Art & The Paranormal
The term “paranormal” usually conjures images of spectral apparitions, objects moving unbidden, and disembodied voices crackling on transistor radios. In this talk, J. F. Martel will argue that the category should include other things besides, things whose patina of familiarity is all that prevents us from realizing how truly strange they are. The dulcet tones of a Bach chorale, the silent scream of a portrait by Francis Bacon, the imaginal drift of an Emily Dickinson poem; in confronting us with all that is singular and unrepeatable in life and nature, art breaches the walls of modern reductionism. To truly perceive this, one must adopt an alien perspective, challenging tired assumptions and uncovering the metaphysical implications that animate all artistic expression.
Bio
JF. Martel is a writer and documentary filmmaker based in Ottawa, Canada. He is the author of Reclaiming Art in the Age of Artfice and co-hosts the Weird Studies podcast with musicologist Phil Ford.
Curated and Hosted by
Shannon Taggart is an artist and author exploring the intersection between Spiritualism, photography, and the representation of belief. Her work has been exhibited and featured internationally, including within the publications TIME, New York Times Magazine, Discover, and Newsweek. Taggart’s monograph, SÉANCE (Fulgur Press, 2019), was named one of TIME’s ‘Best Photobooks of 2019.’ https://www.shannontaggart.com/
don’t worry if you miss it – we will send you a recording valid for two weeks the next day
Shannon Taggart’s Supernatural Mystery Symposium
Selections from the annual event on supernatural mystery and strange cultural history, curated by Shannon Taggart and hosted in Lily Dale, NY, USA—the town home to the world’s largest Spiritualist community.
Dr. Raymond Buckland’s ‘Wide World of Spirit – Steven Intermill and Toni Rotonda – 25 September
Séance: Spiritualism, Photography and the Search for Ectoplasm – Shannon Taggart – 2 October
Publishing the Paranormal – Charles and Penelope Emmons – 04 October
Supernatural Mystery Symposium: Art & The Paranormal – JF Martel – 05 October
Music from Elsewhere – Doug Skinner – 22 October
The Adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle – Michael W Homer – 07 November
Ted Serios: The Mind’s Eye, with Emily Hauver – 21 November
