stacey Steers creates miraculous animations out of collage. Her newest short film, "Phantom Canyon" is described thusly:
The film is running at ClampArt through February 7th, and the opening reception is tonight. (You can go after the Adela Leibowitz opening.)
Samantha Levin "Venus on her pedestal, bored, as usual"
Samantha Levin takes found elements and elevates them to the level of fine art. She has a true gift for subverting the viewer's ideas of objectification and personification, blurring the line between beings and things. I love this piece in particular - a clever comment on womanhood and display (and such a great title).
Adela Leibowitz "Masque of the Red Death" 2009
I could not be more excited for Adela Leibowitz's solo show opening this Thursday at 33 Bond. She is one of my favorite painters ever, and it is amazing to see her work evolve. These new pieces have taken a turn for the literary, with allusions to old novels (Alice in Wonderland, Rebecca, and so on) muddled together in her psycho-surreal visual stew. The show will be up through February 21st. I plan on being at the opening reception, and you should, too.
You know, though I was intrigued as soon as I heard about Clint Marsh's The Mentalist's Handbook (Red Wheel/Weiser), I truly had no idea what to expect out of it. The subtitle of the book, "An Explorer's Guide to Astral, Spirit, and Psychic Worlds," sounded promising enough, but how seriously would it take itself, and how literally were we talking?
Well, quite literally in fact. Throughout the book, Marsh acts as a clear and patient teacher, describing what he calls "The Aetheric Plane," a multi-leveled sphere of energy and consciousness that at once transcends and permeates the world as we know it. Yes, this tome is precisely what it says it is: a travel guide (maps included), a bestiary (with pictures and descriptions of "aetheric beings"), and, most importantly, a step-by-step instruction manual for how to have one's own aetheric adventures. Through the use of meditation exercises and visualizations, Marsh encourages the reader to expand her mind and explore this (not quite) terrain.
Does it work? Truth be told, I would need to start the book afresh and dedicate much time and energy into actually going through all of the exercises. Make no mistake, this is an actual training course to start you learning a technique that takes years of practice to master. I will say that Marsh's methods are based upon the very sorts of meditation and lucid thinking which mystics of all cultures have been utilizing throughout history. I will also say that it is a very enjoyable read, with a friendly, encouraging tone, crystal clear instructions, and gorgeous illustrations by Jeff Hoke (himself the creator of another magical book I cannot recommend enough, The Museum of Lost Wonder ).
Marsh and Hoke are frequent collaborators who both aim to make the esoteric accessible, inspiring, and fun. I encourage you to read their books, as well as the other pamphlets and projects put out by Clint Marsh's delightful imprint, Wonderella.
Christine Shields
I truly do have the best readers. Kara Rae Garland encouraged me to check out the work of Christine Shields, and I am so glad I did. I love her surprising color choices and her distinctive, wild imaginings. I hope she shares more of her personal work on her site, I can't get enough!
Cathie Bleck "Course of the Horse"
I have a soft spot for scratch board, so you can understand why Cathie Bleck's work makes me weak in the knees. Looking at her sweeping, dark dream images is like gazing into a whirlpool. Mesmerizing.
Hanna von Goeler
The multi-talented Hanna von Goeler has an unusual and umbral new show opening at Sloan Fine Art this week, and it is a definite must-see. Entitled "The Shadows Cast By Ordinary Objects," it will be up in tandem with Greg Hopkin's show "Sub Rosa" (which also sounds amazing) from January 7th - February 7th. The opening is this Wednesday from 7pm- 9pm.
What better way to ring in the new year than by celebrating the release of the new Mutter Museum calendar? Morbid Anatomy's Joanna Ebenstein is hosting the party tonight at the visionary Proteus Gowanus gallery in Brooklyn. The festivities start at 7pm. Happy New Year!
. This is one of the campiest, oddest films ever made - a sort of quasi-documentary about witchcraft and hysteria, complete with reenactments. This Criterion DVD has two versions. The first is the original Swedish silent film, made in 1922. The second (and my favorite) is a slight revamp done in 1967, that uses the same visuals with less coloration, a psychedelic jazz soundtrack, and none other than William Burroughs doing overdubbed narration. Yes, it's every bit as trippy and amusing and delicious as it sounds. Highly recommended for occult fans and film buffs alike. 
. I can honestly say that though each contributor certainly has his or her own distinct point of view, each piece is impressive and interesting on its own. Some pieces are downright analytical, like Dalton's essay on mirrors, horror, and liminality. Some are personal, such as Alexandro Segade's piece about witches and homosexuality. Some made me squeal laughing, like Casey McKinney's letter to Isaac Asimov about lycanthropy. The visual art throughout is strange and swoonworthy. And there are Dalton's madcap treats nestled in the book as well, such as her ode to unicorn stickers, and her sweetly stalkerish Shelley Duvall Crossword.
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