MONSTER BRAINS - Stephen Romano Curator in Residence - Selections from lobby card and ephemera collection

Onibaba (1964)
Director: Kaneto Shindô
Stars: Nobuko Otowa, Jitsuko Yoshimura, Kei Satô |
Two women kill samurai and sell their belongings for a living. While one of them is having an affair with their neighbor, the other woman meets a mysterious samurai wearing a bizarre mask.

MONSTER BRAINS - Stephen Romano Curator in Residence - Ray Robinson - The Third Door.

"..and so pass through the matrix of memory and through

The archetype that defined the first vision and set our Parameters

To an inner meaning without external references,

THE THIRD.DOOR

Witches?

Poor Devils

Each of the paintings has a true circumstance…and the result of my ‘being there’

My general observation of my contribution was, as I wrote at the time

‘When reason sleeps in the minds of the wise

Witches burn and demons rise’

THE ART OF RAY ROBINSON: THE THIRD DOOR

by Charlotte Rodgers, October 6 2016

‘NO ONE CAN MAKE A JAPANESE TEA CEREMONY BOWL..THEY GROW FROM THE HANDS OF THE MASTER AND THE NEEDS OF THE CLAY…THE MASTER ALLOW"

Ray Robinson

History is littered with visionaries who change our perception, Often, in these people’s lifetime their work, their art is only glimpsed out of the corner of an eye and whilst it changes you, the change isn’t necessarily acknowledged at source.

It usually takes another visionary to stop, pause and recognise the impact. Rarely is the originator of the change of awareness still alive at this moment of recognition.

I often wondered what it would be like to communicate with one of these iconoclasts. If I met Austin Osman Spare for instance, would I have the ability to recognise him, to pause, and open myself up to a different way of seeing?

I first encountered Ray Robinson’s work when I was interviewing Gallery Owner and Art Dealer Stephen Romano, and I found it to be some of the most powerful art I’ve come across.

Stephen suggested I contact Ray, and thus started one of the most magical mystery tours of an interview I’ve ever done.

Now I’ve interviewed many artists and spiritual teachers, but this particular conversation fell into neither camp and was in a league apart from both.

A good interviewer adapts themselves to the individual rhythm and dance of those they are conversing with and there can be a huge variation in movement.

In this particular instance I have been challenged, insulted, taken on mystical journeys, had the most incredible dreams, but never, NEVER had a question directly answered.

Truth to tell I loved the process, infuriating as it was at points.

The following relates portions of conversations with a great artist who will change you. Recognise it, allow it, and for gods sakes try and see Ray Robinson’s work in actuality.

Ray, I’m not a formally trained art critic so this discussion won’t be focused on academic interpretation of your work. Hopefully you wont be insulted by any ignorance on my part but instead regard it as way to communicate as freely as you want without having to adhere to any particular approach.

I’ve read your ‘Grandmother Chronicles’ which perhaps gives an insight into your structuring of reality and art.

Words are often so limited but this is an astounding piece of writing.

The trauma of leaving your home in WW2 London, going to stay at your grandmother’s and undergoing an initiation of sorts into different perceptions of vision and interpretation is wonderful, as is the way you describe the re-presentation of perceptions of light, time and space.

Now it would be easy for me to turn this into a conversation where I grill you about aspects of your work that I’m personally fascinated by, constantly interrupting you with my irritating over enthusiastic asides, but I won’t. I am an untrained artist who has written a few books and my personal creative interests, what I focus on and what I often write about, are spirituality and power that are contained within objects and art. The older I get the more I realise that the line between art and magic is so fine as to be non existent.

MONSTER BRAINS - Stephen Romano Curator in Residence - Luciana Lupe Vasconcelos

Babylon

MONSTER BRAINS - Stephen Romano Curator in Residence - Luciana Lupe Vasconcelos

Luciana Lupe Vasconcelos (b.1982) is a Brazilian artist whose work explores the realms of the mythic, the mystical and the occult through the use of traditional techniques, with a particular focus on the exploration of automatism in water based media. Her very distinctive style alludes to influences from symbolism and surrealism and marks a continuation of the tradition of women artists working with the subjects of magic and the occult. She has illustrated numerous book both in english and in Portuguese, including a Brazilian edition of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven. Her work has been exhibited internationally and was featured across online and printed media alike. She works and lives in Teresópolis, Brazil."

"What is the secret of the sphinx? Mystery of mysteries, art is a domain still not entirely conquered by the rational mind. Few are the artists who dare to explore the uncharted territories. The ones who do, however, return forever changed. Those are the torch bearers, able to see what others can’t.

It can be said that Lupe Vasconcelos is such an artist. Her work is marked by a disturbing beauty that can only be conceived under a crepuscular light. Mysterious women, horned priestess, demons, ancient goddesses, chimeras. All these beings come unto light by the work of her insight. Strange ceremonies take place under the thread of brush and ink lines. Images of primordial chaos are born among ruins of black and red.

Possessing the power of an ancient enigma, the art of Lupe Vasconcelos fatally captures the imagination of the onlooker. The singularity of the artist’s vision and the fierceness of her technique set her art apart from the rest. It’s a journey to the underworld, and one cannot help but come back completely transformed."

Luciana Lupe Vasconcelos

Interview with Luciana Lupe Vasconcelos and lexiconmag.

Why do you think there is a revival in interest in all thing occult and esoteric in the arts?

LLV: It seems to me that western civilization is going through a very disenchanted moment not only in culture but in general. This could help explain the resumption of the interest for anything that might offer a relief from this state of dismay that seems so ubiquitous these days. Occulture and the esoteric offer a different point of view from the one we been having since rationalism and scientificism took over. Of course the occult has been around for a long time, regardless of what mainstream culture makes of it, but now it seems to be one of those times when conditions are just right for a big comeback. And in addition to that there is, of course, the dissatisfaction of young artists with the insipidity of current art trends. Many artists are engaged in creating art that has soul, in opposition to the sterility of traditional contemporary and conceptual art and mass culture. This growing interest in the occult and esoteric is above all a reaction. I see it as a good thing.

Do your position yourself as a shamanic presence within the culture?  Are the art objects you make functional as healing devices?

LLV: Like most artists I'm an essentially self-centered person, so my motivation for creating art is first and foremost an externalizing effort. But I'm aware of the fact that once that it's given materiality, a piece of art becomes an entity let loose. So it can function as a healing device too, as I notice it does sometimes. This fact could position me as a shamanic presence within the culture, yes, but I'm definitely not actively pursuing such outcome. To me his healing effect seems to be more of a "side effect" of all art that is imbued with meaning and soul. 

To what extent does the artist bear any responsibility for adverse responses to the works?  Bad memories that are unearthed?  Ordeals or trauma? Suppressed memories?

LLV: Well, I particularly believe that art should never be subject of neither inner nor outer censorship. One can't possibly predict possible reactions each viewer might have, be they good or bad. But it's exactly this potential for causing a reaction that can turn art into an instrument for healing. Feeling uncomfortable about a piece of art can point to some internal issue the person might have and didn't know about, for example. Of course this goes way beyond "uncomfortable" to people who can be triggered because of trauma. But this aspect is absolutely out of the artist's control, each person should be informed of what they might be seeing in a show and choose to go or not.   

Do you have any concern about being persecuted because of your subject matter and materials, particularly in a socio political environment whereby evangelicals and puritans seem to have such enormous influence? 

LLV: Yes, I do. Unfortunately. Like in the US, there is a heated political and cultural debate going on in Brazil right now, and conservatism is making a huge comeback. Brazilians were never as tolerant and friendly as the world usually thinks. Being different here was always difficult. Brazilians are conservative by default. But for a brief time it seemed that this was finally starting to change, until economic and political crisis hit and put everything to waste. There's a hunt for scapegoats, and they have chosen the same targets they always do: artists, thinkers, human rights activists and such. Recently a queer art show was cancelled after aggressive right-wing protests, and the curator is now being prosecuted for "promoting pedophilia". Something similar happened after a nude performance in the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo. The theorist Judith Butler was here last week to take part on a symposium, and protesters gathered in front of the building, setting a big puppet of her on fire to the screams of "burn the witch". She was also aggressively harassed at the airport. Those are just the most prominent recent incidents. It's a worrying situation. Even if my work is very under the radar here, I still feel far from safe because of the general climate of intolerance. It's starting to spread fast, and everything points to a turn for the worse.

Elixir

What drives you?  Is it inspiration?  A calling?  Something you were born with?

LLV: I would say it's a calling, a continuous one that has been within me since I can remember. I enjoy immensely the simple act of drawing, and as an introvert I always take refuge in doing it whenever I can. One can conjure things into existence by putting them into a surface as a two-dimensional image. It's a source of power, so to say. And it's something that's out of my control, this need to draw. 

Can you explain the path you have walked to become the artist you are?  Who were your inspirations and influences when you began your journey as an artists and what other artists have you discovered along the way?

LLV: It's a long path! I was very into illustrated books and comics as a kid, so I began to draw my own little illustrated stories at a very early age. As I grew I got acquainted with a variety of brazilian comic book artists who would inspire me to make my own zines. In my late teens I produced a lot of stuff, although most of it is now lost. But the style was very different, more to do with the comics of Peter Bagge, for example, than with what I do now. I also loved (still do!) the Love & Rockets series, it was a huge early influence on the way I draw. I love working on black and white, and this is something I think comes from comics. Also, it's important to consider is that I had little contact with "high art" during my formative years. It was mostly illustrated books and comics. So my basic visual education happened via graphic arts. So I decided to go to graphic design school and worked with that for a couple of years, which I didn't enjoy at all. After another couple of years dabbling with tattooing, I got a job as an illustrator a local newspaper. This was 2006. It was an important move for me, because it was when I really got to be paid to drawn. And it was when I learned to work under pressure and in less than ideal conditions. But my style was still completely different of what is now. After a year and half I got out of the newspaper and began illustrating children's books as a freelancer. During this time I became increasingly interested in developing my skills beyond my then limited cartoonish style. So I started reading books and frequenting workshops and courses to learn more about different techniques. And as the internet got "bigger", so did the availability of images. At this point my main influences were illustrators such as Ronald Searle, Aubrey Beardsley, Edward Gorey, Harry Clarke, Arthur Rackham and John Bauer. I was already giving my first steps into the "art world", having participated in a couple of group shows and making mural paintings. My interest in "dark" things, that had always been there, began to show in my work at this point. Then the big change happened: I moved out of my parent's house and to another town, in another state. It was the turning point. Teresópolis is a small mountain town famous for its beautiful rock formations, mild climate and insane mist. It was in this new magical setting that I began exploring my inner world through meditation and the use of psychedelic drugs. At the same time I was getting more and more acquainted with occulture. Having been a wiccan in my teens, the occult wasn't completely alien to me. One day during my explorations on the internet I stumbled upon the work of Cameron. I was deeply impressed by her amazing ink drawings and paintings, and I felt an immediate connexion. It was a very powerful encounter and it changed the way I make art. I got to know the work of lesser known artists who would become part of my personal pantheon, like Leonor Fini, Austin Osman Spare, Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo and Rosaleen Norton. Recently I was also introduced to a virtually unknown brazilian artist, Darcílio Lima, and it was a revelation. I've been obsessed with him ever since. Another big source of inspiration to me is music. Some of my pieces were literally inspired by songs I like.

Beast of Deep Desire

The Awakening of the Will

Mystery

MONSTER BRAINS - Stephen Romano Curator in Residence - Matthew Dutton

Matthew Dutton is a multidisciplinary artist whose dark yet satirical works offer interesting commentary and insight about self, experimentation, and current events, .  Dutton received a BFA from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.  His work has been exhibited across the United States and internationally at art fairs and galleries such as The Blooom Art Fair in Cologne Germany, The Morbid Anatomy Museum in NY, the Wunderkrammer exhibit at The Bell House in Brooklyn, and published in the New York Times, Hi-Fructose magazine and many other notable exhibits and publications. 

Dutton keeps a studio in Chattanooga Tn.

MONSTER BRAINS - Stephen Romano Curator in Residence -Art in the time of the pandemic - Dance with Death as interpreted by David Deuchar 1778

"Mors sceptra ligonibus aequat. "

"Death confounds the sceptre with the spade." 

The Dance Macabre consists of the dead or a personification of death summoning representatives from all walks of life to dance along to the grave, typically with a pope, emperor, king, child, and laborer. It was produced as memento mori, to remind people of the fragility of their lives and how vain were the glories of earthly life. Its origins are postulated from illustrated sermon texts; the earliest recorded visual scheme was a now-lost mural at Holy Innocents' Cemetery in Paris dating from 1424 to 1425. 

"The dances of death, through the various stages of human life: wherein the capriciousness of that tyrant is exhibited: in the forty-six copper-plates". David Deuchar 1788.

Collection of Stephen Romano, Brooklyn.

each plate is approximately 2 x 3 inches.

David Deuchar (1743-1808) had his dance of death published  in London 1788 .


Hollar's plates were much inspired by Arnold Birckmann's interpretation of Holbein's work, Deuchar has chosen the exact same variants that Hollar had chosen.


Deuchar's plates are signed HB i for "Holbein invenit" and DD f for "David Deuchar fecit" (i.e.: Holbein has invented the design, Deuchar has executed it). At the bottom of the frames it says "David Deuchar fecit".




The full story here.

MONSTER BRAINS - Stephen Romano Curator in Residence - Das Kloster, weltlich und geistlich. r 1845-1849

Das Kloster, weltlich und geistlich; meist aus der ältern deutschen Volks-,Wunder-, Curiositäten-, und vorzugsweise komischen Literatur Wunder-, Curiositäten-, und vorzugsweise komischen Literatur

The monastery, secular and spiritual; mostly from the older German folk, miracle, curios, and preferably comic literature miracle, curios, and preferably comic literature.

Publisher Johannes Scheible

Pseudonyms: Willibald Cornelius; Democritus

1809 - August 15, 1866

Johann Scheible specialized in books on mysticism and magic which he published under the general series title of "Bibliothek der Zauber-, Geheimniss- und Offenbarungs-Bücher und der Wunder-Hausschatz-Literatur aller Nationen in allen ihren Raritäten und Kuriositäten" 

("Library of magic, mystery and revelation books and the miracle house treasure literature of all nations in all their rarities and curiosities”).

also published Doktor Johannes Faust's Magia naturalis et innaturalis oder Dreifacher Höllenzwang, letztes Testament und Siegelkunst. Nach einer kostbar ausgestatteten Handschrift in der Herzoglichen Bibliothek zu Koburg herausgegeben in 5 Abtheilungen. Stuttgart 1849. 

Das Kloster ("The Cloister"; full title Das Kloster. Weltlich und geistlich. Meist aus der ältern deutschen Volks-, Wunder-, Curiositäten-, und vorzugsweise komischen Literatur "The Cloister. Profane and sacred. Mostly from older German Popular, Miraculous, Curious and especially Comical Literature") is a collection of magical and occult texts, chapbooks, folklore, popular superstition and fairy tales of the German Renaissance compiled by Stuttgart antiquarian Johann Scheible in 12 volumes, 1845-1849. Vols. 3, 5 and 11 are dedicated to the Faust legend. Vols. 7, 9 and 12 dealing with topics of folklore and ethnography were written by F. Nork (pseudonym of Friedrich Korn, 1803–1850).

Germany is a land of fascinating customs and traditions. Through the work of the many authors, its folk and fairy tales have become widely read around the world. German folklore has also inspired numerous literary, artistic, and musical works. This collection is an accessible introduction to German folklore. It provides numerous examples of German folkways and presents a wide ranging selection of texts. This collection provides insight into the pervasive influence of German folklore on literature and popular culture. Das Kloster ("The Cloister"; full title Das Kloster. Weltlich und geistlich. Meist aus der ältern deutschen Volks-, Wunder-, Curiositäten-, und vorzugsweise komischen Literatur, or in English—"The Cloister. Profane and sacred. Mostly from older German Popular, Miraculous, Curious and especially Comical Literature") is a collection of magical and occult texts, chapbooks, folklore, popular superstition and fairy tales of the German Renaissance compiled by Stuttgart antiquarian Johann Scheible between 1845 and 1849. In addition to the Das Kloster volumes, this collection provides additional 94-volumes of unique perspectives on Central European culture and tradition. Included are texts essential for the study of German folk traditions, the Reformation, wit and humor and 19th-century literature.

Collection of Stephen Romano, Brooklyn

Volume One

(1845), 840 pp, ch. 1-4 Volksprediger, Moralisten und frommer Unsinn

(Popular preachers, moralists and pious nonsense: Sebastian Brand's ship of fools with Geilers von Kaisersberg sermons about it and Thomas Murner's prankster, completely based on the old prints and their pictorial representations)

full illustrations

full volume

MONSTER BRAINS - Stephen Romano curator in residence: Wolfgang Grasse (1930 - 2008)

Wolfgang Grasse (1930 - 2008) "The Throne of Death" (The Merry Go Round) Detail, 1999

Wolfgang Grasse (1930 - 2008)

Wolfgang Grasse was born Dresden, Germany in 1930. At the age of 14 Wolfgang Grasse saw firsthand the hell and horror unleashed during the British and American bombing of the city of Dresden. This event traumatized him for the rest of his life.

Afterwards, he left Germany for Italy to study art under his grandfather, Friedrich Grasse. In 1948 Grasse was arrested by Soviet authorities for an anti-Soviet cartoon of Stalin hanging from the gallows. First sentenced to death, his sentence was reduced to 25 years at hard labor in a gulag in Poland, where he said there were 12,000 other male prisoners. He spent eight years in prison, and says that the only way he survived was by his art. Grasse would bribe the guards with drawings of erotic images or portraits of their family in exchange for food and protection. Once released, he resumed his artistic career in Berlin working as an illustrator, and continuing his own art practice of painting and drawing.In 1968, Wolfgang Grasse joined an exodus from Germany to Australia. After living in Sidney for a year, he relocated to Penguin Tasmania, where he was a freelance illustrator for The Bulletin. He had several exhibitions and swiftly settled into the Australian art scene, writing and illustrating children’s books and even making a feature-length film.

Grasse has stated that even while living in the bucolic beauty and tranquility of Tasmania, he still suffered from terrifying vivid nightmares, in particular about his time in the gulag, which led him to become a devout Christian. Grasse stated that he wasn't certain if he was actually living a life in Tasmania and having nightmares about prison, or if he was really still in the Gulag, and only dreaming there about having a tranquil life.

"I paint objective, figurative art with high technical perfection to create beautiful, valuable and qualitative works with interesting visions. My art is called Fantastic Realism (Vienese School) influenced also by French surreal and Japanese art (Hokusai, Kunisada, Hiroshige)."

Fantastical and metaphysical; such is the art of Wolfgang Grasse. Some called him a “wise old magician who through his paintings casts a spell on the viewer.” Some compare him with Bosch, Bruegel and Max Beckman.

Much of his art has a gruesome edge, often dwelling on death and sometimes even on apocalyptic events which reflect the ordeals of his experiences in Germany.

Then again, it can be limpid and dreamlike, lavish and mischievous. HIs themes are many, his ability undisputed. It is incredibly intricate and technically skilled.

His work has been categorized as surrealist and also as fantastic realism. The latter was how he liked to be described. Grasse died in 2008, four days after his muse and wife tragically drowned.

He is a stand-alone artist in our culture - and, perhaps, even in our times.

"The Throne of Death" (The Merry Go Round) 1999
click for enlargement

MONSTER BRAINS - Stephen Romano curator in residence: Barry William Hale

The Devil Our Lord, 2013

Barry William Hale is a Sydney based artist whose work over the past 20 years has included painting, drawing, installation, video, sound and performance. He is considered one of the key exponents of esoteric art, specifically creating work which responds to concepts of western spirituality, philosophy and ritual.

“My work is a synthesis of Art and Magick, and the residue of my esoteric endeavors. It is essential for me to forge a magical link to the metaphysical subject matter. There is great power in the things people are afraid of. The Devil is the name some new regime gives to the God[s] of those whom they oppress. These repressed forces become the locus of forbidden power imprisoned by the walls of taboo. For me, these Crowned Anarchies become the agencies of liberation. My work is Gnostic in the sense that it gives primacy to direct experience with the divine. In the spirit of the Rebellious Promethean spark of the Luciferian fire." - Barry William Hale

Artist Barry William Hale, New York City 2017.  Photograph by Stephen Romano

Baphomet Rex Mundi, 2015

Japanese Devil Boy, 2013

Hell Attendant II, 2014

Hell Attendant I, 2014

Hell Attendant III, 2014

MONSTER BRAINS - Stephen Romano curator in residence: Josh Stebbins

Josh Stebbins at "No Stars: A Twin Peaks Tribute Exhibition" 

curated by Stephen Romano October 2019.  

JOSH STEBBINS

Josh Stebbins is a native of Enid Oklahoma. Josh works predominantly with pen and ink (which he is certainly not limited to). He has been doing art, drawing and illustration since he was very young. With only basic art courses in school and college, he is able to foster his pursuit for progression while expanding his own creative horizons. He is very thankful these days to be recognized for all the work he has produced on his journey in life thus far.

Josh tries to convey in his style and subject matter a sense of duality, strengthened by his choice to work mainly in black and white. His subject matter presents undertones of beauty in darkness. These subjects can run the spectrum from religion to horror, often looking at the human experience, mostly from a darker side. Josh says of his work, “People generally realize it’s there [the darker side], but don’t want to face it…for me the garden of Eden has long since had a ‘Sorry, We’re Closed’ sign on its gate.”

Josh Stebbins in Queens New York October 2019. photo by Stephen Romano

SLASH on stage wearing Josh Stebbins' designed shirt from Black Market Art.