Some Secrets by Michael Pearce
The Philosophical Research Society Auditorium
3910 Los Feliz Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90027
Opening Reception: Friday, February 10, 2023, 5:30-7:30pm
RSVP
Free and Open to the Public
Special Lecture Following Reception:
“The Esoteric Art of John Augustus Knapp”
Friday, February 10, 2023, 7:00-9:00pm
RSVP
In-Person and Zoom Attendance Available
Free and Open to the Public
Regular Exhibit Hours: Tuesday-Friday 12:00-6:00pm, and by appointment (info@prs.org)
LOS ANGELES – The Philosophical Research Society (PRS) is pleased to present a solo exhibition of paintings by artist and art critic, Michael Pearce. Some Secrets features large-scale paintings inspired by Pearce’s enduring interest in the iconography of the tarot and alchemical transformations of tarot’s personified imagery across time, from ancient symbols and medieval emblems through present-day icons, fashions, and technologies. As arts and culture writer, Penny Snyder writes:
“Often set in mythic landscapes of craggy mountaintops or impassable bodies of water, Pearce’s works tie together an incredibly rich group of symbols and stories in an exploration of the universal truths of human existence. Pearce engages wholeheartedly with contemporary themes, drawing from a well of pop culture— figures wear jeans and T-shirts and play on their cellphones, characters inspired by David Bowie and Marilyn Manson make appearances and Harry Potter even figures into the mix.”
Some Secrets is a special exhibit in PRS’ ongoing February 2023 art and events series, Celebrating Tarot.
Special Lecture Following Exhibit Opening Reception: Immediately following the exhibit’s opening reception, guests are invited to attend The Esoteric Art of John Augustus Knapp, a special lecture by Pearce exploring the life and career of the famed illustrator of Manly Palmer Hall’s The Secret Teachings of All Ages and the Knapp-Hall Tarot Deck.
Knapp’s breathtaking illustrations for The Secret Teachings – gorgeous visions of Atlantean temples, Delphic oracles and Mithraic gods, swirling with color and arcane symbols – are among the most admired works in esoteric art in the 20th century. Similarly, his designs for the Knapp-Hall Tarot have become classics in the field for their medieval-inspired simplicity and beauty.
Michael Pearce is a dynamic writer, exhibit curator, and art critic. He is an active and enthusiastic participant in the conversation about 21st century art and its roots, especially contemporary imaginative realism. He has published dozens of articles about art and artists, as well as a book about art and neuroscience titled Art in the Age of Emergence. He is a champion of art that emerges from popular culture and shapes the spirit of the age. His book, Kitsch, Propaganda and the American Avant-garde – a story of the invention of the American avant-garde – will be published later this year. He is Professor of Art at California Lutheran University.
The Philosophical Research Society is a Los Angeles-based, nonprofit institution founded in 1934 by scholar and prolific author Manly Palmer Hall as a repository of multicultural wisdom sources and a center of learning. With a campus designed by architect Robert Stacy-Judd and later designated a historical-cultural site by the city of Los Angeles, PRS is “dedicated to the ensoulment of all arts, sciences, and crafts.”
3910 Los Feliz Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
323-663-2167
Parking is available in both front lot (entry from Los Feliz Blvd. when heading east) and back lot (entry from first alley way, off Griffith Park Blvd. from intersection with Los Feliz Blvd.), as well as ample street parking on Griffith Park Blvd.
Please email events@prs.org or phone 323-663-2167 with any questions.
