Dealer, collector and curator of Outsider, Visionary, Esoteric and Occult Art, STEPHEN ROMANO GALLERY is pleased to announce it’s participation in the engaging SCOPE ART FAIR opening March 8 and continuing through March 11 at the Metropolitan Pavilion -125 W 18th St, New York, NY 10011. This will be the gallery’s second year presenting work at SCOPE.
Last years presentation of a solo booth of “The Anti-Christ of Photography” William Mortensen was an enormous success, prompting the gallery to return for a second time with a curated booth including important works by William Mortensen (1897 – 1965), Charles Dellschau (1830 – 1923), Wolfgang Grasse (1930 – 2008), Vintage Spirit Photography dating from 1880 through 1930, as well as contemporary art by Barry William Hale, India Evans, Alexis Palmer Karl and Vincent Castiglia.
William Mortensen “Preparation For The Sabbath” c. 1928 manipulated photograph
William Mortensen (1897 – 1965) was an American Photographer, primarily known for his Hollywood portraits in the 1920s-1940s in the pictorialist style. “Ansel Adams called him ‘the Antichrist’ and wanted him written out of history. But William Mortensen’s grotesque photographs of death, nudity and torture and are now having their day.. A monograph on the artist was produced by Feral House in 2014 to great acclaim, including major articles on the artist in The Guardian, The LA Times and The Smithsonian. In addition, many exhibition have included the art of William Mortensen, including “American Grotesque” at Stephen Romano Gallery, as well as exhibitions at The Museum of Old and New, Scope Art Fair, The Metro Show, The Outsider Art Fair, as well as a major solo exhibition at the Dark MoFo Festival curated by Barry William Hale in 2018.
Barry William Hale LEGION 49: Circle of Conjuration Printed on Aluminum and Plexiglass cutouts 2017
Barry William Hale has been described as an occult artist, while a superficially germane term; on closer inspection it radiates a self-consciously unwelcome specificity. Too redolent of those early twentieth century outsider artists whose work depended on visionary states, specific knowledge of ancient mysteries, or some other Qabalistic obscurity. Hale, it should be noted, has certainly done nothing to dissuade such labels, mischievously luxuriating in such terms when fitting.It is apparent from his biography that he is, for example, an outspoken member of the OTO. But such groups encourage individual exploration, undoubtedly an attraction to Hale whose very genealogy radiates the outlaw.
Wolfgang Grasse (1930 – 2008) “South East Garden / Garden of Ultimate Love” 1990 Acrylic on Panel
Wolfgang Grasse was born in Dresden, Germany, in 1930. After private artistic training first by his grandfather, Feidrich Grasse, and then later studying in Italy, he returned to a partitioned post-war East Germany. There he was imprisoned for his cartoons critical of Soviet propaganda. He was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison. After serving 8 years of this sentence, he was granted an amnesty and released. He migrated to Australia in 1966 & has had numerous exhibitions.
Wolfgang’s art revisits medieval themes in which we find medieval weaponry replaced by that of the 20th century: the machinery of 20th century warfare which was capable of fulfilling the medieval prophesies borne of the plague. His paintings must be seen in the context of MAD – mutually assured destruction – at the height of the cold war. And although we, the public, now feel safer, the weapons currently at our disposal – chemical and biological – can visit upon us a fate both more immediate and final than that of a nuclear war, albeit one less spectacular.
Wolfgang’s style shares many elements with that of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism: “Fantastic Realism cannot be compared with Surrealism as a garden cannot be compared with a jungle. The fantasy of the Surrealist comes from the subconscious without formal order or relation, whereas the Fantastic Realist uses his images selectively. He uses old and new symbols to express his art purposefully and to show that the human situation never really changes in its eternal truths. The automatism of images of the Surrealist are a sharp contrast to the meaningful symbolism of the Fantastic Realist.” Wolfgang Grasse
Kings of Edom were kings over the land of Edom before any Israelite king had conquered it. Qabalists associated these kings with the Evil Primordial Worlds and their Lords. According to the Qabalists, Edom was a kingdom, or a world, which consisted solely of the harsh forces of Geburah. The Zohar tells us that Edom means ‘a kingdom of a severity which is not weakened by any pity’. Theancient lords of Edom were 11 in number, and this number is associated with the principle of Evil in the Bible. In the Genesis 30:40-43 we can find their names: Timna, Alva, Jetet, Oholibama, Ela, Pinon, Kenas, Teman, Mibsar, Magdiel and Iram.
In the Qabalah, these names correspond to the Eleven Demon Rulers who govern the Anti-Worlds of the Evil Side. A Qabalistic text on the most important Demons reveals that both the lords and the kings of Edom are associated with certain Demons: Samael, i.e. Satan, is mentioned as a ruler of Edom. There were certain Qabalistic speculations around the conjectures regarding the kings of Edom certain Demonological traditions liked with the thought that they belonged to the Emanations of the Left Side. Among certain Jews during the early Middle Ages the term ‘Kings of Edom’ was used to denote Christianity, which they believed had developed from the Dark Side.
The Four Worlds are the comprehensive categories of Spiritual Realms in Kabbalah in the descending chain of Existence. The concept of “Worlds” denotes the emanation of creative Lifeforce from the Ein Sof Divine Infinite, through progressive, innumerable Tzimtzumim.
Atziluth (אֲצִילוּת), meaning World of Emanation. On this level the light of the Ein Sof (Infinite Divine “Without End”) radiates and is still united with its source. This supernal revelation therefore precludes the Souls and Divine Emanations in Atzilus from sensing their own existence. In Atzilus the 10 Sephiroth emerge in revelation, with Chochma (Wisdom) dominating, all is nullification of Essence to Divinity, not considered created and separate. The last Sephirah Malchut (Kingdom) is the “Divine Speech” of Genesis 1, through which lower Worlds are sustained.
Beri’ah (בְּרִיאָה), meaning World of Creation. On this level is the first concept of Creatio ex Nihilo, however without yet shape or form, as the creations of Beriah sense their own existence, though in nullification of being to Divinity. Beriah is the realm of the “Divine Throne”, denoting the Sephiroth configuration of Atzilus descending into Beriah like a King on a Throne. The Sephirah Binah (Understanding) predominates, Divine intellect. Also called the “Higher Garden of Eden”. The Highest Ranking Angels are in Beriah.
Yetzirah (יְצִירָה), meaning World of Formation. On this level the created being assumes shape and form. The emotional Sephiroth Chesed to Yesod predominate, the souls and angels of Yetzirah worship through Divine emotion and striving, as they sense their distance from the Understanding of Beriah. This ascent and descent channels the Divine vitality down through the Worlds, furthering the Divine purpose. Therefore, in Yetzirah are the main angels, such as Seraphim, denoting their burning consummation in Divine emotion. Also called the “Lower Garden of Eden”.
Assiah (עֲשִׂיָּה), meaning World of Action. On this level the creation is complete, differentiated and particular, due to the concealment and diminution of the Divine vitality. However, it is still on a spiritual level. The angels of Asiyah function on the active level, as the sephirah Malchut (fulfilment in Kingship) predominates. Below spiritual Asiyah is Asiyah Gashmi (“Physical Asiyah”), the final, lowest realm of Existence, our material Universe with all its creations. The last two Sephiroth of Asiyah channel the Lifeforce into Physical Asiyah.
Walter Russell – The Nine Octave Harp of the Universe, “In The Waves Lies the Secret of Creation", 1962.
“The trouble with humans is in forming wrong conclusions in relation to Nature’s expressions. We think that elements are different substances and that each substance is permanently existent as such. That is not true. Elements are but different conditions of Light Pressures. They are the raw materials for the fashioning of Creation’s images in the Patterns controlled by Light Waves. They appear when the pressure necessary for their conditions appear and disappear when those pressure conditions cease. Every element in each octave occupies its own pressure position in its Wave. Each element seems to be a different substance as the electric pressure conditions of each position in each Wave of Matter changes. However, it is not the substance that changes, it is the condition of the substance.Voidance and Re-Creation is one of the simplest and most obvious principles of Nature. I cannot imagine how it has escaped discovery during the centuries. Oxygen, for example, is voided when you breathe it in. You produce a condition that calls for the pattern of carbon dioxide, and oxygen, as raw material, is as voided as though it never was. Iron, likewise, voids oxygen and oxygen voids iron by rusting. And so it goes all down through the octave waves.”
Thoth Hermes Trismegistus, the “First Intelligencer” was regarded by the ancient Egyptians as the embodiment of the Universal Mind. While in all probability there actually existed a great sage and educator by the name of Hermes, it is impossible to extricate the historical man from the mass of legendary accounts which attempt to identify him with the Cosmic Principle of Thought.
A ritual is the enactment of a myth. And, by participating in the ritual, you are participating in the myth. And since myth is a projection of the depth wisdom of the psyche, by participating in a ritual, participating in the myth, you are being, as it were, put in accord with that wisdom, which is the wisdom that is inherent within you anyhow. Your consciousness is being re-minded of the wisdom of your own life.
Occult Aspects 