Two generations of esoteric exploration and material transmutation: The first examination of Beth Ames Swartz and Julianne Swartz’s intergenerational investigation of ethereal systems and the transcendent potential of art, highlighting the alignments within the artistic practices of mother and daughter.

Tender Alchemy demonstrates art’s interconnection with alchemy, spiritualism, physics, animism, and psychology in the intergenerational dialogue between the artistic practices of Beth Ames Swartz and Julianne Swartz. As mother and daughter, the artists maintain distinct aesthetics while sharing an affinity for investigating the ethereal and spiritual potential of art. The essays and illustrations collected underscore art’s interconnection with alchemy, spiritualism, physics, animism, and psychology, and contextualize the contemporary artists within the lineage of art movements such as transcendentalism, phenomenology, and participatory art.