PENNY SLINGER. EXORCISM: INSIDE OUT

“We have many works that follow The Hero’s Journey, but how many that track that of the Heroine? This journey of the embodied soul is not sexist; we all, male and female alike, need to discover who we are. It is like a detective story, in which we, both protagonists and victims, must follow the clues and unravel the plot. This psychological processing is something that I have not seen tackled in any other artwork like I have in ‘An Exorcism’.

This is not a work that exists within a time capsule – it’s a subject that is timeless and universal. It is a blueprint for transformation and sets signposts in the sand for others who wish to know themselves.”

Penny Slinger, 2024

The provocative practice of artist Penny Slinger (b. 1947, London) encompasses photography, collage, film, and sculpture. Active since the late 1960s, Slinger emerged during a time of intense political protest, social change, and sexual liberation. Graduating from the Chelsea School of Art in 1969, she developed a visual language she termed ‘feminist surrealism’, influenced by her study of European Surrealism, her friendship with Roland Penrose, and her association with Max Ernst. Slinger’s work quickly delved into the feminine subconscious and psyche, using her own body to explore the relationship between sexuality, mysticism, and femininity.

Richard Saltoun Gallery presents Exorcism: Inside Out, a solo exhibition by this pioneering LA-based feminist surrealist. The exhibition features original photo-collage, print, and video work and coincides with the publication of Slinger’s iconic book, An Exorcism: A Photo Romance (Fulgur Press, 21 June 2024). After the original An Exorcism was published in 1977, the artist created an extended version. However, it was withheld from publication in the UK after her other collage book, Mountain Ecstasy (Dragon’s Dream, March 1978, Holland), was seized and burned by British customs for being deemed pornographic.

After nearly 50 years, Slinger’s groundbreaking project is finally revealed to audiences in the UK and beyond. To mark this extraordinary moment, Exorcism: Inside Out is one of the most ambitious exhibitions ever realized at Richard Saltoun Gallery. Inspired by the artist’s project for Dior’s haute couture fashion show in Paris in 2019, the exhibition is designed as an immersive audio-visual environment. The entire gallery is enveloped in images from the original An Exorcism, mirroring the surreal, decaying grandeur of the mansion and immersing viewers in Slinger’s multifaceted exploration of desire, identity, and the subconscious.

Penny Slinger began her career as one of the few celebrated women artists in the late 1960s’ «Swinging London.» She focused her college thesis on Max Ernst and found her primary artistic influence in Surrealism. Best known for her photo-collages, Slinger’s work foregrounds the female body and sexuality in a radical and unapologetic manner, aiming, in her own words, «to bring the inside out and the outside in» and to create «a new language for the feminine psyche to express itself.»

Often hailed as her magnum opus, An Exorcism is a collection of erotic collages set against the backdrop of the empty mansion belonging to her then-partner, Peter Whitehead. Described by Slinger as a «surreal romance in photo collage,» this work represents the «deepest excavations» she has done as an artist, begun in 1969 and completed over approximately seven years.

The narrative unfolds through biographical chapters, tracing a young woman’s journey toward self-actualization. It moves from oppressive spaces dominated by phallocentric symbolism, as in works like He Crows, He Crows, He Crows, where an oversized cock’s head emerges from a corner, and Tribunal, depicting a naked female figure exposed before an all-male jury, to a reality where the protagonist finally embraces her feminine power. This is evoked in works like A Rose by Any Other Name, where a bright red, gigantic rose spreads its petals between a woman’s naked thighs, and Through the Glass, a tender communion of entangled women.

Through a blend of personal embodiment and imaginative transgression, Slinger integrates her own body into archetypal landscapes, engaging in a cultural exorcism that explores themes of fetishism and sexploitation from a feminist perspective. This autofictional journey is staged within the Gothic ambiance of Lilford Hall, merging the evocative allure of British neo-Romantic painting with the ominousness of horror cinema.

From the original An Exorcism, Slinger created an extended version of the book, complete with her writings and a film script, which remain unpublished. The exhibition at Richard Saltoun Gallery presents a selection of Slinger’s original collages from An Exorcism alongside her recent animated film An Exorcism – The Works (2019), which is shown for the first time in the UK and reflects Slinger’s original, cinematic approach to the project.

Exorcism: Inside Out invites visitors to «walk into the Mansion of Dreams and feel themselves part of it, from the inside out».

PENNY SLINGER. EXORCISM: INSIDE OUT

Richard Saltoun Gallery, 41 Dover St, London

3 July—7 September 2024