She called them "spirit drawings" but they were also abstract or else couched in a vocabulary to which she along held the secret decoder. It is tantalizing to wonder whether Houghton and Klint ever met on Klint's visits to London. Overlapping layers of swirls and circles in vibrant colors are dynamic features in the works of both artists. They are hardly the type of art expected from women at the time.
Born in Spain, Georgianna Houghton lived for most of her life in London. Like Hilma af Klint after her, Houghton took part in séances and averred that she painted at the direction of the spirit world. Male artists like Kandinsky and Malevich who were long credited as the creators of the non-objective style were also involved in exploring the things of the spirit.
Image: Georgianna Houghton (1814-1884) - The Eye of God, 09/25/182, watercolor and gouache on paper, laid on board, Courtauld Institute, London
2 comments:
Abstract drawings, but with something organic sometimes, like here.
While discovering this work, I thought of Michel Serres' essay, "Eyes".
Tania, I will look Michel Serres up, thanks to you.
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