Galerie Dennis Cooper presents … Paulina Peavy

 

‘Many artists throughout history have claimed some sort of otherworldly inspiration (the muses, for instance). But the visionary American artist Paulina Peavy (1901–1999) may be one of the only to attribute her talents to communications with a U.F.O.—specifically one named Lacamo.

‘During Peavy’s lifetime, she enjoyed many early successes, including showing with Los Angeles’s Stendahl Gallery, studying with Hans Hoffman, and exhibiting work at the opening of the San Francisco Museum of Art—all before falling into art world obscurity.

‘Even before UFOs got involved (and we’ll get to that later), Peavy’s story was one against the odds. She was born in Colorado to a miner father and a Swedish immigrant mother. In 1906, the family moved to Portland in a covered wagon following the Oregon Trail. Peavy’s mother would die tragically a few years later. In spite of the gender conventions of the time and her own humble origins, Peavy would attend Oregon State College (now Oregon State University), studying art with Farley Doty McLouth and Marjorie Baltzell. After winning fourth place in a national competition hosted by the Art Students League in New York, Peavy was accepted to the Chouinard Art Institute to study with Hans Hofmann.

‘In the 1920s, Peavy began to play a pivotal role in the emerging West Coast art scene. She established the Paulina Peavy Gallery, which also functioned as a salon and school, hosting classes for the Los Angeles Art Students League. Like many other artists of the age, Peavy had interests in the supernatural and was loosely affiliated with the occultist art group the Group of Eight, as well as the Synchromists and a group of West Coast surrealists led by artist Lorser Feitelson.

‘But her true moment of breakthrough came in 1932, when Peavy, by now the mother of two and in the midst of a divorce, attended a seance at the Santa Ana home of Ida L. Ewing, a pastor of the National Federation of Spiritual Science. During the seance, Peavy claimed to have encountered a discarnate entity she called Lacamo, which she later described as a “wondrous ovoid-shaped UFO.” It was an event that would have a profound impact on Peavy and her work for the rest of her life—because Lacamo, she said, revealed great universal truths which she attempted to convey through her art. (She sometimes co-signed her works with Lacamo.)

‘At the core of these revelations was a complex cosmology consisting of 12,000-year cycles with 3,000-year seasons. The summer of these seasons harkened a kind of utopia in which human beings transcended the limits of their earthly bodies to become spirits, freed from their sexes and entering “one-gender perfection,” as well as a singular cosmic race.

‘She also looked to other artists for inspiration. Peavy was fascinated by the Mexican muralists, particularly José Clemente Orozco who also shared a deep interest in hermetic and indigenous traditions, particularly philosopher José Vasconcelos’s belief that a great cosmic race would be born out of the Americas (Peavy exhibited 30 of her paintings at the Golden Gate International Exposition of 1939-40, where Diego Rivera exhibited mural work. She also painted a 14-foot mural titled The Eternal Supper, depicting a “Last Supper” filled with androgynous, racially ambiguous figures for the 1939 San Francisco Exposition.)

‘Peavy made her way by selling her work, not through galleries but through Albert Bender’s Space Review, one of the most important periodicals of UFO culture of the era, and showing work in astroculture conventions. “She became something of an astroculture celebrity,” said Laura Whitcomb, curator of a recent exhibition of Peavy’s work. “She realized the art world was very fearful.”

‘Now, times have changed and spiritualist women artists such as Hilma af Klint, Georgiana Houghton, and Agnes Pelton are widely celebrated. “In the lead up to the Second World War, many artists were experimenting with the occult—Artaud was casting spells against Hitler. And the past years have been very scary,” said Whitcomb. “I feel like recent interest in the occult had to do with creating a cosmic balance and then we’re reminded of artists’ roles as shamans.”’ — Katie White

 

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Further

Paulina Peavy Website
Paulina Peavy @ Andrew Edlin Gallery
Paulina Peavy: An Etherian Channeler
The Late Artist and Psychic Paulina Peavy Communed With a UFO to Create Her Work.
Layering is many things.
Lauren O’Neill-Butler on Paulina Peavy and Lacamo
PAULINA PEAVY ATTENDED A SÉANCE AND TUNED INTO THE FUTURE
Spirituality in Insanity, Revelation from Beyond
The fantastic world of Paulina Peavy
Book: ‘Manikin Art’, by Paulina Peavy
MASKS REQUIRED
I Want To Believe At Paulina Peavy’s “The Artist Behind The Mask”
Paulina Peavy/Lacamo: They Call us Unidentified
SOUND DISCARNATE performances after Paulina Peavy
Paulina Peavy, the Spiritualist Artist Who Channeled a UFO

 

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Paulina Peavy’s 12,000 Year Cycle of the World

 

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Films

Paulina Peavy: The Artist Behind the Mask

Paulina Peavy: New York City Artist studio

Artist of Vision, 1981

 

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The Last Supper

Only exisitng reproduction of full painting

Center Section of Last Supper, 6’x14′, 1939 (Reproduction)

Crystilization of Matter (painted over ‘The Last Supper’), dates unknown

 

‘In 1941, Paulina Peavy’s solitary 6-foot-tall by 14-foot-wide painting titled ‘Our Lord and His Supper’ debuted as a special solo exhibition at the San Diego Fine Arts Gallery (today’s San Diego Museum of Art). The show opened in April, timed to coincide with the Easter holiday, and her painting was on display for about a month. According to the gallery’s announcement in the newspaper, “The painting was done over a period of 10 months after Peavy had made an intense study of the life of each apostle. Though modern in treatment, the picture has a definite spiritual feeling, according to the critics who have seen it.”

‘Peavy considered the ‘Last Supper’ a highlight in her life, one she would refer to in her films and memoir. According to Peavy in her 1993 manuscript book ‘The Story of My Life with a UFO’, she “destroyed,” to use her own words, her original ‘Last Supper’ by over-painting it to create a new work that she titled ‘The Eternal Supper of Building Blocks and Peaks’ and later ‘Crystallization of Matter’. The original work was obscured by the 1960s with layers of paint and glazes into a mosaic of lambent, cubist, pyramid forms. Her representational image was essentially transformed into an abstraction.

‘Peavy took the ‘Last Supper’ with her when she moved to New York in 1943, and she exhibited it in her one-person exhibition at the Argent Gallery in 1943. The art reviewer for the New York Herald Tribune wrote that “her ‘Eternal Supper,’ over which the controversy raged, is not the conventionally exalted interpretation of the subject already known to most of us. It is composed on a grand scale and individual in style, suggesting something of the austerity of Byzantine enamels.”

‘Peavy’s style changed after her move to New York as her worldview evolved. Peavy claims in her book that when she began overpainting the ‘Last Supper’, “among the first elements to go is the statement under the arms [of Jesus] stating ‘OUR LORD AND HIS SUPPER’ is among the first to go [sic]; even as no male is creator and savior to a species.” Through the teachings of her mentoring spirit, Lacamo Peavy’s personal philosophy had evolved to reject males as being the dominant gender. Not only could men not create, but their reign, which she assigns to the 3,000-Year Winter Period, is characterized by war, famine, disease, rampant sex, and rape. An image of Christ with his 12 disciples symbolizes this era. She explains that men intentionally mistranslated the Bible to empower themselves, “it took seven years to lay it to rest the ‘Last Supper‘ by using layers of over-glazing”.

‘The ‘Crystallization of Matter’ is seen hanging in Peavy’s apartment in her film she made in the 1980s. Although a postcard of the mural still exists, the mural itself was ultimately destroyed during an attempt to move it from Peavy’s New York studio.’ — paulinapeavy.com

 

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Interview
from Metaphysical Articles

 

Upon listening to a commercial audio CD with MP3 files of 1950s radio shows hosted by ‘Long John Nebel,’ the most intriguing guest was described in the show descriptions with her name misspelled: “A Mrs. Pievey went into a trance and communicated with spirits.” The expression ‘channeler’ wasn’t a commonly known term at the time so there was some difficulty for Nebel when he attempted to explain her circumstances. Joining Nebel in asking questions of the interview guests were a couple of “The Party Line” recurring panelists.

During this January 1958 broadcast, the predominant interview subject was ‘the mystic barber’ of Brooklyn, Andy Sinatra, who wore a metal headband and professed to have experience with astral projection. At one point Sinatra said: “The public likes to laugh and wants a little comedy once in a while . . . I’m putting on a show . . . It’s based on certain real things . . . This [astral projection] is my own experience.”

When Nebel first spoke about the possibility of talking with Peavy later in the broadcast, he mentioned that she had brought with her one painting and a number of photos of other paintings plus some masks. He said: “And this lady goes into a trance. She goes to different dimensions and when she’s in these different dimensions she paints these pictures. Now I know nothing about the trance state or the other dimensions but the pictures are beautiful. There’s no two ways about that.”

Approximately two hours later, Nebel introduced Paulina Peavy as “a lady who goes into a trance and during the time that she’s in the trance she receives inspirations to paint. Now I possibly have not phrased this right but this is about all I know at the moment. I can say this to you though — that Pauline Peavy is an artist, inventor, designer, sculptor, poet, writer and lecturer.” Nebel continued:

And she was born in Colorado City. She lived most of her adult life on the West Coast. And she has received degrees in art and education from leading colleges and schools as well as honors and awards in art and architecture. Possibly some of you people have seen her work at the various art galleries. Now, Miss Peavy is sitting to my right. To her left opposite me is Dave Bell. To my left, opposite Miss Peavy is Charles Leedham. Miss Peavy has a very, very unusual mask on. To describe the mask, I would say that it looks like a base color of chartreuse with gray stripes — sort of charcoal gray stripes running through it diagonally. There are many fancy trimmings around it. It’s a very large mask that covers at least three-quarters of her face. There are pearls on both sides of the mask and a number of pieces of metal. I would say it’s a very, very attractive and a very beautiful work of art as far as masks are concerned. And she tells us that it’s important that she wears this mask during the time that she’s in the trance state.

Nebel began the interview by asking her when did she first realize that she could go into a trance. Peavy showed none of Sinatra’s jocularity as she answered questions and this sensibility was consistent throughout the interview. She replied: “At least twenty-five years ago. I heard voices — very strange voices coming through me.” Nebel said, “Coming through you?” She replied, “Yes — startled me a very great deal although I had been investigating the mystery of my paintings, which started coming twenty-five years ago.” As Nebel began asking her a new question, Peavy began loudly grunting. She attempted to explain while going in and out of trance.

Now — now — I explain — when — when such power moves in, the strange sounds are caused by the power taking over. You see Paulina squirming about because we are putting into her being high voltage and in order to receive us and maintain herself, she has had to build up her electrodes to meet our high voltage. (change in voice tone) Well that’s the way they come in. And then they release me and then apparently I talk.

Nebel asked her, “How do you feel when you’re in a trance, Pauline?”

Well, I feel very exhilarated and (change in voice tone) now, as you will see, this is not the voice of Paulina for we have not released her entirely. Although we have prepared her that when we come through we are using her exactly as you use your microphone. We are beings existing in a world of too high frequency for your comprehension. And we need to lower our frequency by this manner that our thought will be audible to you. We use Paulina who uses us. Together, we have painted many thousands of paintings in her — several hundred, probably near a thousand for the purpose of introducing ourselves to you in the way that we desire to be introduced. For you have many ideas regarding us that are your ideas and they are not our reality. And as we come to you in many ways and you call us ‘flying saucers,’ ‘space men,’ ‘Venusians,’ and other of your names we need to introduce ourselves in our language. And our language is not a babble tongue for we communicate with each other in our world by sending or radiographing, as you would say, pictures. (change in voice tone) I think the pause is for questions.

Peavy went on to explain:

The beings that I entertain are universal beings who do not render (change in voice tone) individual personalities as you do in your world. We are universal beings. We do not place upon ourselves labels as do you to call ourselves John Doe forever for we now, hold your hats — for we have found perpetuity of life. And it would be very droll if we called ourselves Paulina Peavy for the rest — from now on. Therefore, we come and many times when you hear one voice you hear a multitude of us. For we are in a world whereby we have thoughts simultaneously with uncountable legions of us. We do not give Paulina personal names for us. She has a name which is her name when she speaks to us. We do not use your names in our world.

There was another pause and Dave Bell asked, “Are the people in this world like we are?”

We are your elders. We ages ago were like you, as you. We have progressed by many eons of time beyond your station and now we exist as a perfected—you would say—seed. When you see us and we are able to reduce our high frequency waves to come into your sight in your skies; and you see us as flying saucers, we are showing you our planetary form for we are a single cell with one eye. The original eye. Out of that single cell we mutate into creature form as you take your birth.

Dave Bell said, “Then the explanation of the flying saucers is an attempt of these people to enter into our world?”

We have never departed you and your world. And the world is not as you think you see it with your two outer eyes. You might say the world, id (or “ID”), an atomic nature of matter. We do not see skies like you see skies. We see into the eye of the atom. Even the eye of the atom that you smash. And you know that when you smash an atom you see volumes of infinity emerging from that microscopic eye. We indwell, ourselves, our eye — we are interspacial beings coming out, emerging or slowing up our molecular rate that you might perceive us.

Nebel asked Dave to give her a glass of water and permit her to rest. Before Peavy resumed her participation in the broadcast, Andy Sinatra was interviewed further. At one point Nebel asked Sinatra to “do a little spacetalk for us.” Sinatra cooperated and the syllables sounded to Leedham as being like American Indian languages. Nebel and his panelists were soon wisecracking and convulsing with laughter. At one point Andy mentioned having been with Peavy when he experimented with her guide: “He said to us that if there was nine people there . . . he would make himself visible. But we didn’t have nine people that were in harmonious vibration.” Later, Nebel directed Peavy to ask her spirit mentor to translate the space language that would be given by ‘the mystic barber.’ After Nebel stated that Peavy had her mask on again and he reintroduced her to the listening audience, she began groaning and there was a resumption of the trance communication.

We travel in space from a point of time to a point of time, which tells you absolutely nothing, meaning that we are almost as bewildered as you about space travel. (pause) We make our food by the power of thought. The best that we can explain to you is that we counteract the disintegration of atoms in space. And our food is wholly made by the power of thought as we travel in our state of electronic fluidity. (pause) You have a saying that your home is where you hang your hat. Our home is where we think it is. As we know no boundaries like you, we move through walls—your walls—faster than the speed of light like your radio beams move through obstacles that are obstacles only to you. (pause and then the voice makes sounds similar to Andy’s chanting) Oh ho ho ho ho — ho ho ho, yes Andy, ha aa ah — yeah ha ha. We did visit you in behalf of our work. As you saw it. When we thank you for your currupo — cooperation in our bequest. For we asked you not to tamper with Paulina and us in our connection and you so graciously acceded. Time writes a heavy hand for seers. We need all the cooperation from your men of science that we can get. We need to work with you to make this matter understandable which means scientific — this matter of the sensitives of your world who have been contacting us throughout the ages and who have not been understood. We see no more burning of your Joan of Arcs but we do see ridicule by those who are not enlightened regarding this relay system. A voice projection — astro-projection as you call it. Andrew, when we take you to a planet called the moon, we take you to a solar system within yourself in correlation to the outer, as you call, solar system. (pause) We have helped you make your headband. We have given you all the secrets for such a headband we placed upon Paulina twenty years ago — an unseen magnetic headband. We placed a magnetic field upon her head and upon her right ear which has been there for twenty-fi(ve) — twenty years. And longer but twenty years to her knowledge. Permitting us to motivate through her vocaluary gland with her ego still conscious. Ha ha ha ha ha ha — (utterances like Indian chanting) — We are so elated that such a program as this is possible in your age. We are so happy to find your open-minded attitude toward our contact with you to the state whereby you can broadcast our voice — our voices. Andrew, the bread of life is life. Your questions. (pause then change of voice tone) If you wish to ask about their world — now, you see, I — when I think I’m out of the trance (change of voice tone) I’m not. I mean that their voices and mine sometime are simultaneous.

Nebel asked, “I wonder if you could — could we get any information about Sputnik? The Earth satellite.”

We regret to say that matter made by the hand cannot sustain by safe travel. We know that you gain great knowledges. What a fantastic thing to send — a body hurtling out into an orbit. How wonderful if you could gather together your admiration for scientific achievement forgetting your desire to blow somebody to bits. We ask you to please change the subject. We are too adamant. You would not like it were we to go all out.

Charles Leedham stated, “You would prefer questions on another subject, is that it?”

Questions about our existence we shall ask.

Nebel then said, “I think in all fairness, Charles, I’ve been informed by one of the — Miss Peavy’s friends who happen to be up here at the present time that she’s under terrific strain and that we shouldn’t talk any more to the spirit voice — permit Miss Peavy to relax.” Then Andy Sinatra was interviewed once more.

 

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p.s. Hey. ** Misanthrope, No prob. I had a slammed day yesterday. They’ve started scanning people’s vaccine passports here rather than just glancing at them, and it turned out mine was invalid because someone fucked up, so I was turned away everywhere I went. So I had to run around Paris all day trying to get it fixed, and now it is. My brain won’t leave me alone. Secret of my ‘success’ possibly. Get a neck massage or something? ** Dominik, Hi!!! Yeah, it’s cool the book is a book. I forgot to smell it, but I just did, and it doesn’t smell like anything, ha ha. My pleasure on the OnlyFans labyrinth. I’m sure I’ll bump into you there. Congratulations to yesterday’s Love. How’s its hair now? Mohawk, I hope? Speaking of labyrinths, here is where Love will spend his day today (it’s a sketch of the floor plan of the virtual ‘walk-through’ haunted house that Zac, Sabrina Tarasoff, and I are building with some game designers in the UK and that we’ll be presenting at a special Halloween event here in Paris), G. ** Bill, Hi, Bill. I do. So there’s no turning back now. Historically, books tend to actually ‘leak’ to stores a bit before the official pub date, so … we’ll see. Ooh, that Tesla coil projection looks very cool. Was the music related in any literal kind of way? ** Steve Erickson, I’ll check out the new Bug for sure, thanks. So far I’ve watched two docs on Documentary Area: one about the music/youth culture scene in Berlin from ’79 – ’89 called ‘B-Movie’, and a doc about synth music called ‘The Rise of the Synths’. On that site I tend to just choose a category, say ‘Music’, and scroll until I find interesting things. There are a bunch of interesting films mixed in there. Great about your progress vis-a-vis the EP! ** David Ehrenstein, Yikes. My French publisher, who was her publisher in the later years, always say she was totally wonderful. Quite a back story about her you’re spilling there. Everyone, Mr. Ehrenstein has scoped out an online, youtube-imbedded full length version of Marguerie Duras’s 1981 film ‘Agatha et Les Lectures illimitées’ with English subtitles if you’re interested. Here. ** Okay. I thought at least some of you might be interested to know the work of the very curious artist Paulina Peavy if you don’t know it already. See you tomorrow.