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AD | MIND/WAVE #9
“The Occult, The Esoteric, and Hypnagogia” w/ Mitch Horowitz x Jesse Draxler”


Mitch Horowitz is a historian of alternative spirituality and one of today’s most literate voices of esoterica, mysticism, and the occult. He is among the few occult writers whose work touches the bases of academic scholarship, national journalism, and subculture cred. Mitch is a writer-in-residence at the New York Public Library, lecturer-in-residence at the Philosophical Research Society in Los Angeles, and a PEN Award-winning historian whose books include Occult America; One Simple Idea: How Positive Thinking Reshaped Modern Life; and The Miracle Club.
The Washington Post says Mitch “treats esoteric ideas and movements with an even-handed intellectual studiousness that is too often lost in today’s raised-voice discussions.”

He has discussed alternative spirituality across the national media and is collaborating with Emmy-nominated director Ronni Thomas on a feature documentary about the occult classic The Kybalion, shot on location in Egypt. Mitch received the Walden Award for Interfaith/Intercultural Understanding. The Chinese government has censored his work.

Photo by Yoshino

Jesse Draxler was born in rural Wisconsin, studied in Minneapolis, MN, and currently lives and works in Los Angeles, CA. A formal mixed media & inter-disciplinary artist, Draxler has exhibited extensively both domestically and internationally.

Draxler collaborates with brands including Hugo Boss, McQ Alexander McQueen, and Ferrari, with original artwork appearing in Elle, The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Atlantic, among other publications.

Show Notes:
  • 00:04:27 - Jan’s experience being a part of a family of artists
  • 00:10:48 - Jan’s journey towards artistry
  • 00:17:12 - Great ideas finding us
  • 00:20:15 - Results-oriented thinking, taking you away from the process
  • 00:22:23 - Intuition and spirituality
  • 00:26:34 - The elements and materials that guide Jan’s art practice
  • 00:31:27 - Jan's focus on narrative artwork
  • 00:39:15 - The inspiration behind Jan’s exhibit “Americans Interned”
  • 00:58:56 - The power of cultural art
  • 01:03:27 - Wrap Up

Mitch’s Instagram
Mitch’s Website
“The Miracle Habits”

Posted 6.14.2021


About

"I started this series as a means for exploration, an exploration of self, and an exploration of the perspectives of other artists.

This series is an unabridged documentation of conversations between artists. It’s a series dedicated to breaking down the barriers we tend to set up in our own minds. I want to inspire future creatives to have the courage to explore and experiment. This is about making dreams a reality and not about letting our dreams fall to the wayside.

My intention is to give my audience a sense of real human connection, something that feels rich and organic.

When I was thinking of a title I thought of the word “movement”.

In relation to the Renaissance period in art, my goal for this program is to signify a rebirth of consciousness towards the way we look at contemporary art."

- Yoshino
Contact

info@artistdecoded.com