Here’s a detail from the Animation Adjacent post, providing a closer look at the 7 Hermetic principles outlined in the Kybalion.
I’ve been thinking about this book for over 30 years. It’s been nice to make some work directly citing its importance to me.
Curated by my colleague and pal Corrie Francis Parks.
And I quote:
In partnership with Baltimore’s homegrown Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival, Area 405 Gallery hosts a group show, Sweaty Eyeballs: Animation Adjacent. Animation is an all-encompassing artform, embracing any medium and process an artist can come up with. Each frame of an animated film is an artwork in its own right, but when that artwork extends beyond the screen into the gallery, expect the unexpected. This exhibition highlights work by animators that finds its best home off the screen and outside the theater. Whether made during film production or as an adjacent practice, the artists in this exhibition expand their work through collage, sculpture, protocinema, projection mapping, augmented reality, and generative processing.
September 13, 2024 – Station North Second Friday Art Walk
Opening Reception
5-9pm, FREE
Opening remarks at 7pm
Join us at AREA 405 during the Station North 2nd Friday Artwalk to celebrate the opening of the exhibition.
This is a small part of the cool stuff you can interact with at this show!
Sponsored by FreeFall Baltimore, Area 405, and Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival
I was invited to present some work in the Animation Adjacent exhibit, which is part of Sweaty Eyeballs, and will accompany the festival (see Behind the Screens). I’ve been making physical work that is represented in my short, Magus Incognito.
Here are the dioramas and shadow boxes I made to support Magus Incognito, and my persistent fascination with the Kybalion.
Thrice Great Hermes:
Evidence of the principles:
The 7 hermetic principles:
Magus Incognito:
When I wrapped up Brains, I began thinking about what my next project should be. I have a sketchbook with a few ideas, including some music videos, and the sequel to The Lunatics (which I played with in the animation I made for the Peale last month). I also am eager to do some 3D stop motion work.
Another idea that’s been rolling around my brainpan is a treatment of some ideas put forth in a favorite book: The Kybalion. Initially, I figured it would be non-narrative. So, I picked up a fresh of The Kybalion: The Definitive Edition and began brainstorming.
This book was recommended to me by a medium in Washington, D.C. years ago, and I’ve returned to it many times. And the copy I’ve linked makes a strong case that William Walker Atkinson is the actual author. This edition also includes Atkinson’s The Seven Cosmic Laws. I’ve had a lot of fun reading this.
I originally intended to make Magus Incognito in the spring, but a festival of hermetic inspired films caught my eye on filmfreeway.com. I seem to work best when I have a deadline, and had to quickly focus my ideas for this. This version is 77 seconds long, and the file I uploaded turned out to be 70.77 MB! I may continue to develop this material into a longer film, but this initial pass accomplishes what I was was hoping to achieve.
The animation can be viewed at doranimation.com.
I also made a diorama for this animation in a Trader Joe’s green tea mint tin box.
Magus Incognito has screened at 3 festivals and will be included in the Sweaty Eyeballs Animation Festival this fall! It won an award for best animation at the Hermetic International Film Festival!
I made a body of work (dioramas and shadow boxes) to support this film, which is on display at Area 405 in Baltimore as part of the Animation Adjacent exhibit.
