The Buckland Museum of Witchcraft and Magick in Cleveland is presenting the dark occult works of Ray Robinson, an artist living in quietude in Nova Scotia, for the first time . The exhibition will open November 17th 2021 and continue through January 15 2022. The exhibition was produced by (me) his longtime apprentice of 40 years, who has not spoken to him since 1992, but has remained in contact by email, and who now lives in Brooklyn.
Not long after my apprenticeships with Ray Robinson began, he began to call me calls me “grasshopper", (a reference to the 1970's TV show "Kung Fu") and I still, in vain, try to snatch the pebble from his hand.
It has been a journey of magic, lucid dreams, and doing my best to be worthy of his teachings. I hope in presenting this exhibition of his captivating works, I have made a small dent in the massive debt I owe Ray Robinson, without whose influence, I would be a thin shadow of the man I am..
In this exhibition of dark paintings produced between 2015 and 2016, the artist confronts his native England's often difficult - and contentious history with witchcraft. Depicted are apparitions, possessions, witch burnings and hangings, sacred stones, and much more..
Ray Robinson was born in the UK in 1931 and began his professional career as a mathematician. In the early 1960's while in his 30's, he sought a significant change of course in his life and was accepted as a student at the prestigious SLADE School of Fine Art in London. There, he befriended and exhibited alongside many of the major British artists such as David Hockney, Frank Auerbach, Henry Moore, and others.
Upon entering the professional world, he was given a teaching post at the Bath Academy of Arts in England. Due to his controversial teaching methods being challenged, and a subsequent rebellion by his faithful students, Ray decided to make a move across the Atlantic, where he eventually ended up as Art Department head at a community college in Sarnia, where we met.. This led to a 40 year relationship of master/student which culminates in this exhibition of captivating and cinematically atmospheric works which tell a true account similar to the famous 1968 Michael Reeves/Vincent Price film "The Witchfinder General".
"The Witch trials in England were conducted from the 15th century until the 18th century. They are estimated to have resulted in the death of between 500 and 1000 people, 90 percent of whom were women. The witch hunt was as its most intense stage during the civil war and the Puritan era of the mid 17th century. -excepted from The Witches' Europe 1400-1700: historical and anthropological studies, 1987
All images used with permission from the artist.
More info: ibit.ly
Ray Robinson “MERRIE ENGLAND 1657” 2015 THE TIME OF THE WITCH FINDER GENERAL - MATTHEW HOPKINS DURING THE COMMONWEALTH 1650’s
Ray Robinson “JANET HORNE 1727” 2015 acrylic on panel.. The depiction of a witch burning.
Ray Robinson “METAMORPHOSIS” 2015 THE SUN BEGAN TO RISE AND SHE TURNED TO STONE
Ray Robinson “THE BEGINNINGS OF RELIGION” 2015 SAMHAIN FIRE IN THE SHADOW OF DOLBADARN CASTLE AFTER THE HANGING OF OUR SISTER IN HER SHORT SHIFT OF INDIGNITY WE BUILT A FIRE ON THE SACRED DAY AND RECLAIMED THE LAND.
Ray Robinson “TWO WITCHES BURNED IN MADISON HEATH, MARCH 22nd” 2015
Ray Robinson “BEGINNINGS OF RELIGION - OGHAM SCRIPT” 2015 THE THE STONE CARRIES THE MESSAGE INTO THE FUTURE. OGHAM SCRIPT WAS JUST SHORT LINES CUT INTO THE CORNERS OF THE STANDING STONE..... BUT IT DID OFR THE FIRST TIME GIVE A MEANS OF PASSING ON RITUAL
Ray Robinson “THE BIRTH OF A WITCH” 2016 “SHE LIVED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WELL OF THE NIGHT. THEN, MOVING, AS ALL THINGS MOVE BY CHANCE, THE LIGHT TOUCHED HER. NOW, THROWING OFF HER CLOAK OF DARKNESS AND MOON CLAD SHE BEGAN TO MOVE”
Ray Robinson “BEGINNINGS OF RELIGION - SCARED SPACES SACRED PLACES” 2015 THE STONES MARKED THE SACRED SPACE.......LAND SEA AND AIR
Ray Robinson “BELTANE - NOW IT BEGINS” 2015 THE RITUAL OF BETANE, LIKE ALL OTHER RITUALS BEGINS WHEN THREE STARS ARE IN THE SKY
Ray Robinson “CHOOSE - LEFT OR RIGHT?” 2015
Ray Robinson “MOTHER AND CHILD COME TO THE SABAT FOR BAPTISM” 2015
Ray Robinson “THE DAY THE WITCH LYN BURCHETT WAS GIVEN SHORT SHIFT AND HANGED. HER BODY BURNED IN THE GROUNDS OF DOLBADAM CASTLE” 2015
Ray Robinson “SLEEP OF REASON, JULY 1692” 2015
Ray Robinson “THE BEGINNINGS OF RELIGION - THE SCYRING POOL” 2015
Ray Robinson “WHEN WITCHES BURN AND DEMONS RISE” 2015
Ray Robinson “VISION AFTER THE SERMON - THE GIFT” 2015 THE GIFT OF PROPHECY THE WITCH SEES HERSELF BURNING IN THE BELLY OF DARKNESS
Ray Robinson “THE CALL” 2015 WHERE ARE YOU GOING........WHEN ALL PATHS LEAD TO ME?
Ray Robinson “JANET LEAFLEY AND HER DOG ‘TIBBINS’ EXECUTED ON THE SAME DAY (DOG WAS SOWN MERCY AND STRANGLED BEFORE BEING BURNED)” 2015
