EXHIBITION PREVIEW HERE

Brooklyn, New York, June 5 2014 — Stephen Romano Gallery is pleased to announce the second exhibition in its newly formed gallery space at the heart of one of the world's most vibrant cultural communities in DUMBO Brooklyn. The gallery features international emerging and historical artists, as well as self-taught and visionary masters. This exhibition follows Stephen Romano Gallery's favorably received inaugural exhibition, Welcome To The Dreamtime.

The title of the exhibition Mysterium Cosmographicum (The Cosmographic Mystery or alternately translated Cosmic Mystery, The Secret of the World), derives from a book by the German astronomer Johannes Kepler that had been published in the 1590's. As the title suggests, Kepler believed he had revealed God’s geometric plan for the universe and held firm convictions about the connection between the physical and the spiritual: the universe itself was an image of God.

Johannes Kepler lived in a time when people believed that the heavens and cosmos were one and the same, the laws of the universe governed by the divine. However, Newton soon after quantified the cosmos with his laws of planetary motion and, in doing so, stripped the cosmos of their mystery—the domain of transcendental force became measurable. Divine mystery had thitherto played a central role in Kepler’s times as collective belief that was vital to the bonding and survival of a society. Sharing a worldview of the physical world’s governance by higher powers allowed people to identify each other as equally at the mercy of forces out of their control. The shared recognition thus allowed a collective transcendence.

In contemporary times, images may have replaced the belief in the divine cosmos in playing the role of mystification of the world. The central element of such transcendental mystification, however, is the element of spirituality. Devoid of an identifiably collective spiritual or religious belief, it becomes crucial for artists (image-makers), like shamans or other mediators between higher powers and us, to reinsert the mystery in our world. That may be our way to “believing” again in the post-Newton age of information.

The current exhibition presents a selection of works that demonstrate the variety of responses to the notion of the divine cosmos. Included in the list of internationally active artists are Shonagh Adelman (Brooklyn), Steven Baines (Brooklyn), Dan Barry (Austin TX), Jana Brike (Latvia), Paul Campbell (Brooklyn), Judy Chappus (Windosr, Ontario), El Gato Chimney (Italy), Mahwish Chishty (Pakistan/Chicago), Colin Christian (Tampa), Edward Robin Coronel (Austin), Matthew Dutton (Chattanooga TN), Sonya Fu (Hong Kong), James Gallagher (Brooklyn), Limor Gasko (Brooklyn), Teiji Hayama (Switzerland), Alessia Iannetti (Italy), Jumaadi (Australia), Lu Ke (Brooklyn), Pavel Kraus (Brooklyn), Kris Kuksi (Kansas), So Youn Lee (Los Angeles), Joel Lorand (paris), Rene Lynch (Brooklyn), Heiko Müller (Germany), Matt Nolen (Brooklyn), Peca (Barcelona), Eric Richardson (New York), Gromyko Semper (Manila), Masae Shimoichi (Tokyo), and Martin Wittfooth (Brooklyn).

The show also includes cosmographic euphemera from throughout history such as plates from Andreas Cellarius' Harmonia Macrocosmica from 1660 and several works by America's earliest visionary artist Charles Dellschau (1830 - 1923). The exhibition features several vintage astronomical vernacular photographs, space pulp paintings from the 1960's, hand-drawn star maps from 1800's, works by visionary artists William Blayney (1918 - 1985), A. Fiorelo (dates unknown), Romeyn De Hooghe (1645 – 1708), Darcilio Lima (1944 - 1991) and William Mortensen (1897–1965).

--Candy Koh

Press Release PDF

Harmonia Macrocosmica of Andreas Cellarius 1660

"ORBIUM PLANETARUM TERRAM COMPLECTENTIUM SCENOGRAPHIA" - Scenography of the planetary orbits encompassing the Earth.

 

 

 

El Gato Chimney "The Catcher" 2014

 

Charles A.A. Dellschau (1830 - 1923) Plate 4753 Aero SNABEL 1920

 

Pavel Kraus "Offerings" 2009

 

artist Lu Ke and guest in front of her work "The Days to Come" laser cut wood and ink 2014

artists Steven Baines and Limor Gasko with Paul Campbell's "Bumble Ball Cosmos"

Guests enjoy the reception of "Mysterium Cosmographicum" at Stephen Romano Gallery, Brooklyn, June 5th 2014

Artists Lu Ke, James Gallagher and galleriest Stephen Romano

Guests enjoy the reception of "Mysterium Cosmographicum" at Stephen Romano Gallery, Brooklyn, June 5th 2014

 

Guests enjoy the reception of "Mysterium Cosmographicum" at Stephen Romano Gallery, Brooklyn, June 5th 2014

Guests enjoy the reception of "Mysterium Cosmographicum" at Stephen Romano Gallery, Brooklyn, June 5th 2014

Guests enjoy the reception of "Mysterium Cosmographicum" at Stephen Romano Gallery, Brooklyn, June 5th 2014

Guests enjoy the reception of "Mysterium Cosmographicum" at Stephen Romano Gallery, Brooklyn, June 5th 2014

Guests enjoy the reception of "Mysterium Cosmographicum" at Stephen Romano Gallery, Brooklyn, June 5th 2014

Guests enjoy the reception of "Mysterium Cosmographicum" at Stephen Romano Gallery, Brooklyn, June 5th 2014

Guests enjoy the reception of "Mysterium Cosmographicum" at Stephen Romano Gallery, Brooklyn, June 5th 2014

 

 

 

 

 

About Stephen Romano Gallery

Stephen Romano Gallery is a new addition to the DUMBO arts community, having opened its doors in April of 2014. Prior to opening the current gallery, Stephen Romano was a private art dealer for 10 years specializing in masters of self-taught and visionary artists such as Henry Darger, Martin Ramirez, Charles Dellschau, Bill Traylor, Darcilio Lima, and many others.

Stephen Romano has been a participant in many art fairs including PULSE and The Metro Show.

In 2013, Stephen Romano produced a seminal 330-page monograph on Texan visionary artist Charles Dellschau — designed by Marquand Books and distributed by DAP. The book generated several positive reviews from a wide variety of publications such as Bookforum, Raw Vision Magazine, The Atlantic, Slate, Antiques and the arts and Design Observer among many others. With an introduction by Stephen Romano, the book features the final published essay by renowned art writer Thomas McEvilley, as well as contributions from the founder of The Museum of Everything, James Brett, and the curator of Smithsonian Museum of Aerospace, Thomas Croutch. In the same year, Romano also published the first ever post-mortem retrospective catalogue of works by Darcilio Lima and most recently a catalogue of a previously unknown photographic series from 1925 by William Mortensen "A Pictorial Compendium of Witchcraft," with an introduction by A.D. Coleman.

recent press .

For further information and visuals please contact Stephen Romano

646 709 4725 or romanostephen@gmail.com