Sci-Fi, Magick, Queer L.A.: Sexual Science and the Imagi-nation

Author: Kelly Filreis, Alexis Bard Johnson, Bethany Montagano, Ben Miller, Joan Lubin, Joseph Hawkins, Judith Noble and Susan Aberth

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Considering the overlooked importance of science-fiction fandom and the occult to queer history in the USScience fiction and occult communities helped pave the way for the LGBTQ+ movement by providing a place for individuals to meet, imagine and create a life less restricted by societal norms. Focusing on Los Angeles from the late 1930s through the 1960s, this catalog follows the lives of artists, writers, publishers, early sci-fi enthusiasts and progressive communities such as the L.A. Science Fantasy Society (LASFS), the Ordo Templi Orientis at the Agape Lodge (O.T.O.) and ONE, Inc. Spanning sci-fi fandom, aerospace research, queer history and the occult, Sci-fi, Magick, Queer L.A.: Sexual Science and the Imagi-Nation reveals how artists, scientists and visionary thinkers such as Kenneth Anger, Lisa Ben, Margaret Brundage, Morris Scott Dollens, Renate Druks, Curtis Harrington and Jim Kepner worked together to envision and create a world of their own making through films, photographs, music, illustrations, costumes and writing.Featuring seven original essays on topics drawn from its accompanying PST ART exhibition, authors Joseph Hawkins, Joan Lubin, Alexis Bard Johnson, Ben Miller, Judith Noble, Kelly Filreis and Susan Aberth illuminate this unique historical moment alongside a generous selection of illustrations from salacious pulps, ritual paintings and archival materials. It will appeal to amateurs and enthusiasts alike, introducing rarely discussed artists such as Morris Scott Dollens, Renate Druks and Wallace Smith. Widely known figures including Cameron, Lisa Ben and Kenneth Anger are also given renewed consideration within these new contexts.

Critic Reviews

Wrapped in luxe maroon cloth and stamped golden cover art, 'Sci-fi, Magick, Queer LA: Sexual Science and the Imagi-Nation' as an object is as sumptuous and sensual as its contents. -- Jasmine Weber Hyperallergic
[This] visually enthralling show lays bare the links between science fiction and the occult, realms where being begins from a place of transgression. -- Natalie Haddad Hyperallergic
The show explores how the occult, queer, and science fiction scenes mixed, mingled, and shaped visual culture in the metropolis between the 1930s and ’60s. -- Min Chen Artnet
Bringing together elements of homophile culture, niche spiritualities and Space Age futurism, [this local underground] generated a 'secret society' vibe that offered a sense of safety for certain societal nonconformists in a repressive time, and paved the way for the liberation movements, gay and otherwise, of the 1960s. -- Holland Cutter The New York Times: Critic's Notebook
Sumptuously designed. -- Jonathan Griffin Frieze