Collectors of the work of early 20th-century English artist and occultist Austin Osman Spare have, up until now, been of a type. Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin has a notable number of paintings, as did the late Genesis P-Orridge – founder of industrial sound provocateurs Throbbing Gristle. In his memoir, Orridge describes an acquaintance shaking and shouting: “Those paintings, cover them, they’re alive!” One particular work, The Ides, depicting two aggressive-looking self-portraits of Spare flanked by Romanian prostitutes, was turned to face the wall. Months later, after touring overseas, Orridge returned to discover house-sitters had turned the painting around and vanished, leaving rooms splattered with red paint. Spooked, Orridge sold the painting to Chris Stein of Blondie.
Strange Attractor has created a Kickstarter to fund the publication of a new paperback edition of Lost Envoy, as well as a physical edition of the deck itself, at, most likely, 65mm x114mm, (which is 1.14 times the size of the original cards) so that researchers and tarotists can handle the deck and explore its unique working features for themselves.
[Strange Attractor Press] will be working with one of the world’s most experienced printers of playing cards to create this hand-on facsimile edition, and ensure that the overlapping divinatory motifs… Read more »
Iceberg Projects and the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, Bloomington, are pleased to present Austin Osman Spare: Psychopathia Sexualis, the first solo exhibition for the artist in North America. This landmark exhibition celebrates the centennial anniversary of a rare folio of erotic drawings from the Kinsey Institute’s Collection.
Jerusalem Press announces a 48-page essay with several unpublished drawings as supplemental to the deluxe edition of ‘Static Alignments’. The centre spread and cover feature the only known colour photograph of AOS with nude life-model. A small number of the deluxe edition are still available.
The Static Alignments – Austin Osman Spare’s School of Draughtsmanship is now shipping worldwide, with 50% sold already… Deluxe edition available from end of February. Featuring Fragmentum, written by AOS, here are the principles underlying his art. Detailed notes transcribed by Frank Letchford from his advanced lessons in portraiture, this is an indispensable resource for anyone wishing to gain an intimate understanding of Spare’s work practice.
Exciting news from Jerusalem Press: Featuring detailed notes transcribed by Frank Letchford from his advanced lessons in portraiture, [The Static Alignments] is an indispensable resource for anyone wishing to gain an intimate understanding of Spare’s work practice.
For what I believe to be the third time, Austin Osman Spare featured on Sunday’s BBC Antiques Roadshow, this time for a rather delightful portrait of an unknown male. UK visitors to this site will know that Antiques Roadshow is a popular and influential BBC programme. Nothing of much note in the evaluation but worth a watch..
Not for the first time, BBC1’s Antiques Roadshow featured an Austin Osman Spare item in yesterday’s programme. The significance of its appearance on the UK’s premier antiques television show should not be underestimated. Of course, the expert had to mention Spare’s interest in the occult, his squalid living conditions and so on, but the piece – available via the BBC’s iPlayer application – was very favourable in its artistic assessment.
Auctioned yesterday at Gorringe’s (Lewes UK): Austin Osman Spare (1888-1956) Pencil and coloured pencils on thin wove paper ‘Threshold: Quasi-automatic drawings. 1944-1945′ title page in the original album with attached… Read more »
Austin Osman Spare – An Exhibition – The Hendrick’s Private View by The Last Tuesday Society Tuesday 9 May 2017 (17:00 – 22:00 BST) The Last Tuesday Society / Viktor… Read more »
10 January 2017: London Michael Staley looks at the life and magick of Austin Osman Spare, Magical Artist, and gives an introduction to his life, work and legacy. The Castle… Read more »
