One of the chief difficulties for aspiring artists of all kinds, is that we often misunderstand the relationship between what our art could be and what it presently is.  When we encounter great art it appears like the transformative power of the magician’s staff.  Great art opens a gateway to the realm of the gods. It reveals things hidden to our normal senses. It changes our view of the world and ourselves. Great artists seem to pursue their art as a sacred calling, as if it were the grail itself: a chalice of solace and renewal to which they return again and again throughout all of life’s vicissitudes. Even among those artists who are merely technically excellent, and not necessarily endowed with greatness of insight and expression, we wonder at the power their art has to move the world. We see it bring to some riches and renown. We see it used to shield the weak, humble the wicked, build communities of friendship and tear down prison walls. Our own work of course does none of these things.  It seems rote, mechanical, and immature.  Our enthusiasm for what art represents rubs against our experience of actually doing it. We stop. We balk. We falter.  Why?
There is a pernicious lie we believe.  It is the lie of the “inner genius”. The substance of this lie is that somewhere within us resides an homunculus – a tiny person. This “inner artist” possesses all the wondrous creative power we seek, complete and fully developed. In order for us to achieve the artist’s life, it is only necessary to contact this mischievous imp, who will then spin thread into gold, make the sun still in the sky, and open the doorway to Narnia. This is assuming of course that we are “real” artists.  Non-artists don’t have an inner Shakespeare, a miniature Gauguin, or a tiny Beethoven. Perhaps they have a pet genius for spreadsheets, or an innermost sacred accountant.  Having this model of the creative process, we are disturbed when we sit down to work and find our minuscule demon missing from his station.  Perhaps we have done something to drive him away, and should seek out some kind of artist’s penance?  There is a whole industry of books, support groups, and retreats providing this service.  Perhaps we are not sensitive enough and must “develop” our “creative intuition”?  Most occult and spiritual practices are substitutes for nothing else.  Perhaps we are – horror of horrors – not a “real” artist at all, and should resign ourselves to corporate mediocrity and mindless entertainments?  Whatever it is, we must do something. Clearly something is wrong with us, for the magic gate is closed.

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Having seen some Crowley paintings in person, I must say that digital reproductions don’t do them justice.  While Crowley was not primarily a visual artist, they have a presence that many more technically sophisticated works lack.  These photos, however, are high enough resolution to allow you to see the texture of his brushwork and paint application in some of his works.

http://www.aleistercrowley.com.au/#!1gallery/galleryPage

Crowley’s art is something of an acquired taste.  At first, I found his use of color jarring.  Now I find it evocative and magical.

For me, The Moon (1918) is an old favorite (http://www.lashtal.com/images/metz.jpg), which I was fortunate enough to see when some of his paintings toured Los Angeles, so I’m excited to see that he painted another one in 1921.  Honestly, I can’t decide which I prefer.  I like them both too much.    Idiots on a Mountain, Landscape with Coral and Jade Pagodas, and Sunset on the Sicilian Coast (1920), are entirely new delights.

The painting of four robed figures carrying a black goat up a snowy mountain is still one of my all time favorites. Sadly, this photo is really poor, but you get the idea.  (http://www.lashtal.com/portal/resources/thegalleries/aleister-crowley/art/dscf1830-74.html)

It’s a real shame that many of these wonderful and magical artifacts might disappear into a private collection, never to see the light of day again.   I hope whomever purchases these important pieces of Thelemic and occult history will allow them to circulate through galleries and museums at some point in the future.

Best wishes on this, the birthday of the Unconquered Sun.