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
about Stephen Romano
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
The Origin of Being
Untitled
Ainigma
Alchemical Wedding (detail)
Vanitas MMXIV
May This Evil Abide
FurFur
The artist’s studio
Sketchbook drawing
Poster for the book Zon
Sketchbook drawing
Green Man
The Ancestors
Flight to the Sabbath (sketchbook drawing)
Drawing in progress
Sketchbook drawing
Red Star
Anima
Nemesis
Vanitas MMXV
Witch King
Grey Days
Embrace
Embrace
Vociferous
Diverse linoleum prints
Oraculum
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Agnosco Veteris Vestigia Flammae
Babylon
The Soul of the Enchantress
Sketchbook drawing
Wip photo
Untitled
Capricorn Sun
Sphinx
Heka
Untitled
Vanitas MMXVI
Evil Eye
Spirit Dagger (in progress detail)
Spirit Dagger (detail)
Spirit Dagger (detail)
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
The artist’s studio
Diverse works
XV
Ophidian Cup
Wildcat
Sketchbook drawing
The Love Witch (sketchbook drawing)
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Nocturna (sketchbook drawing)
The artist
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Orpheus
Untitled
Sketchbook drawing
- Alchemical Talisman (in progress)
Pomba Gira (sketchbook drawing)
Sketchbook drawing
Suscitate
Djinn
Abrahadabra
Dark Vision (for William Mortensen)
Sketchbook drawing
Untitled
The artist
The Minotaur
The Red River Spring
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Universal Key
Transformation
The Wailing
Cat Creature
- Sketchbook drawing
The Werewolf
Night is a Black Cow
Ascension
Psyche
Untitled
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Goure
Sketchbook drawing
Sketchbook drawing
Morning Star
Illustration for the book The Raven
The artist
Capricorn Sun
Lunar Kala
The Great Chimera
Katabasis
Katabasis (detail)
Untitled
Lucifer Lux Mundi
Lucifer Lux Mundi
Demons
The Huntress
Untitled
Katadesmos I
Katadesmos II
Iblis
Luna
Sketchbook drawing
Priestess and Idol
Sketchbook drawing
White Chimera
Ascension
Albedo
Khaire
White Ceremony (detail)
Aequilibrium
Fire Walk With Me
Sketchbook drawing
Destruction Falls on All that Remains
Work in progress
Collage
Untitled (detail)
Kiss
The Unfolding of Vision
Cruel Bird (detail)
Sketchbook drawing
Oil painting in progress
Oil painting in progress
Sketchbook drawing
The artist
Sketchbook drawing
Death and the Maiden (detail)
Sketchbook drawing
painting in progress
Green man (detail)
Sword
Voodoo in my Blood
Ave, Babylon!
Anatomy of Madness
Avis Rara
Pink Sphinx
Djinn
Eros Vessel
Keryx
Spiral
Untitled
Hex
Praeses
Untitled
Alchemical Talisman
The Cup of Suspicion
The Soul of the Enchantress
Undulatio
Sketchbook drawing
Untitled
Desert Spirit
about Stephen Romano
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