Art, feminism, magic: an interview with Penny Slinger (part one)

[Interview by journalist ZB, special to The Wild Hunt]
Penny Slinger, born Penelope Slinger, is a British born, multi-media artist known best for her esoteric, surrealist, provocative photographic collage work focusing on spiritual alchemy, the sacred feminine, and female psyche. She earned her 1st Class Honors degree in 1969 from the Chelsea College of the Arts in London, with her thesis on surrealist Max Ernst. Her art is considered revolutionary for its time, using herself as her own muse and subject. Her esoteric subject matter ranging from spiritual alchemy, sexual mysticism, Jungian archetypes, and tantra. It was through her studies in surrealism that she met art historian Sir Roland Penrose, who curated the London International Surrealists Exhibition in 1936. Penrose arranged to have Slinger’s student artwork shown at the ICA and personally introduced her to some of the original surrealists.