Magic
“Magic Slit “2” bt Bryant Rousseau (acrylic paint and thaumaturgy on 11” x 14” canvas); $166.66. The copyright symbol is a digital watermark only; it does NOT appear on the actual artwork.
Does the artist really believe in magic? Maybe. But he’s sure of art’s power to transform lives. And grant the occasional wish.
“Magic Slit #1” by Bryant Rousseau (acrylic paint and thaumaturgy on 11” x 14” canvas); $166.66. The copyright symbol is a digital watermark only; it does NOT appear on the actual artwork.
Of the origins of his “Magic Slits” painting series, Rousseau writes:
“In search of high-quality but inexpensive paper and canvas for my paintings, I ventured into a curios shop hidden away in the Lower East Side. The shopkeeper, a wizened Warholian warlock, said that if I would instead pay double the list price for some pre-colored canvas and paper that he’d kept sequestered away for a century, I’d be enchanted by something truly special. Intrigued, I agreed. He told me that to discover the wonder, I’d have to be sharp. And dig deep. Act all cutting-edge.”
“Magic Slit #14” by Bryant Rousseau (acrylic paint and thaumaturgy on 111 x 8.5” heavy paper); $166.66. The copyright symbol is a digital watermark only; it does NOT appear on the actual artwork.
“Back in my studio, I tried for weeks, then months, to unlock the secret, to no avail. Frustrated, I one day muttered a complex imprecation, furiously gashed the paper with a box cutter… and Lo! Out gurgled a color unlike any I’d ever seen, which spread whither it wanted across the surface, creating runic forms. The shop has since disappeared (the street, too!), and my supply of these ensorcelled surfaces, alas, is now running low. So I’m glad the ritual works almost every time: a foul-mouthed mantra, a slash and then behold: a magic slit from which miraculous hues ooze.”
“Votive Void: A Wishing Well (No. 5)” by Bryant Rousseau (acrylic and ink on 11” x 14” signed canvas; shamanistic ritual; video); $188.88. The copyright symbols are digital watermarks only; they do NOY appear on the actual artwork.
But the magic hardly ends there.
In the series “Votive Void: A Wishing Well,” paintings of hallowed holes are embedded with the force to fulfill one wish as requested by the painting’s purchaser. Each painting is also accompanied by a unique video showing the ritual performed to empower the artwork.
“Votive Void: A Wishing Well (No. 44)” by Bryant Rousseau (acrylic and ink on 11” x 14” signed canvas; shamanistic ritual; video); $188.88. The copyright symbols are digital watermarks only; they do NOY appear on the actual artwork.
And, Abracadabra, there’s more magic:
In the “Shaman Shapes” series, each odd ink drawing comes with the power to grant one special, but very specific wish. Sorry, the wish is non-negotiable.
“Shaman Shape #2” by Bryant Rousseau (ink on 4” x 6” paper); $129.99