VOMIT OF THE GREEN BICORPORATE

LION:

Alchemy
AND THE VISUAL ARTS

James Elkins

Revised 1997

Scope & purpose of the course

We will explore the parallels between alchemy and visual art, in at least four areas: (1)
the history of alchemical illustrations, and their parallels in modern painting; (2) the theory
of alchemical metamorphosis, and its correspondence to artistic creation; (3) the practice of
alchemy, and its similarities to the manipulation of materials in various visual arts; and (4)
the history of artists interested in alchemy. The class will be encouraged to explore further
parallels as we go.

Requirements

The course requires either a studio project or a research paper. In either case, you need
to meet with me to discuss your work.

There are three books for this course. Two are xerox books, and the third is my What
Painting Is. You can get What Painting Is at amazon.com. The course notes are also
available on request, including recipes.

Concerning this schedule

The lectures listed here are tentative. Half the class will be held in the chemistry
laboratory, and we will arrange the lectures so that the lab can be used whenever it is free
and the experiments are ready. The class can also vote on which topics should be covered.

1
INTRODUCTION
The structure and purpose of the course.—Requirements.—The history of
alchemy.
Introduction to the literature.—The problem with Jung’s interpretation.
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2
TH E U NDERLYING QUESTION OF REASON
Why rationality is the fundamental issue, of which alchemy is a special
case.—The difference between nonsense, madness, delirium, and
rationality.—The fear of reason and its opposite.
Some comments on Aristotelian logic.—Debunking science.—Count
Korzybski’s general theory of sanity.—Wilhelm Reich.—Fort.

3
T H E A B C ’S O F A L C H E M Y
The metals, planets, and processes.—The Great Work.—Hermes, the
hermaphroditic psychopomp.

4
PSYCHOSIS
Demented elements inalchemy.
Incest.—Monstrosity.—Violence.—Oedipus as a hero.—Vomiting.

5
ARTISTS WHO ARE ALCHEMISTS
An historical survey: Bosch, Dürer, Parmigianino, Duchamp, Pollock,
Gottlieb, Bess, etc.—Why alchemical symbolism is a trivialization
of alchemy.

6
A LCHEMICAL T H I N K I N G I N CONTEMPORARY
ART
The deeper connections in process and method.—Survey of alchemical
“mandalas.”

7
B A S I L V A L E N T I N E’ S T w e l v e K e y s
AND The Triumphal Chariot o f Antimony

A close reading of a fifteenth-century Benedictine monk’s treatises on

alchemy.

8
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T R I S M O S I N’S S p l e n d o r s o l i s
A sixteenth-century illuminated manuscript.

9
MI C H A E L ME I E R’ S A t a l a n t a f u g i e n s ,
PART ON E
A seventeenth-century alchemical emblem book.

10
MI C H A E L ME I E R’ S A t a l a n t a f u g i e n s ,
PART TWO
The class will study Maier’s alchemical canons and listen to singers perform
them. (Singing is optional.)

11
JU N G ’ S T H E O R Y O F A L C H E M Y, P A R T O N E
Elements of the Jungian interpretation.— “Miss X and her Mandalas.”

12
JU N G ’ S T H E O R Y O F A L C H E M Y, P A R T T W O
A close reading of portions of Psychology and Alchemy.

13
CO N T E M P O R A R Y A L C H E M I S T S:
CO U N T BALTHASAR KLOSSOWSKI DE ROLA
Depending in class interests, we may also read works by Frater Albertus,
Richard Grossinger, and others.