Czanara’s Hermaphrodite Angel
More obscure art, only now we’re talking really obscure. This remarkable picture, The Hermaphrodite-Angel of Peladan by Czanara, turned up in the archives of Russ Kick’s seemingly abandoned Rare Erotica blog. “Czanara” was one Raymond Carrance (1921–?), a gay artist who I haven’t come across before and who seems to be completely absent not only from my library, but from most of the web. A great shame, if there’s more of his work like this I want to see it.
The “Peladan” of the title might be a reference to Sâr Péladan, founder of the Catholic Order of the Rose and the Cross in fin de siècle Paris, and guru to a number of significant Symbolist painters, including the brilliant Jean Delville. Hermaphroditism and androgyny were important themes for Péladan who declared, in an outburst typical of the period, “the androgyne, is the plastic ideal!” Czanara’s picture is certainly Symbolist in its details—those multiplied wings and hippogriffs—even if its intent is most likely a result of mundane pornographic imperatives.
Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The gay artists archive
• The fantastic art archive
Previously on { feuilleton }
• Angels 4: Fallen angels
5 comments or trackbacks
#1 posted by Callum James
Mar 13th, 2007
http://www.elysiumpress.com/
see towards the bottom of the page for their announcement of a forthcoming book…! Cheers, Callum.
#2 posted by John
Mar 13th, 2007
Thanks for the tip, Callum! Will definitely order a copy of that.
#3 posted by David Deiss
Aug 25th, 2007
There is a forthcoming edition of Czanara’s photographs and artworks that will be available in early October (2007) published by Sam Shahid’s Antinous Press and distributed by Powerhouse. It’s a very beautiful book.
#4 posted by John
Aug 25th, 2007
Thanks David, I spotted that earlier after an Amazon search. Is this the same title announced on your site (which Callum refers to above)?
#5 posted by czanara
Sep 24th, 2007
hi my names czanara tamplin I was just looking up my name and I came acrssos this page im only 15 but this is cool!!!!
Leave a comment for ‘Czanara’s Hermaphrodite Angel’