Church of Satan Sigil of Baphomet

Stephen Romano Gallery Presents: "DE DOMO DIABOLI", Opening Reception Oct 30 NYC (William Mortensen, LaVey)

Stephen Romano Gallery is thrilled to announce the exhibition “DE DOMO DIABOLI” (The Devil’s House) in association with The Living Gallery Outpost in New York City’s East Village.

The exhibition celebrates Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) 2017 and All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween) 2017 by curating together some of the most celebrated contemporary and historical artists whose subject is the art of the esoteric, the old ways and folkloristic magic.

The exhibition will feature a selection of newly discovered and never seen before photographic works from the 1920’s by William Mortensen, whom Ansel Adams dubbed “The Anti-Christ”. These works were unseen for the past 80 years and originate from the artist’s first wife’s estate, and are exclusive to Stephen Romano Gallery. Pictured above is a photograph William Mortensen took of actress Fay Wray which once discovered by Faye Wray’s devout Mormon mother, she had him smash all the glass negatives and had Mortensen excommunicated from Hollywood. Pictured below is a suite of three photographs demonstrating Mortensen’s mastery of the projected image, The work depicts" Lucifer and the Lost Souls in Hell", each figured has been projected onto the paper individually. This work has never been exhibited before.

William Mortensen (1897 – 1965) Untitled Suite (Lucifer and the Lost Souls in Hell) circa 1924 – 26 Manipulated photograph.

The exhibition also presents for the first time ever a suite of Spirit photographs and associated ephemera from the renowned CAMP SILVER BELLE, a Spiritualist summer camp situated at Mountain Springs Hotel in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. In her séances camp leader Ethel Post-Parrish claimed to materialize her spirit guide an Indian girl known as Silver Belle, which were discovered to be fraudulent mediumship, and had been exposed in various newspapers. Before exposures, the camp took in up to a million dollars a year from aristocrats from the east coast who sought out a spiritual experience. The photographs taken by Jack Edwards are exhibited for the first time ever. 

“DE DOMO DIABOLI” (The Devil’s House)

The Living Gallery Outpost

246 EAST 4th Street (Avenue B and E4th) EAST VILLAGE NEW YORK

Opening reception MONDAY OCTOBER 30 2017 6 – 8 pm

Exhibition continues through Saturday November 4

Gallery Hours 12 Noon – 8pm

NOT. TO. BE. MISSED.

VERY SHORT RUN – October 30 – November 4 (the blink of an eye, like eternity itself.)

for further information and images please contact Stephen Romano [email protected]

More details available at lexiconmag.com

1972 Press Photo of Anton Szandor LaVey, by John Godwin 

Nicholas Syracuse “Devil” from The Black House series

Luciana Vasconcelos “Ave, Babalon!”

Walter Bird “Nude with Demon Mask” circa 1930

William Mortensen (1897 – 1965) “Faye Wray with Masks” circa 1926 Silver Gelatin Print.