Animism, Memory and Art as Magic: Empathy, Articulation and Effect
In this presentation artist, author and magical practitioner Charlotte Rodgers proposes to build on her earlier ideas of spiritual DNA being represented by a double helix of art and magic in a constant process of catalysing each other, and explore the bridge that links these interacting strands; animism. Her belief being that the animism is not that everything holds a lifeforce but rather, an inherent memory; memory that strives to be acknowledged, articulated and expressed. Working creatively with animism articulated as memory has the potential to precipitate a transformative magical and creative process whilst generating a greater empathy for wider expressions of existence. By peeling back of layers of personal magical and creative experiences of art and her often intuitive work dancing with the animist current, Charlotte will show how the process leads to insight into both inner and outer realms, including events such as the pandemic with its brief rearranging of human relations with nature and the ramifications of items belong to those who suffered and died alone at that time, being discarded. She will consider how working with concepts of animism as encapsulated in memory can smash through conventions of gender, considered value attributed to some species over others and definitions of god forms. paving possible paths for wider understandings that are necessary for us to move forward; also acknowledging the need for empathy and compassion in order to experience and work with wider permutations of realities.
Bio
Charlotte Rodgers is an artist and author who is also an animist and nondenominational practising witch and magician. She conceived and co-edited A Contemporary Western Book of the Dead and wrote The Bloody Sacrifice and P is for Prostitution, all published by Mandrake of Oxford. Her work is published in magazines including The Cauldron, The Oracle and SilkMilk, FOLKWITCH, and The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies as well as in anthologies published by Avalonia, Scarlet Imprint and Fenris Wolf. She had given talks at Edinburgh and York Universities, The Museum of Morbid Anatomy in New York and many conferences and events, most recently being Artist in residence at The Magickal Women Conference in Birmingham. In 2017 she was awarded an a-n arts Council grant to spend ten days investigating and blogging about the New York art world and a filmed exhibition of her work was made for CRASSH (Cambridge University Centre of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities) Magic and Ecology Symposium 2021-2022.
In this presentation artist, author and magical practitioner Charlotte Rodgers proposes to build on her earlier ideas of spiritual DNA being represented by a double helix of art and magic in a constant process of catalysing each other, and explore the bridge that links these interacting strands; animism. Her belief being that the animism is not that everything holds a lifeforce but rather, an inherent memory; memory that strives to be acknowledged, articulated and expressed. Working creatively with animism articulated as memory has the potential to precipitate a transformative magical and creative process whilst generating a greater empathy for wider expressions of existence. By peeling back of layers of personal magical and creative experiences of art and her often intuitive work dancing with the animist current, Charlotte will show how the process leads to insight into both inner and outer realms, including events such as the pandemic with its brief rearranging of human relations with nature and the ramifications of items belong to those who suffered and died alone at that time, being discarded. She will consider how working with concepts of animism as encapsulated in memory can smash through conventions of gender, considered value attributed to some species over others and definitions of god forms. paving possible paths for wider understandings that are necessary for us to move forward; also acknowledging the need for empathy and compassion in order to experience and work with wider permutations of realities.
Bio
Charlotte Rodgers is an artist and author who is also an animist and nondenominational practising witch and magician. She conceived and co-edited A Contemporary Western Book of the Dead and wrote The Bloody Sacrifice and P is for Prostitution, all published by Mandrake of Oxford. Her work is published in magazines including The Cauldron, The Oracle and SilkMilk, FOLKWITCH, and The Pomegranate: The International Journal of Pagan Studies as well as in anthologies published by Avalonia, Scarlet Imprint and Fenris Wolf. She had given talks at Edinburgh and York Universities, The Museum of Morbid Anatomy in New York and many conferences and events, most recently being Artist in residence at The Magickal Women Conference in Birmingham. In 2017 she was awarded an a-n arts Council grant to spend ten days investigating and blogging about the New York art world and a filmed exhibition of her work was made for CRASSH (Cambridge University Centre of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities) Magic and Ecology Symposium 2021-2022.