Increasingly, the western world has been going through an occult revival, ushered in by the popularity of J.K.Rowling’s Harry Potter books (and subsequent films), and sustained by a general dissatisfaction and disillusionment with organised religion and the world in general. Where magic and the mystical were once viewed with suspicion, they are now embraced and celebrated openly.
Unfortunately, the art world remains a space where magic still receives a cold shoulder. As Maurice Tuchman, then the curator of contemporary art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, stated in the New York Times, “‘Spiritual’ is still a very dirty word in the art world”.
It’s odd that there hasn’t been a greater acceptance of the occult in artistic spheres, given that the act of creation is itself a magical act – an act that has one foot in the nether realms of the subconscious, and the other in the tangible, material world that we all know and love. And I completely agree with writer Alan Moore’s statement: “I believe that art is magic and that art, whether that be music, writing, sculpture, or any other form, is literally the science of manipulating symbols, words or images, to achieve changes in consciousness... Indeed to cast a spell is simply to spell, to manipulate words, to change peoples consciousness, and this is why I believe that an artist or writer is the closest thing in the contemporary world to a shaman.”
Thankfully, the tide seems to be turning – I found a hero in Hilma af Klint and marvelled at her 2013 exhibition at Berlin’s Hamburger Bahnhof Museum of Contemporary Art, which featured her “Paintings for the Temple” series. The museum didn’t hold back and gave full explanation regarding the spiritual origins of her work.
I saw this as a turning point, and look forward to further acceptance of magical and spiritual ideas and their expression in contemporary fine art.
My new series of paintings address magic twofold: They are both inspired by magic and are also magical objects. The works individually describe what a magic spell looks like, and as an added layer are magically charmed with unique properties that are specific to them. This goes above and beyond simple metaphors – the paintings both describe and embody magic.
This dual nature strengthens the art; It helps the viewer not only see magic laid bare, it also puts them in its path, to receive an added benefit from having been in the presence of the work, however subtle or nuanced or spectacular that might be.
I feel the art world is ready for a renaissance of magic. The things we place in our environments affect our psychology even if only in a subconscious, subtle way, and we should choose these objects with care. The time is ripe to take advantage of artwork that can both enrich a space visually as well as contribute to it in other, less obvious ways.