Carl Abrahamsson: ”Spare Me A Pound – An initial look at the Sui Genericism of Austin and Ezra.”  You can watch this video lecture here: Author Carl Abrahamsson takes a look at British artist-occultist Austin Osman Spare (1886-1956) and American modernist poet Ezra Pound (1885-1972), and finds many psychic similarities. Not only were they both creative geniuses and masters at their respective expressions; they also created their own systems of esoteric teachings and self-appointed authority. Were they perhaps afraid of being scrutinized by others, and thereby structured an attitude of ”Sui Genericism” (the amplification of one’s own sense of greatness through systematized interpretation and dissemination)? Abrahamsson argues that they were indeed ”Sui Genericists” and that their work was woven from inside a very protected sphere of proto-creative magical thinking. It’s a fascinating insight into a new perspective; looking at these important creators from a magico-anthropological...

Finally! A new and expanded edition of BRION GYSIN: HIS NAME WAS MASTER: Or: Painter and author Brion Gysin (1916–86) has become an incredibly influential artist and iconoclast. His development of the “cut-up” technique together with William S. Burroughs has inspired several generations of writers, artists and musicians. Gysin was also a skilled networker and revered expat; together with his friend Paul Bowles, Gysin more or less constructed the post-beatnik romanticism dealing with life, music and magic in Morocco. He was also a protagonist in an international gay culture with inspirational reaches in both America and Europe. Not surprisingly, Gysin has become something of a cult figure. One of the artists he inspired is Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (1950-2020), who collaborated with both Gysin and Burroughs in the 1970s and 80s, while working with avant garde music/performance projects Throbbing Gristle and C.O.U.M. Transmissions. The Gysin interviews made by P-Orridge have since become...

I have a new lecture coming up this Sunday! The next installment of our Psychoanalysis, Art & the Occult series at Morbid Anatomy Museum is coming up Sunday, May 14th at 2PM EDT (11AM PDT / 7PM UK / 20 CEST):The Uncanny in Cinema: Ingmar Bergman’s Hour of the Wolf (1968), An Illustrated Online Lecture with Carl Abrahamsson: Swedish author and filmmaker Carl Abrahamsson presents his reflections on Ingmar Bergman’s masterpiece Hour of the Wolf (1968), situating the film with regard to events in Bergman’s personal life, as well as in the culture and politics of the time more generally. Abrahamsson also discusses the relationship of Hour of the Wolf (1968) to other films created during Bergman’s “decade of deep introspection,” most notably Persona (1966) and Shame (1968). Abrahamsson contemplates recurring uncanny themes in Bergman’s work, having to do with the dynamism and reciprocity of interpersonal relations, identity and consciousness, and how this can veer into neurosis or...

I have a new video lecture out there: ”A Touch of Vitriol – The Short Story Magic of Aleister Crowley” Author Carl Abrahamsson talks about the intricate auto-fictional aspects of Crowley’s short stories, and how they reveal details about Crowley’s psycho-sexual antics and emotional compensations. The ”Great Beast” may not be remembered as an author first and foremost but when you actually zoom in and take a closer look there’s always a lot to unpack. Whether constructed consciously or intuitively expressed in an inspired moment, Crowley’s fiction is a great gateway to a deeper understanding of his fascinating psyche and creativity. #aleistercrowley #magick #thelema #carlabrahamsson #occulture #666