Celebrating the Esoteric Spirit in Art

Stephen Romano Gallery is very pleased to announce the first ever New York solo exhibition of the works of Los Angeles artist Jel Ena. The exhibition "Sanctum Infernum" will be comprised of a series of new drawings.

Of the works in this exhibition, Jel Ena says ""Sanctum Infernum is a dichotomy; contradiction that is present in all of us, the conflict, and our never ending effort to balance them out. The demon appearing in female form was particularly of the interest to me, yet I don’t necessarily see this occurrence as something evil since I am not a religious nor was I raised in religious environment. What I was interested in exploring in this series is strength and power, desire, pleaseure and pain, decay, life and death. Since they are my own creations they do not belong to any other mythologies or religions, nor stories, except Medea. I view them as my own demons, my strengths but also weaknesses, my feelings and emotions, my dreams and my ideas.""

The exhibition which open October 29 from 5 - 9 pm, will have the artist in attendance, and will continue through December 15 2015. A catalog will accompany the exhibition with an essay by Los Angeles writer Decadence Darling, who also wrote for Stephen Romano Gallery's catalog on Rithika merchant, and will have an essay published in the upcoming catalog for the exhibition "Opus Hypnagogia" curated by Stephen Romano Gallery for Morbid Anatomy Museum in Brooklyn.

"Jel Ena is a Serbian born multi-media artist living in her adopted home of Los Angeles. She comes from a family of professional artists in every field who supported her pursuit of the fine arts. Jel Ena attended the Academy of Fine Art, University of Belgrade, where she received her MFA in painting. She has been showing in galleries around the world where her work is widely collected, as well as freelancing in the movie, tv, video game industry as a designer.

Jel Ena’s work displays a mastery of the figure and color. Her style is instantly recognizable and extraordinarily matchless in its visualization. Utilizing her mastery of acrylic/oil paints, pastels, graphite and colored pencils; intricate emotions and hyper surreal visions are born and enchant every viewer into her dark sensual dream-scape.

Jel Ena has exhibited her works internationally at numerous prestigious galleries including La Luz De Jesus Gallery, LA, Flower Pepper Gallery, Pasadena, Modern Eden, San Francisco, NY Alexi Era Gallery, Mascoutah, IL Distinction Gallery, Escondido, CA ,Auguste Clown, Melbourne, Australia, Dream Factory, Frankfurt, Germany, Art In The Hall, Aberdeen, Scotland, 1988 Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, WWA Gallery, Los Angeles, CA Hive Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, Rothick Art Haus, Anaheim, CA, Arch Enemy Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Potter's Wife Gallery, Fort Wayne, IN, Red Raven, Port Townsend, WA Zvono Gallery (Serbia) and SULUJ Gallery (Serbia) and numerous group shows and art fairs with Stephen Romano Gallery in Brooklyn NY..

Jel Ena's art has been published frequently, including features in Juxtapoz Magazine, Between Mirrors, Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, Mirroir Magazine, Bleaq (Art Blog), Nothing to Nobody Art Magazine (Australia), Supersonic Art, Nightmare Magazine, XLegion (art blog), Politika (daily news paper, Serbia), Blic (Serbia) and Glas Javnosti (Serbia).

Please contact Stephen Romano Gallery at romanostephen@gmail.com for further information and visuals for this exhibition.

Stephen Romano Gallery is pleased to announce the next group exhibition following in the series of "In Missa Interfectionis", "Opus Hypnagogia" (at Morbid Anatomy Museum) and the inaugural exhibition at Stephen Romano Gallery's new Bushwick location "Lexicon Infernali", all of which examine the interection of the esoteric, vernacual, visionary, outsider, vintage and contemporary art practices. "Magica Sexualis" is the title of a book from 1934 which fascinates as a power object, and the work presented will examine sexual energy manifest through magic practice, or the reverse, magic energy manifest though sexual themes.

Sexual magic refers to an ancient science that has been known and protected by the purest, most spiritually advanced human beings, whose purpose and goal is the harnessing and perfection of our sexual forces. A more accurate translation of sexual magic would be "sexual priesthood."

In ancient times, the priest was always accompanied by a priestess, for they represent the divine forces at the base of all creation: the masculine and feminine, the Yab-Yum, Ying-Yang, Father-Mother: the Elohim.[1]

Sex magic (sometimes spelled sex magick) is any type of sexual activity used in magical, ritualistic or otherwise religious and spiritual pursuits. One practice of sex magic is using the energy of sexual arousal or orgasm with visualization of a desired result. A premise of sex magic is the concept that sexual energy is a potent force that can be harnessed to transcend one's normally perceived reality.

The earliest known practical teachings of sex magic in the Western world come from 19th-century American occultist Paschal Beverly Randolph,"If a man has an intelligent and loving wife, with whom he is in complete accord, he can work out the problems [of how to achieve magical results] by her aid. They are a radical soul-sexive series of energies...The rite is a prayer in all cases, and the most powerful [that] earthly beings can employ...it is best for both man and wife to act together for the attainment of the mysterious objects sought. Success in any case requires the adjuvancy of a superior woman. THIS IS THE LAW!"

In the latter part of the 19th century, sexual reformer Ida Craddock published several works dealing with sacred sexuality, most notably Heavenly Bridegrooms and Psychic Wedlock. Aleister Crowley reviewed Heavenly Bridegroomsin the pages of his journal The Equinox, stating that it was: "..one of the most remarkable human documents ever produced, and it should certainly find a regular publisher in book form. The authoress of the MS. claims that she was the wife of an angel. She expounds at the greatest length the philosophy connected with this thesis. Her learning is enormous. ...This book is of incalculable value to every student of occult matters. No Magick library is complete without it."

Carl Kellner, the founder of Ordo Templi Orientis, (O.T.O.), claimed to have learned the techniques of sex magic from three adepts in this art. Aleister Crowley became involved with Theodor Reuss and Ordo Templi Orientis following the publication of The Book of Lies between 1912 and 1913. According to Crowley's account, Reuss approached him and accused him of having revealed the innermost (sexual) secret of O.T.O. in one of the cryptic chapters of this book. When it became clear to Reuss that Crowley had done so unintentionally, he initiated Crowley into the IX° (ninth degree) of O.T.O. and appointed him "Sovereign Grand Master General of Ireland, Iona and all the Britains.

The exhibition will also feature an installation by Barry William Hale that will be visibile from the street and will change depending on outside light conditions.

Artists participating in the exhibition include:

Rithika Merchant, Barry William Hale, Colin Christian, John D. Monteith, David Molesky, Steven Bradshaw, Rik Garrett, Lizz Lopez, Meesha Goldberg, Lori Field, Steven Baines, Matthew Dutton, Lu Zhang, Lori Nelson, Rory Coyne, Caitlin McCormack, Samuel D Gliner, Lauren Levato Coyne, Jennifer Lin, Michaelanthony Mandrake, Jane Cox, Gemma Gary, Ellen Stagg, Terry Tapp, Matthew J Levin, Nyahzul Blanco, Jana Brike, Heiko Muller, Cendrine Rovini, William H Mortensen, Alexis Murray, Darcilio Lima, Elizabeth Shupe, Matt Nolen, Brittany Markert, Sergio Barrale, Roland Hendrickson, Eric Richardson, Steven Gibb, Maria Kreyn, Limor Gasko, Shonagh Adelman, Inge Vandormael, Dolorosa De La Cruz and others.

Vernacular and Folk Art, Vintage photography.

October 29 - December 15 2015

October 29 - December 15 2015

Co-curator Barry William Hale is an Australian based artist. His artwork has been exhibited in major Australian institutions and featured in the Adelaide Fringe Festival and Sydney Biennial. His artwork was a central component of the national touring exhibition Windows to the Sacred. He also exhibited in I:mage 1 and 2 curated by Robert Ansell as well as "Opus Hypnagogia" at Morbid Anatomy Museum and "Lexicon Infernali" at Stephen Romano Gallery in Brooklyn. His book "Legion 49" was published by Fulgur Esoterica in 2009 to great acclaim. Barry William Hale curated the exhibition "The Occult Visions of Rosaleen Norton" in 2000 in Sydney. Barry William Hale's works was most recently the subject of a feature on Disinfo.com.

Please contact Stephen Romano Gallery at romanostephen@gmail.com for further information and visuals for this exhibition.

The Morbid Anatomy Museum is pleased to announce the launch of its first benefit print portfolio, curated by acclaimed artist Mark Dion.

The portfolio includes eight 8 x 10” limited edition prints made especially for the Museum by Dion (1st image), Kiki Smith (2nd image), Alexis Rockman (3rd image),

Tessa Farmer, Dana Sherwood (4th image), Nathan Catlin (5th image), Robert Marbury, and Beauvais Lyons, printed by Nathan Catlin. Each artist has created an

original print that responds to and celebrates the Morbid Anatomy Museum’s mission to explore the intersections of death, beauty, and that which falls between the cracks.

Prints are on a variety of archival papers and include etching, lithography, linoleum print, digital print, and screen print.

The portfolio is an edition of 20, bound in a laser-etched folder, and begins at a cost of $5,500. Ten portfolios are currently available. Proceeds from the sale of the portfolio

support the Morbid Anatomy Museum’s exhibitions and public and education programs. Each print is signed and numbered:

– Nathan Catlin, "Mimic," 2015. Linocut on French paper 
– Mark Dion, "Serpent Before the Fall, Fuji Mermaid, Snakestone, Basilisk, Mandrake, Cockatrice," 2015. Screenprint on Strathmore Bristol paper 
– Beauvais Lyons, "Hominin Gowanus," 2015. Stone lithograph on Somerset Antique paper 
– Robert Marbury, "Fragile Little Beast," 2015. Digital print and screen print mounted on Montval Watercolor paper 
– Alexis Rockman, "Gowanus Dolphin," 2015. Digital print collaged on Montval Watercolor paper 
– Dana Sherwood, "Stallion with Sausages," 2015. Screenprint on Strathmore Bristol paper 
– Kiki Smith, "Passage," 2015. Etching with collage on BFK Rives paper, 2015

Please contact Stephen Romano Gallery at romanostephen@gmail.com for further information and visuals for this exhibition.

Mark Dion, "Serpent Before the Fall, Fuji Mermaid, Snakestone, Basilisk, Mandrake, Cockatrice," 2015