Description
The idea of spiritual mediums contacting the spirits of dead artists like Joseph Cornell has long been a topic of intrigue in spiritualist circles, blending art, mysticism, and creativity. Mediums claim to act as intermediaries, connecting with the spirits of deceased individuals to relay messages or channel their creative energy. While there is no scientific evidence supporting these communications, the practice has roots in 19th- and 20th-century spiritualism, when séances and psychic communication were popular among avant-garde artists.
Visits with Joseph Cornell is volume 3 in the series “Art After Death”. It’s a 16-page booklet with an accompanying CD housed in a beautiful, letterpress folder. “In December of 2001, we ‘visited’ with the spirit of the famously eccentric artist Joseph Cornell”. Spirit mediums Adam Bernstein, Valerie Winbourne, Clyde Derrick, Paula Roberts, and Karl Petry take part in a “drama in five acts….in front of three box constructions by Cornell (Custodian — For M.M. [Marilyn Monroe], Celestial Navigation, and Rose Castle) for sessions ranging from 45 to 90 minutes.
Why Joseph Cornell? Maybe Cornell’s obsession with the mystical: known for his surrealist box assemblages, Cornell had a fascination with memory, dreams, and the passage of time, often featuring nostalgic or symbolic imagery in his work. His art has a dreamlike quality, making him a figure naturally suited to discussions of spiritualism. Maybe his themes of the otherworldly: Cornell’s works frequently referenced forgotten actresses, romantic relics, and bygone eras—elements that align with ideas of spirit communication and longing for the past.
“‘Art After Death’ was a series of 4 volumes that explored the unlikely conjunctions between the practices of spirit mediumship and art history.” Other subjects included the Countess of Castiglione and Yves Klein.
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