Sex Magic: The Esoteric Erotic Works of Ithell Colquhoun

From about 1939 to 1943 surrealist and occultist Ithell Colquhoun produced a significant number of esoteric erotic works that point to the development of a system of sex magic. It is remarkable in that it is likely the first time that an occult practitioner has left a visual record of theorizing about a sex magic program, and even more remarkable that it was done by a woman, incorporating queer desire and centering women’s sexual pleasure. This explicitly illustrated lecture will explore this body of work, the esoteric principles that shaped it, and consider the current relevance and resurgence of interest in Colquhoun’ work.