This class will explore the changing category of esoteric art from the “Occult revival” of the nineteenth century to the present day, with a focus on the women who have pioneered and innovated within the genre. I will be addressing women’s visual art, performance, and installation in exploring the different historical contexts in which esoteric art has emerged and how it has been received, ranging from early movements such as Symbolism and Surrealism, to the impact of Theosophy and Spiritualism. We will look at artists such as Florence Farr, Hilma af Klint, Georgiana Houghton, Ithell Colquhoun, Betye Saar, and a wave of contemporary artists such as Tai Shani, Saya Woolfalk, and even Bjork who are reconfiguring the boundaries of this exciting and fluctuating category. It’s all virtual and only $25!

Looking forward to being in conversation with St. Just based artist Lucy Stein to discuss her new show The Wet Room, the Divine Feminine and her unique approach to the spiritualized landscapes of West Cornwall. Check out the details here.

Delighted to be doing a lecture on the Modern history of Magical Cornwall for Viktor Wynd’s Last Tuesday Society on Monday, September 27.

Cornwall has a reputation as a place where magic exists just under the surface. Its history includes a tapestry of Druids, witches and Arthurian legend, set amidst dramatic, sweeping, landscapes and mysterious stone monuments. Today it is a modern Celtic Otherworld that is both genuinely potent and sometimes exploited. This talk will explore the historical development of magical Cornwall in the cultural imagination. We will reach back to its early status as a liminal setting for medieval Continental legend, explore the antiquarian and folklore studies of Cornwall emerging alongside early modern Celtic identities, and finally look at how post-industrial tourism has shaped perceptions of a Cornwall that is lost in time.