From witches and clairvoyants to high priestesses, femininity and the magical are inextricably linked in cultures across the globe. This age-old connection has long shaped beliefs and notions of femininity, while also creating a pretext for demonizing women that reinforced patriarchal social structures. For artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, associations between women and the occult have offered an exciting opportunity to explore themes such as body and gender, women’s sexuality, and the essentialization of gender identity―often from a feminist perspective. This book is a must-have now that occult themes and rituals are enjoying a comeback in mainstream culture.

This book includes works by Myrlande Constant, Cordula Ditz, Mary Beth Edelson, Bev Grant / W.I.T.C.H., Vivian Greven, Rebecca Horn, Ana Mendieta, Zanele Muholi, Wangechi Mutu, Rosana Paulino, Paloma Proudfoot, Gillian Wearing, and Portia Zvavahera.

Hirmer
Flexibound, 240 pages
ISBN 9783777447179