Tag Archives: iconography

The Visual History Of Tarot Cards

September 28, 2026 The Silo Leave a comment

Conventional, creative, and centering uses of the cards to help you get inspired and come home to yourself.

Tarot imagery has inspired artists for centuries and continues to do so today. The iconography, the storytelling element, and, of course, the mystery of the unknown have a huge pull for any creative.

I personally came to this field later in life, or you could say that it found me.

As a kid, I wasn’t allowed to dabble in such tools. Growing up in the church, these kinds of practices were considered ungodly, and I ended up with a complicated relationship to magic, metaphysical, and occult items, even in a strictly artistic sense. On one hand,, they fascinated me and drew me in; on the other, they felt wrong and uncomfortable due to past programming. As I explored the cards more, they showed me a few interesting paths that surprised me, inspired me, and helped me see them in a whole new way.

I ordered a deck during COVID, when many of us were naturally drawn to healing tools and modalities. To be honest, the cards felt intimidating and even scary, especially when confronting some of the more intense ones like the Tower, Death, the Devil, and others. I set it aside, unsure of how to engage.

A few years later an amazing author and fellow Substacker, Chelsey 🔮 Tarot for Creativity, found me through our commn publisher Chronicle Books. I recorded an episode about her book Tarot for Creativity, and her framework for journaling and self-reflection rather than divination took me in a new direction that was gentle, curious, and non-condemning. I still use her brilliant book today, and it opened doors to even more resources and creatives that inspire me.

Chelsey Pippin (Mizzi)

My friend Sarah Potter Sarah Potter , a celebrity tarot reader, changed my life. Her book Sober Magic uses the tarot journey combined with the 12 steps to help individuals (myself included) move away from drinking and into more presence, self-awareness, and healing. Thanks to Sarah and her tarot guidance, it has been 10 months since I had my last drink.

In terms of navigating the scary cards, I have to shout out Tarot for the Wild Soul Lindsay Mack. The “bad cards” no longer intimidate me, and I found compassion, curiosity, and a deeper, less obvious meaning when interacting with certain images and messages. There are no doubt millions of amazing creators, experts, and readers who can guide you on how to use this tool, but I appreciate pracitioners who bring a gentle, trauma-informed angle.

Tarot for the Wild Soul

Today I want to share a snippet of visual art history of this practice based on a beautiful exhibition I visited at the Morgan Library.

Artist and Writer Ekaterina Popova at the Morgan Library

Morgan Library

Pamela Colman Smith (1878–1951) and Arthur Edward Waite (1857–1942). The Fool, from the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot (Deck “C”). London: William Rider & Son, ca. 1921–31 (first published in 1909). Chromolithograph. New York, The Morgan Library & Museum, PML 199373.

The show consists of two parts. The first explores the origins of tarot in Renaissance Italy, and the second its contemporary interpretations by artists of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Among these creators are familiar names like Pamela Colman Smith (1878 to 1951), Leonora Carrington, and Chris Ofili.

According to the museum, “Created as a courtly game of skill, tarot was not associated with occult secrets, divination, or the power of fate until centuries later. By the twentieth century, the cards came to serve as a source of inspiration for artists, offering an alternative to the strictures of modernist aesthetics and allowing them to explore other universes and imaginative possibilities.”

As I got more interested in the world of Tarot, I started to notice the influence of the cards on artists. At a surrealism exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the gift shop featured a deck by Dalí. And it wasn’t until I visited a Leonora Carrington exhibition at L Space in NYC earlier this year that I realized the artist herself had made a stunning deck.

Remedios Varo, Leonora’s best friend, is featured at the Morgan Library as well.

The inspiration for this exhibition was the Morgan’s Visconti-Sforza Tarot cards, the most famous deck to survive from the Renaissance.

Below, I am sharing a few of my favorites from the show.

I am curious. Do you use Tarot in your creative practice? If so, how?

Bonifacio Bembo, Death from the ViscontiSforza Tarot Cards. Italy, Milan or Cremona, ca. 1456-58. The Morgan Library & Museum

Chris Ofili (b. 1968). Midnight Conjurer, 2026. Ink, watercolor, staples, and paper collage on paper © Chris Ofili. Courtesy the artist and David Zwirner.

Leonora Carrington at the Morgan Library

For The Silo, Create! Magazine and Ekaterina Popova.

Art

Radiant Geometries Exhibition: Vectors of Knowledge from Indigenous Americas

July 2, 2026 The Silo Leave a comment

For The Silo, Erin Rolfs.

Featured image– ORE-GIRON_Talking Shit with Macha’acuay, the Serpent of the Milky Way_2025_credit-Charles White

Art

War Rugs Are The Bomb

November 16, 2024 The Silo Leave a comment

Another fab article from our friends at Kommandostore. Rugmaking has been such a long-standing tradition that historians typically say, “thousands of years”. In other words, it predates the British Monarchy, Roman Empire, and hell, even the Persian Empire’s conquest of Afghanistan. Unfortunately for just as long, the surprising beauty of her landscapes has been blood-stained. For example, many have attempted to invade Afghanistan, and many have died trying.

From ancient Alexander the Great’s conquests to the United States “Operation Enduring Freedom” there sure have been a lot of wars, and a lot of rugs. But what began during Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the USSR’s twilight years was quite odd indeed. Propaganda rugs with anti-soviet figures like Ahmad Massoud* begun to circulate, and with the soviet occupiers taking great interest in these rugs as bring-back mementos, they got a taste of capitalism.*This guy’s story is a great subject for an email or video on it’s own, let us know if you’d like to see something like that.

Massoud seen wearing his iconic combo of a Pakol cap, white checkered “shemagh” scarf and military-style jacket. On the right is one of the war rugs that depicts him — definitely one of our favorite designs we’ve been able to source.

In response to the newfound demand, artisans begun to introduce common sights of the battlefield onto their rugs: Kalashnikovs, Helicopters, BTRs & BRDM-2s, and of course plenty of tanks. The soviet soldiers, naturally as young lads, couldn’t get enough of it. I mean, come on, who wouldn’t want a beautifully made rug with a tank on it? And so even through Russia’s Irish exit from Afghanistan, patterns were passed down and a whole new style was born: The War Rug.

A common misconception about the rugs that we’ve seen is that there’s any form of malice whatsoever from the rug-makers in making these. This is obviously & completely false. And we say that because once the American occupation began, rugs depicting the World Trade Center being hit by the highjacked airplanes began to circulate despite most Afghan people not even knowing what the event or it’s ramifications meant. You guys have certainly spoken the loud part quietly because the 9/11 rugs are our best sellers. We’re just listening to demand, don’t blame us. Skillfully as they do, the rugmakers themselves often have no idea what they’re weaving, they just follow the popular patterns circulating bazaars and embellish with whatever colors, extra elements, and often hilarious mis-woven English words they want.

Other common (and less controversial) sights include the Opium poppy, American operations like the battle of Tora Bora, and now even the war in Ukraine. What began as a memento and accidentally controversial form of art has truly blossomed into a celebrated slice of Afghanistan’s culture since the 80s. And luckily, even with increasing popularity, all the rugs are still handmade the way they should be. It’s probably hard to shake a tradition that predates your Grandma’s Grandma’s Grandma’s Grandma’s Grandma’s history book entries after all.

Browse The Library 📚 and pick out your awesomeness via our friends at Kommando.

Vintage

Warhol, Lichtenstein Art Auction look back

January 11, 2021 The Silo Leave a comment

Almost one decade ago: Andy Warhol’s “Endangered Species and Ads” prints bring a combined $677,000 USD alone at this notable Modern and Contemporary Art event.

Two complete portfolios by Andy Warhol, Endangered Species, 1983 and Ads, 1985, sold for $338,500 USD each to far exceed their estimates among a field of fresh-to-market iconic works during Heritage Auctions’ $2.9 million USD Modern and Contemporary Art Signature® Auction, May 22 in Dallas.

The auction sold 90% by value and 78% by lot.

Close up of one of the ten screenprints up for auction by ANDY WARHOL (American, 1928-1987)
Ads, 1985
Portfolio of ten screenprints on Lenox Museum Board
38 x 38 inches (96.5 x 96.5 cm)
Ed. 50/190
Each signed and numbered in pencil
Printed by Rupert Jasen Smith, New York
Published by Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, Inc., New York
PROVENANCE:
Private collection, Texas
LITERATURE:
Feldman & Schellmann, II.350-359
Warhol, Andy:. American painter, photographer, filmaker and publisher, 1928-1987

ANDY WARHOL (American, 1928-1987)

Ads, 1985

Portfolio of ten screenprints on Lenox Museum Board

38 x 38 inches (96.5 x 96.5 cm)

Ed. 50/190

Each signed and numbered in pencil

Printed by Rupert Jasen Smith, New York

Published by Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, Inc., New York

PROVENANCE:

Private collection, Texas

LITERATURE:

Feldman & Schellmann, II.350-359

Warhol, Andy: American painter, photographer, filmaker and publisher, 1928-1987

Condition Report*:

With original Ronald Feldman Fine Arts, Inc. cardboard portfolio box and index print. All screenprints unframed and in good condition with specifics listed below. Mobil: Minor rubbing 3/8″ in due to former frame. A few incidental surface scratches and rubs. One 5/8″ abrasion, resulting in very minor loss. Paramount: Minor rubbing 3/8′ to 1/2″ due to former frame. Very minor bumping to bottom right corner. Chanel: 1/2″ to 1″ light rubbing due to former frame. Slate purple backgrund has hazy toning, beginning about 1/4″ in. Apple: Very minor incidental rubbing to edge. Rebel Without A Cause (James Dean); Van Heusen (Ronald Reagan); Blackglama (Judy Garland): All have only very minor edgewear. Volkswagen; Life Savers: Very minor surface rubbing and edgewear. Donald Duck: Very minor edgewear. Top corners have minor wear. Light handling creases. Some wrinkling and an indentation at end of signature. Left side center shows some moderate wrinkling and creases with some minor loss, beginning at 11″ from the bottom up to 24″, and affecting 3″ into the work. The face and body of Donald Duck is affected somewhat, as well as the background near edge. Light wear in top left corner and a small abrasion on middle right side. Unframed

Two works by Ed Ruscha responded well among buyers as his gunpowder on paper titled Rustic Pines, 1967, realized $290,500 USD and a color screenprint, Double Standard, 1969, sold for $182,500 USD , setting a record for the work. Mel Ramos’ Georgia Peach, 1964, fresh from a Texas collection, sold for $158,500 USD.

“The market for good contemporary art doesn’t seem to have hit any ceiling,” said Frank Hettig, Director of Modern and Contemporary Art at Heritage. “Our focus is presenting fantastic, fresh-to-market discoveries and bidders certainly responded in kind. It gives us high expectations for our November 2 Modern and Contemporary auction in Dallas.”

Among the modern masterpieces in the auction, the magnificent, 7-foot Cobalt Chandelier, 2003, by Dale Chihuly reached $158,500 USD. It is the largest Chihuly chandelier to appear on the secondary market and was offered through a federal court-appointed receivership overseeing the sale of assets previously owned by R. Allen Stanford of Stanford Financial Group.

Forms in Space by Lichtenstein earned $53,125.

Roy Lichtenstein’s Forms in Space, 1985, a screenprint published by the artist for the Institute of Contemporary Art’s Rally round the Flag benefit, achieved $53,125 USD and Georges Rouault’s Chemineau, 1937, realized $40,625 USD.

Here’s a look at what some Lichtenstein’s other pieces sold for.

Sculptural art performed well as Étienne Hajdu’s La Mer, 1964, sold for $35,000 USD and Pablo Picasso’s Vase deux anses hautes, 1953, sold for $30,000 USD while Robert Graham’s Frieze Figure I-G, 1989/1990, brought $21,250 USD.

So what is that Volkswagen Warhol worth today in 2021? It’s hard to pen the value but in Spring 2019 one single print ad brought 30,000 UK Pounds ( 52,000 $ CAD) in a Christie’s auction.

ROY LICHTENSTEIN (American, 1923-1997)

Forms in Space, 1985

Screenprint in colors on Rives BFK paper

31 x 47-1/2 inches (78.7 x 120.7 cm)

Ed. 35/125

Signed, dated and numbered in pencil

LITERATURE:

Corlett, 217

NOTE:

Published by the artist for the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

Forms in Space has been created especially in honor of ICA’s benefit, Rally round the Flag (label on frame verso) .

Lichtenstein, Roy:. American painter, printmaker; born 1923 in New York City, died 1997 in New York City

Condition Report*:

Sheet: 35.75 x 51.5 A crease in upper center at extreme sheet edge; small pressure mark at lower right corner; lower right corner lightly bumped; paper lightly undulates; framed. Framed Dimensions 36.25 X 52.5 Inches

Supplemental- Apple logo designer dishes on history http://www.macworld.com/article/1142322/logo_design.html

Conventional, creative, and centering uses of the cards to help you get inspired and come home to yourself.

I personally came to this field later in life, or you could say that it found me.

Remedios Varo, Leonora’s best friend, is featured at the Morgan Library as well.

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