Elizabeth Perrotte
Beyond the Visible: Visionary Impulses in Modern and Contemporary Art

Across centuries, artists have sought inspiration beyond the visible world, drawn to spiritual, esoteric, magical, and alchemical subjects. Belief in the artist as a medium who can transmit and reveal forces beyond the visible continues to fascinate Western cultures. This lecture explores the legacy of visionary artists such as Hieronymus Bosch and William Blake into the modern and contemporary period, considering the strange links between modernity and magic, esotericism, and radical creativity. We explore the mysterious and magical practices of artists such as Hilma af Klint and artist/magician Ithell Colquhoun, alongside well-known Modernist painters such as Paul Klee, Wassily Kandinsky, and Marc Chagall. We also introduce contemporary artists such as Yayoi Kusama, Niki de Saint Phalle, Mike Kelley, and Liliane Lijn, who have created extraordinary immersive installations that manifest visionary experiences.