Master Class DRAWING DOWN THE MOON: The Crossroads of Surrealism, Magical Practice and Material Form by Emily Hunt
General Course Description
‘DRAWING DOWN THE MOON: The Crossroads of Surrealism, Magical Practice and Material Form’ is a 5-day intensive program held in a classroom situation at BERLIN ART INSTITUTE from November 18 – 22, 2024. The masterclass focuses on the handmade, haptic experiences with material, and explores the potential of linking esoteric frameworks to particular artistic mediums. In this program we will question, how does an artist use materialism to represent unseen worlds?
The program will be structured around esoteric principles as its foundation and framework, ‘drawing down’ elusive ideas into material form. The masterclass is structured to pass on technical knowledge around specialist art methods such as metal clay, silk painting, parsemage, gelatin monoprinting and three-dimensional collage. These unusual material techniques are paired to individual themes covered: construction of magical objects, thought forms and the practice of surrealist automatism.
The masterclass also provides theoretical and historical background on art that engages with the history of Western Esotericism. The subjects covered include: Magical objects, spiritualist art, surrealism and the contemporary representations of magick in art. (Text & photos by courtesy of Emily Hunt)
Learning Outcomes
This 5-day course focuses on connecting esoteric knowledge with art creation. It draws parallels between art practices and spell-casting, rituals, and magical practices. The course involves studying first and then putting the knowledge into action by creating something tangible from the unseen. Participants will integrate their individual comprehension of esoteric knowledge into their material practice.
During the course, participants will be introduced to unusual and specialised craft and art techniques. These techniques will provide artists with the opportunity to experiment and incorporate them into their own art practices. By being exposed to previously unknown techniques, artists can refine their skills and fold new techniques into their work.
Collaboration and group discussion are also integral parts of the course. Participants will have the opportunity to engage with fellow artists and share areas of knowledge. This exchange of ideas and experiences can further enhance the learning experience for all involved.
The aim of the course is to leave the artists with many ideas to take into their individual practices, creating an exciting foundation for artists to engage in a daily practice of artmaking.
General Guidelines
This course is designed for artists of all disciplines and for those interested in learning new techniques that may not be readily available. It is intended for artists who have an interest in Western Esotericism and its representation in both art history and contemporary art. No prior knowledge of the subject is necessary to participate in the course. However, participants should have an open and engaged attitude towards the subject matter and be willing to experiment with new materials.
Benefits, Methods and Topics of Teaching
- Participants will learn about Surrealist automatism practices through practical demonstrations.
- Participants will learn how to imbue objects with resonance or theatricality and create talismans and amulets with reference to historical examples of European witchcraft tools.
- Participants will learn how to work with metal clay to produce wearable artwork and polish and finish their metal clay jewelry pieces.
- Participants will learn about geometric esoteric visual systems in drawing and the history of artists creating tarot card sets, with the opportunity to design their own tarot cards.
- Participants will learn about gelatin monoprinting and its relationship with spirit photography, as well as Annie Besant’s concept of thought forms and the technique of silk painting.
Program Structure with Daily Course Description
Monday, November 18, 2024
9:30 AM Reception at the BAI
Working with ‘the other’ in Alphabets and Dust: Automatism in Asemic Language and Parsemage.
Art is an alien technology, which means that it operates on a different set of principles than other forms of manufacture. Alien, not in the sense that this information is coming from another place in the cosmos, but in that an artist is able to channel a work with an outside companion or collaborator. This includes entities such as “the Other” (a figure or force external to the creator), who participates in the creative process. In this course ‘the Other’ is the material process.
To begin the program, Emily Hunt will introduce her art practice with a short presentation that covers her print, collage, painting and ceramic practices. The participates will warm up their drawing hands with a group Entopic Graphomania exercise, working collaboratively on drawings.
After the warm-up, the first practical course on Asemic Language will commence. Asemic art refers to a form of art that uses symbols and marks that resemble writing but do not have a specific meaning or semantic content. It is considered to be a universal language because it can be understood by people regardless of their cultural or linguistic background. This is because the symbols and marks used in asemic art tap into something deep within our unconscious minds, allowing us to connect with the artwork on an intuitive level. We will look and discuss the work of Hildegard von Bingen, Hélène Smith, Madge Gill, The Codex Seraphinianus created by Luigi Serafina and Allyson Grey.
After lunch, there will be a short introductory presentation to surrealist automatic methods such as decalcomania, fumage, stillomancy, superautomatism, and frottage and how these methods are paired to elements of earth, air, water and fire.
We will delve into the surrealist technique of automatism known as Parsemage. Parsemage is a technique developed by British surrealist Ithell Colquhoun to discover images in accidental design. It involves sprinkling powdered charcoal or chalk over water and then briefly laying paper on top. This technique facilitates the generation of distinctive and impromptu artistic compositions and is a form of surrealist automatism and lecanomancy (an ancient Babylonian divinatory technique).
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
The Magical Object: Drawing with Metal Clay & Creating Collage from forgotten books
Each morning begins with a presentation on an esoteric theme paired to the day’s practice. The first session will explore the concept of magical objects, drawing on historical and contemporary examples. We will examine how to imbue objects with resonance or theatricality and discuss Erik Davis’ concept of ‘eerie animation’. The construction of talismans and amulets will also be covered, with reference to historical examples of European witchcraft tools.
The practical course will build on the invented symbols or asemic language developed the previous day. Participants will use a letter or symbol as the basis for creating a metal clay jewelry piece. Instruction will be provided on working with this unique clay to produce a wearable artwork.
After lunch, there will be a presentation on the history and influence of surrealist collage. Rare books sourced by Emily will serve as visual resources for the class. Hunt will share a technique she has developed over the years for creating three-dimensional sculptural collages.
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Esoteric Geometric: Cosmological Cartography and the Tarot
The morning session will focus on the concept of geometric esoteric visual systems in drawing. We will discuss artists who use geometry and the Kabbalah system in combination with text to explore questions about the universe, its origin, and its functioning.
Participants will use grid paper to map out complex geometric shapes, blending the science of geometry with systems of knowledge. We will create annotated diagrammatic drawings using the humble colored pencil.
In the afternoon, we will draw upon aspects of our morning drawings to create individual cards inspired by the earliest depictions of playing cards and tarot. A brief presentation on the history of artists creating tarot card sets will be given. In a group setting, each participant will be assigned three to four cards to design, allowing us to collaboratively create a complete set.
Thursday, November 21, 2024
The Automatic Embassy: Gelatin Monoprinting & Thought-Forms
The morning presentation will focus on occult devices such as spirit photography, Thomas Edison’s spirit phone, and the spirit board as tools for communication with unseen realms. We will also discuss Margarethe Held, a German mediumistic artist who worked quickly and intuitively, believing she was chosen by the deity Siwa to create her art. The differences between channeled works (mediumship) and those that tap into the unconscious (surrealism) will be explored. Additionally, we will examine the artistic medium of gelatin monoprinting due to its close visual relationship with spirit photography.
In the afternoon, we will delve into Annie Besant’s concept of thought forms and pair it with the technique of silk painting. Silk painting possesses a unique beauty and allows colors to flow seamlessly into one another.
Friday, November 22, 2024
High Weirdness: Exploring the Role of Contemporary Art in Strange Times
The final presentation of the program will explore the concept of ‘high weirdness,’ a term coined by writer Erik Davis to describe an unfolding reality that exists in our present moment. This phenomenon, also referred to as ‘global weirding,’ is evident in various aspects of life, including extreme weather events caused by climate change and political ideologies fascinated with occult conspiracies. Additionally, there has been a resurgence of interest in psychedelics within contemporary Western society.
Our discussion will examine the ultra-strange in art, including the representation of ayahuasca experiences in paintings and the work of artists associated with the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism. We will also explore the work of illustrators who tap into the concept of “imagination as an interface.”
The metal clay jewellery pieces would have been fired by Friday, reading for polishing and finishing in the morning. In the afternoon we will take time to discuss the outcomes, successes and failures of the artwork that was produced during the program.
Hours: Each day from 10 AM – 4 PM (including several breaks & lunchtime)
Seats: Min: 6 | Max: 20 | Language: English
Fees: There is a one-off registration fee of €50. The participation fee is €850 per person (without accommodation).
The fee is VAT-exempt by the Governing Mayor of Berlin – Senate Chancellery Higher Education and Research pursuant to Paragraph 4 No. (21) (a)(bb) UStG (German Value Added Tax Act).
Your Master Class Instructor
Emily Hunt (born Sydney, 1981) creates ornamental, figurative ceramics. Her history as a rare-book dealer has informed her encyclopedic approach to her art-making, taking influences from the history of ornament, visionary art, big-ego personalities and scholarly magical texts. She creates world-building installations that reflect automatism in ceramic forms. Her work articulates the concept of the collapse of a macro & micro world view, and walking as a magical tool. From 2017 to 2018, she created large new body of ceramics and etchings for exhibition in Second Sight: Witchcraft, Ritual, Power at UQ Art Museum (AU). Her etchings were installed on alongside Hans Baldung Grien and Albrecht Dürer. The invitation to create work for an exhibition about witchcraft was a turning point in her research and Hunt started to delve into the earliest representations of women as witches. The result has been her on-going fascination into the history of western esotericism, magick and the occult in print history.
More information on the Emily Hunt Website and on Instagram.
