"Luciani’s provocative ritual chamber series of three 14” x 14” signed prints (in a limited edition of 5) was created specifically for this exhibit, and perfectly exemplifies the profound influence that William Mortensen has had on successive generations of creators since his quiet passing in 1965. Her gorgeous 2022 work titled Mother of Grace, Mother of Sin, Mother of Sorrow I, seen here, echoes Mortensen’s 1927 photogravure The Mark of The Devil. However, Luciani centers lusty women as the active agents of her decidedly LaVeyan ceremony. “William Mortensen was truly a pioneer for early occult imagery, violating all tradition and embracing both light and darkness,” she posits, “By placing women in both dominant and submissive roles, Mortensen challenged the viewer to confront both power and submission, life and death. His work showcased women in power while keeping an underlying message of intrigue, fear, and mysticism.”
-- Dennis Dread Wyrdwar Gallery, Portland.
BrittanyRoseLuciani "Mother of Grace, Mother of Sin, Mother of Sorrow I, II and III" 2022 click to enlarge
installation view of "THE WITCH'S EYE: THE CAMERA LENS AS OCCULT DEVICE"
William Mortensen's Art and Legacy at Wyrdwar Gallery, Portland
The subject matter of Brittany's art and compositional elements areheavilyguidedbyMortensen'stheoriesofthe "DominantMass" inhis1937magnumopus "TheCommandtoLook", histreatiseonthepsychologyofperception. Brittany'sartnotonlydemonstratesadeepknowledgeofintuitivelystrikingcompositionalelements, butawillandcouragetoexploresubjectmatternotquicklyembracedbythemainstreamculture, yetwhoseculminationoftechniqueandvisionmanifestanovertaffirmationofthequalityoftheleft-handpath.