Language of the Birds: Occult and Art

There is an exhibition on at present in New York at 80WSE gallery called 'Language of the Birds: Occult and Art curated by Pam Grossman http://www.languageofthebirds.org. I've constantly got my eye out for any exhibitions or articles involving the occult or esoteric in art and this one kept popping up in reviews that I was reading. This is a collection of work by both contemporary and historical artists spanning both practicing contemporary artists, outsider artists and 'sometimes artists' (e.g. people who are better know for other pursuits such as writing, music or generally being notorious). It's interesting to see Carol Bove included and expected to see Jesse Bransford, Austin Osman Spare, Margery Cameron, Kenneth Anger, Barry William Hale, Rosaleen Norton and Aleister Crowley.Carol Bove “Legal Status of the Moon,” 2015 (Photo: Nicole Disser)The title 'Language of the Birds' refers to a symbolic heavenly language revealed to the initiated. Thats a very poetic idea and it appeals to me deeply on a personal level but, much as I love esoteric symbology, I'm trying to move away from any sort of language that is available only to the initiated. I've discovered through my practice over the last 2 years that delving too far into occult symbology marginalises pretty much all of your audience! Unless you are creating work that is purely for the initiated, or those that have a particular interest in that area, it tends to create a barrier between the work and the viewer. This is something I've spent a lot of time struggling with and trying to overcome. I want the work I create to be available to the viewer and create a dialogue for them rather than excluding them.I found some descriptions in the writing of two of these articles resonated with me in my continual contextualisation of my own practice:"At its core, Grossman explains, the occult is about experiencing an immaterial realm, whether through a performed ritual, an altered state, a path of learning, or a work of art."Grossman, P. referenced in Frank, P. (2016). Emphasis my own."...“the occult” is not any one thing– it’s not an organized religion, there’s no definitive occult bible, nor is there a precise agreement on practice, folklore, or morality. Instead, it’s simply the unknown trying to be known."Disser, N. (2016) Emphasis my own.Frank, P. (2016) Delving into the Shadowy World of Occult Art. Retrieved from www.huffingtonpost.comDisser, N. (2016) A Little Bird Told Me: Aleister Crowley and Genesis P-Orridge in Occult Art Show. Sourced from www.bedfordandbowery.com