As Mary K. Greer has shown in her research on Cartomancers in Western Art, artists have long been inspired by the process of divination. And not just divination, general themes of the occult have infused artistic expression throughout the ages.
Pam Grossman, curator and creator of the wonderful mystic art blog Phantasmaphile, will look at the subject of artists and the occult in an illustrated lecture this coming Friday, November 18th. Her talk is called The Occult in Modern Art 101.
If you happen to be in Brooklyn, New York that night, you might want to check it out. She’ll be specifically looking at the influence of alchemy, Spiritualism, Theosophy, and shamanism in modern western art.
Different periods will be covered, including works from the Symbolists, Cubism, Dada, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism, and today’s visionary art.
As she explains it, the lecture is meant to be a ‘visual primer on the existence of magic in our museums and galleries.’
It’s sounds fascinating.
The Occult in Modern Art 101 is part of an ongoing series of lectures and events at Observatory, an art and event space in the Gowanus neighbourhood of Brooklyn.
Take a look at their schedule. They’ve got everything from Tarot classes to instruction on the art and ritual of animal mummification.