SP Projects and The Seligmann Center is pleased to present “Season of the Witch,” a group exhibition of new work exploring ritual, magic, and modern-day mysticism.
“Season of the Witch” reflects on the ways artists engage in ritual to reveal their deeply personal beliefs and spirituality through the creation of their artwork. The potent archetype of “the witch” is utilized here to represent a creator whose power comes from within. Like modern day shamans, artists are the ultimate magicians who are able to turn the intangible (their inner thoughts and inspirations) into the tangible (their artwork); the immaterial magically materializes. Working intuitively while referencing the powerful language of symbols, all of the artists in this exhibition turn art making into a modern day magical practice.
Artists in this exhibition include Evie Falci, Lala Abaddon, Heather Gabel, Astral Eyes, Hilary White, Lucien Shapiro, Hunter Stabler and Robert Ryan. Evie Falci transforms the mundane materials of denim, pleather, rhinestones, and metal studs into the divine by creating intricate mandalas referencing sacred geometry and ancient symbology. Utilizing the medium of collage, both Astral Eyes and Heather Gabel create powerful visual alchemy from collected imagery to reveal the surreal in their work. Working in a vibrant color palette and a variety of materials, Hilary White’s sculptural wall pieces act as portals to another realm of consciousness. Lala Abaddon’s woven photographs straddle the digital and analog realms revealing a pixelated dreamscape of her deeply personal inner world. Lucien Shapiro gives new life to discarded materials through his labor intensive crafting of masks and self-protection pieces for the ritualistic escape from reality. Influenced by his knowledge of Eastern Spirituality, Western Mysticism, and Amazonian Shamanism, Robert Ryan’s paintings represent a meditative practice tapping into a hidden language revealing itself through occult symbolism. Hunter Stabler’s intricately cut and layered paper compositions play with perspectival pattern and reference mythical origins to create magical and spatially complex work.
This exhibition will run July 22, 2017 through September 4, 2017 and hang in the gallery of The Seligmann Center, the former estate of Kurt and Arlette Seligmann. Considered an expert on magic, Seligmann was a central figure of the Surrealist movement and compiled his vast knowledge of esoterica and the occult in his book The Mirror of Magic. The historical significance and magical aura of the Seligmann farm marries perfectly with the message of “The Season of the Witch” additionally providing an environment imbuing an additional layer of magical meaning to the exhibition.
An opening reception for “Season of the Witch” will be held Saturday, July 22 from 6 to 9 PM. Stay tuned for programming and performances to coincide with the exhibition.
For additional information, please contact Sarah Potter via sarah@sarahpotterprojects.com
About Sarah Potter/ SP Projects
Sarah Potter is the founder and owner of SP Projects, an independent art advisory and consulting business based in New York. With more than a decade of experience in the fine art world, Sarah has placed an emphasis on curating private and corporate collections with artwork that is aesthetically satisfying and a good financial investment. Sarah graduated with honors from The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University with a BFA in Fine Art and Art History focusing on New Media and Performance Art. With a discerning eye, Sarah utilizes her passion for modern-day mysticism, spirituality, and the occult to create experiential exhibitions of innovative artwork and memorable performances. Dubbed “The Good Witch of the Art World,” she possesses a unique approach and philosophy to her work by intuitively assisting both new and seasoned collectors to connect with artwork to inspire their minds and nourish their spirits.
About The Seligmann Center
The Seligmann Center at the Citizens Foundation
is located at 23-26 White Oak Drive, Sugar Loaf, NY 10981
Seligmann Center Hours:
Monday-Friday 10:00am-3:00pm
Nights and weekends by appointment.
The Seligmann Center is located about 50 miles northwest of New York City in a vibrant rural area of Orange County, in the hamlet of Sugar Loaf. Once home to Kurt and Arlette Seligmann, the history of the site is palpable – Max Ernst slept in the guest house; Marcel Duchamp shot five bullets into the barn foundation; Alexander Calder pulled prints from the very same press that is still in use today; others, including Yves Tanguy, Kay Sage, Peggy Guggenheim, and Meyer Schapiro, all spent time on the property.
The Center is home to four galleries and performance spaces all housed in the homestead’s converted farmhouse buildings, as well as the Robert Fagan Art Library, the largest public collection of art books in the county. The Seligmann Center’s Permanent Collection features over 110 prints, and 20 paintings by Kurt Seligmann, as well as an archive of the couple’s photographs, letters, and personal effects – a portion of which are on view in the Seligmanns’ home.
